Chapter Twenty-One

Rogue

Blaze discovered that Sevan was no longer in Chicago but had returned to his home outside Albany, New York. Distancing himself from Petros’ downfall no doubt. If he thought that leaving Chicago would save him, he was mistaken. Alessio made a call, his private jet was refueled, and we landed in Albany just before dawn. A car was waiting for us at the airfield to drive us to Sevan’s home outside the city.

It was easy to gain admittance into the house. The lack of security or any alarms was surprising but not as much as the look of shock on Sevan’s face when I walked into his kitchen. He was wearing a robe and eating scrambled eggs looking very pleased with himself…until he saw me.

“Mr. Delaney, I did not…I was not expecting a visit from you.”

I walked over to the coffee pot, grabbed a mug from the stand beside it, and poured myself a cup. It had been a long night, and the caffeine might help improve my mood.

“I’m sure you didn’t, but I wanted to deliver this news personally. Petros and all the men that were with him are dead.”

He dropped his head in mock sorrow. “It is a shame that the young man could not be controlled. So young and foolish. If only his father had lived longer.”

He spoke his lies with such confidence.

“Yes, it is. Young and foolish is never a good combination.”

He nodded in agreement. The fake sympathy on his face was nauseating.

“I’m curious though, who will take his place? With no one at the helm, how will the organization move forward?”

I couldn’t suppress the grin on my face when he nervously took a sip of his coffee. His hand was shaking slightly.

“I’m sure the family will come to a wise decision when appointing a new leader. Someone with more experience.”

“Perhaps, but I am curious as to if you will be considered for the position.”

Sevan’s eyes widened as Blaze came into the room, blood still staining his clothes.

“I am not certain. Although, I would consider it an honor.”

I took another sip of the coffee and shifted my gaze to Blaze.

“Hmm, well the new leader should be careful who he trusts. The puppet master pulling his strings might set out to see him killed…just as you did Petros.”

His eyes flashed with the realization that we knew of his schemes.

I stepped closer. “Was your plan to simply have Blaze and I do your dirty work and kill Petros so that you could step in as the one meant to save the family? Petros’ father was your friend. Did you swear to him on his deathbed that you would guide his son? You guided him right into his grave. Do you wish to know how he died or is that too much for you? Literal blood on your hands is not as bad as the blood on your conscious.”

His face reddened. “I did everyone a favor. It was always understood that I would take power after Hayak’s death, but he could never keep his dick in his pants. I was not worried. He had been with countless women through the years and never produced a child. I thought he was sterile, but the young waitress he fell in love with changed everything. When she became pregnant, Hayak was determined that the young Petros be his heir, even after it became obvious that he did not have the brains nor the will to be a leader.”

“Getting rid of Petros wasn’t any of my business, Sevan. You made your mistake by lying to me. You were the one behind the threats. You were the one whispering in Petros’ ear that he should take on Nickolai and the Volkoff Bratva as well as my organization. You endangered everyone around me with your scheming, including my wife, and that is something I will not forgive.”

“I can give you whatever you want, Delaney. We can be partners. Together we can increase our holdings and power. I will give you a large percentage of the profits.”

I shook my head. “I don’t need you to do any of those things, Sevan, because I am going to take it all. Did you think that my services would be free?”

Sevan knew he was beaten. I could see it on his face. His eyes were downcast as he nervously moved around the table. Blaze and I both knew what he was about to do and were ready when he lunged for the gun he had hidden in a drawer. By the time he had turned to point it at me, I already had mine leveled at his forehead.

The pistol he was holding clattered to the ground as my shot went through his brain.

Blaze stepped forward. “Well, that was anticlimactic.”

“I don’t have the time nor am I in the mood for dramatics.”

Blaze grinned. “Tomas and Alessio made certain we didn’t miss anything, no security cameras, there was no one else in the house, nothing to connect us with being here, and I have some of Petro’s blood and his identification to leave somewhere here in the house. I can easily make it look as if the two of them argued and Petros killed Sevan before fleeing the country and as Petros’ body will never be found, it should be an easy sell.”

I sighed before putting my pistol back inside my coat. “Let’s just get it done and get back to Chicago.”

About thirty minutes later my phone rang. “I know you are impatient, Alessio, but you could give us just a bit more time.”

“You need to get back to the plane now!”

The urgency in his voice caused me to immediately pick up my pace toward the waiting car. “What’s happened?”

“I just received a phone call from Frankie Ballentine. It’s Galante, he doesn’t know where he is. He discovered that his safe had been broken into sometime yesterday and Tony stole somewhere around a hundred grand. Frankie wanted to warn you. He doesn’t think he will return to Chicago and go after Bri, but I wouldn’t want to take that chance if I were you.”

I hung up the phone and immediately tried to call Michael, but the call failed. Something was wrong. I could feel it. I had given Bri her phone when I left, but when I dialed the number, the call wouldn’t go through.

I sprinted the rest of the way to the car with Blaze right behind me. I had promised Bri that I would protect her, keep her safe. I had told her that Tony wasn’t a threat anymore, that he had left Chicago. And now I wasn’t there to protect her from the monster who had hurt her. The prospect of that bastard putting his hands on her, hurting my angel again was enough to make me commit murder a hundred times over. My fury intensified at the thought. If Galante was foolish enough to go after Bri again, I would show no mercy. His death would not be an easy one.

Bri

I had spent most of the day learning my way around Rogue’s ridiculously large mansion. He did not return that night and I had not heard anything from him since he left me. Michael had assured me that I had nothing to worry about, but how could I not worry?

“Did you want to change and practice some of the moves you have been learning? It might help take your mind off things.”

I turned and saw Michael walking toward me. It was odd seeing him dressed normally, not as a priest.

“Have you heard anything?”

He shook his head. “No, but my phone hasn’t worked all day. There must be a tower down somewhere.”

I took the phone from my pocket and stared at the blank screen. “Yeah, mine isn’t working either.”

“I normally would try to be more sympathetic and understanding but you look as if you could use some tough love. Go get changed and meet me in the gym. If you can manage to hold your own, I will teach you something new.”

“Something new?”

His grin stretched wider across his face. “Rogue has a target range in the basement. I thought you might like to try your hand at shooting. You did say you wanted to learn.”

I returned his smile. “Rogue knows that you are going to teach me to shoot?”

“No, but he isn’t here right now. But just so we are clear, you only get to go to the range if you manage to hold your own on the mat, and I have no plans of letting you off easy.”

I slipped my phone back into my pocket. “For a priest, you certainly aren’t being very encouraging, but I think I might surprise you. Will Eden be joining us?”

“She is napping and since Tomas is not here to supervise, I think I will steer clear of throwing around Alessio Messina’s wife. It could be dangerous to my health. Now go change, I’ll be in the gym.”

While I missed Rogue, I did enjoy spending time with Father Michael. He made me laugh and there was something about him that made all of this feel normal. “I’ll meet you there in fifteen minutes.”

I hurried up the stairs to the master suite to change, tossed my phone on the table by the bed, and turned back toward the closet.

“Hello, Brielle.”

The voice from my past caused me to freeze in fear. “Tony.”

He took a step closer, and I felt as if my feet were glued to the floor.

“I thought you had forgotten all about me, sweetheart. You gave me more of a chase than I expected.”

His hand reached out toward my face and my senses returned. “How did you get in here?”

“It was difficult, I will give Delaney that. His security was almost impenetrable…almost.”

“Then you should also know I am not alone.”

A mocking smile stretched across his lips. “I’m not foolish enough to come alone either, Bri. Right now, there are two men downstairs taking care of the man Delaney left here for your protection.”

I felt sick that Michael could be hurt because of me. “Leave him alone! He hasn’t done anything to you.”

His eyes darkened and I could almost feel the evil radiating from him.

“What would you do to save his life?” His hand went to his zipper. “Get on your knees and open your mouth. Suck my cock, Bri and if you do a good job, I’ll spare your friend.”

A wave of nausea swept over me as he stepped closer.

“You are sick, Tony.”

My head jerked back as he backhanded me. The coppery taste of blood from where my lips was split hit my tongue.

“Shut the fuck up, bitch. You are coming with me.”

My hand covered my stinging cheek. There was no way I was going to willingly leave with this psycho. “I’m not going with you, Tony, and if you try to take me, Rogue will kill you.”

He moved with lightning speed and before I could step away, he had his hand wrapped around my throat and painfully squeezed, causing me to gasp for air. “I don’t want to hear another word about Rogue Delaney, the man you so easily spread your legs for when you denied me.”

He began dragging me toward the door, but I wasn’t going to make it easy for him. I kicked at the back of his knee and his grip loosened enough that I could break away and I ran just as Michael had said I should do. Run until I was safe.

Tony tracked my steps, and I heard him mutter something under his breath. He was right behind me, but I ran even though I knew he would catch me, and he did. I was halfway down the stairs when he kicked my legs out from under me, causing me to lose my balance. I screamed as I tumbled the rest of the way down the stairs. My head hit the floor hard, and I could feel blood oozing down the side of my face.

I tried to get up, but I was dizzy and fell back down again.

Tony flipped me over to my back and stood over me. “Why do you make me do this to you?”

He roughly pulled me to my feet and snaked his arm around my waist, and I could feel his breath against my neck. I squeezed my eyes shut, pushing back the fear that threatened to consume me.

“We are going to finish what we started, Bri. You are going to give me what you were so quick to give to Rogue Delaney.”

Another wave of nausea and dizziness moved over me, but I pushed it aside and summoned what little courage I had. I was not the same girl that Tony had terrorized back in Colorado. I was stronger now. I slammed my heel down hard on his foot. His grip loosened, but it wasn’t enough for me to break free again, and even if I had been successful, the dizziness that had my head swimming probably would have taken over.

“Fucking bitch!”

He spun me around and punched me hard in the face. The force of the hit made everything go a little dark for a few seconds and everything around me seemed to spin out of control.

“Keep it up, Bri. The fighting just makes my dick harder. Now start walking.”

I struggled to keep myself conscious. I had to keep fighting. My head lolled to the side, and I blinked a few times.

“Brielle!”

I saw Michael running toward me with Eden right behind him. Through my dizziness, I could see blood on his hands and shirt. Tony’s fingers were digging into the side of my neck, and I knew that if he managed to get me out of this house, I would die. I looked at Michael once more before trying to jab my elbow into Tony’s gut. I connected but with my strength fading, it didn’t have much of an impact. Eden’s eyes were wide as she watched. I squeezed my eyes shut and pushed back the tears. I would not give this man the satisfaction of seeing me cry.

Just before I thought all was lost, a loud crash caused me to look up, and what I saw made my heart leap. Rogue was standing in the doorway looking fiercer than anything I had seen before. His eyes flicked over me briefly before meeting Tony’s and then they seemed to blaze with fury. The severe anger radiating from him caused Tony to take a step back. While I felt a rush of relief at seeing Rogue, the rage in his eyes made him look like the devil himself. The last thought I had before everything went black was that the devil had come to save his angel.

Rogue

A Few Minutes Earlier

When the car pulled up at the gates of my estate, I saw that two men were already dead. My security must have found them. Hopefully, they were smart enough to ask them a few questions before ending their lives.

I jumped from the car. “Where is she?”

“There are three men in the house. We found these two lurking around the perimeter.”

I didn’t wait to hear more. I ran toward the house, hoping I had gotten there in time before Tony could hurt her. When I threw open the front door, the sight I saw made my blood turn cold.

Tony had his hands on Bri. There was an open wound on her head with blood oozing from it and her right cheek was red and swollen from where the bastard had hit her. I saw Michael from the corner of my eye, but I couldn’t fully take my eyes from my angel. Her eyes were filled with fear, then to my horror, I watched her go limp in his arms.

“Let her go.”

He laughed. “You think I am a fool? If I let her go, you will kill me. No, she is the only way I have to get out of here.” His arm moved around her throat as he held her against his chest as a shield. “So, unless you want to see me choke the life out of her before your eyes, you will step aside.”

I didn’t have to turn my head to know that Blaze had come to stand beside me, I could feel his presence. Alessio and Tomas had probably gone around back. Michael took a step closer to Galante, and I noticed that he was covered in blood. He must have already taken care of the other two men in the house. That left just Tony.

“There is no way out, Tony. Let her go, and I will have some mercy.”

His bitter laugh made my skin crawl. I looked at Bri’s face. Her eyes fluttered as she began to regain consciousness.

I moved forward, needing to close the space between us so that I could reach Bri quickly if things didn’t go the way I planned. Tony continued backing away. Bri began to struggle, and he tightened his hold, causing her airway to be cut off. Her hand reached up to grip the arm that was around her throat, but she was weak. I needed to get her away from him.

I saw her eyes dart over to Michael and the small nod of her head indicating that she was about to attempt something. But before I could stop her from doing something that might get her hurt, she reached up and raked her nails deep into Tony’s face. The hold he had on her loosened, and I rushed forward pulling her free and shoving her behind me before I tackled the man that had dared to touch her. All the anger and fury I had inside me came to the surface. My fists pounded against his head until he no longer moved beneath me. I would have killed him right then and there had Blaze not stepped forward and pulled me off him.

“Stop! Killing him now is not what he deserves.”

I looked down at his bloody face. “Get him the fuck out of my house. I don’t want her to have to see his face again.”

At some point, Tomas and Alessio had made their way to the scene. Tomas helped Blaze drag Tony from the room while Alessio swept his Cara Mia into his arms.

I turned to find Bri slumped against the wall, her arms crossed over her chest. I immediately walked over to her, scanning the injuries on her face. I picked her up, cradling her in my arms, and headed for the stairs. I wanted privacy to make certain she was alright and find out what Tony had done to her before I arrived.

When I had her behind the closed doors of the master suite, I put her back on her feet and held her a little away from me so I could further examine her injuries. “Where are hurt?”

Her hand went to the cut on her head. “I’m fine. Just a few bumps. He tripped me when I was running from him, and I fell down the stairs, and I will have a few bruises on my face from where he hit me.”

I took out my phone.

“What are you doing?”

“I’m calling my physician. If you fell down the steps, I want you examined.”

I braced for an argument from her, but she never uttered a word as she walked away to sit on the edge of the bed. I could tell from the wobbliness of her steps that she needed to sit before she fell.

Once the call had been made, I went into the bathroom and came back out with a hot washcloth and gently washed the blood from her forehead.

“I’m sorry that I didn’t get here in time.”

A heavy sigh passed through her lips. “But you did.”

I tilted her chin up so I could see into her eyes. “It’s over now. No more nightmares, Angel.”

I leaned down and kissed her softly. “The doctor will be here soon. Take a shower, and I’ll bring an icepack for your cheek.”

“Where will you be? You aren’t leaving again, are you?”

Her hand clung to mine.

“No, baby. I am just going downstairs to talk to Michael and make certain all of this is handled. I’ll come back when the doctor arrives.”

She nodded and walked into the bathroom on her own power. Once I heard the shower running, I hurried downstairs, hoping Michael could give me more details of what the fuck had happened.

I found him in the kitchen with Alessio and Eden. “I don’t want to burden Bri with a shit ton of questions so tell me what you can.” It was then that I really took notice of his appearance. His shirt was torn, and he was coated in dried blood. “I sent for the doctor. He can examine you too.”

“No need. None of this is my blood.”

I glanced over at Alessio who still had Eden wrapped in his embrace.

Michael knew I had never been patient and thankfully didn’t make me wait for an explanation.

“Bri had gone to the bedroom to change. She was to meet me in the gym to practice more self-defense moves. On my way there, I heard glass break here in the kitchen and came to find Eden fending off two men. She was armed with a knife in one hand and a coffee mug in the other and seemed to be holding her own, but you know me, I hate to see a lady in distress.”

“You killed them?”

“Yes, their bodies are in the dining room. I moved them out of sight.”

I looked at Eden. “Are you alright?”

“Yes, thank goodness Father Michael was here. How is Bri?”

“Other than a few cuts and bruises, I think she will be fine. We will know more after the doctor examines her. The hard hit she took to her head when she stumbled down the stairs worries me.”

Alessio stepped toward Michael. “I am forever in your debt, but since the two of you seem to have everything in hand, we will be returning to New York.”

Michael shook his hand, but I could tell he was uncomfortable with the situation.

Alessio and Eden left the room, and I turned back to Michael.

“If you don’t need me for anything right away, I’m going to shower. But before I do, what happens next?”

“Blaze has taken Tony to the chambers. He will wait there. You know what his fate will be and don’t try to convince me that I should show mercy.”

His head dropped and looked at the blood staining his hands. “I don’t think I have the right to tell anyone how they should live. I just killed two men and the sad part is that I have no remorse.”

“Some men don’t deserve to live, Michael. You are merely God’s outstretched hand of vengeance.”

He rolled his eyes. “Don’t start being philosophical. Go be with Bri. I’ll see you later.”

I made my way back up to the master suite. I could still hear the shower running and I walked into the bathroom to see Bri sitting on the floor underneath the hot water. Her knees were pulled up to her chest and her arms were wrapped around them. I took off my clothes and stepped into the shower with her. She didn’t even notice me at first. I sat on the floor behind her and pulled her closer so that my arms could wrap around her body.

She didn’t speak, nor was she crying, but I did think she was in some kind of shock. “Angel? Are you hurt anywhere else?”

She shook her head but still didn’t speak.

“The doctor will be here soon, love, and once he has made certain you are alright, I will put you to bed and have the chef cook whatever you want to eat tonight.”

I continued holding her until the water turned cool, then carried her back to the bedroom and wrapped her in a blanket. “I’m going to change clothes and go downstairs. The doctor should be here in a few minutes, and I’ll bring him up. Do you need anything, Angel?”

“No, I’m fine. But how is Father Michael? I saw him and there was so much blood.” Her voice was small and quiet.

“Not a scratch on him. He will be trying to save my soul again in no time. Alessio and Eden have already left for the airport. He was anxious to get back to New York and Blaze will likely head back into the city.”

I leaned over and kissed her forehead. “Just rest and when the doctor leaves, if you feel up to it, we will make some plans.”

I walked toward the closet, dressed quickly, and went downstairs to make certain everything was being taken care of. I didn’t want Bri to see any more of the blood and death than she had already. The sooner I could erase what happened from her mind the better off she would be.

Bri

The doctor arrived not long after Rogue had left the room. Other than a slight concussion and a few cuts and bruises I would be fine. He suggested I take a day or two to rest and left some pain medicine if I needed anything stronger than Ibuprofen.

Rogue had not returned upstairs since the doctor had left. With everything that went on today, I wouldn’t be surprised if I didn’t see him for a few hours. I had no idea what getting rid of a body entailed, but I assumed no police would be involved. It was probably best if I didn’t know anything.

None of that was what was bothering me though. Now that everything was over, I knew things would change. Rogue had even mentioned making plans once I felt better this evening. It was the prospect of what those plans entailed that made me nervous. I had grown accustomed to being with Rogue now. The thought of him no longer being in my life hurt. Not to mention the fact that I was certain another man would never be able to make me feel the same way he did, nor would I want another man to touch me.

Rogue’s ideas for the future and what that meant for us kept going through my mind, making me crazy. So, I left the bed, against the doctor’s orders, and walked over to the balcony. I opened the French doors letting in the fresh air. The cool breeze felt good. I took a deep breath and moved over to the railing.

“What the hell do you think you are doing, Angel?”

I didn’t bother to turn around. “I was tired of being in bed and wanted to get some fresh air.”

He moved behind me and wrapped his arms around my waist before pressing a soft kiss to my neck. “You should have waited for me. The doctor said that with your concussion you could experience dizziness.”

“I wasn’t sure how much longer you would be, and I think the doctor is being overly cautious. I feel much better now.”

Rogue turned me around to face him and I watched as his eyes scanned over my injuries. “Regardless, the doctor said for you to rest and that is what you are going to do. Don’t make me get the handcuffs, sweetheart.”

The smile on his face made my heart twist. “You said we were going to talk about plans, and I think I would feel better if we did so now.”

His eyes narrowed as he stared down into my face. “What’s on your mind, Angel?”

I took a deep breath and decided it was best just to get it over with. “Is the danger gone? The men that attacked Nickolai, the ones that you said were watching you and would take me if given the opportunity, they are gone?”

“Yes, sweetheart. It has been handled. The threat is over.”

“And Tony?”

His fingers came up to lightly brush across the bruise on my cheek. “Gone. No more nightmares.”

I closed my eyes, trying to shut out the way his touch on my skin made me feel. “If there is no longer any danger, I just want you to know that I will understand and not make a fuss.”

His fingers stilled and his eyes darkened.

I pulled away from his embrace and turned around knowing it would be easier for me to say what needed to be said if I wasn’t looking at him.

“What are you talking about, Bri?”

“I heard you on the phone a few days ago reiterating that the only reason why you married me was to protect me, to keep me safe. It only makes sense that now the threat is gone, the marriage is no longer necessary.”

I heard him inhale deeply. “Is that what you want?”

“It doesn’t matter what I want. You did what you promised. You protected me and saved me from the biggest monster I have ever encountered. It wouldn’t be right of me to try to hold you to a commitment you didn’t want.”

At first, I didn’t think he would say anything. It seemed like time had stopped. He made no move to touch me.

“Turn around and look at me.”

I did as he asked and the stormy expression on his face made me quiver.

“What are you trying to say, Angel?”

I looked away. “You married me with the sole purpose of protecting me, you did that. I assumed now that the danger has passed, you would want things to be as they were before.”

He fisted a handful of my hair and forced me to look at him. “I asked you a question and I expect an answer. Is that what you want?”

I felt my heart race. No, it wasn’t what I wanted. I wanted to stay with him. I wasn’t sure how I would walk away if told me that was what he wished. I shook my head as one whispered word passed through my parted lips.

“No.”

His frown turned up slightly. “Then why would you suggest something so ludicrous?”

His arms wrapped around me, and he pulled me close.

“You said we would make plans when I felt better, and I thought that was what you wanted to talk about.”

He kissed the top of my head before sweeping me into his arms and carrying me back inside to the bed. “I wanted to make plans for a honeymoon, Angel, not dissolve our marriage.” He sat me back on the bed and stood a few feet away from me. “What am I going to have to do to convince you that there is no escape, that you are mine forever? Do I seriously need to rethink the idea of chaining you to my bed?”

The joy I felt as his words was so overpowering that I couldn’t help but smile at his reference to the handcuffs. “No, I get the idea. Besides, I did sign a contract.”

He pressed me back against the pillows and hovered over me. “Damn straight you did, and don’t think for one minute that I will not use it against you if that pretty little head ever thinks of leaving me again.”

I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled his head closer for a long, slow kiss.

“Darling, the doctor said that you should rest for a day or two, but if you continue to kiss me like that, it will be difficult for me to heed his advice.”

“Would I be more convincing if I were naked?”

His smile instantly became predatory. His lips claimed mine and his hands made swift work of the chemise I was wearing. “You know an angel should never tempt a devil, darling.”