“I know for a fucking fact that isn’t my shirt!” She finally meets my gaze and I narrow my eyes when I see she is walling her emotions off from me.
“It’s one of Gage’s old shirts that I stole.” She nibbles on her bottom lip nervously. I want to tear the fucking thing from her body and burn it. She moves toward her bed and hops up tucking her legs under herself, grabbing a pink cushion that I know my sister must have brought and holds it against her chest—almost like it’s a buffer between her and I.
“You okay?” She deflates at my question.
“I don’t know.” She drops her head down and her hair falls forward acting like a curtain blocking her from my view. I want to reach out and push it away but I remain where I am.
“I’ll explain everything about the videos if you’ll answer one question.”
“Okay.”
“Why the fuck won’t you look at me?” I can hear the bitterness in my own voice but I’m well past caring. I sat here and watched her cling to Gage and said nothing, she sits in front of me wearing his shirt and I’ve said nothing.
“I don’t want to see the disgust in your eyes when you look at me,” her whispered words break something inside me. I’m off the bed and diving across to her within a second. I nestle my way between her legs and loom over top of her. She stares up at me with tears in her eyes, her bottom lip beginning to tremble as the first tear falls. I bend down and kiss it away. She whimpers beneath me and it breaks my fucking heart. I kiss away the tears that continue to fall from her eyes. “Stop.” Her quiet plea has me pulling back and resting my arms either side of her head. I search her gaze but all I see is pain.
“Talk to me.”
“I didn’t know there were tapes.” I grit my teeth to tamper my fucking rage.
“How could you? You were a fucking kid, Kiara.” She shakes her head as more tears fall.
“You saw them?”
“I erased them.”
“How did Gage see it?” I won’t lie to her, she deserves to know the truth.
“Tony taped what was happening and sent them to your father. He did that to you not only because he was a sick twisted bastard, but to punish your father each time he stepped out of line and tried to come for you. One of the videos was sent today—to me, King, Gage, Rook and Knight.” She whimpers and I want nothing more than to take away her pain. Her eyes shine with shame.
“D-did… they see it?” I lean back on my haunches and nod solemnly. “Oh God.” She shuffles up the bed until she rests against the headboard, draws her legs up and wraps her arms around them.
“They all deleted it. Luka is trying to track the IP address that sent it now. King and my men are on standby waiting for the location so they can end this and get Carlina back.”
“If he tried to get me back, why would he send that video? Why would he do that to me?” I rub a hand down my face and spill the truth.
“Because… he knows I’m in love with you and knew seeing that would fuck me up.” Her eyes widen and her mouth drops open in shock. I smile trying to reassure her.
“You love me?” I hold her gaze as I lay it all out for her.
“I’ve loved you since you were fifteen. I had no right to love a fucking child but I did anyway. I think I always did but wasn’t sure until you fled. I lost it when you left, Kiara. I killed Tony, took over the role as Don and nearly destroyed our relationships with the other families searching for you. You calm the beast inside me, without you I do dumb shit. When I… kicked you out, I shot Pauly Ramano because we got a hit he was with Car. He wasn’t, but killing him quieted the rage inside me for a small moment.” She remains silent for a long while and I start to worry that telling her how I feel for her was the wrong move.
“How could you love me after seeing… what he did to me.” I reach and grip her face between my hands and pull her up until we are eye level.
“I saw those tapes a few weeks after you ran from us. It has never changed how I feel toward you, baby, and it never fucking will. I love you, Kiara, and I don’t just want to marry because of our families. I want to marry you because you make me whole and I want to be with you every second of every fucking day!” Tears flow freely down her cheeks and I groan internally, why the fuck do I keep making her cry? She pushes my arms away and wraps her arms around my neck, pulling me to her so she can kiss me. I can feel everything she hasn’t said in this kiss. Before I can deepen the kiss, she pulls back and rests her head against mine.
“I’ve loved you since I was nine years old. I think I always have, even after I ran from Tony.” Pride swells inside me at her whispered declaration. I kiss her again and haul her against me so I can hold her close. Even after everything my father did to her, she can still be here with me and love me. Kiara Bennett is the strongest fucking woman I know and I’ll spend the rest of my life trying to make up for all the wrongs that have happened to her in her life.
Chapter20
Kiara
The sound of a phone ringing stirs me awake. I feel Bishop stir behind me and smile. He made love to me, slow sweet passionate love for the first time and fucking hell, Bishop fucking me rough is hot but Bishop taking his time and showing me how much he loves me through his body had me screaming so fucking loud that I hoped all the cheer bitches could hear. Bishop flicks on the bed side lamp and grabs his phone. He checks the caller I.D before hitting the green button.
“Yeah?” Whatever Bishop hears on the other end of the phone has him throwing the covers off and jumping to his feet. I sit up in a panic. “How long?” He grabs his pants and starts to get dressed. “Keep me updated, we’re leaving now.” He drops his phone to the bed before turning to me. “Get dressed.”
“What, why?”
“Now, Kiara, we have to go.” I climb off the bed to do as he asks, the panic in his voice tells me something bad happened or is about to. As I’m pulling on a pair of jeans, he grabs his phone and calls someone. “Get the twins and Mav and meet me at my car.” He hangs up and puts his phone in his pocket. I grab my Chucks and slip in my feet in them. As soon as I stand, he grabs my hand and hauls me from the room, he’s moving so fast I can’t keep up with his long strides.