Page 44 of Merciless King

I nod, my jaw clenching at the thought of that bastard laying a hand on her again. My first instinct is to tell her to pack a bag now, to come home with me where I can keep her and Elysse safe. But I stop myself, remembering her words from last night. She needs to make her own choices, to regain the agency that was stolen from her all those years ago.

I sit on the edge of the bed, taking her hand in mine. "I’m not sure how long business will take, but then I want to come back and help you and Elysse pack. Is that alright?”

Her smile is sweet, like I’ve given her a gift. “Yes.”

I have the realization that Elysse doesn’t know the truth yet. What will she think when she finds out? Will she be happy?

Piper and I need to talk to her, but now isn’t the time. First, I need to get them safe.

“Put my number in your phone, okay?” I pick up her phone and hand it to her. “Call me if anything comes up.”

She keys in her code and hands me the phone. I put in my number and hand it back to her. Then I lean in, capturing her lips in a tender kiss. It takes every ounce of willpower I possess to pull away, to leave the warmth of her embrace.

“Take care of my girls.” I rise from the bed to leave. I stop at the door, taking one last lingering look before heading out.

Twenty minutes later, I enter the foyer of my home, the one I inherited from my parents. It’s twenty-five thousand square feet of opulence and luxury one would expect from an aristocrat or a Mafia Don. It’s more than I need, except now I’m imagining filling it with more children. And if Piper wants to change up the décor, she can.

“Where the hell have you been?” Lana demands, her eyes flashing with annoyance. "We've been trying to reach you for hours."

Huh? I look at my phone and only then notice the missed texts and calls. “I had personal matters to attend to.” I make my way to my office where Matteo is waiting. “What’s the situation?”

Matteo steps forward, his brow furrowed. "Our men got a call about a disturbance, and when they went to check it out, they were taken in.”

I arch a brow. “How convenient.”

He nods. “Sounds like a setup, but our contacts at the precinct aren’t being helpful.”

I curse under my breath, the gravity of the situation sinking in. "Have they been charged or just detained?”

“I’m not aware of charges. Tony is on his way.”

I nod. Tony is a good lawyer. I have faith that he’ll sort this out. And yet, something feels off. I pay an obscene amount of money to cops to avoid situations like this. “I should go down there.”

Lana scoffs, crossing her arms over her chest. "Oh, now you’re going to do your job? Where was this dedication earlier when we needed you?"

I bristle at her accusatory tone. "Watch it, Lana. I'm still the head of this family."

She steps closer, her eyes narrowing. "Then start acting like it. You've been distracted lately, letting things slip through the cracks. We can't afford any weaknesses, not with Vincenzo breathing down our necks."

My temper flares, the stress of the past few days boiling over. "You think I don't know that? I'm doing everything I can to protect what's ours."

Lana laughs humorlessly. "Really? Because from where I'm standing, it looks like you're too busy chasing after some ghost from your past to focus on the present."

I clench my fists, my voice dropping to a dangerous growl. "Careful. You're treading on thin ice."

She meets my gaze unflinchingly, her eyes filled with a defiant fire I know all too well. "I'm not trying to undermine you, Elio. But we need to face facts. Piper's return has thrown you off balance, and we can't afford any distractions right now."

I open my mouth to argue, but Matteo interjects, his tone placating. "Lana's right, Elio. We need to focus on the task at hand. We still haven’t done anything to placate Vincenzo. I wouldn’t put it past him to have organized the issue we have now. We know he’s trying to worm his way closer to Caruso, and you and I know he’ll use that to undermine you.”

I take a deep breath, trying to calm the storm raging inside me. As much as I hate to admit it, they have a point. My personal life has been occupying too much headspace at a time when I need to be focused.

“What is it about her, anyway?” Lana demands. “She was just a high school?—”

“Don’t.” I whirl on Lana, shoving my index finger in her face. “Don’t you dismiss her importance to me.”

Her brows rise as she looks at my finger.

I take a breath. “While we’re on the subject, there's something else you both need to know. Piper and her daughter, Elysse, will be moving in with us. As soon as I deal with this issue, I’ll be going to pick them up.”