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Cian, Valik and Harvey didn’t miss a beat, all showing the weapons they had strapped on them. Althazair came down the hall, his face reddening as he got closer. He looked pissed, and so did my boys. I didn’t like where this was heading. Cian tried to walk around me, but I held my hand up and stepped between them as Althazair approached.
“What are you doing here?” Althazair hissed through clenched teeth, staring Cian directly in the eyes.
“We’re here to see Milliani. Is it true? Did Ryzen attack her?” I faced him and tried to get him to look at me and not Cian.
Althazair’s nostrils flared, and his eyes finally met mine. I could see the fear in him, and I relaxed my shoulders slightly.
He nodded, running his hands through his hair. “I’m going to kill that son of a bitch.”
“Get in line,” I muttered and jumped at his laughter.
Kaviathin came from Milliani’s room, his eyes narrowing at us all standing outside her door. Everyone froze as he shut the door and walked over to us, his face twisted in anger. It was so quiet you could practically hear everyone’s heartbeat as we stood facing the Voledetti brothers.
Kaviathin gave me a nod, and then smirked at Cian. I could feel the heat radiating off Cian, and I pressed my back into his chest, not wanting him to do anything foolish.
“Well, quite the impromptu family reunion we have here,” Kaviathin crooned.
“You son of a bitch,” Cian barked and stepped around me, pushing Kaviathin in the chest. Althazair pulled out his gun, pointing it at Cian, and Harvey and Valik both pulled out their weapons at the same time.
“No!” I shouted, making them all freeze in place and look at me. “Nobody is fucking shooting anyone in a hospital.” I stepped between the group of men and pushed my hands against their chests. “We’re here for Milliani, so tell us what happened.” I looked between Althazair and Kaviathin, who looked like they were seconds away from shooting us all.
After a moment, Kaviathin let out a deep breath, his shoulders sagging. “She’s in shock, but stable. She’s asleep now.” He muttered something in Italian that reminded me of cursing. “I told her to stay put, but she disobeyed and left anyway. He must have been watching… waiting. He tried to strangle her, but she was able to pull her gun out and get off a shot.”
The hairs on the back of my neck stood up, my heartbeat quickening. Oh, God, Ryzen had tried to strangle her just like he had done to me. The fear she must have felt… The rock in my stomach grew bigger, and I let out a sharp breath. “She saw him? It was for sure Ryzen?”
He shook his head, fidgeting with his cufflinks. “She didn’t see his face but recognized his voice. After she got a shot off, he ran.” His body was shaking with what I could only assume was anger. I should know; rage recognized rage.
“Oh, my God.” I clenched my fists and lowered my head. Was this my fault? Because he couldn’t get to me, he was going after others? Or did this have to do with his vengeance against Voledetti? Either way, he had to be fucking stopped.
“Did you call the police?” I looked at Kaviathin, who scoffed.
“No, sweet, innocent Nova,” he purred and smirked when Cian stepped forward and put his hands on my shoulders. “We don’t call the police. We handle our business differently.”
“Good,” Cian snapped from behind me. “Make yourself useful then, and help us find that son of a bitch so we can kill him.”
Kaviathin looked between Cian and me. “Consider it done.” He turned, snapping his fingers at Althazair, who followed him back into Milliani’s room.
“I fucking hate him,” Cian muttered, and I turned around, squeezing him as tight as I could.
When was this nightmare going to end? How many more people were going to get hurt or killed at the hands of Ryzen? Rage burned deep inside of me.
I would not let him hurt anymore people I cared about.
He was a dead man. He just didn’t know it yet.
Chapter Fifteen
Nova
Cian and I sat in Delove’s office, staring at his evidence board, dread consuming every part of my body. Crime scene photos, maps and headshots of Ryzen and Riddick covered the area with different-colored strings crisscrossing between known accomplices. Delove said the same thing Cian had; someone was helping Ryzen, and it wasn’t just his brother. No, it had to be someone Ryzen trusted… but who?
In the center of the board was a map of Chicago and its immediate suburbs, white push pins indicating where Ryzen had been seen and red ones marking where attacks had taken place. The whole thing gave me chills, and Cian squeezed my knee, comforting me.
Delove pinned a photo of Milliani to the board and added a red push pin where she had been attacked. I arched my eyebrow and glanced at Cian.
Delove cleared his throat and sat down behind his desk. “My sources have confirmed the attack on Milliani Voledetti, but I see you both are already aware, otherwise you wouldn’t be here.”
“We’re here because we need to do something about this. Ryzen is getting bolder, making more dangerous moves. It’s only a matter of time before he tries to attack me again.” I hated how desperate I sounded, but nothing about this whole situation was normal. There was a deranged psychopath out trying to kill me, and he was starting to go after the people I cared about. Who was going to be next? Juliet? Thora? No, he had to be stopped. We had to do something.
