Sins (Havoc of Sins #3)

Chapter 13

Grim

“ M orning,” Brick grunted from behind his steaming mug of coffee. “Just brewed it.” He pointed at the counter, and I poured myself a cup. Sienna came in and reached for an apple. “Heard your old lady didn’t come to bed last night.” I shot him a glare, and he chuckled as Sienna turned and hurried back out. “What’d you do?”

“No clue, and she’s hardly my old lady ,” I growled. I knew bikers referred to their girlfriends as old ladies, but that description hardly fit Kenna.

“My fat clam, you don’t know what you did.” Minnie came in and rode my ass as per normal. “You’re so fucking blind, man.”

“Oh,” I sipped my coffee, “you’re awake. Great.” I lifted a brow at her.

Brick grabbed a fist full of her ass and kissed her hard. “Share what you know, woman.”

“Fine.” She leaned over the island, and her bracelets hit the marble top with a clank. “Truth, Gates, if you don’t want her, fine, because that fine-ass man, Emiliano, has his eyes on her. And let me tell you, you American men have nothing on the Italian accent.”

“It’s true.” Rail nodded from behind Brick. “They sound very sexy.”

“Good to know,” Vinni called from another room. He came out last year as being bisexual and was fully embracing it.

“I don’t do dicks.” Rail looked huffy, then stood straight when Piero and Trigger came in with smirks on their faces. “Morning, sir.”

Trigger rubbed his face. “The shit I hear I from your mouth.”

“Good morning,” Piero said to us as he plucked a muffin from the basket on the counter. “If Kenna didn’t go to your bed last night, it’s for one of two reasons.” I glanced at Brick. He loved that Elio’s father had jumped right in. “You somehow made her arrabbiato . That means angry.” He laughed at Brick’s face. “You American’s might say you, perhaps, ‘screwed up’ or—” His face went to stone like he heard something. “Niccola?”

“Yeah, I heard it, too.” Niccola moved to the door; the mood instantly shifted. “Trigger.”

“Grim!” Tess’s voice broke as she burst through the door. “Grim! Trigger!”

Trigger was already on his feet as we all hurried toward a frantic Tess.

“It’s Kenna.” She swallowed hard as Trigger pulled her in close. “They’re after her.”

“Where?” Trigger asked the question I was trying to form.

“A church by the end of the property somewhere. Jesse went after her!” Niccola ran, and I followed hard on his heels.

I saw Piero jump in the car and peel out of the driveway as the rest of us raced down the hill. My heart pounded like a wicked drum against my ribs, and the vision of someone after Kenna all but took my sanity. I slipped on the wet dirt. Damn, I wished I’d worn sneakers. I caught my balance and kept moving.

“Head straight!” Niccola pointed ahead through the tall sunflowers. “I’ll circle around.” I picked up speed, and just as I broke free of the shadows, I heard her scream.

“Grim, help!” Her cry nearly brought me to my knees. I shaded my eyes and looked toward the sound and saw her bent over the ledge of the bell tower. A shadowy figure behind her held a gun that glinted in the sunlight, and it was pointed at her head.

A man hollered, and I saw Trigger take a swing at his face. I rushed through the door and found Jesse taking on two guys inside. I grabbed a wooden chair and smashed it into the back of one man’s head then jammed the broken piece into his neck.

Bang! A gun went off above us. My insides twisted, and my murderous head went darker.

“Stairs.” Niccola pointed, and I beat him to the narrow stone staircase. Two bullets were fired at us. We ducked as stone chips flew but continued up the steps. I held up my weapon with two hands.

A man flew down toward us. I flatted to the wall, and he collided with Niccola, and they tumbled down together.

I didn’t even look back; my whole focus was on what was going on up top. I stopped short and carefully raised my head so I could see over the edge of the opening. He was ready for me. He had Kenna by the scruff of the neck with one hand, and his other held his weapon, and it was now aimed at my head. The expression on the guy’s face told me he wouldn’t hesitate to push her to her death. He forced her head and upper body over the stone wall.

She turned her head to look at me. The fucking bastard had wrapped a gag around her mouth, and her hands were zip-tied in front of her. She fought hard and desperately, her bound hands held high to protect herself. I saw her face wore a mask of determination and fury. She was not going to go easily.

He showed his gap-toothed smile. “She screamed, and you came. So, the rumors are true. You do care for her.”

“You missed your mark at the square yesterday.” I tried to turn the attention away from Kenna. “She’s not who you want.”

He tilted his head at me as Kenna pushed against him. “ Sí , the princess is always our mark, but this time, this one,” he loosened his grip, and she screamed as she went forward another few inches, “this one is a bonus, signore . One I was very happy to win.”

“Who put out the mark on her? Tell me, and I’ll pay you double.” I hoped he would go for it.

“She smells so good.” He got cocky and made a show of smelling her hair, and I catapulted forward and grabbed the rope that hung under the church bell and swung toward them. My legs wrapped around Kenna, and I pulled her back with me. The momentum threw the guy off balance, and he pinwheeled wildly then dropped with a scream through the opening into the church below us. His scream was cut short as he hit the pulpit.

The vibration of the bells above us rattled my brain as I prayed the old rope would hold us. I held on tight as Kenna had a death grip on my legs. We dangled there until Trigger’s head appeared above the stairs.

“You fuckin’ rang?” He turned his shit-eating grin on me.

“For fuck’s sake, pull this damn thing over and grab Kenna before both of us end up down there!”

He pulled Kenna up to the ledge then took his sweet time settling her before he helped me.

I untied her gag as Trigger reached out with his knife and cut the zip ties that held her hands. Then he nodded at me and disappeared down the stairs. I held my anger as I pressed the gag to the deep cut on her collarbone. Her top was soaked with blood, and I knew it must be painful. I was ready to explode, but she didn’t need to see that side of me at the moment.

“It’s okay,” I soothed her as she let go of her feelings and sobbed with relief and shock in my arms. “It’s okay,” I repeated and kissed her head as I squeezed her hard. “It’s all right now.”

“Is she okay?” Jesse stood at the top of the steps.

“Got a pretty nasty cut and a bad scare, but all things considered.” I huffed a breath to release some of my own tension.

Jesse licked a cut lip and swiped a hand across his battered face and nodded. “We should talk.”

Kenna barely spoke a word as I helped her out of the church. We walked past bodies and blood and got into Piero’s car.

“Oh, Kenna!” Mom’s face flushed when she saw Kenna’s state, but she stayed back, knowing not to fuss. “Grim?”

“Our doctor is already here.” Piero pointed to the other room. “He’s set up in the den.” Minnie and Mom headed in that direction with their arms around Kenna.

“Living room,” I directed, and everyone followed me through the other door.

Tess and Sienna sat on the couch while Trigger, Brick, Rail, and Morgan stood behind them.

“Three different phones.” Jesse placed each one on the table. “All had the same info on them about the hit. Kenna was definitely the mark.” I squeezed the top of the wingback chair and tried to fight the darkness that begged to take over.

Elio came in with Niccola and Vinni. “I’ve made some calls. Give me twenty-four hours, and my people will find out what this is about. I will leave no stone unturned, my friend. I’m sorry this has happened while you’re my guests.” His face was flushed with anger.

“I’ve doubled the security,” Piero added, “and we have checkpoints set up. No one can drive by without us knowing it.”

“I thought—” Tess said, “I thought this place was crawling with security.”

“Most likely one of our men was paid to look the other way.” Niccola stepped back and sat on the piano bench. “We pay them well, but we have learned money often outweighs loyalty.”

Sienna stood. “Or in some cases they are threatened. The hit men find out where their families are and force them to look the other way.”

“That’s true.” Niccola nodded. “Regardless, men who kill for money are ruthless, and there’s a certain thrill they get if they win the mark. Bragging rights, as you Americans say. We can hire all the security in the world, but if enough money is offered, they come out of the woodwork and will do whatever it takes.”

“It’s true,” Sienna moved to where Elio stood, “and where Kenna walked, in spite of the flowers, she was vulnerable, as there are several spots where she could be seen from the road.”

I closed my eyes and wished we were back in Vegas where I was in control. “We should leave.”

“If I may,” Andrea pulled her sweater around her shoulders, “that young woman has been through a lot. Maybe give her a day to rest. She’s hurt and upset. She will need to eat, and I’m sure our doctor will give her something for the pain. I ask you, please, don’t rush her.”

“Yeah, let’s not thrust her from this hell into another back home before she can catch a freakin’ breath,” Tess added. I nodded. She was right. At this point, if Cameron even so much as breathed in my direction, I’d shove my fist down his throat and pull out his heart.

Mom and Minnie entered the room with Kenna. She looked exhausted and had a bandage across her shoulder and collarbone. The idea of the pain she suffered slashed through me. I allowed a little of the darkness to creep in. It taunted me to let it completely take over, and I fought to stay where I was while the girls fussed around Kenna.

“He gave her a shot of something,” Minnie held her hand lovingly, “and some stitches, but she’s got this.”

Andrea immediately stood and kissed Kenna’s cheek. “I’ll get you something to eat, my dear. Pain medication is not good on an empty stomach.” Andrea left the room with Piero behind her. The others started to talk quietly.

“Kenna,” Jesse squatted on the floor in front of her, “on the phone, you said you needed to tell me something, and it sounded urgent. What was that?” Interesting.

Kenna looked away. “It was nothing.”

“Kenna, you were very scared, and, in my experience, when someone's deathly afraid they make a confession,” he went on. “Call it intuition, but is there something you're not telling us? Something you’re holding back?”

“No.”

“Maybe something about your father?” he pressed, and I moved closer.

“Wow,” she batted her eyelashes like she was trying to hold back tears, “after all this, you think I’m holding on to secrets about my father?”

“Are you?” fell from my mouth, and I instantly regretted it. Her face twisted, first in hurt, then in anger. The whole room went silent.

“No! You mistrusting asshole,” she snarled at me and stood. “I’m not holding secrets about my father!”

Mom also stood. “Grim, Jesse, stop. This is not the time for this.”

Sienna stepped forward. “Kenna, maybe you should?—"

“No,” Kenna threw a pained look at Sienna, “please.”

I knew it. “So, there is something going on?”

“What do I have to do to earn your trust?” Kenna’s face was twisted in anger, but the pain was what I could see the most.

“Just tell me what’s going on,” I demanded.

“I’m pregnant!” The entire room gasped, and a sudden unfamiliar feeling went through me. “There. You wanted my secret. I’m pregnant,” she repeated.

Many things ran through my head in that instant, but somehow Benny’s fucking face was right there, and I spoke without a filter. “Is it mine?” Color drained from her face, and I could practically hear her heart break from where I stood.

Shit.

“We weren't exclusive,” I tried to explain, but I needed to know, “and you had a few dates with Benny.”

“Fucking asshole.” Minnie glared at me, and Brick put a hand on her shoulder.

Kenna shook her head and muttered something. Then she raised her chin, and I knew I wasn’t going to like what came next.

“Unlike you, Grim,” her tone was now very calm, “I’m not a whore.” Her words struck home. “Benny is a friend, and I told you that. I drew the line in the sand from the very start that I was not interested in being with anyone but you.” She chuckled darkly. “How stupid was I?”

“That’s it!” Mom waved her hands. “Everyone out!” She looked at me and shook her head. I knew she wasn’t happy with me. “Go clear your head. It might do you some good.” I moved quickly out the door, and Mom closed it, leaving her and Kenna alone. I moved across the hall and let my back hit the wall as her words echoed around my brain. Pregnant .

“She only found out last night.” Sienna came up to me and joined me on the wall. “I spotted the signs and had her take a test.” She smiled. “You know what she did when she read the results?”

“What?” Did I really want to know?

“For a few moments, she allowed herself to be happy. She cried and smiled and hoped it would be a boy. She wanted to look into his eyes and see you.” She chuckled. “Or maybe she just wants you to meet your match.”

“That sounds more like her,” I admitted, then something strange went through me, and I pushed off the wall.

“What?”

I didn’t answer; instead, I headed back through the doors. “Mom, I need a moment.” I looked at Kenna, but she turned her face away from me.

“Okay?” she asked, and Kenna reluctantly nodded. “Think before you speak, son,” she muttered as she walked by me.

I waited for the door to close before I moved toward her. She shot up from where she sat, dried her tears, then poked a finger in my chest.

“I know this wasn’t planned or, hell, even wanted, but this is what you get when you have unprotected sex. A lot of unprotected sex.” Her expression pierced like a dagger. “I’ll sign whatever you want me to, because I’m not after your money, but we made something, you and me.” Her hand moved tenderly over her stomach, and I could see the love she already had for the life inside her. “I intend to keep it,” she poked me again, “and we don’t need you.”

“First,” I carefully grabbed her wrist and pulled her close to me, “you caught me completely off guard, and I’m sorry I reacted the way I did. I want you to know I was perfectly aware of what I was doing, not wearing a condom with you. Maybe at first, I couldn’t see why, but it didn’t take long to see that I wanted you all to myself. I wanted to feel everything with you.” I slowly let go but stepped closer to her. “We’re sexual beasts, you and me, and we bring out a darkness in each other that we both need. You give me something I could never give up, not for anything.” I drank in her beauty. “Second, you will sign nothing because what I have is yours, and what you have,” I slid my hand down over her chest then to blanket her stomach, “is all mine.” She blinked a few times as my words sank in.

“Grim, we’re not ready for this.” She waved between us and started to panic. She stepped back and put some distance between us. “Christ, the only thing we have in common is that…that dark sex.”

“Kenna, that night in New Orleans when we were dancing, I know you felt something, because I felt it too.”

“So, what if I did?” She whirled around.

“Admit it, Kenna, you have feelings for me.”

“No, Grim, I’m in love with you,” she blurted, and she shook her head in shock at her own words, “and I hate that I am.”

“Well, I’m in love with you, too,” I tossed back, annoyed that she didn’t want to be, “so get the fuck over it.”

“I don’t think you are.” She looked at me boldly, and I glared at her assumption. “You don’t hurt the ones you love,” she hissed. “You don’t lash out at the ones you love, and you certainly don’t sleep around on them.”

“I didn’t sleep around,” I assured her. “But, like you, I didn’t want to fall in love!” I yelled at her then lowered my voice. “I tried everything to get you off my mind, but nothing worked, and the reason I took Leo’s death out on you was because, it was true, I wanted you to hurt the way I did. I hoped it would drive you away, but it only entwined us together more.”

“See,” she whispered, “we’re not good together. Maybe this is where we should end things, for the sake of our child.”

I chuckled darkly. The woman was mad.

I tucked my hands in my pockets and closed the gap between us. She stepped back until she hit the wall. I hovered over her until she looked up.

“I’ve fallen in love for the first time in my life, and I have no plans of doing it again.” I tipped her chin with both hands so she couldn’t look away. “You’re mine, Kenna, so nothing’s going to stop me from taking you.” I looked down and kissed her jaw softly. “Both of you.”

“Is that so?” She swallowed hard.

I groaned and kissed my favorite spot, careful to avoid her cut. “And you’re going to be my wife.”

She chuckled, but it turned into a moan. “You’re crazy.”

“You haven’t seen crazy yet.” I brushed my lips over hers. She smiled, but she carried the day heavily in her expression, and I knew she was mentally beat. “Now,” I took her hand and stepped back, “I want you to get some sleep. We’re leaving tomorrow.”

“I won’t argue with that.” She followed me outside where Mom paced.

“Is everything okay?”

I smiled and kissed her on the top of her head. “Everything’s fine. We’re having a baby, and we’re going to get married.”

Her face broke out into an excited smile, and she covered her cheeks. “Really?” She looked at Kenna. “Is this what you want?” I glanced down at Kenna and raised a brow, then she rolled her eyes.

“Yes, it is.”

Mom jumped in the air. “I’m so happy!” As strange as it all was, I knew my family needed some happiness, and maybe this was it.

“We’ll discuss everything later. First, Kenna needs to rest.” I pulled Kenna to follow.

She yawned as I tucked her into bed and closed the blinds, then she leaned over and clicked on the light.

“Um,” she stumbled and rubbed her arm, “you’re not leaving the house, right?”

“No, I’ll be right downstairs. Elio, Trigger, and I have some business to discuss. We need to know who’s behind the hit on you.” I set a bottle of water on the nightstand and looked at the pill bottle the doctor gave her.

“Yeah, I know.” She looked at me. “I wasn’t going to take those. It’s just that I didn’t want Minnie to know I was pregnant yet.”

“You must be uncomfortable.” I looked at the bandage on her collarbone.

She shrugged. “I’m more scared than anything else.” I nodded and removed my suit jacket and shoes. “What are you doing?”

“You’re scared,” I leaned back against the headboard to lie next to her, “and you need sleep. Now you can close your eyes, and I’ll be right here.”

“Really?” She smiled and rolled into me.

“Really.” I wrapped an arm around her as she rested her head on my stomach. “Now, go to sleep.”

She half chuckled. “Always so bossy.”

“That will never change, sweetheart.”

Kenna slept well into the following morning, and the next day she dozed the whole way home. Mom assured me it was normal, given all she’d been through, but I felt uneasy, especially with the storm we were about to walk back into. Things had changed between us, and with a baby on the way, I suddenly saw danger everywhere. I became hyperaware of everything.

Elio, Niccola, and Vinni decided they’d travel back with us and help as much as they could. I thought they knew I needed my friends. What I really needed was to know who the hell put out a hit on Kenna.

“Hey, Grim?” Vinni joined me in the back of the plane. “I wanted to run something by you.”

“Sure.” I closed my laptop and sipped my drink.

Vinni looked up at his brother then back at me. “As you might know, my father wants to hand his part of the family business over to Niccola.”

“I heard.”

“I’m thrilled for him. Trouble is he’s pushing back.” He stumbled. “I mean, given what we discovered years back, I think he’s reassessing.” I nodded at that. I knew Niccola had taken quite a blow back then when he discovered the truth about his family. Though it was bad, it came with an unlikely surprise. “I really want this for him. He needs it. I don’t look at him any differently. I never could. I wish I was sure he believed me. Anyway, for Niccola to see his true worth, I think he needs to stand on his own for a bit. I need to be taken out of the picture, just for a while.”

“I understand that.”

“I discussed it with Elio, and we both think since Secrets is basically ready to launch, maybe I could stay behind and help work on Elio’s behalf for a bit.”

“The Capri family’s investment in Secrets would benefit from that,” I agreed. “You never have to ask, Vinni. We’re family, and you’re always welcome.”

Vinni’s shoulders sagged with relief. Whatever he was feeling about Niccola must really be bothering him. They were incredibly close, and I knew their family had been through a lot since Sienna entered their lives years back. Some scars never completely healed.

“An extra set of trusted eyes can be invaluable.”

“Thanks for that.” He rubbed his face, and I saw some of the stress leave his shoulders. “How do you feel about Kenna being pregnant?”

“I think my plan worked.”

“Entrapment?” He raised a surprised brow.

“No,” I chuckled, “not quite like that.” I bit my lip. “But it certainly ensured she’d stay mine.”

“You love her?”

I let out a long breath. “Yeah, as fucked up as it is, I really do.”

He grabbed his drink and finished it off. “I envy you, Grim.” His smile didn’t reach his eyes, and it told me he was dealing with more than just his brother. “You found your person.”

“You haven’t?” I didn’t say it, but I knew he was seeing someone.

He shrugged. “I just don’t know what I want.”

“That’ll come,” I assured him. “Something will happen, and you’ll see things more clearly.”

He nodded a few times and stared at the floor then seemed to shake it off. He raised his drink to me. “To clarity.” I tapped his glass, and he pushed up from the chair and left me to mull over our conversation.

When I arrived at my hotel, I saw Secrets in a new light. I wondered if I might get a house one day. Good God, what was happening to me? I shook my head.

“Jesse?” I lowered my voice as he moved to my side. “Are the men in place to watch over Kenna?”

“Yes, and as ordered, they’re out of sight.”

“Good.” I’d warned Kenna about what I was doing and how she wasn’t to leave the property without me or Jesse knowing. Shockingly, she didn’t protest. I felt some progress had been made between us.

I smiled as my new dog walker greeted us in the lobby. They’d just come back from their walk.

“Mr. Gates, welcome back.” He seemed uneasy. It didn’t surprise me; most people were at the start of employment with me. I patted the boys, who were pleased to see me. Leal whined when he saw Kenna, and she got right down and hugged him then Zhar. “Shall I take them upstairs, sir?”

“No,” I unsnapped their leashes and handed them to him, “that’s all.”

The man looked at Kenna, and I cleared my throat as he gawked at her. “Yes, right. Well, have a nice day.”

We headed to my floor where our lunch awaited. I spotted what I was waiting for on the counter. I quickly swiped it up and tucked it away in my pocket.

“I want you to move your things up here,” I ordered as I pointed and gave the command for the dogs to go to their beds, “I don’t like the thought of you staying anywhere but here.”

“Isn’t that moving a little fast, Grim?” She disappeared into the bedroom.

I lifted the lid off the roasted chicken. “I want what I want, Kenna. You’d be wise to remember that.”

“What will your girlfriend think?” She dripped with sarcasm as she stepped into the room in a new dress. It was off one shoulder, and the style conveniently covered her bandage. “Come on, Grim. That’s just asking for trouble.”

“I only keep Jenelle around because of her father.” I pulled out her chair and pointed at it. “There was a time I thought we could be more, I have to admit. I just never seemed to want to take it to the next level.” I waited for her to join me, but instead she threaded an earring on. “I think that speaks volumes for us. Now, sit.”

Kenna checked the time, which pissed me off. “I can’t. I have to meet Salazar at the tables in fifteen.”

“No. I cleared your schedule.”

She pulled out a lipstick as I glared at her. “I know you did, but I re-filled it.”

“The fuck you did.” My temper rose. “You went around me?”

“Yes, like you did me.” She snapped her mirror closed.

I moved to stand in front of her. “Kenna, you could’ve been killed in Italy. Someone’s after you. I’m not saying you need to live your life in hiding. I’m just saying we need to be smart with this.”

She tucked her mirror away and let out a heavy sigh. “All right, I hear you. I’ll spend most of my time here at Secrets, but I’m not about to give up my main clients. Hong, Salazar, and Harris are too important to me. I have a lot of time invested in them.”

I didn’t like it, but I respected it. “I’ll agree to that, but when you’re at Indulge, you’ll have extra men assigned to you. They won’t get in your way.” I waved a hand at her expression. “I’ll tell them to be discrete.”

“Fine.” She looked at me and tried to read my mind. “Are you jealous that I work mostly with men?” She cocked a saucy brow at me.

I laughed darkly and shook my head. She had some balls on her. I took my time and moved around the table and stroked my chin as I thought.

“Maybe I should explain it to you like this, sweetheart .” I slowly stalked toward her and watched her gorgeous throat contract. “I’ve killed more men than I can keep track of, and the thrill I get when the heart stops beating is like an adrenaline shot straight to my vein. I feed off the bad stuff in this world, and I’m just looking for an excuse to indulge myself.” I stopped when I was in front of her. “And when it comes to you, I wouldn’t give it a second thought if I had to dispose of a body if they tried anything with you. I’m possessive and protective of anything that’s mine.”

“I know what to do if someone tries anything with me. Anyway, I never let them get too close.”

“And they won’t, because you’ll be wearing this.” I reached into my pocket and pulled out a box and opened it. Her face dropped when she looked at the engagement ring. The huge cushion cut diamond was set in white gold. Sienna helped me pick it out before we all left for the airport, and my jeweler had it ready by the time we arrived home.

“I can’t wear that!”

“Why? You agreed to get married to me.”

“Yes, and I will, but, Grim, this is huge.” She reached out and touched it. “I mean, it’s absolutely gorgeous. I’m supposed to appear single but not available.” She looked a little panicky for some reason. “Once people see that ring, it’ll spread like wildfire. I think it’s fair to say I need a moment without the spotlight being on me. Just give me some time, okay?” Her eyes pleaded.

“Hey, slow down.” I smiled and decided to approach the topic a little more softly. It took great effort, and I silently applauded myself. Besides, she had a point; she needed a breather. “That’s fair.” Her eyes widened at my understanding. “But think about what else this means.” I grinned. “This goes both ways, sweetheart. You wearing this means I’m off the market too.”

“Yes, it does.” Her expression changed to a darker one, and she pressed her chest into mine. Slowly, her hand descended and found me. I fought not to moan. “That’s right, babe, because if I see you flirting with another chick, I’ll chop your balls off, sauté them up, and feed them to the boys.”

“That’s my girl.” I slid the ring on her finger as my other hand wrapped around hers and pumped my painful erection. “Marry me?”

“Yes.”