Aching for His Discretion (The Discretion Dynasty #1)

31. Teegan

Chapter thirty-one

Teegan

I sat on the floor for probably thirty minutes. I felt so weak. It was pointless even to think rationally. I thought of someone potentially still being in my flat. I also wanted to call Levi to save me, but I was numb.

People may think I’m dramatic, but it wasn’t his time. My kitty was healthy… a tad overweight, but he liked to eat. He liked to climb out of windows. He liked to snuggle with his mama when I had my anxiety or panic attacks due to school, stress, and responsibilities. He was there for me… now he was gone.

I felt as though I was mentally drained. I cried this morning, and I cried this afternoon. Everything recently led to me crying, and I was tired.

Gazing down at my baby, I noticed he was peaceful, but he was probably terrified. Scared, I wasn’t there to protect him… afraid of what would happen to himself. He was my smart little kitty… and I felt a unfixable hole in my heart as he lay in my lap.

He was my smart little kitty.

My smart little kitty.

He was my smart little kitty.

Looking at my baby for a little while longer, I noticed something was... off. He was… regular. My kitty, while smart, had a scar on his eyebrow because he scratched his face a while back trying to scale the apartment building from the outside.

Another thing clicked as my heart skipped a beat. He knows to run from danger… he knows. Placing the cat on the floor, I ran into my bedroom and turned the light on as I spoke.

“Grayson. Baby?” I yelled as I noticed a few of my windows were opened.

Could he have escaped? Where could he be? Am I just hallucinating? Trying to block the fact that my kitty is dead in the next room?

After a minute had passed of pure silence, I let out the heaviest sigh of relief as I heard a small meow from my closet.

Running over, I opened the bin he hid in when my brothers last visited and cried ugly tears as he jumped into my arms, shaking badly.

“G-good boy, my baby, good boy! I can’t believe you’re okay,” I sobbed uncontrollably as I held him closer to me, kissing his face as my lips wobbled. He had tears in his eyes, and I felt my heart clench as I held him closer, rocking him slightly.

He lay in my arms, and I thanked God for giving me brothers that treated me horribly. Had they not, my baby would have never known how to hide on his own. I quickly grabbed my phone from my pocket and held my baby to my chest. Dialing the number, I called the only person I could.

“Tesoro,” he said over the phone, and I immediately started sobbing.

“I’m coming over right now. I’ll fucking kill that private investigator—” he began, and I cut him off.

“There’s a dead cat in my living room,” I whispered, and he paused his movements.

“Don’t tell me… Grayson. Fuck,” he said, and I shook my head.

“No, no, he’s okay. I-I just… please, Levi. I’m so scared. I found my door open with a note near the cat, and—and… just please come. Please,” I pleaded, and I heard him say a few words in Italian to one of the guys.

“You stay right there. John will come up, take the cat and guard the door. Don’t move, do you understand me?” he said with complete dominance that I wouldn’t dare defy.

“Yes. Please hurry,” I begged, and he cursed again, hearing my desperate plea for him to rescue me.

“I will be there as soon as I can, Tesoro. Stay on the phone with me. I’ll be right there.”

I nodded and wiped away my tears as I snuggled my kitty closer.

I jumped slightly as I heard a few footsteps in my living room. I tried to remain calm and relaxed entirely as Mr. John entered my bedroom.

“Come wait for him where I can see you. I don’t want anything to happen to you.”

I nodded quickly as I went out to the living room and looked away from the black trash bag on the floor. Holding my kitty closer, I heard heavy footsteps through the hall as John stood with the bag in his hand.

Levi and the guys entered the room, and Elliot’s eyes met mine as he looked furious. I gazed over at Levi to see him grab the letter from Mr. John, and as he read it, he grew more enraged.

In a split second, I gasped in horror as Levi grabbed the gun from his hip and pistol-whipped Mr. John across the face.

I held my kitty closer as I felt shocked. Micah walked over to me and blocked my view as he held my face in his chest.

“I told you to keep her fucking safe! How the fuck did you let this happen!?” he yelled, enraged, and I jumped, yelping as I heard a muffled gunshot. Mr. John groaned in pain, and I pulled away slightly from Micah, gazing up at him with tears in my eyes. He looked down at me and shook his head, forcing my vision to be limited again.

“Tell me why I shouldn’t put a fucking bullet in your skull right now,” Levi growled, and Mr. John groaned in pain.

“I promise… I promise, Diavolo , I didn’t see anyone! I will send you all of the tapes, all of the security cameras in the building! Everything!” he pleaded.

I could hear Levi sigh. “Get me everything. If I don’t find something, the next bullet in my gun goes the fuck in you.”

Mr. John whimpered in pain, and I felt my arm being pulled as I was taken from Micah’s grasp. Levi pulled me to my feet and gazed down at me with the most murderous look I’d ever seen in his eyes. I gulped softly as his grip wasn’t exactly soft, and he loosened it as his gaze softened the longer he looked at me.

Suddenly, we heard a loud gunshot, and Nico was holding his shoulder as Elliot looked over at Mr. John, who had pulled out the gun. He seemed as though he’d lost all emotion in his eyes, as if he was on autopilot to complete a mission.

I brought my hand to my mouth as tears came to my eyes, and Micah quickly rushed over to apply pressure to Nico’s wound. Elliot kicked Mr. John in the face before he could do anything else, and I felt my head spin.

“You fucking traitor,” Elliot seethed in Italian, and I physically felt sick to my stomach. This... this was too much.

We were just fine. I was just fine. Fine. Fine. Fine. Fine. Fine .

Mitchel. Lidocaine. Trash bags. Blood. Killing.

I told Mr. Madison that no one had been up here. Why did I lie?

Elliot and Levi said to be quiet.

Mitchel. Lidocaine. Trash bags. Blood. Killing.

Teegan.

“Say hi to Mr. Amante for me, will you?”

“Alec, huh...? Don’t worry, Tesoro. He will be taken care of.”

Mitchel. Lidocaine. Trash bags. Blood. Killing.

Teegan...

“Teegan,” I heard Elliot say as he looked over to me, and I stared at the unconscious man on my floor.

Mr. John. I trusted him... What did he do?

Was everything I knew about this man a lie?

I trusted him… Why would he shoot Nico? Did he know about the dead cat?

Did he put it there? Did he plan on killing Grayson? Oh God, what could he have possibly done to me if Levi didn’t arrive in time?

Levi almost killed him… But he didn’t, and Nico got shot.

“Tesoro…” I heard again and felt the adrenaline pumping through my veins. I looked over to Levi to see him looking at me with concern in his eyes...

Did I make a mistake taking him back, accepting his apology?

What have I done? What could have happened to me? Why didn’t I stay away?

He looked so murderous… like he could have killed me. But he wouldn’t. He wouldn’t.

My kitty opened his claws as he could feel my heart racing, and I felt compelled to do one thing, one stupid thing in front of four of the most dangerous men I knew. Run . Run . Run.

I dashed to the door in an instant, and I seemed to catch them off guard as no one made a move until I was halfway down the steps. Grayson jumped out of my arms and ran alongside me as I ripped the door open and continued running. I ran… from what, I don’t know—fear, guilt, stress. But I didn’t get far.

Behind me, I heard heavy footsteps, and before I could do anything, I was caught from behind. I heaved slightly as I felt my world come crashing down, and Levi whispered in my ear, trying his best to soothe me.

“Tesoro... you’re okay. You’re okay. It’s okay, baby… breathe for me. Breathe... that’s a good girl. Put him in the trunk of the car. Hurry up,” he cooed, switching languages abruptly at the end, and shushed me softly as I shook my head.

“Levi, I can’t do this—” I began, and he shook his head again.

“Tesoro. We talked about this. I am going to protect you. Nothing is going to happen; you’re safe.”

“It’s... it’s just too much,” I sobbed, my legs feeling like giving out, and he shook his head as he picked me up, causing me to wrap my legs around his waist as he laid my head on his shoulder.

“I know, I know. You’re okay, you’re okay...” he whispered.

I felt exhausted. He was bringing me warmth and comfort, and I couldn’t understand it. A second ago, he was being aggressive and giving murderous looks, and now he was caressing me, soothing me, making me feel better.

I tried to lift my head to find my kitty, but after I caught a glimpse of Elliot walking over with him in his arms, I closed my eyes and felt myself drift away... but not before also catching a small glimpse of Nico and Micah dragging Mr. John to the back of Levi’s car.