Page 77 of His Kingdom

I count to five in my head and take deep breaths as casually as I can. I don’t want Louie to think I’m panicking. I’m not. It’s just a little blip in my system. I’m going to be fine.

As soon as Carlo returns with the girls, Louie leaves. We sit on the sofa together, and I let Evie flick through Netflix, trying to decide on something to watch. Until a loud bang has me jumping and screaming. I curl into a ball, my arms wrapping around my legs.

“Sorry, it was just my phone,” Rachel says. “Charlotte, you’re safe. It’s okay.” Her hands run up and down my back.

“I’m okay,” I breathe out. I don’t like sudden noises so much. I can still hear the gunshots when I close my eyes. I look to the door. I need Louie. “Do you think he’s okay?”

“He’s fine,” Evie tells me. “That man is scarier than the devil himself.”

“Says the one hanging around a cartel boss.” I scowl at her. “Speaking of, where is your shadow today?”

“He went back to Mexico,” she says. “And he’s not my anything.”

“Sure he’s not.” I look to the door before swiping up my phone. “I need to know.”

“You’re going to call him? Charlotte, he just left ten minutes ago,” Evie reminds me.

“I know. You’re right. He’s fine.” I set my phone back down on the table.He is fine. He has to be.

* * *

I don’t know how much time passes, but I’m shaking. Literally, my hands are shaking. My heart is pounding, and all I can think about is Louie on the floor surrounded by blood. I can’t get the picture out of my head. No matter how much I try. Tears fall down my cheeks, and I swipe them away.

“Shit. Charlotte, babe, what’s wrong?” Rachel asks, jumping up and dropping down so that she’s now kneeling in front of me.

“I can’t… I don’t…” I can’t seem to find the words. “Louie…”

“I’ll get him.” Evie snatches up my phone and holds it to my face to unlock the screen. I don’t hear what she says. I don’t hear what either of my friends are telling me.

“Fucking hell, what the fuck happened?” That’s the one thing I do hear, though. Louie’s voice. I turn my head to see him charging towards me.

“She’s having a panic attack,” Rachel says.

“Why?” Louie asks her. His arms slide underneath me and he picks me up. I don’t hear anything else as he carries me into the bedroom. He sits on the bed and holds me against his chest. “It’s okay. Just breathe, Charlotte. I’ve got you. You’re okay. I love you.”

He continues to whisper soft words into my ear while stroking his fingers through my hair. My own fingers cling to the lapels of his jacket. “I’m sorry,” I manage to say.

“It’s okay. You don’t have to be sorry,” he tells me.

“I couldn’t stop thinking about you. I could see it, Louie. I could see you on the floor, covered in blood,” I explain. “And I wasn’t there to move you out of the way.”

“I’m right here, Charlotte. I’m fine.Weare fine,” he says, placing a soft kiss to the top of my head.

“I’m sorry,” I repeat. I don’t want to be this person, the one who can’t handle being away from her husband. I don’t want to be consumed by fear.

“We found him,” Louie says.

“What? You found who?” I ask him.

“Sammie found the guy who organized the hit,” he clarifies. “It was a rival family, and they’ve been dealt with.”

“What do you mean a rival family?”

“Another family working the strip. They were trying to one-up me. They failed, and now they’re paying the price. The guy who orchestrated it… He’s gone. He’s not going to be a problem anymore.”

“How do you know that family won’t try again?”

“Because we came to an agreement. There’s going to be a wedding,” Louie tells me. “Don’t worry about it. Like I said, it’s dealt with. You don’t have to worry about me, Charlotte. I promise nothing is ever going to take me away from you.”

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