The next morning, Kace and I are treated to blueberry muffins and coffee by Marabella, which she delivers to our room. While we’re sharing the oversized chair in front of the fireplace munching, Kace’s phone rings. “Blake,” he greets, answering the line on speaker. “It’s me and Aria.”
“Aria,” Blake says. “Glad to hear we had Savage with you at that club. How are you?”
“Good as new and yes, thank God for Savage. He was amazing.” I wet my lips and dare to ask, “Anything on my brother?”
“He’s gone dark,” he says, “but I do believe Kayden can lure him out of the shadows. You’re both feeling good with the plans?”
“Except for the part where Kace goes to the meeting with Donelle alone,” I say, “yes.”
“Especially the part where I go to the meeting alone,” Kace counters, giving me a sideways look and sipping his coffee.
Blake chuckles. “I’m a married man who knows not to wade into this particular battle.”
He’s comparing us to his married life and when I meet Kace’s stare, his eyes are warm with the same understanding. “That’s between you two,” Blake adds, “and the team on the ground there.”
Reluctantly, I refocus on Blake and important and uncomfortable matters. “What about Nancy? I just can’t get my head around her being capable of doing me wrong. Or anyone wrong, for that matter.”
“Nancy has a sick mother and needs money. As for what we know, it’s not what we expected. The money came from Alexander.”
I suck in a breath and my gaze collides with Kace’s. “What is he up to, Kace?”
His expression tightens. “Any idea, Blake?”
“Several,” Blake says, “but I’m not inclined to speculate out loud. Nor am I inclined with all you two are facing to confirm my thoughts the slow way. I’d just as soon confront her and ask her.”
Kace looks to me. “Aria?”
“Yes,” I say, thinking of what Kayden said about unknowns being a problem. “Yes. Please just talk to her. How are you going to approach it?”
“As a member of your and Kace’s security team,” Blake states. “The question is, what do you want to do about her?”
“I want to fire her,” I say, “but then I think of her sick mom. It’s hard for me to be that cold.”
“Fire her,” Kace says, speaking to Blake. “Give her six months’ severance and pay her mother’s medical bills.”
I grab his hand. “That’s very generous. Are you sure?”
“It’s just money, baby. And it’s the right thing to do.”
He’s right. I know he’s right, but I don’t know that I’ve ever known anyone who would make such a decision at his own expense, even if they could afford to do it. Except my father, I amend, a thought that drives home just why he believed he and Kace were kindred spirits—we were.
“Is that a yes?” Blake asks.
“Yes,” I say, “because as much as I love her, I will never trust her again.”
Shortly after my agreement, the call ends and I check my messages. Still nothing from Gio. My brother is just plain missing again.
***
After Kace and I shower and dress in workout attire, we do a quick workout in the gym upstairs, which turns out to be right next to a dance studio. Kace looks it over and eyes me. “Ella really is a badass who can plié and handle a gun.”
“And she’s making me a badass.”
He winks. “You already are.”
I laugh and grab a couple of hand weights to prove his point.
Not much later in the morning, we join Kayden and Ella in the middle tower where we first head to the basement to what is the newly installed firing range we’re told. Turns out, Kace is an excellent marksman. I am not, and even with a collection of weapons to choose from, my shot doesn’t improve.
Ella steps in to help, and I improve slightly. “Practice,” she says. “That’s the key. And that includes handling the gun. Load it. Unload it. Make it become natural.”
Eventually, Kayden and Ella head on to the workout room and leave Kace and me to practice a little longer.
I watch Kace unload a round with precision and sigh. “How are you so good at this?” I ask when he pulls off his goggles.
“I’ve had a few stalkers over the years, but honestly,” his lips curve, “I learned to shoot and fight because let’s face it, no one carrying a violin wants to be called a pussy.”
I grin. “No, I suppose not. Thus the rock star image?”
“It certainly was motivation to redefine the expectation of a violinist.”
These little tidbits about his life never get old, and I gobble them up along with another hour of practice. I leave the range with a small handgun for my purse that I’m nervous to carry but eager to master. Next up, we head into a room with mats, where I’m set to train with Ella. At present, Ella is facing off with Adrian, and Savage is laughing his ass off.
“She’s going to beat your ass, man,” Savage calls out from the edge of the mat.
“Never,” Adrian calls out, while Kayden stands to the opposite side of the mat, arms crossed, and I do believe I spy a hint of pride in the hard lines of his stoic expression. Yep. I do. “Adrian’s going to get his ass beat,” I murmur to Kace.
“Yep,” he says, giving me a wink. “I do believe you are correct.”
Adrian lunges for Ella and ends up on his back. He’s back up again in a flat second. “All right,” he says. “I was taking it easy on you. Let’s go again.” He motions “come on” with his hands. “No more nice guy.”
Savage glances over at us from about a foot away. “He’s getting his ass whooped. Been there, done that. She’s a badass.”
Adrian flips Ella to her back and she pulls a gun and points it at him. He holds out his hands. “Unfair fucking play!”
“Bang bang, you’re dead,” Ella says. “And now that you’re dead you can’t cry like a baby about it being unfair.”
“I need a rule book next time,” Adrian snaps.
“No rules,” Ella says, pushing to her feet and grinning over at me. “Ready?”
“Not really,” I say. “But I’m doing this anyway.”
Kace kisses me. “Good luck, baby.”
I head out to the mat and I watch Savage motion for Kace to join him in the hallway. Nerves claw at me and I catch Ella’s arm. “Is there something going on with Gio or the Blue Owls?”
“So far, no. They’re radio silent, but you only made the call to set up the violin showing last night. Why?”
“Nothing. It’s nothing. I’m ready to get my ass kicked.”
She grins and then I’m on my back.
I spent the next hour doing just that—getting my butt kicked—but I learn things, too. When we finally call it a day on the training, Ella invites me to view the store while Kace heads upstairs to practice for his show. I join her and spend some time enjoying cases filled with treasures. When I finish up what turns into girl talk with Ella, I head to our tower to listen to Kace practice and end up on the floor of the dance studio, enjoying what’s left of his practice.
Later that night, Kace and I head out to dinner on our own, well, we have people watching out for us, but we pretend we don’t. It’s a lovely Italian meal, and once we’re winding down, enjoying dessert, I bring up his chat with Savage. “I saw Savage pull you aside today. Anything to worry about?”
“No. I’d tell you if there was something you need to worry about. You know that.”
I arch a brow. “Would you?”
He sets his fork down. “You think I would lie to you?”
“No. But protect me at all costs? Yes.”
He leans in close, his eyes dark. “Is that a bad thing?”
“Is it? I don’t know, Kace. Back in California, you were ready to leave me to protect me.”
“And now we’re here in Europe, Aria. It’s not the same time or place.”
He’s hiding something. I know it and I don’t like it. This is not who I want us to be. I set my napkin down. “I need to go to the bathroom.” I start to get up.
He shackles my wrist. “Sit,” he orders softly.
His orders work when we’re naked. They do not sit well now. “No. I need to go to the bathroom.”
His jaw clenches, but he releases me. I hurry through the cozy restaurant with ceramic ceilings and wooden tables. I’m just entering the hallway to the bathrooms when a man bumps right into me. He catches my shoulders and stares down at me, an evil smile curving on his lips. “Mi scusi,” he says, which is “excuse me” in Italian.
He’s still touching me and I step back as if burned. He laughs and walks away.
Freaked out, I turn and this time run right into Kace. I melt into him, my hands on his chest, chin lowering. Kace captures my face. “What’s wrong?”
“A man ran into me. He just touched me too long and smirked and I really want to go back to the castle.”
Kace’s phone rings and he snakes it from his pocket. “Kayden,” he says answering but he doesn’t speak. He listens and then says, “Thanks, Kayden,” before disconnecting.
“What was that?” I ask.
“Kayden has eyes on us. He doesn’t know who the man was, but he has men following him. We’re fine.”
“Can we just go back to the castle?”
“We can.” But instead, he pulls me further into the hallway and cups my face again. “I need to say something to you first. I will never lie to you.”
“You’re hiding something, Kace.” My voice is low, raspy. “I know you.”
He inhales, gaze lifting, turbulence rolling off of him before he meets my stare. “Alexander is missing.”
I blink. “Missing?”
“Yes.” His lashes lower and then lift. “Blake couldn’t prove he killed Maggie, but he had enough to believe he did. I played my father’s game. I handled it and made sure the dirt wasn’t on my hands.”
“What does that mean?”
“I sent the information anonymously to Maggie’s brother, who is powerful and vicious. I assume Alexander now knows he knows and he’s running from the embarrassment that will follow. He’d be shamed and ousted from his financial lifeline, his career.”
“What do you think his brother will do?”
“Accuse him publicly. Ruin him financially. And Aria, I don’t regret that.” His hands go to the wall, no longer touching me, but his eyes hold mine, letting me see the truth there. “I don’t feel remorse. There is that side to me, that part of me that is my father and I can’t erase it. But I will only use it when I have no choice. He wasn’t going to stop coming at you.”
“Were you going to tell me?”
He answers without hesitation. “Yes. After the announcement. After I knew you were safe and didn’t have to worry about men who bump into you being a threat, not to the extreme you do now. And I wasn’t going to let you go home to another threat in Alexander.”
I study him, shadows in his eyes, doubt etched in those shadows. I press my hands to his waist and lean into him. “You hate yourself because you think you’re like him. You are not. And I love you even if you can’t love yourself. I love you, Kace August.”
He stares down at me for long intense moments, and then he’s kissing me, and this is a kiss that is so many things: passion, desperation, torment, and love. So much love. “Let’s get out of here,” he says.
“Yes,” I say. “Please.”
This earns me a smile. “Always with the manners. I’m going to make you use those manners tonight.”
And he does. When we get back to the castle, he bypasses everyone who tries to stop us, and when we’re alone, he kisses me just like he did in that restaurant hallway. And then he makes love to me, but not without making me say “please, Kace,” and in the aftermath, I have a realization. “Please, Kace” doesn’t intimidate me anymore. I am free with this man. I am me with this man, and until I met him, I didn’t know who that was. Now, if I can just get him to feel that free with me.