Bones (Dark Kingdom, #5) — Chapter no 31

CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

BONES

MIA AND I rush into the hospital, her hand in mine. I ran out of Kingdom and went by my house to pick her up. I called her on my way, and she was already getting ready. Haven had called her too to tell her the good news.

I nod to the guard as we pass by him. I release her hand, open the door, and usher her in with my hand on the small of her back.

Luca sits up in his bed, his pale face instantly frowning at us. I figured he’d be pissed at me once he woke up and realized what I’ve been doing.

“Hey.” Mia goes over to him, gently hugging him. “How are you

feeling?”

“Give us a second,” Luca tells her.

Her dark brows pull together. “Luca … I don’t think—”

“Give us a second!” he yells, making her jump.

She squares her shoulders and parts her lips, but before she can argue with him, my eyes meet hers. “It’s okay.” I’m trying to defuse a bad situation between them. He just woke up from a fucking coma. The last thing I need is a sibling feud.

She spins around, her dark hair slapping her in the face from the motion, and storms out of the room.

“You didn’t have to yell at her,” I tell him.

He turns his pissed-off attitude at me. “What the fuck are you doing, Bones?”

“What you asked,” I say, dodging the real answer.

He reaches for his remote and turns up the volume on this TV. I look up at it and curse myself when I see a picture of Mia and me making out plastered on the screen.

“One of the heirs to Kingdom—Dillan Reed, known as Bones—has been spotted around Sin City with who we know as the Mafia Princes—Mia Bianchi. The two apparently have been living together in his home right outside of Vegas. The couple has been spotted out a lot lately, but it’s clear

that they’ve been together for quite some time. The two are not shy about their public affection. I see wedding bells in their near future …”

So this is what Marsha ended up going with after Grave put a halt to the story she wanted to run? I’m not surprised. She probably knew that Luca wouldn’t approve of what I was doing, and she was hoping to fuck me in the best way she could. Or she wants a target on Mia. Marsha had threatened that Mia’s life could be in danger if the public knew who she was and that her brother was in a coma.

“This is not what I asked you to do,” he snaps, clicking it off as if he’s seen enough. “I told you to ship her off.”

“I did that. She came back,” I growl defensively.

He snorts. “You expect me to believe that she chose to come back here for you to parade her around like a fucking trophy?”

“No!” I shout. “She came back here because Haven told her you were shot.”

His jaw sharpens, and his eyes slide to the door. “What was she doing talking to my wife?” he demands.

I let out a long breath and make my way over to the window that overlooks Vegas. I hate this city. I’ve always wanted out. I think that’s why I bought a secluded beach house in Malibu and a log cabin in the mountains. I even have a penthouse in New York. I never get to use any of

them, though, and never will.

“Bones?” he commands at my silence.

“Who shot you?” I ask, keeping my back to him.

“Doesn’t fucking matter.” He snorts.

“It does.” I turn to face him, placing my hands in the pockets of my jeans. “Who shot you?”

He looks away from me, his jaw sharpening. He looks like shit. His color is yellowish. He’s lost some weight, his cheeks hollowed, lips chapped. “I don’t know.” Lowering his dark eyes to his hands that sit on his lap, he

sighs. “I didn’t get a look at them.”

I frown. “You sure?”

“Of course,” he snaps. “Why would I lie about that?” His eyes meet mine.

“What if I told you it was your brothers?” I offer, seeing how he feels about that idea.

He gives a rough laugh that makes him flinch from pain. “No. They’re stupid, but they don’t have a death wish.”

Leaning my back against the windowsill, I cross one ankle over the other.

“I shipped Mia to my beach home in California. And three days before you were shot, she had visitors.”

His brows pull together. “Who? Who did you tell she was there?”

“Not a soul.” I shake my head. Well, technically, that’s not true. Nigel knew she was there because he went with me, but he knows all of the Kings’ secrets. He would never tell. “But that didn’t keep your brothers from finding her.”

“Wait.” He holds up a hand. “My brothers found her in California?” I nod. “What does that have to do with why she’s here now?”

“They roughed her up—”

“Fuck!”

“And told her to return to me. Make me fall in love with her and marry her.”

He stares at me for a long second. His eyes are full of confusion, then he laughs. “Ow.” He places his hand on his stomach. “Don’t make me laugh, Bones.”

“Does it look like I’m joking?” I arch a brow.

He sits up straighter. “You can’t be serious …”

“Three days later, she called your phone, and Haven answered. Told her that you had just been shot. Haven sent her the jet, and Mia showed up

while you were in surgery.”

“I don’t …”

“We all think that they hurt you to bring her back when she didn’t move fast enough for them.”

He lays his head back on his pillow and lets out a long breath.

“That night in my office, you told me that your father wanted me with her. Why?” I demand.

“He wants Kingdom,” Luca says simply. “He always has. Says that your father left him out of his share.”

I nod, turning to face the window again. I already knew that, but I wanted to hear it again. Make sure that I’m not losing my mind or going crazy.

Because that sounds fucking insane. “He just thinks that’s some pussy will make me hand over my life?”

“Hey!” he snaps from behind me. “That’s my sister.”

“Watch it, Luca. You sound like you actually care about her,” I say dryly.

“You son of a bitch!” he snaps.

I turn around to see him trying to get out of bed, but he’s connected to too many machines. And he’s too weak. He may be awake, but he won’t be himself for a while.

The door opens, and Mia comes running into the room. “What is going on?”

“Stay the fuck away from him, Mia,” he growls, still trying to get out of

the bed.

“Luca—”

“Where is Nite?” he demands, interrupting his sister. “I want him here.

Now!”

“I’ll call him for you.” I pull out my cell and bring up his number.

“No, Dillan …”

He picks up the call but doesn’t speak. “Hey, I need you to come and pick up Mia. She’s at the hospital. Luca is awake and wants you to take care of it.” My hard eyes meet her large ones. I hate the way my chest tightens at the thought of having to walk away—hand her over like she doesn’t mean a damn thing to me. But I’ve always been that guy who does whatever must be done. And I have to let her go for her sake. She’ll be safer away from here, away from me. “She’s your problem now.” I hang up. “He’s on his way,” I say and pocket my cell, exiting the room.

MIA

“WHAT THE FUCK did you say?” I demand, looking at my brother.

He’s bent over, sweat covering his forehead, and he’s holding his stomach. He looks up at me through his lashes, sucking in a deep breath.

All he’s done is yell at me, and he looks like he’s run a marathon. “It’s for

the best,” he says vaguely.

“Luca—”

“Nite can take you somewhere.” He interrupts me. “Anywhere is better than here.” Mumbling, he lowers his voice to talk to himself. “Should have known Nite was a better choice from the beginning.”

“Lu—”

“He’ll stay there with you.” He interrupts me again. Glaring, he adds, “Do you think you can keep your hands to yourself with him?”

My mouth falls open at his question.

“If you have the urge, remember he is your adopted brother.”

Why am I being judged for what they have done all of their lives? Am I supposed to stay a virgin forever? Am I not supposed to be happy? Find someone to fall in love with? I’m not suggesting Dillan could ever love me.

But there has to be someone out there for me, right? Otherwise, why even try to live? Why continue to fight?

“No!” I shake my head, and he arches a brow at me, thinking I’m answering his previous question, but I’m not. I refuse to even acknowledge it. “I want to stay here. With you.” With Dillan. He’s made me feel safe.

He’s shown me what it feels like to be wanted. Even if it is a lie.

“This is not up for discussion, Mia,” he snaps, then takes in a deep breath. Lying down, he winces. “I need you to get the hell out of here and away from Bones.”

Tears sting my eyes. Why? What did Dillan say to him about me? That I’m in the way? Something that he doesn’t have time for? I know he’s been busy between Kingdom and Glass, but it’s not like I need a babysitter. I can take care of myself. He doesn’t have to be with me all the time.

“If what he said was true, and the family is after you, then you need to hide.”

“No,” I choke out, the word hide making my throat close. I’m a fucking Bianchi, and a Bianchi doesn’t hide in the dark. Not the ones that matter anyway. I’m so tired of not being noticed. Why my parents just didn’t give me away as a baby, I’ll never know.

“Yes,” he grinds out through gritted teeth.

The door opens, and I turn, hoping to see Dillan, but it’s Haven. “What the hell are you doing?” She rushes over to him.

“I need to get up,” he tells her. “And get the fuck out of here.”

“You’ve been in a coma, Luca,” she growls at him. “You’re not going anywhere.”

“I’m not leaving.” I meant to sound more assertive, but it comes out sounding squeaky due to the knot in my throat. He doesn’t even hear it.

Instead, he continues to argue with his wife. I clear my throat and raise my chin. “I’m not leaving,” I say, fisting my hands this time.

They both look up at me, and before Luca can open his mouth to tell me what to do, I add, “I’m a grown-ass adult, and I’m tired of being treated like a child.”

“Mia—”

“I’m going to do what I fucking want!” My voice rises. “And that is stay here in Las Vegas. And your ass can’t make me leave.” With that, I turn and storm out of his room. My heels clap on the floor while I make my way down the hallway and to the elevator.

I pull my cell out, prepared to call someone to come get me, and I decide on Jasmine’s number. She seems to be the one who would keep me a secret.

The others are married or engaged to a King.

The elevator dings, and the door slides open as I put the phone to my ear after hitting call on her number. It rings once, twice, three times. “Hey, you’ve reached Jasmine. Leave me a quick message.”

“Hey, Jasmine, it’s Mia. Can you give me a call when you get a chance, please?” I hang up, not wanting to give her very much information. I’m afraid she’ll call Dillan before she calls me back.

Stepping onto the sidewalk outside the hospital, I think of my options. I could get an Uber to take me to Kink. Or have it take me to Luca’s house, but I don’t want to be caught there. He’ll ship me off.

I can go to a hotel, but I don’t have any money. Well, that’s a lie. Dillan gave me a credit card, but he’d be able to track that. Which is probably why he gave it to me in the first place.

My best bet is Kink. If Jasmine isn’t there, maybe Alexa can tell me where she is. As I step off the sidewalk to catch a cab, something presses into my back, making me pause. My body stiffens, my breath escaping my lungs.

A hand wraps around my hair and gently gathers it together before pushing it to lay over my left shoulder. Goose bumps cover my body when I feel lips on my right ear. “You look lost.”

My eyes fall closed at the familiar voice, and I swallow the knot in my throat. “Matteo.” I whisper his name.

“Where is your King?” he asks, the hard object pressed to my back, digging into my spine through my shirt. It’s a gun. I know it.

Refusing to answer, I stay quiet. I will not give him the satisfaction of knowing where Dillan is. He’ll have to do the work himself to figure that out. But we both know he’s only one of two places—Kingdom or Glass.

That’s all he cares about.

“So it seems he’s trained you well.” He chuckles. “A perfect little puppet.”

I spin around and slam my fists into his chest. His hand comes up, wrapping around my throat so tight it cuts my air off. I grip his forearm, trying to twist his skin to force him to let go, but it’s useless. I start clawing at his face, listening to him laugh while I manage to tear his skin. I’ll never beat him, but I’ll go down fighting.

Within seconds, my body starts to convulse, begging for air, and my arms fall to my side, unable to hold them up anymore. He watches my lips part as I try to breathe but get nothing. He lowers the gun to his side, and he smiles at me, so cruel it makes my blood run cold. Tears blur my vision, and just when I think he can’t hurt me, he says the one thing that terrifies me.

“It’s okay, Mia. Father no longer cares about his Kingdom. He has decided on another way you can earn the Bianchi name.”

My eyes grow heavy. My tense body relaxes, accepting its fate, and I welcome the darkness. It’s better than the alternative.

His chuckle is the last thing I hear before everything goes black.