Why did this upset her? Did she realize it was my mother and me? Why would that make her run as if she’d seen a ghost?
I set the frame gently back on the shelf, making a note to replace the broken frame. Maybe she thought I’d be upset because she broke the frame with that particular picture. I’d hope she’d know me by now, to know that despite my temper, I wouldn’t punish her for such an accident.
I stare at the frame a little longer and then spin to face the camera feed again. Now I have more questions and still no answers.
It’s time my angel answers for her actions. I’ve let her rest from her ordeals long enough.
I flip the light off on my way back into the hall and run right into someone shrouded in the shadows.
The little gasp of pain she lets out tells me it’s Andrea. I release her wrists, which I’d grabbed to keep from her toppling from our impact.
She puts a few feet of distance between us. Even in the dark, I can see the yellowing bruises on her skin. She’s wearing a dark-colored robe—purple?—cinched tight from throat to toes, yet she still tries to pull her hair over her shoulder to hide her face.
I hold up my hands in surrender, so she knows I won’t touch her again. “Sorry, I wasn’t paying attention.”
“Stop it. Don’t speak to me like an invalid.”
It’s on the tip of my tongue to bite back at her tone, but I know she’s hurting, and I don’t kick my men when they are down. If striking out at me makes her feel better, I can take that for her and let her use it to heal. “What are you doing up at this hour?”
She stiffens, a shaft of light cutting across her bandaged knuckles. “I couldn’t sleep. I’m just going to the kitchen to get a drink.”
All my men have apartments, or houses, elsewhere. But they all also have rooms here in the penthouse to use at their will. My five are the only ones who can come and go without special permission. “I’ll walk with you.”
“No, it’s fine. I don’t need a babysitter. It’s just a drink.”
My patience only goes so far. I step closer and lean in. “Watch your tone, Andrea. I know you need to heal and that you don’t need to be coddled, but I’ll only put up with so much abuse before I bite back. And I always bite to kill.”
She ducks her chin. Submission has never been in her nature, and it hurts so badly to see it there now.
“Are you ready to tell me who I’ll eviscerate for hurting you?” She, like Valentina, hasn’t shared a single detail about her attackers or the attack. So far, the only information I’d gleaned was from the doctor’s medical report. And even then, it took some persuading to make him hand it over.
“Not yet. I’m not going to talk about it yet.” Her voice is thready, and her tone rushed.
If I thought she held her tongue so she could hunt these men down herself, I might let it stand. As of now, though, she hasn’t made a move to leave the penthouse once in the days since her attack. Worse, she won’t come to the meetings, nor will she let anyone help her outside of the care I insist on by the doctor.
I step around her, giving her a wide berth so I don’t brush against her. “For now, I’ll leave it alone, but I won’t forever. Get whatever you need done, done because once my own business is handled, we are going hunting.”
I don’t wait to hear if she will comply or not before I turn and head back to my bedroom. All of this defiance grates on me, and the need to control rises up enough that I’ll need to work out or hit a punching bag to take some of the edge off. Or else I’ll end up taking my rage out on my men. Like Kai.
Hot stinging guilt winds its way into my chest. Since Valentina showed up, I’ve done nothing but treat Kai poorly. If he wouldn’t fail me, I wouldn’t be doing so, but here we are, stuck in a vicious circle.
When I’d pulled up the video feeds, I saw them together in the hallway…him handing her something while looking grimmer than usual. I’ll keep that under wraps for now as long as Valentina starts being a little more forthcoming. I already know she won’t let me hurt Kai for her sake, so…if I have to, I’ll put a gun to his head and force him to his knees.
My angel is going to give me answers whether she likes it or not.
42
VALENTINA
The second he left, it felt like the air had been sucked out of our bedroom. The ruin of our bedroom after Adrian let loose his rage on it. Strangely, even though the décor and glass flew around precariously close to me, not for one second did I feel unsafe. Before…I couldn’t even walk into the same room as Sal without the icy fingers of dread creeping up my spine.