Secret Crown

IX. Nine

Adrián

I had seen enough to know when to make Simone stop. Something was off about Scarlett, but I couldn't have her dead without getting Luca first. Seeing her defenseless against Simone's physical attacks sparked an unfamiliar wave of anger in me. Whatever it was, something in me wanted to justify it as just a bad place, bad time situation, and now that her father's secret had been exposed, I knew it was enough to mentally break anyone. Maybe being close to my sister had made me develop a soft spot, but I couldn't put our current prisoner through more than she already was from her being abducted and her many problems. Everything she answered would pass a lie detector with flying colors for anyone, but for me, it wasn't enough, and as much as I wanted to say it out loud, some sick, twisted part of me wanted to see what our lost heir had up her sleeve for myself. I knew deep in my bones it was nothing of ill will towards my family, but if that was the case, then towards whom was it? Tonight, she had seen too much to not be in danger, and all this curiosity to crack her defenses to figure out what it was about her that lured me in and was gnawing at me like a puzzle that was missing only a single piece.

I knew if Salvatore Romano wanted something, he'd do the impossible to get it. He was as crazy as they come. He would probably be at Scarlett's house before the sun even rose today.

I headed back downstairs to my office, where I removed my coat and guns after showing Scarlett my room. A text came in from Leo letting me know that her mother had been moved to a safe house, followed by a text asking if I was okay. For a second, even I couldn't recognize my decision to bring her back to my place as an option, but I did, and it would be where she was the safest.

As I sat in my office, I could hear her soft footsteps upstairs, followed by the sound of the shower running. It was a long night, and we were both running on fumes. I headed back to the living room with my guns and made the couch into a bed. The curtains in the apartment were switched to blackout mode with a simple voice command, and finally I closed my eyes to get some sleep before planning my next move.

**************

Four hours later, I woke up to my phone buzzing loudly by my face. The screen illuminated the darkened living room as Natalia's number came on the screen. "We think the baby is coming now!" She groaned in pain. "You're not due yet, Nat." I said this as I jumped out of bed.

"Yeah, well, tell the baby that's currently having a party with my insides," she groaned. "Callum is driving me to the hospital now; the kids were left with my in-laws, Ronan and Bianca."

"I'll see you in a bit," I said as I hung up. I quickly rose from the pullout and put on my coat when I remembered that the lost Catalano heir was upstairs. I made my way upstairs and knocked on the door before opening it. As I opened the door to my bedroom, I could make out the soft silhouette of her, fast asleep in my bed. She had changed out of her dirty scrubs into the next best thing, one of my shirts. It fit her perfectly, like a dress almost resting high above her knees. She slowly turned around and sat up in bed. "Is everything okay?" She asked as she pulled her fiery-red curls back.

"I need you to hang tight for a while."

"Does it look like I have any other option?" She rolled her eyes and lifted her leg to show me the monitor. "No, you don't; if you run, I'll know, and even then, I don't give a fuck; Luca Romano will find you."

"I'll stay here," she lowly said as she laid back down and covered herself with the blankets.

I made my way back downstairs and met the guards who were going to stand guard from the outside. Then finally headed out to the hospital. As the one in charge of my organization, I still had family affairs to attend to, such as my only sister's delivery.