Chapter 19

TYRONE

19

Istrode into the apartment, still furious that the meeting I was meant to attend tonight had been called off. At least Julian had called, the issue he'd had to go deal with involving some missing product from our latest shipment had been successful. Although we now needed a new warehouse manager after the untimely death of our last one.

As for tonight's meeting, Julian had been supposed to join me after his warehouse adventure to speak with some liaisons for a rival family who were overstepping on our turf. It was our way to try to avoid bloodshed in the streets of this fine city we called ours. The great city of Starwin teetered in the palms of our hands, having been founded by three great mafia families, built on the bones of our ancestors.

We all still ran this city from the shadows with an iron fist, but my father had made sure that the Silvestri family had come out on top as the head family of the city. Although our once partnered families now saw us as the enemy, constantly trying to overthrow our great family and take the seat at the top.

Why couldn't they just accept their place and be happy? We gave one family the northeast sector of the city, while the other had the southwest. As for downtown, we owned the majority of it, running the main hubs of the city. We dominated the drug market, both legal and not, along with the gun trade.

I pulled up as my gaze landed on Cristian at the kitchen island, holding a bloody rag to his nose.

"What the fuck happened?" I growled. I didn't need yet another mess of his to deal with. He was a loose cannon these days, even worse than he used to be.

Before everything had happened, when he'd finally slipped and lost his head completely.

He'd handled his grief in a warped way, and now, he was not exactly the brother I remembered, the one I'd grown up with. He was darker, more wicked, and he was bat-shit crazy at times.

And yet, I'd still trust my life in his hands when it came down to it. That much was a given.

I stared at Cristian, waiting for an explanation as he removed the bloody rag from his face. A thin cut crossed the bridge of his nose, still slowly oozing crimson.

"It's nothing, just a little misunderstanding with our house guest," he said with a dismissive wave of his hand.

My brow furrowed as I glanced around the open living space. "Where is she?"

"In her room, I told her to clean herself up."

A low growl rumbled in my throat. "What happened, Cristian?"

Keeping a leash on Scarlet had been trying at best. The fiery minx had a stubborn streak a mile wide and a penchant for mouthing off that constantly set Cristian off apparently.

The elevator dinged, drawing my gaze, only for Julian to step out with Kenny on his leash.

He arched a brow as he noticed Cristian's bloody face, and he bent down to take off the cat's harness.

"Trouble in paradise?" he asked.

"Seems Cristian had an issue with Scarlet," I muttered as I shook my head.

"Nothing new there," Julian said with a shrug as Kenny scurried off up the stairs. I wondered if he'd be making a beeline for Scarlet's room, he spent a lot of time with her.

"She mouthed off, I wasn't in the mood," Cristian growled as he checked his rag, blood still dribbling from his nose. Had our little fiery guest broken it? The thought made me smirk. She really was a wild one.

"What'd you do to her this time?" Julian said with a heavy sigh as he joined us in the kitchen, dropping Kenny's harness and leash on the counter.

"Reminded her of her place."

"I know how you can get, brother. She still kicking?" Julian's eyes flicked to me uneasily, and I felt the dark pit settle in my stomach. I hated cleaning up his messes, but killing a woman would be a new one for him. He may be clinically insane, but that seemed to be some boundary he'd set himself. Harming them, though, was not.

I knew him all too well, ever since Tess, he was different, more ruthless, more unpredictable, which was a feat even for him. Once Cristian's temper was lit, he became a raging bull, taking his anger out on anything or anyone in his path. I couldn't help my slight concern for our house guest when it came to him, which was frustrating. She was nothing to me, and I shouldn't have worried about her in the slightest. But I also hated dealing with messes left by my brother, especially of the human kind.

A part of me almost admired Scarlet's tenacity in standing up to him. Most would have been broken into whimpering submission long ago after the hell we'd put her through. But not Scarlet. That spark of defiance still burned bright in her eyes whenever I saw her. Yes, sometimes it was subdued, but it was still there, simmering beneath the surface.

"I think she broke your nose," Julian mused as Cristian touched his face. "And your face looks like shit, although nothing new there." He smirked.

"Right back at you," Cristian snapped sarcastically.

I sighed heavily as I pinched the bridge of my nose, feeling the beginnings of a headache forming behind my eyes. "You need to be more careful, Cristian. We can't have incidents like this constantly happening under our roof. You have appearances to keep."

Cristian shrugged nonchalantly as he pressed the rag back against his still bleeding nose. "She's just a little wild, keeps things interesting around here."

Julian snorted as he hopped up on the counter, resting his elbows on his knees. "That's one way to put it. I'm surprised she hasn't tried to claw your eyes out yet."

A dark chuckle rumbled from Cristian's chest. "She's tried, but I've got a good grip on her."

My jaw clenched at his crude remark. Scarlet was certainly a spitfire, that was for damn sure. The question was, did she pose a real threat? Perhaps it was time I considered chaining her up, at least for a little while until she learned her place.

Very few people, let alone women, dared to defy us so boldly. She was an odd one, sometimes submitting, but those eyes still held defiance, even with my cock down her throat. She had fire in her veins, that much was certain.

I shook my head, clearing the thoughts. I couldn't allow myself to be swayed by her fiery spirit. She was a means to an end, nothing more.

"Careful there, Cris. You might just end up falling for this one if you're not cautious," Julian teased with a wry grin.

Cristian scoffed as he tossed the bloody rag into the sink. "Hardly." His gaze darkened momentarily before he schooled his features once more.

I knew that haunted look all too well. Ever since what happened with Tess, Cristian had been a shell of his former self. The light in his eyes had dimmed, replaced by a chilling emptiness that unnerved even me whenever I caught a glimpse of it.

My brother was broken, shattered into a million jagged pieces by his grief. He was desperately grasping at anything to try and fill that void Tess had left behind. Whether that be violence, chaos, or using women, like now, currently using Scarlet as his own personal playthings to torment.

Shattering glass echoed through the apartment, our heads snapping towards the ceiling. My brow furrowed as I shared a glance with Julian and Cristian. Without a word, we moved towards the stairs, taking them two at a time.

The sound had come from Scarlet's room.

Julian reached her door first, throwing it open without hesitation. My gaze landed on the shattered mirror in the open bathroom, shards of glass littering the tile floor. Scarlet stood there, chest heaving, holding a jagged shard to her throat.

"Let me go," she gritted out, her eyes blazing with determination even as her hand trembled.

I stepped forward, my expression hardening. "Put the glass down, Scarlet."

"No! I want out of here. I'm done being your fuck toy." Her words dripped with venom as she pressed the shard tighter against her skin, a bead of crimson welling up.

Cristian made a move towards her, but I held up my hand, stopping him. I didn't need him escalating the situation further with his typical rash behavior.

"Freedom comes at a price, love," I stated evenly, holding her fiery gaze. "Your term isn't up yet. I promised I'd let you go once you finished your sentence."

A flicker of uncertainty crossed her delicate features before the defiance returned full force. "How do I know you'll stick to your word?"

"The Silvestri word is our bond. It's a currency in our world, one we're proud of." My lips quirked up in a faint smirk. "We may deal in all sorts of...unsavory goods and activities, but our word is iron-clad. I gave you my word, Scarlet. You have it."

She swallowed, the shard still pressed against her throat. I took in the new bandage on her other forearm and the redness of her cheek.

What had Cristian done to her? He could be too reckless sometimes. Normally, I wouldn't feel a thing at this little episode, it wasn't the first time a woman had flipped out when Cristian had used and abused them.

"If you want proof of my word, ask Naomi. You can call her right now if you wish," I stated evenly.

Movement in my peripheral vision drew my attention. Cristian stood there, fists clenched, his entire body trembling with barely restrained rage. His eyes were wild, almost feral as he stared at Scarlet. For a split second, I worried he might try to attack her.

Julian must have noticed too because he shifted closer to Cristian, ready to intervene if needed. An eerie silence hung in the air, thick with tension.

Scarlet seemed to realize the precarious situation because her gaze snapped back to me. With a shaky exhale, she slowly lowered the shard from her throat. It clattered to the tile floor, the sound unnaturally loud in the stillness.

The moment it left her hand, Cristian spun on his heel and stormed out of the room. I pinched the bridge of my nose, letting out a weary sigh. He was like a ticking time bomb lately, growing more unstable by the day.