Ravenous Kingpin (Kingpins of the Syndicate #4)

25. Killian

CHAPTER 25

Killian

T he Alliance of the Criminals event (as I liked to call it) took place once a year and was intended for the mafia heads—and some iffy businessmen—to gather and act somewhat civilized toward each other.

I honestly wasn’t sure what the purpose of the event was and made a point to decline most invitations. But this one would serve a greater purpose. I would announce to all organizations—aside from the DiLustros and the Syndicate—that Emory was now my wife, under my protection and off-limits.

As I glanced at her now, I found myself unable to peel my gaze away. She was stunning. Nothing and nobody could take her from me now. I just had to work on keeping her from running.

Despite us spending almost every waking and sleeping hour together, I couldn’t shake the feeling that Em would run if given the chance, and my instincts warned she would disappear for good.

Call it a premonition. Call it a sixth sense. Whatever it was, I’d stake my life on it.

We’d eaten every meal together in the past week as we tested the waters of our living arrangement. Unsurprisingly, living with her was pleasant—as easy as it was natural. Emory was smart, competent, and beautiful. I solicited her opinions on business transactions, took walks around the estate gardens with her, and worked at her side as we cooked meals together.

It was blissful, but there was a restlessness in her that seemed second nature, and I was determined to understand where it stemmed from.

Tonight though, I would be staying vigilant. The Italians, Russians, Irish, Serbians, Greeks, and even the Corsican mafia would be there, along with various business CEOs and investors, Danil Popov being among the attending guests.

Cocktails were taking place at the very top of the Empire State Building, with dinner being served in the ballroom, and as we stood at the elevator bank and waited for one to arrive, I wondered what theatrics the night would bring.

I snaked a hand around Emory’s waist once we shuffled into the elevator, and when the doors parted next, I gripped her tighter to me. The enclosed space was bursting with people. One whole side of the room had floor-to-ceiling glass windows with one section left open, leading to the rooftop terrace. Outside, the decor was even more elaborate and offered a striking view of the city lights below.

People mingled, enjoying tonight’s surprisingly warm April evening as the breeze off the Hudson cooled the usual hotheads.

Anyone with a stake in the criminal world was here, and?—

Fuck. There were the DiLustros.

I steered my wife toward the bar, but it only took her family two seconds to march over to us.

“You’ve got some balls,” Emory’s brother hissed. My cousin Wynter—who happened to be his wife—rolled her eyes behind him.

“Or a death wish,” Dante chimed in, although he didn’t seem as pissed off as Basilio.

“Actually, it’s neither.” Basilio reached for Emory, his hand wrapping around her wrist, and I reached for my gun. “And get your hand off my wife .” I made sure to say the words louder than necessary. “Or I’ll be sure you have none left by the end of the night.”

The party around us had come to a screeching halt, everyone’s eyes on us, and I knew it was only a matter of time before the entire underworld learned of our marriage.

“Jesus, so much testosterone.” Emory narrowed her eyes on me. “What happened to keeping it a secret?”

I flashed her a smug smile, my gaze never wavering from hers. “I believe there are way too many secrets already lingering in this room. I’m making it so this one protects you.”

Her brother growled. “What the fuck are you talking about? My cousins and I have Emory’s protection handled. She doesn’t need you, fucker.”

“Everyone chill out,” Emory hissed. “Including you, Basilio.”

“Yes, chill out,” I snapped. “Let’s not forget you drugged and kidnapped my cousin. Don’t make me regret letting you live.”

“Oh, here we go,” Wynter muttered, bringing a hand to her belly. But there was no disputing it, and they all knew it. Basilio kidnapped his wife in the middle of the night, right after she’d won a gold medal at the Olympics, and he’d refused to let her go. In fact, their marriage was a forced one too, but it ended up being a happy one.

As evidenced by the children Wynter kept popping out.

Liam appeared out of thin air, slamming his empty glass down on one of the high-top tables.

“This better not turn into a fucking brawl,” he barked, glaring at the DiLustros, but he didn’t fool me. He’d have my back now and wait until we were alone to say his piece. “Nobody here can cast the first stone, so if Emory doesn’t kill him, none of you will either.”

“Kill him, sis,” Basilio hissed while Wynter tugged on his sleeve, reprimanding him in a hushed tone.

“Well?” Dante challenged, probably not wanting to get on my sister’s bad side.

Juliette appeared next and said, “Why do you always start the fun without me? What did I miss?”

My brother-in-law, as smitten as they came, turned to my sister, watching her like he was ready to murder the entire world for her. “Not much. Liam giving Emory free rein to kill Killian. Nobody else can do it, apparently .”

“Well, are you going to kill him, Emory?” This was so typical of Juliette. She winked at me, then turned to Em. “Because if you’d be so kind as to let him live, I’d love to welcome you to the family.”

I scanned my wife, her form rigid beside me, but there was no fear on her face. She was probably used to impulsive, reckless men. Women too, if you counted my cousin. She had a tendency to act wild.

“Well?” Liam questioned.

Emory rolled her eyes, shrugging her bare shoulders. “You joined our family, Juliette, so it’s not really your place to welcome me to ‘your’ family.” She met Liam’s eyes and added, “No, I’m not going to kill him, and neither is anybody else.”

Then she turned away from everyone, her body still leaning into me, and ordered her drink.

“This isn’t fucking over, Irishman,” Basilio snapped, glaring at me like I’d run over his favorite puppy as Wynter dragged him away.

I didn’t exactly dislike my brother-in-law, but I thought him too impulsive and too reckless. Although, there was no disputing that the fucker only had eyes for my cousin, and in the ironic kind of way, she calmed him. Kind of like Emory’s presence calmed me.

I shrugged and leaned against the counter, sipping the drink Emory just handed me.

“Aren’t you going to ask what it is?” she said, nodding toward the glass in my hand.

I flashed her a smile. “Whatever you give me, I’ll like it.”

She rubbed her jaw. “And if I decide to poison you?”

I shrugged. “I’ll get over it.”

“And if you die?”

“I’ll die married to you,” I said, amused.

Her eyes narrowed, trying to figure out whether I was joking or not and probably coming to terms that I was hard up for her. I didn’t even bother hiding it. What was the point?

“You’re crazy,” she muttered.

“Crazy about someone, that’s for sure.”

Liam watched our exchange, bemused.

She rolled her eyes and made herself scarce but not before letting a small smile slip. I was about to push off the bar top to follow after her, but she glanced over her shoulder and said, “Don’t worry. I’ll stay within sight, stalker.”

I scanned the crowd, one eye always trained on Emory. I had to talk to Danil about his father.

Once she was out of earshot, Liam wasted no time. “What in the fuck was that?”

“Flirting?” I suggested sarcastically.

“If it is, I must have been doing it wrong for decades,” he retorted dryly. “Why does it seem like you’ve known this girl for longer than you have?”

“You’re reading too much into it,” I muttered.

Liam shook his head. “Give me some credit, Killian. That day we infiltrated the DiLustro estate to grab Wynter, I noticed the way you looked at Emory. In fact, anytime you’re around that woman, you seem to act differently. Whatever this is between you two… it’s been brewing for some time.”

There was a reason that my adoptive father was a masterful criminal and successful businessman. He was vigilant, ruthless as all hell, and could spot his opponents’ strengths and weaknesses from miles away.

“We crossed paths a while back.”

“How far back?” he asked. “I’m guessing that day we stormed into her Nevada home wasn’t the day you met her.”

Tension rolled through me. I wouldn’t divulge the details. It was nobody’s business but Emory’s and my own.

“No.”

Liam watched me. “That’s it. Just no?”

Dry amusement filled me.

“That’s right. Just no.”

I owed Liam Brennan a lot for taking me in when he did, but I wasn’t prepared to give him details on Emory. Ever since discovering she was alive and well, I’d been checking on her—okay, stalking her—almost obsessively. It was part of my daily routine. Something about her calmed the demons in my head, the nightmares in my heart, and the rush in my ears.

As strange as it was, Emory grounded me.

Maybe I was pussy-whipped too, but I wouldn’t apologize for it. After all, wasn’t it my mother who said that once you found your person, never let them go? Well, I fucking found her. She slipped through my fingers once, and I had no intentions of ever letting her go again.

His eyes narrowed. “So it’s serious between you two, huh?”

“I married her, so yes, it’s serious.” My admission was so calm and felt so goddamn right, I would have laughed if it was someone else. But it wasn’t.

Liam’s hand came to my shoulder and he squeezed gently. “I’m happy you finally found your match. It’s as it was with your parents.”

And then he went back to his wife with a wide smile on his face. Almost as if the entire world had been set right.

Giving my head a subtle shake, my eyes roamed the crowd once more. When Danil tilted his chin subtly, telling me he had some information for me, I took off in his direction.

Only to stop short when I spotted Bogdan Dragovi?—head of the Serbian mafia and a major fucking pain in my ass. He’d been expanding his empire fast and furiously: the wealthier neighborhoods of the Midwest and Northeast, East Coast ports, and territories of ex-Yugoslavia.

The Serbian mafia participated in violent crimes, actively running drugs and guns, boosting cars, robbing banks and armored cars, extorting, and even kidnapping. Ever since his niece was found murdered— slaughtered was more like it—he’d been on a rampage, killing anyone associated with the distribution of her organs.

And the last thing I wanted was Bogdan, who was at the head of it all, to set his sights on my wife.

Which was exactly where his eyes were—locked on Emory and studying her with a dangerous gleam.

I moved in front of him, obstructing his view.

“I’m surprised you’re here, Bogdan,” I remarked casually. “I hear you’ve been busy. Took a break from that tonight?”

“It’s a true Syndicate event,” he said in his rough voice, taking a cigar out of his pocket but never even attempting to light it up. “I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”

“Are you here to mingle, make business deals, or do you have ulterior motives?” I said coldly.

“Why not all three?”

“I suggest you divert your attention to another woman.”

His dark gaze locked on me, and suddenly I fucking knew this man had already decided who was responsible for his niece’s death.