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What Kevin and Keith offered her was all she ever wanted. To love and be loved in return and be able to leave the world of violence behind and live in light and warmth.
Except it was too late. The look in Kevin’s eyes as she looked up and watched him approach said it all. He had only one purpose. To hand her over to the authorities and see her rot in jail.
Aria couldn’t blame him... after all, she had just shot his brother.
Chapter Nineteen
Atop the towering Beijing Finance Building...
“You fucking shot my brother!” Kevin’s anger was palpable as he strode toward Aria with his jaw clenched and brows drawn together. Though fury darkened his eyes, there was a storm brewing beneath the surface. With each step, he struggled to restrain the maelstrom inside.
His hands tightened into fists, his knuckles turning white from the pressure to keep himself in check. He wanted to unleash the rage boiling up within, yet at the same time, part of him recoiled at the thought of hurting her. Shoulders tense, he fought an internal battle between anger and anguish.
Drawing nearer, Kevin averted his eyes, refusing to be swayed by her pleading gaze. The pain there would chip away at the barricade of anger he had erected. It was already difficult enough to thwart the unwanted emotions seeping through the cracks against his will—care, longing, heartache.
His pace slowed. Each footstep became a herculean effort as the weight of love he had tried desperately to bury pulled him down. His hard expression softened imperceptibly as his eyes moved over her to check for injuries and found none.
Stopping before her, he stood conflicted. Vengeful fury clashed with compassion, bitterness with devotion. He steeled himself, struggling one last time to fortify the walls around his heart.
“I had no choice but to shoot him,” she whispered. For once, she didn’t sass him, but she refused to lower her eyes. The truth of her words was echoed in her tear-drenched gaze. “If I shot the president, my mother would’ve gained untold power if her plan came to fruition. I couldn’t allow that. If I didn’t shoot him...” Her gaze drifted to where the police were checking Marino’s body. “He would’ve shot Keith.”
Kevin recognized Marino as the man they had identified in the GeoEye footage who had kidnapped her and who he believed had started the fire on Triple K. His body shape was the same as the frame of the masked man on the footage. “Good riddance. If you hadn’t killed him, I would have. He’s the one who caused the death of many of our prized cattle.”
“I’m sorry,” she said softly. “I would never have allowed him to shoot Keith. I knew Keith was wearing a Kevlar, Kevin; otherwise, I would never have done it. The shot was high velocity and knocked him out, but he will be fine, except for one helluva bruise.”
“Your mother... funny that, isn’t it? The fact that you’re a Sanchigo.” His gaze blazed angrily from afresh. “So, tell me, Ms. Sanchigo, why did you come to Louisiana?”
“I inherited Splendid Orchard, Kevin. That’s the truth. John Harper was my father’s brother. My grandfather had an affair but never acknowledged his existence. In the end though, he did leave him a sizable fortune in his estate. He bought the ranch. Since he didn’t have any family, he left it to me.”
“Stop skirting the truth, Ms. Sanchigo. I’m not interested in the flowers around the picture. What the fuck did you come to Club Rogue for?”
“I...” she lowered her eyes and fidgeted with her fingers. Kevin hated seeing her so insecure, but he ignored it. It wasn’t the time for his Daddy Dom to reprimand his baby girl for plucking her nails.
“Stop wasting my time,” he scowled darkly, suppressing with difficulty the desire to shake her until her teeth rattled.
“I made a vow at my father’s grave that I would take revenge for his death.” Her eyes lifted, pleading silently for understanding. “I went to Club Rogue with the intention to become your Babygirl... then kill you. I wanted your family to suffer like I was suffering at the loss of my parent.”
