Page 3 of Chaos Kills

“I want her.”

The room immediately falls deathly silent around me, but I can still hear the violent pulse of my heart beating inside my ears.

I can protect her.

I can…

I can’t make her happy, but I can bring her sisters back. I know where they are. I fucking know everything.

“You?” Emilio’s one-word question is a mixture between shocked and appalled. “Why would I give my only daughter to you, boy? She doesn’t know you. You don’t associate with anyone besides me and the boys. You barely function.”

But you’d ask me to assassinate Matteo DeLeon?

“Because…” My tongue feels heavy in my mouth as I try to force the words out. The unadulterated idea that I would have to meet Bay in person freaks me out.

Yes, I technically have met her before, but that was by accident.

I never wanted to face her again.I’m not built like my brothers. I work behind the scenes. Iamthe shadow.

“Oz, you do good work for me. You keep tabs on her, dig up things I never would’ve known…but your social skills…” He tries to resemble a doting parent with how his features soften, but he can’t hide the way he’s not. “You’ll scare her away.”

“Not any more than Ramsey.” I pull my focus up from the dark wood of his desk. I need to show him I’m wholeheartedly serious about this. I could’ve pawned this off on Reeve, but he’s not Emilio’s son. Torin would’ve been the perfect choice if he hadn’t let his emotions get the best of him. Cairo still thinks she’s gonna slaughter us all with his rational yet extreme thoughts. But I…need her to remain here where I can protect her. And not under Ramsey’s dark wrath. “I can keep her here. Ramsey will drive her elsewhere.”

Emilio meets my gaze, and he doesn’t completely dismiss the idea at first because he knows I’m right.Ramsey will get possessive and wild. He’ll fuck up and harm her with his temper, need for men, and she’ll end up fleeing because of his maniacal mindset.

“But can you keep her in line?” my uncle finally challenges. “She’s not?—”

“I know who she is.” I swallow, through the weight of having her belong to me. Not just within my view, but at my side. “Better than anyone.”

“How would you know someone you’ve never spoken to?”

I almost roll my eyes. “I know everywhere Bay goes, sir. I’ve heard everything from the boys. I know how she ticks. What makes her angry or sad. She can’t hide it from me when she doesn’t know I’m there.”

“She doesn’t trust well. And she won’t because you’re linked with me.”

I don’t speak as he pushes his cheek out with his tongue, pondering the pros and cons of me versus his psycho clone of himself.

He couldn’t keep Bay’s mother with him, so why does he think Ramsey will be able to? He’s not that fucking stupid.

“You recognize you’d have to come out of the dark, correct?” I nod, feeling my stomach surprisingly twist in response before he perks a curious yet unassured brow. “Why?”

“Because I want her here.”

Emilio’s expression skews up. “Why would you care?”

A blanket of sweat forms at the back of my neck, but I hold his stare like I’m holding on to the hope he’ll change his mind. It’s a worthless thing to have because it’s proved to be disappointing in the past, but I need this to happen.

I can’t fully protect her with Ramsey and The Void.He’d never let me by, and Ramsey will suffocate her.

“Out with it,” Emilio carps, but it’s not sharp and edged just impatient and intrigued. “What are you planning to do if I allow this?”

I start with the obvious and the thing he’d like to hear most. “Keep her within the family.”

He tsks, then slowly sits back down and swipes his brandy back up. “I heard that.” Taking a long sip, he keeps his eyes locked on me, the freak, in front of him.“However, nothing seems to work.”

If Torin had kept his cool, we may have been able to play it off. However, he ruined everything with the news of Judah, and he’s not been acting right.

He’s not himself at all.

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