Ravenous Kingpin (Kingpins of the Syndicate #4)

30. Killian

CHAPTER 30

Killian

I ’d never seen such terror on my wife’s face, and I never wanted to again.

She wheezed and clutched at her neck, a full-body shudder gripping her, she looked at me as if I was a god and I just gave her life.

I’d barely crossed state lines, en route to my meeting with the head of the Triads, when I got a call from my guards, notifying me of Emory’s actions. Nothing was worth her safety, not even the fifty million I stood to lose for blowing off Qian Long.

Thank fucking God I was also in New York City and could redirect the pilot to the location my security had trailed her to.

So by the time I stormed through the doors and witnessed Cassio fucking King grabbing her by the throat, I was ready and willing to extinguish the entire King line.

No one touched my wife and got away with it.

The lack of control I felt around her terrified me at times. I realized it had everything to do with my own fear of losing her. Not because of who or what she was, but because I sensed she was on the precipice of something dangerous and was still refusing my help.

It was unhealthy.

We were standing in the back of the dim hallway—trying damn hard not to cause a scene and attract unwanted attention—and my heart was pounding in my ears from the adrenaline. I crossed my arms over my chest and growled at the man who claimed to protect women.

“Since when do you fight women who are no match for you?”

I felt Emory’s frustrated breath as she puffed out her chest. “He surprised me, that’s all.”

“I’m not into hurting women,” Cassio hissed. “Unless áine’s safety is involved.”

“Please, I barely touched her,” Emory scoffed. “If I wanted her dead, I would have pulled out my gun and ended her.”

Cassio let out a growl, taking a menacing step forward, but I shoved her behind me.

“That’s as far as you’ll get,” I warned him. Emory tried to sidestep me and I sighed. This would be a lot easier if she’d remain still.

“I’m sure Emory’s sorry,” the other woman hedged.

Cassio’s broad frame kept her hidden behind his tailored suit while she remained unmoved, her hand on her husband’s forearm.

“Fuck I am.” My wife tried to get in front of me again, but I shot out my arm and wrapped it around her waist. “You were supposed to be there for the girls and Ines, and now they’re all gone.”

áine released a frustrated breath. “I told you, Emory, I never got your message.”

“But—”

“Let’s focus on what we know,” I said, then turned to Cassio. “What’s your gut telling you?”

“Maybe Emory forgot to press send on the message,” he retorted dryly.

Emory broke free and stormed toward him, her face tight with the promise of violence.

I put my hands up in surrender—we needed to wrap this up before one of our wives blew a gasket. “Clearly she sent it.”

Emory balled her hands at her sides, seemingly ready to punch Cassio. “Damn fucking right I did,” she huffed. Jesus, the woman was a feral cat.

“Keep your wife under control,” he deadpanned, setting his watchful gaze on her.

I felt the need to take her back to my estate and lock her safely away, but I knew she wouldn’t have it. Not anymore. So I overrode the instinct and instead stayed vigilant, ready to intercept another one of her outbursts.

“My wife doesn’t take well to being told what to do,” I said. “If she wants to go after your old ass, I’ll be right behind her.”

He growled; his wife chuckled.

“What’s so fucking funny?” Emory snapped, glaring at them.

áine shrugged. “It’s cute and kind of refreshing to see a man back his woman.”

Cassio glimpsed back at her. “I’ve got you, butterfly.”

She rolled her eyes. “You absolutely do, love. But this man is ready to storm the front lines.”

“He doesn’t really mean it.”

I scoffed. “What? You read thoughts? Can you read Tarot too?”

“Whatever,” he muttered. “Are we done here?”

Emory stepped forward. “No, we’re not fucking done. I want to find out the IP address that hacked my direct line to áine. Just give me that, and I’ll handle the rest.”

If they refused, I’d hack Cassio’s system myself, but it would save everyone a lot of time if they agreed to look into it. It was best not to make too many enemies in this world.

Cassio shared a look with his wife and she gave him an almost imperceptible nod.

“I’ll send it to you, Killian,” he gritted out.

“No. You’ll send it to Emory.”

A curt acknowledgement and I watched their backs as they disappeared down the side of the building.

Once they were gone, I turned around and said, “I leave you alone for one minute and you run. Again!”

“I didn’t run,” she said, rolling her eyes. “I was going to get the information I needed and return to you.”

Return to you.

I narrowed my eyes, watching her suspiciously. “Do you actually mean that?”

She stared up at me, tilting her chin stubbornly. “Yes, I mean it, Killian. But we both know you can’t keep me caged up on your property. I have an organization to head. A business to run.”

It was a valid point, and I knew damn well that as the kingpin of Vegas, she couldn’t successfully operate from here.

“Tell me what’s going on. Who are these girls you mentioned?” I demanded, though I suspected it had to do with the flesh trade. It was obvious she wasn’t in support of it, otherwise she wouldn’t be working with áine, or be on her ass for losing a shipment.

She sighed tiredly, pinching the bridge of her nose. “I made a deal with the Tijuana cartel, allowing them to move products across my territory.”

My brows furrowed. “Why?”

“I have… my reasons.” And there it was. More secrets. “However, each time I learn where and when the shipment will be, I pass the information to áine so they can swoop in.”

“Haven’t the cartels figured out that shipments keep getting lost?”

She flashed me a smug smile. “No, because for every shipment, I figure out their route and scramble it. Most of the shipments are intercepted outside Nevada.”

“Smart.” But then I already knew she was.

Sliding her small hand into mine, she squeezed firmly. “I need to get back. My right-hand woman is missing, and now these girls. Something’s wrong, I know it is, and now Ines is paying for it.”

My jaw clenched, but I knew she was right.

If I kept her cooped up, she’d fight me at every corner. “Fine, we leave tomorrow. But I go wherever you go.”

She nodded somberly. “Deal.”