ILARIA (book 3)

69. ASAHI

I walk down the stairs into the Reign's basement, where they keep all their victims.

"They find out you're corrupt, Hamada, and I'm going to be laughing from my grave." Buckley spits out, blood dripping down his chin.

"Bold of you to assume they'll be a grave." Roman kicks him right in the face, knocking him out.

He then looks around the room and walks to the black haired guy. He crouches down, pulling his jean leg up and frowns when he sees the crown.

The Reigns all have a particular member they go to for this particular tattoo. He's done it so many times he doesn't even need a stencil anymore. The line work is very meticulous and defined, it's some amazing tattoo. 

And this man had it tattooed on his ankle.

"Who did this tattoo?" Roman asks.

"Vitale, Flavio." Marco says.

Roman frowns, then a look of realisation washes over his face. "I banished you 6 years ago because you were fucking a cop." He stands up. "You joined the marshals, ex military, I couldn't kill you because I knew you would go after Romeo if I did."

"Bingo." Marco says. "You banished me, but I stayed loyal to you."

"To an extent. You tortured my daughter."

"I didn't lay a finger on her. I tried to get ahold of you but none of your men let me see you." He winces in pain as he pushes himself up. "I did all I could do without my family getting hurt. If they knew I helped her, they would have killed my wife and daughter."

Roman steps back, looking at the two prospects. "Clean him up, bring him to my office later."

"Asahi." He calls quickly. "Buckley knew about your relationship with Ilaria. When threatening her mother didn't work, he did research and found out it was you. He threatened you and her reaction gave it away. He might've told somebody."

"I've got it, thank you." I walk past the other bodies and up the stairs.

Roman was yelling orders and walks me into his office where Romeo was sitting with Asher.

"Ilaria is on her way home. Twins, Luca and mom are taking her to hers." Asher says. "You okay, kid?"

I nod my head.

"I banished a member, one of the very few I have." Roman rubs his hands down his face. "Couldn't kill him because of his affiliations to the military and his partner knowing what he did. He's the one that stitched up Ilaria's thigh."

"And he didn't think to contact you?" Romeo rolls his eyes.

"He tried to but it's a rule to not allow banished members refuge or explanations. They're banished; I don't want anything to do with them." Roman shakes his head. "This could have been over quickly."

"Could have been over quickly if Asahi just... did his job."

"Okay, get out." Asher says to Romeo. "Apologise or get out. No one could have stopped this and I won't have anyone blaming anyone. Ilaria doesn't so you're not allowed to, Romeo."

Romeo just shakes his head, looking down.

My phone rings and it was so weird seeing Ilaria's name on there after a while of not. "Hey, princess."

She's dead silent for a moment.

"Ilaria?"

"Can you come over?"

"Of course. I'll be right there." I stand up, hanging up.

Asher looks at me. "Get her some food on your way over, I heard her complaining to the psychiatrist how she thinks people recovering in a hospital need better food than... baby food." He says.