Chapter 28 Chapter Twenty Eight
Luciano’s POV
The night stretched on like it had no intention of ending.
I hadn’t moved from the chair beside Kamari’s bed. Not once. Not even when my back screamed or my eyes burned. The machines kept beeping softly, each sound like a reminder that she was still here… barely.
I watched her chest rise and fall, slow and uneven. Every breath felt borrowed. Like the next one might not come.
I had buried men before. Enemies. Friends. Traitors. Innocents. Death was familiar to me—it followed me everywhere like a shadow I stopped noticing long ago.
But this? This was different.
Because Kamari wasn’t supposed to be here. She wasn’t meant for blood and chains and dungeons. She wasn’t meant to be broken open by my world.
And yet, I dragged her into it anyway. The door opened quietly behind me.
“Boss,” Jasper’s voice was low. Careful. “We found her.” I didn’t turn immediately. My fingers tightened around Kamari’s hand.
“Where?” I asked.
“She didn’t go to her father,” he said. “She lied. She’s at the west estate.” Of course she was.
I exhaled slowly through my nose. The kind of breath taken before pulling a trigger. “Good,” I muttered. Jasper hesitated. “What do you want done with her?”
I finally turned, fixing him with a look that made his spine straighten instantly.
“Nothing,” I said. “Yet.” He frowned slightly but didn’t question me. He’d learned better than that over the years.
I stood, leaning over Kamari one last time. I brushed my knuckles gently against her cheek, careful of the bruises.
“I’ll be back,” I whispered. “Don’t you dare leave before I return.”
She didn’t respond.
But something in me refused to believe she wouldn’t hear it. I stepped out of the room and shut the door behind me, the click echoing louder than it should have. The moment the door closed, The rage I’d been holding back surged violently.
“Get the car,” I told Jasper. “Now.”
The drive to the west estate was quiet. Too quiet. The city lights blurred past the window, but I wasn’t seeing them. All I saw was blood on stone floors. Her scream. The fear in her eyes.
Joselyn was going to pay. Not with death…Death was too quick….Too kind.
When we arrived, the guards at the gate stiffened the moment they saw me. One of them opened his mouth to speak.
I raised my hand.
“No warnings,” I said. “No announcements.” They stepped aside immediately. The estate lights were on. Every single one of them. Like she’d been waiting.
I walked inside, slow and deliberate, my footsteps echoing through the marble hall. The scent of perfume hung in the air—too sweet, too familiar.
Joselyn stood at the center of the room in a silk robe, her hair loose, lips painted red like nothing in the world had gone wrong. She must have thought she managed to cook up some lies to get away with what she did.
She smiled when she saw me. “Luciano,” she said softly. “You’re back earlier than I expected.”
I stopped a few feet away from her.
“Where is my cat?” I asked calmly. Her smile faltered for half a second before she recovered. “Your cat?”
“Don’t play stupid with me,” I said, my voice deadly quiet. “The wild one. The one you sent into the dungeon.”
Her eyes widened slightly. “Oh,” she laughed nervously. “That old thing? I thought it escaped.”
I took another step closer. “You tied a wounded girl to a pole,” I said. “You had her beaten. You let an animal loose on her.” Her chin lifted defiantly. “She deserved it.”
That was it.
The last thread snapped. I crossed the distance between us in two strides and grabbed her by the throat, slamming her against the wall so hard the pictures rattled.
Her gasp was sharp.
“You don’t get to decide who deserves what,” I growled. “Not in my house. Not with my people.” Her hands clawed at my wrists. “L–Luciano… you said I could—”
“I never gave you permission,” I snarled. “You lied. You manipulated. You used my absence.”
Tears welled in her eyes, streaking her makeup. “I did it for you,” she cried. “She was turning you against me!”
I leaned closer, my forehead nearly touching hers. “You hurt her,” I said slowly. “And now you’re going to live with that.”
I released her suddenly, letting her collapse to the floor coughing violently. She looked up at me, fear finally replacing arrogance.
“You won’t kill me,” she whispered. “You can’t. Our families—” “I won’t kill you,” I agreed coldly. “That’s the worst part.”
I turned to Jasper. “Take her.” Joselyn screamed as two men dragged her up.
“Luciano! You can’t do this!” she cried. “You love me!” I paused at the doorway and looked back. “No,” I said. “I tolerated you.” Now I would love to watch her father and her mother come carry their precious daughter after my cat finish dealing with her.
The door slammed shut behind me. By the time I returned to the hospital, dawn was creeping through the windows. I didn’t stop walking until I was back outside Kamari’s room.
The doctor was already there. “She woke up,” he said.
My heart stopped.
“What?” My voice cracked despite myself. “She’s still very weak,” he continued. “But she regained consciousness briefly. She asked for water… and for you.”
I didn’t wait for permission.
I walked into the room and there she was—eyes half open, lashes trembling, face pale but alive.
Alive.
I dropped into the chair beside her, grabbing her hand carefully. “I’m here,” I said hoarsely. “I’m not going anywhere.” Her lips parted slightly. It took effort, but she whispered my name.
“Luciano…” The sound of it nearly broke me.
“I’m here,” I repeated. “You’re safe now.” Her eyes fluttered shut again, exhaustion pulling her under.
I stayed.
Because whatever this was… Whatever line she’d crossed inside me… I wasn’t letting her face it alone.