King's Possession

by Stone, Piper

  “No, you don’t.”

  “I’ll take Vincenzo with me.”

  “Who called it in?”

  Cristiano’s face clouded over. “Dimitri. He’s alive but in pretty bad shape. A couple of my best men were lost.”

  Shit. I snapped my hand around my brother’s arm before he could walk away. “You know this is only the beginning.”

  “And it’s something we need to end. Keep Emily here.”

  “Agreed and she’ll be safe.” I moved into the crowd, pulling both Dante and Michael aside. “We have an issue.”

  Michael shifted his gaze toward the entrance. “An attack?”

  “On the warehouse. Cristiano is handling it at this point, but that will mean we’re short several men. Make certain everyone is on high alert.”

  Every brother had been provided their own soldiers, men who were not only trained but prepared to lose their lives if necessary.

  “I refuse to let Daniella remain,” Michael hissed.

  “And we can’t make it obvious what’s going on. The senator and his minion are here for a reason. We can’t give them one.” I glared at him until he nodded once. “Dante, have your men fall into the crowd. They aren’t as well known and from what I can tell, should be able to blend in.”

  “Yeah, I can do that.” Dante didn’t hesitate before heading into the crowd.

  I could tell Genevieve was searching for me. The closer I came toward her, the more I was able to see the anxiety on her face. She was far too in tune with my actions, our connection growing stronger. I moved closer, continuing to scan the crowd.

  “What’s wrong?” she asked as I moved closer.

  I eased what was left of my drink onto the end of the table, trying to figure out the best way of informing my father. “Nothing I can’t handle.”

  “You’re lying to me. I’m not stupid, Lucian. I noticed your brother leaving with several of his… soldiers.”

  I glanced toward Emily, who had the same look of concern in her eyes. I turned my full attention to Genevieve, taking her by the hand. “I need you to stay right here and keep Emily and Daniella from going anywhere.”

  “Where would we go? What aren’t you telling me?”

  “I know you don’t trust me, but at this point, you need to do so.” I cupped her jaw, hoping my touch would help her understand. The same feeling remained, my gut almost never wrong.

  “Okay. But you need to tell me what’s happening when you can.”

  “Yeah, I will.”

  When I noticed Angelique moving toward the small stage that had been set up toward the back of the room, I grimaced. Now wasn’t the time to give a damn speech.

  “Shit.”

  Angelique walked onto the makeshift stage, tapping her fingers across the microphone. “All right, party people. You know why we’re here. To celebrate the nuptials of my brother, the infamous and often brooding Lucian King with the lovely Genevieve, who will have her hands full. I honestly have no idea how she can tolerate him.”

  As a good portion of the crowd laughed then cheered, several getting to their feet, I reached inside my jacket, keeping my hand on the handle of my weapon.

  “Don’t,” Dante hissed as he moved beside me.

  “I don’t like this.”

  “Yeah? Well, I haven’t seen anything out of the ordinary.”

  “Keep looking,” I commanded.

  I took a deep breath as Angelique acted as if she was searching for us in the crowd, egging them on. The clapping increased much like the calls for both Genevieve and me to come to the stage. As I glanced around at the table, a moment of clarity settled in.

  That was only a split second before the sound of explosive gunfire shattered the festive moment.

  Chapter 12

  Lucian

  “Every man’s life ends the same way. It is only the details of how he lived and how he died that distinguish one man from another.”

  Ernest Hemingway

  Death.

  I could smell it in the air as a cold, stark reality flooded my mind. I should have followed my instinct. I yanked my weapon into both hands, immediately searching the room as both melee and carnage erupted.

  Within seconds, the remaining soldiers pounded closer to the King family table, prepared to protect every member. The table was turned over, chairs tossed aside, guests scattering toward the entrance. Damn it. The massive number of people were blocking the other soldiers from getting inside.

  What the fuck?

  “Stay down,” I growled as I shoved Genevieve to the floor. “I mean it. Do not move.”

  She didn’t say a word, her mouth twisting in terror.

  I shoved Emily, Daniella, and my mother beside her, shifting my gaze toward the area behind the bar. My guess was that whoever had entered had done so through the service entrance, which left no options other than breaking through the windows or walking out the front door. No one was going to corner the King family.

  And those who tried were going to die.

  “Angelique!” my mother shrieked.

  “Morales,” my father barked. “Bastard.”

  “I don’t know, Pops. Just stay here. Do not leave them!” I ordered Mario, immediately bounding through the crowd in order to protect my sister. I shoved aside one person after another, no longer caring who I managed to knock down in the process.

  Pop! Pop!

  Another round of gunfire peppered over the sounds of screams and grunts. As I jumped over several chairs in my effort to get to the stage, I noticed the officers were nowhere to be seen. My rage had boiled over.

  Angelique had maintained her composure, crouching down beside the stage, already brandishing the gun she kept for protection. “What is going on?” she managed.

  “I’ll fill you in later. We need to get the rest of the family out of here.” I grabbed her arm, pulling her behind me as I headed back to the table. Within seconds, I noticed one of the assholes who’d dared interrupt the party, shifting from behind the bar. I let go of Angelique, crouching over as I headed in his direction.

  The assassin managed to make it within a few feet of the table, lifting his weapon. Jesus Christ. No one was paying attention. “Move. Move out of my way.” I pushed and shoved, knowing at least two people to the floor.

  Where the hell was Mario?

  Then I realized he’d been shot, likely by the same killer who was determined to pick off the family. When another shadow crossed in front of my line of vision, I reacted, taking aim and following my gut, issuing two shots, hissing as the asshole dropped to the floor. I shifted my aim, prepared to fire.

  Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Genevieve jerking to her feet, moving in front of my mother. As if in slow motion, she grabbed a chair, tossing it in the man’s direction, the force just enough that he hesitated.

  As he finally managed to take aim, I no longer gave a shit who witnessed my actions. “No!” I yelled before taking the shot.

  The single bullet exploded in his brain, sending a shower of blood toward the table. As the soldier fell to the floor, Michael raced toward the family, kicking the weapon out of the man’s dead hand before pulling Daniella into his arms.

  “What the hell?” he bellowed, turning in a full circle.

  “We have to get them out of here,” I snarled, running toward Genevieve. She stood, barely quivering, her body tainted by the man’s blood. “Are you all right?”

  “Yes. I’m fine.” She dropped to my mother’s side. “Are you all right?”

  “Yes. My God…” My mother appeared shaken but unharmed, due to my wife’s quick and very brave actions.

  Pop! Pop! Pop!

  The sounds continued but this time, I knew they were coming from several of our soldiers, the majority of the guests fleeing toward the door. As I scanned the room, from where I stood, I noticed four victims, but there was no way of knowing whether or not they were guests or part of the assassination attempt.

  My father flanked my side, his favor
ite Sig Sauer in his hand. “They will die for this.”

  “Yeah. They will.”

  I could see Dante across the room, moving amongst a half dozen of our men, searching for any other assassins.

  When the main lights flashed on, several of our other soldiers rushing in through the back door, I motioned to Brick. “Is it secure?”

  “Yeah. Two of the assholes were waiting outside. They were handled.”

  “Then get the family out of here. All of them. Grab two of the men and stay at the house. Do you understand?”

  “What about you?”

  “Do what I say. Don’t argue with me. Make certain the house is swept. If the assholes were brazen enough to try here, they’ll be dumb enough to make another attempt.”

  “Yes, sir. The bastards won’t be able to get inside,” he snarled.

  I took several deep breaths, turning in a full circle, hesitating then walking back to the table. “Angelique.”

  She was already standing over the others, the little purple-haired pistol refusing to allow anyone to hurt her family. “Yeah?”

  “Watch over Genevieve. Will you do that?”

  “I’m not leaving here. I’m seeing this through.”

  I grabbed her by the shoulder. “Listen to me. It’s very important that you’re there with them and with Mother and Father.”

  “Listen to him, sis,” Michael added, his tone much softer than mine.

  “Where are the twins?” I asked him. He cherished his two seven-year-olds more than almost anything.

  “With a babysitter. Already called a couple soldiers who are close to the house.” He shifted his gaze.

  Angelique slapped her hand across her mouth. “What’s happening here? They can’t be hurt. They’re our babies.”

  “Stop worrying. We’re all okay.” There was no concept of where the bastards would strike next.

  For all Michael’s bravado, I could tell how concerned he was.

  “Do what Lucian says. You know how Mom gets when shit like this happens,” he suggested.

  She darted a glance over her shoulder. “Yeah, okay, but you owe me.”

  “For a lot of things. Just go.” I squeezed her arm, taking long strides around the table, noticing Mario was trying to sit up.

  “I’m sorry. Fuck, I’m so sorry, boss,” he said, wincing when I helped him sit up.

  I peeled back his coat, sighing. At least it was a shoulder wound and nothing worse. “Not your fault. You gonna be all right?”

  He grinned. “Ain’t no bullet gonna keep me down.”

  “Good man.” I moved back to Genevieve, wiping my hand across strings of blood. “My men are going to take you and the others to my father’s house.”

  “No. I’m fine. Take me to the house.” She took several deep breaths, finally realized her dress was soaked in blood. The majority of women who’d never seen this kind of violence, they would be unable to function. I was shocked that other than being pissed, she’d maintained her resolve.

  “I can’t take that risk and I have some things to do here.”

  “You killed that man.” She finally glanced into my eyes.

  “I did what I had to do.”

  Genevieve darted her eyes back and forth before a slight smile crossed her face. “Thank you.”

  The two words were simple, but to me, they meant a great deal. I brushed the backs of my fingers across her cheek before walking away. Dante was crouched down by one of the victims. I flanked his side, studying the well-dressed man’s back before rolling him over. His eyes were open, his weapon still in his hand.

  “The cops are coming,” Dante stated.

  “Yeah. I figured they would.” I took another glance for any remaining guests, including the members of law enforcement or the great wannabe police commissioner. The only one who’d remained was the police chief. The man was on his knees, peering down at another unmoving body. “Any idea?”

  “Nope. They were all carrying. No identification.”

  “Then who the hell are they?” There was no way to distinguish nationality and nothing to identify them with; given this one was in his twenties, he could have passed for hired help. One thing was certain.

  Everything had been well planned and executed.

  “We lost Salvo and Mikey.”

  Hissing, I rose to my feet. “And two at the warehouse. That’s four too fucking many, let alone two of the bastards were ordered to take out the family.”

  “Military grade weapon. Shit, that used to sell on the black market.” Dante looked up at me. As a weapons expert, he knew every damn weapon that was out there, black market or not.

  Because they’d been dressed in suits, there were no identifiable markings in view. Given the fact the police were on their way, the last thing I should do was tear them apart in an effort to find out who the fuck they were.

  As the police chief headed in our direction, I took several deep breaths.

  “Lucian,” he said quietly then looked down at the perpetrator. “Do you want to tell me what the fuck is going on?”

  “Don’t bullshit me, Chaveneau. You hear everything that’s going on in your town. At least that’s what you’ve told me on how many occasions?”

  He took a deep breath. “What I know is that you’ve been spoiling for a war for several months, especially since the release of Cristiano from prison. What I also know is that we have one dead judge in your club. Imagine what the press is going to make of this melee. How the hell am I supposed to keep this from erupting all through the damn city? We got enough trouble as it is with freaking tourists ready to pop in town for the damn jazz festival. This shit I don’t need.”

  “But you’re going to contain it, Chief. Just like you do every time. This was an attack on our family and nothing more. Do you understand me?”

  “Yeah, I got it. But if this kind of thing continues, there won’t be much I can do.”

  “Trust me. It’s not going to happen again.” I took a deep breath, glancing over at the judge’s body. Damn it. How the hell had things gotten so out of hand?

  * * *

  Genevieve

  Blood.

  The dark crimson substance had stained my hands after wiping them down my dress. I could feel it caked on my cheeks and neck and knew that my beautiful dress was likely ruined. There was no way of getting the horrible visions out of my mind or the sounds as tables were smashed together, screams coming from various guests and employees as they attempted to flee the carnage.

  And I would never forget how Lucian risked his life to save me, as well as his entire family. He’d been a man driven by rage and unbridled need to protect his own. I remained rattled, doing everything I could to hold it together when all I wanted to do as lock myself in a dark room, pretending that the event hadn’t occurred.

  I twisted the rings on my finger, a lump remaining in my throat. Marriage wasn’t supposed to be like this.

  While the five brothers were still handling business, most of which I didn’t want to know about, the rest of the family had rallied around me, including Emily and Daniella. They hadn’t been married for very long, yet they seemed almost removed from the bloodbath they’d just experienced. Maybe everyone was in shock. I certainly didn’t know them at all or how they reacted to such violence.

  One thing I did know.

  I couldn’t do this.

  I couldn’t pretend that the horror show didn’t bother me or that it would never happen again. There would always be danger, the worst atrocity coming when it was least expected. There would always be the need to look over my shoulder even though I’d likely be protected with guards anywhere I went. The entire situation was surreal, although the dead bodies were very real, a nightmare to relive several times.

  I couldn’t understand how the others were talking, having a drink as if nothing had happened. I stared down at my glass of untouched wine, uncertain I could even stomach the liquid.

  While I’d wiped my face, I hadn’t been able to scrub
enough to get the blood off my hands. Maybe I never would. I moved from the couch, wanting nothing more than to go outside, hoping the darkness and humidity would rid me of the wretched visions, but I’d already been told it was forbidden.

  Rules.

  Goddamn the fucking rules.

  “You can’t leave the house without an escort.”

  “You will keep the doors locked, the security system on when I’m not home.”

  “You won’t give out information on the phone or the internet.”

  All methods to keep me safe, the final rule the most challenging.

  “You will obey me at all times.”

  What had any of those rules done to help hours before? I rubbed my aching eyes, unable to shove the horrible images out of my mind.

  When I heard a cell phone ringing, I bristled, immediately turning my head toward the rest of the group.

  “Hello?” Daniella answered the phone, her hands shaking. “Oh, thank God. Where are they?” She bit her lip, nodding to the rest of the family, utter relief on her face. “Are you sure they’re going to be all right?”

  “Jesus,” Emily half whispered.

  “Stop worrying. Our men are excellent at what they do.” Teresa was a strong woman, providing no act of histrionics after I’d basically tackled her. She gave me a quiet look, one of reverence. She’d expressed her gratitude more than once, squeezing my hand before being ushered into one of the waiting SUVs.

  “Okay. I can’t wait to get home to them. I love you too.” Daniella ended the call, holding the phone to her head. “The children are fine.”

  “Thank God,” Angelique said.

  “The bastards knew better than to fuck with the babies,” Sylvester snorted. “I would bring down the wrath of God on them.”

  Babies. Twins. I couldn’t fathom the fact children had been allowed into the world. Then again, I didn’t know Michael’s story, other than his wife had been murdered.

  My stomach ached, my heart thudding like it hadn’t before.

  What was almost as troubling was that I wanted nothing more than to have Lucian’s arms wrapped around me. Did that say something about my character? I needed to know he was all right. I also wanted him to hold me all night long while I shivered.