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“How can you be thinking of that right now?” I asked, my heart in my stomach.
“Because I think this is related to Silvio Orsini,” he said, looking out the window. “Tristan, I…look, I know I should have told you earlier. I had my suspicions. I just wanted to make sure.”
“Damn it!” I slammed my fist against the dashboard. My heart hammered in my chest like a frantic drumbeat, each thud echoing my growing frustration. “The Rossis?”
“I mean, no,” Kieran said. “They’re related to this, but I’m pretty sure he’s taking orders from Silvio himself.”
“Great, just what we need.” Sarcasm dripped from my words like acid. I felt anger boiling inside me, a seething cauldron ready to spill over. “I’m going to fucking kill him.”
We pulled up to the Orsini owned strip club, the neon lights flickering like mocking laughter against the twilight sky. I didn’t bother with subtlety; subtlety wasn’t a luxury I could afford, not with Adriana’s safety hanging by a thread.
The club was a cacophony of sound and movement, a blur of bodies and beats that assaulted the senses. But my eyes cut through the chaos, locking onto Killian the moment he came into view.
Fucking lucky.
First Orsini location we’d searched to find Adriana and Killian was already here.
He was leaning against the bar, looking too damn comfortable for someone who should have been checking in with me.
“Tristan, wait—“ Kieran reached out, but I shrugged him off, propelled forward by a single-minded rage.
“Killian!” His name was a bullet shot from my lips as I stormed towards him, my hands already curling into fists at my sides.
“Aye, boss, what’s—“
I didn’t let him finish. Grabbing him by the collar, I slammed him back against the wall, the impact resonating through the thrumming bass of the music. His shock was evident, his eyes wide and questioning.
He didn’t fight back. He knew better than to fight back.
“What the fuck are you doing here?” My words were a snarl, my face inches from his. “You’re supposed to be reporting to me.”
“Tristan, I—“ Killian started, confusion etched onto his face, but I wasn’t interested in excuses.
“Save it.” I pushed away from him, the anger in my veins turning cold and calculating. I had no time for traitors or lies—not when every second counted.
“Boss,” Killian said, his voice surprisingly steady. “Let’s talk.”
Killian’s plea cut through the haze of my fury, snatching at my attention as I was about to deliver a punishing blow. His face was already bruising from where I had him pinned against the wall, a mixture of fear and determination in his eyes.
“Fine,” I spat out, grabbing his arm with a vice-like grip. “We’ll talk.”
I dragged him towards the men’s bathroom, away from prying eyes and eavesdropping ears. The club was certainly busy but we had attracted some attention and that was the last thing I wanted. As far as everyone knew, things were great with the Orsinis and the Callahans.
That’s why I had to take him somewhere more private.
Slamming the door shut behind us, I shoved him in front of the grimy sink, his reflection a battered echo in the cracked mirror.
“Start talking,” I demanded, arms folded across my chest as I leaned back against the closed door. My heart was still pounding in my ears, the need for answers gnawing at me like a caged animal.
“I’m here on Liam’s orders,” Killian blurted out, steadying himself against the sink. “He said we needed to check every single known Orsini property, said it was urgent.”
That was what I had told my brother to do. Twenty minutes before we’d left the property. Killian lived on the other side of the city, so how had he gotten to this Orsini strip club so damn fast?
I watched him closely, searching his face for any hint of deceit. Something about his story just didn’t sit right with me. “You expect me to believe that? You got here too damn quickly.”
Killian’s eyes met mine in the mirror, desperation clear in their depths. “It’s the truth, boss. I swear it.”
I studied him for a moment longer, weighing my options. Letting him go could be a mistake, but if he was telling the truth, I couldn’t waste time on him when Adriana was still missing.
