Page 43 of Reckless Desires

“Apparently.” Killian seems unfazed. “You should go claim a room before the rest of them come.”

“Them?”

“My brothers.”

I give him a questioning look. Flashbacks of when I was taken cause confusion as I stumble back. “Why are they coming?”

“Too far for them to come back and forth. It will give us time to plan.”

“Plan what?” I question, but Killian ignores me and pulls out a gold, rusted key, letting us in.

The exterior of the mini castle is rustic, but as we step inside, a different world unfolds—a Victorian dreamscape. The hallway is adorned with rich, dark wood paneling and opulent wallpaper that whispers of elegance. Ornate chandeliers hang from the ceiling, casting a warm, inviting glow over the polished floorboards. Antique furniture, upholstered in deep jewel tones, fills the space, creating cozy nooks perfect for lingering conversations. I marvel at the ornate details, the intricate moldings, and the delicate porcelain pieces that line the shelves.

“Head up the stairs and pick a room. I’ll get the stuff out of the car. Jodi packed you a few things.”

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Killian

Normally I sleep like the dead, but when a shrill scream breaks the night, I shoot up out of bed. Somebody has to be dying for a scream like that to be echoing through the house. It’s Liliana’s; I know it without a doubt. The guards on duty wouldn’t be screaming. They would be shooting at whoever attacked them, and the maids know how to put up a fight.

Throwing the sheets back, I rush for the door, blood rushing and my heart in my throat. She can’t be dying. Everything I have planned hinges on her livelihood. After bagging up her torn lace thong and bra, I sent them to Alessio. He will take me seriously now, even though my bridge with Darius and Cameron will be burnt.

I race down the hall to the bedroom set up for her, throwing open the door and seeing her thrashing in the middle of the bed. Her skin is damp with sweat; the sheets are sticking to her body. She screams again, her body arching off the bed like she’s a creature possessed.

“Wake up,” I say, rushing to the edge of the bed and gripping her shoulders. I give her a light shake. “Come on, you need to wake up. It’s just a dream. Once you wake up, it’ll all be over.”

She screams and tears away from me. I may not know how to handle this, but I know what it’s stemmed from.

My heart’s pounding in my chest, and it sounds like blood is rushing in my ears as I sit on the edge of the bed beside her. “Come on, Liliana, it’s okay. You’re not in that place anymore. Just wake up for me. Open your eyes, and everything will be fine. It’s okay. You’re safe. You’re here with me.”

I think that might be the first time I’ve really thought that my home was a safe place for somebody else.

Another scream splits the night, her body thrashing away from me, rolling off the side of the bed and onto the floor with a heavy thud. I’m too slow to catch her from falling, but I get up and around the bed, helping her to her feet. She’s disoriented as she stands, jerking from my touch, trying to put as much distance between us as possible as she flies to the other side of the room and sinks down to the ground, her knees held to her chest, her entire body shaking.

“Hey,” I say, voice slow. I approach her slowly, like I’m approaching a wounded animal, crouching down to her level. “It’s just a dream. You don’t need to be scared. I’m not going to let anything happen to you while you’re here.”

“When will it stop?” she whispers, her voice haunted, her eyes wide like she’s seen a ghost.

“I don’t know.”

“Why are you in here?” she asks, her voice breaking. A couple of tears slip out and roll down her cheeks. “I’m fine on my own. I don't need you to rush in here to save me like you're some sort of white knight.”

“I’m pretty sure I came from a line of knights. It must be built into me.” I crack a smile, trying to make her feel a little bit better. “I heard you screaming, though, and no sense in going back to bed if I’ll be woken up by someone who's going to scream themselves awake and back to sleep.”

“All I can dream about is what they did to me,” she says, her voice breaking again. She sucks in a sharp breath, like she’s trying to hold back more tears, like she’s ashamed of crying. “I didn’t even get the worst of it. There were women there who…” She trails off and shakes her head. “I-I just can't.”

“Liliana, look at me.” I kneel down on one knee. “Vidalia will be caught, and you can torture him all you want before you take his life. You’ll do it for you and all those girls. I can’t promise we will set them all free or that you’ll forget any of this, but you will get your justice one way or another.”

She’s broken and damaged, and no one can save her from those demons, except herself.

“How confident are you that you’ll catch him?” she asks, lifting her head and meeting my eyes.

“Well, thanks to you and your family, coming to rescue you meant there’s a target on my back. So I won’t need to worry if I can’t find him because I know he’s coming for me himself.”

“So you regret saving me?”

I shake my head. That’s a tough answer. In a way, she’s helping me get what I need here to protect my turf. Having a target on my back is just a minor inconvenience.