“I can’t do that!” Knight’s eyes flash with anger.
“You can and you will. Bishop needs to focus right now on getting my sister back, the last thing he needs is to worry that you’ll go back to school and slit your wrists.” I flinch at his harsh tone and shudder at the thought of doing what he said.
“I’m not fucking suicidal, Knight!”
“Good to know. Now, let’s go.” He brushes past me and like the sheep that I am, I follow him. The closer we get to the house, I feel my unease bleed way to anger and I latch onto that. Fuck Bishop. I lived without him and so what if he paid for my schooling, it’s the least he can fucking do after what his father did to me for years. Tony may have broken my hymen but he didn’t break my fucking spirit. I hold my head high and follow Knight inside, making sure to keep a mask of indifference in place as we pass by the kitchen. I spy Mav and Luka in there talking quietly. We pass the living room and just about make it past the hallway where his office is without bumping into him but of course, fate hates me. He and King exit the office and Knight stops. I keep my gaze ahead and don’t bother to look at either of them. I can feel both their stares on me but I won’t give him the satisfaction of looking at him. Bishop steps forward but King grips his arm stopping his movement.
“It was good to see you, princess.” I scoff and turn away from them heading for the door. I hear a scuffle behind me but don’t even acknowledge it. I need to get the fuck out of this house before I cry like a girl. I’m not a crier, never have been, and I refuse to start now. I wait at the bottom of the steps for Knight.
“You know he’s full of shit, right?” I spin to the side and see both Gage and Rook walking toward me. I leap at Gage when he’s close enough. I wrap my arms around his waist and rest my cheek against his chest. His embrace makes me feel like everything is going to be okay and that I’ll make it through this thing, whatever this thing is between Bishop and I. “You okay, doll?” I pull back and smile up at him. I run my gaze over his body and that’s when I see his hand, it’s purple and bruised. His fingers are swollen and I can tell from the way he lifts it and holds it against his chest that it’s causing him discomfort.
“I’m so sorry, Gage.”
“What the hell are you sorry for? I’m the one that hid shit from you doll, not the other way around!” I place my hands on my hips and nibble on the corner of my bottom lip and shrug.
“I guess me being more pissed at Bishop lets you off the hook.” A broad smile graces his face but I’m not done. “You still have a shit load of groveling to do and a lot to explain.” The sound of the front door closing stops our conversation. Rook steps forward and places a hand on my shoulder.
“Good thing we have a three-hour car ride ahead of us then.” I look at Rook in confusion, he rolls his eyes playfully. “Lover boy over here is coming back with us, Luka is on the wanted list so he can’t guard you.” I turn back to Gage.
“What about the shack?” Gage runs the fight club and I know he does other shit on the side to make money but I never asked what he did. I guess I don’t need to ask now.
“Bishop had it burnt down last night, so, he’s free to guard you for the rest of the year.” I balk at Rook’s careless tone. I know how much that place meant to Gage. I step forward and grab Gage’s free hand in mine and squeeze.
“I’m so sorry,” I whisper. I feel like shit knowing it’s my fault this happened—all because I told Bishop I didn’t want to give up fighting.
“Don’t worry about it, doll. Come on, we better get going before he decides to break my other hand.” I cringe. I know he meant it as a joke but still, it’s way too soon to be joking about that.
Chapter13
Bishop
TWO WEEKS
I’ve been getting updates about my sister every second day, always from a new number and never the same. Luka isn’t able to track the calls. I’ve sent men to Florida to try track Anthony Bennet down, the fucker is like a ghost. He runs the show down there but no one has actually seen him. You can’t even get a description of the bastard. Tony used to tell me stories about him but I thought most of them were bullshit just to make himself feel better about not being able to take out his competition but now, I fear he may have been right.
“What if he isn’t in Miami?” I look up from my laptop and stare at King.
“What do you mean?”
“Think about it, Bish. The guy is like a ghost and no one knows what he looks like. What’s to say he isn’t right here in New York under our fucking noses. We have caused a rift with Ramano’s because you thought Car might have been with them because someone said theythoughtthey saw her with Pauly.”
“They are fucking bitches and everyone knows Pauly is a snitch bitch.” He deserved what happened to him.
“You fucking killed the heir to the Ramano family, Bishop! They are going to clap back, it’s not a matter ofifit’s a matter ofwhen. We can’t be fighting two wars at once!” I snap.
“What the fuck do you want me to do, King? You wanted me focused on getting Carlina back, I am fucking focused!”
“You stupid bastard. You’re lashing out because you’re fucking pissed that Kiara is gone! Don’t think I didn’t fucking know you have been sneaking up to that school every other night to spy on her!” I ball my hands into fists atop my desk.
“Tread fucking carefully, brother.”
“Or what? You gonna kill me like you did Pauly? Break my hand like Gage because he dared to touch Kiara? You’re fucking spiraling, B, and this time I won’t be the one to pull you back.” His reminder of the time I went off the rails has my anger spiking. I grip the tumbler in front of me and launch it at the wall behind King. He jumps to his feet and I do the same. I warm inside at the thought of being able to fight, I need an outlet for my anger and since fucking Kiara is off the table, beating some respect into King is second best.
“You and me, in the basement five minutes. You want to nut up and come at me like you just did, you better be ready to back your shit up.” King smiles darkly at me.
“About fucking time, get ready to have your ass handed to you, brother.”
* * *