Chapter 32: Chapter 32

ESTRELA

"You fucking asshole!" Kian pulls Matt off me, who has me in a chokehold against the wall. I hold my hand against my neck and slide down the wall because my legs don't want to hold me anymore. I hear Kian yelling and Matt's loud voice moaning in pain. I can't help but watch as Kian yanks Matt to the ground and smacks his face over and over until he bleeds. I've never seen so much blood at once that it makes me nauseous. But I'm not entirely sure if it really just comes from that. "I'll kill you!" Kian yells, and he just keeps punching the almost unconscious Matt, who doesn't stand a chance against his punches. All the roars and loud tones of unbearable pain ring in my ears. Tears flow like streams down my cheek and I can only see through a veil of tears the scenario that is playing out just a few meters in front of me. I grab my head, which is pounding so hard it makes me dizzy. I close my eyes Suddenly all noise fades into the background and I lose consciousness.

KIAN

"Gabriel! Give me your gun! I'll kill him!" I yell, but he doesn't respond.

"Kian! Take the little one away from here immediately and call the doctor!" His sharp voice sounds instead. "I take care of him." I tear my eyes away from the creep below me before looking behind me to where my girl is lying on the dirt floor. Unconscious. Fuck! I push myself away from the junkie, who's only half alive on the floor, puking blood. I'm too worried about Estrela right now that I can't finish what I just started. I pick her up immediately and carry her out of the room in my arms.

"Kill him, Gabriel!" I shout, distorted with rage.

I take Estrela to the front of the Dark Palace and disappear into one of the rooms where people usually have fun. But I need to get her into a bed as soon as possible and it's just taking too long to get her into one of the hotel rooms right now. I lay her gently on the satin-covered bed and call the doctor, who works for Gabriel personally and is therefore always on the spot quickly.

In the minutes while I wait for the doctor, I think about what I did wrong. We took our eyes off the motherfucker for just a second, which he took advantage of and pounced on her like an animal. When I saw how he pushed her against the wall, everything broke inside me. I only saw red. I will never forget how he grabbed my girl. Holy shit! I was in the same room with him and I couldn't get that motherfucker to stay where he was. I try to calm down and focus on the woman in front of me, who is now slowly opening her eyes and moving the hand I'm holding. She looks around confused, then into my eyes. I want to start saying something but then the door opens and the slightly older man appears with his bag. I nod to the doctor, who sits down next to her without asking a question. I'm reluctant to move away from her, but since the doctor needs space, I unfortunately have no other choice.

"Hello, I'm Dr. Quin and I'm going to take care of your injuries. Can you tell me where you have pain?" Totally professional, Dr. Quin her. Estrela still seems a bit confused and now looks uncertainly over at me.

"Everything is fine, Estrela. You can trust him," I explain to her gently. As confirmation, the doctor smiles at her.

"M-my head, the... I hit the wall hard and then passed out," she tells him in a shaky voice. He nods thoughtfully.

"Do you have nausea, dizziness?" she nods. "Okay, since you passed out and are suffering from the pain, I suspect a concussion," the doctor states and begins to examine her. while dr Quin examines her, I disappear into the enclosed bathroom and wipe the blood from the motherfucker off my hands. I look in the mirror, in the gray eyes in which a storm is brewing. I just want to kill this creep! Only my, to get back to some things, clear-headed, knows that this is not so easy. I close my thoughts on how best to kill him and go back into the room. The doctor finally determines that she has a concussion and points out that that she now needs 24 hours of rest and that he will come by from time to time to check on her. She was also given painkillers for her head and something for the slight nausea. Relief washes over me when the doctor says it's not that bad and that she just needs rest now. The doctor leaves the room after this information. I don't hesitate, step over to her bed and brush away the red-brown hair that hangs slightly on her forehead. I gently place my lips on her forehead and linger there for a moment. The feelings I have for her wash over me like a violent wave. it wouldn't be that bad and that she just needs rest now. The doctor leaves the room after this information. I don't hesitate, step over to her bed and brush away the red-brown hair that hangs slightly on her forehead. I gently place my lips on her forehead and linger there for a moment. The feelings I have for her wash over me like a violent wave. it wouldn't be that bad and that she just needs rest now. The doctor leaves the room after this information. I don't hesitate, step over to her bed and brush away the red-brown hair that hangs slightly on her forehead. I gently place my lips on her forehead and linger there for a moment. The feelings I have for her wash over me like a violent wave.

"Kian." Her voice is just a low whisper. I look into her eyes, see the fear and exhaustion in them.

"Is he t-dead?" she asks, trembling.

"No. When Gabriel pointed out to me that you were unconscious, I was more worried about you..." I exhale shakily before taking my hand in hers. "I knew it was a mistake that you went with me... That motherfucker hurt you again and right in front of me!"

"It's not your fault. I wanted to see him... No one could have guessed that he..." She pauses, and a single tear slides down her cheeks. The sight of her makes me so angry with Matt that I jump up in anger.

"I swear to you, I'll kill him!"

"Kian, please!" Her voice, now much louder, makes me stop. I'm aware that Gabriel hasn't shot him yet. As if she could read my mind, she says: "You're not like that, Kian."

"But that's who I am - and you know it. I kill people who don't deserve to live. And your ex is one of them. If we let him go, he'll do it to someone else and it goes on and on . People like that don't change. No matter how much longer we keep him locked up there or torturing him to make him realize what he did wrong and never do it again." My voice sounds sharp and I can't suppress the coldness in my words.

"There are other ways, Kian."

"No, Estrela. Not in my world. I know nothing but violence and death... You made me feel like a good person for a while. But it always catches up. It catches up with me." It's been clear for a long time that I won't talk about Matt anymore. I have only seen the ugly side of life in my previous lives. Is there even a beautiful one?

"Then try to open yourself up to me, Kian," she says calmly. Also notice that Matt is slowly becoming a side issue.

"I'm trying," I say softly.

"Can you lie down with me," she says softly and now a gentle smile creeps onto my lips.

"Clear." I slip off my shoes, lie down in bed with her, wrap my arms around her and pull her close to me.

"Thank you," she whispers softly and continues to snuggle into my chest. After a while her breathing will become calmer and more regular.

When I'm sure she's sound asleep, I murmur into her hair, "I thought I couldn't love. But you showed me..." I take a deep breath. "I love you." I blow her a kiss on the head.

***

GABRIEL

I look at the blood spitting beings in front of me. His sight is pathetic. I advised Kian to get the little one out of here, which is for the best. Because Kian was ready to kill the motherfucker. But in the end it's not his decision whether this mate dies or not. I own the place down here, so I make decisions about what happens here.

"What are we going to do with him now, boss?" asks Viktor, one of my best men. My men tied Matt to the wall so he wouldn't get another stupid idea.

"I have to think about it first and talk to Kian and the little ones about it. Then I'll decide what to do with the Mattwurst," I explain. The corners of Viktor's mouth twitch. "I want you to keep an eye on him. Get the doctor to tend to his wounds. Not that he's going to scrape us off yet."

"Understood, boss." I nod, glancing at the scum again. "And boss? We managed to catch one of Costello's men. He's in room 3."

"Good." With this message I'm on my way there. The room is set up exactly like Matt is in. You could compare it to an empty basement. I call this my little torture and execution chamber down here. If you take a closer look around the rooms, you can even see one or two dried traces of blood. "Who do we have here!" I greet my new friend. His bloodied face suggests he's already taken a few beatings from my men. Bad for him, good for me. and tell me what one of Domenico Costello's men is doing here in my town?" He doesn't answer me, just starts to grin like a fool. I look at Viktor, who accompanied me." he will probably never speak. He would rather die than tell and betray his boss. I whip out my beloved gun, which I carry under my jacket, and now aim it at him. Viktor makes room and stands on the edge again. "Where's Costello?" I yell, bringing the gun to his head.

"You're all dead!" are his only and now last words, because I cock my revolver.

"He's useless!" I pull the trigger, the bullet pierces his head. His now lifeless body falls to the side. "Asshole!" I growl. "Get him out of my way!"

"Understood, boss!" I know what Domenico Costello wants. He's been an enemy of my family for years. But since I found out that he's not only interested in destroying me, but is much more interested in getting to know Kian Warren, he's even more on to me.

ESTRELA

It's been two days now. In these two days I always struggled with the question of what happens to Matt now. But I can't come to a decision. I told my dad and mom it was all settled. Which took quite a bit of persuasion. My dad is still skeptical and rightly so, after all Matt isn't really settled. My mother tends to believe me, and surprisingly, she even said she would be leaving in a few days, which relieves me – even though my mother saw her mistakes. Even if I feel like she's really sorry, I still can't forgive her that easily.

Anyway, I'm feeling a little better now, after the slight concussion. After the doctor gave me the confirmation that everything was okay again, I wanted to get away from this place as soon as possible. It's not that I hate the Dark Palace, but I can't stay there. This place that Gabriel owns I won't soon forget. How many people probably lost their lives there? I'm well aware of what Gabriel or even Kian is doing there... But one thing I know for sure, I never want to see Matthew again. Not only did he hurt me physically, but he also made me realize that he hasn't changed and is still using such means. So Kian is right, can't people like that change? Matt hurt me and made my life miserable for years, but does he deserve to die? Surely there are other options... right? But Kian was so sure when he said that people like that don't change. Maybe it has something to do with his past that he says something like that? Once again I realize how little I really know him. Will he ever be willing to confide in me? Because if he intends to remain silent on this subject, I don't know where that's going to take us. Where's the trust from him if he doesn't want to tell me the truth about himself? Maybe it has something to do with his past that he says something like that? Once again I realize how little I really know him. Will he ever be willing to confide in me? Because if he intends to remain silent on this subject, I don't know where that's going to take us. Where's the trust from him if he doesn't want to tell me the truth about himself? Maybe it has something to do with his past that he says something like that? Once again I realize how little I really know him. Will he ever be willing to confide in me? Because if he intends to remain silent on this subject, I don't know where that's going to take us. Where's the trust from him if he doesn't want to tell me the truth about himself?

I also stayed away from Kian for the two days because I needed some distance. I had to be something for myself. Surprisingly, I distracted myself with my book, which I also finished in the last few days. That means the manuscript is ready and I can send it to the publisher and hope it goes down well.

As my phone buzzes, I pick it up and see a message from Kian. Of course I told him that I needed some time to myself. He also accepted it. But he seems to feel the need to get in touch with me. Which, to be honest, even relieves me. It's not at all easy for me not to see him. I read his message:

KIAN: I KNOW YOU NEED SOME TIME TO YOURSELF RIGHT NOW. BUT I WOULD LIKE TO INTRODUCE SOMEONE TO YOU. I'LL WAITING FOR YOU DOWN IN HALF AN HOUR.

He wants to introduce someone to me? Of course I write to him that I want to accompany him. Because no matter who he wants to introduce me to, I'm ready for it.

Half an hour later, Kian is waiting for me, leaning against his Mustang. He's handsome, as always, but I can also see the weariness on his face, like he hasn't gotten much sleep. I approach him with a gentle smile. He replies easily. "Hi. How are you?" he asks me.

"A little better. I've got a lot on my mind, but I'll be fine," I say, looking into his gray eyes, which are watching my every move closely, as if making sure I'm telling the truth. "And you?" I ask to distract myself.

Kian runs his fingers through his dark hair before replying, "Mmm, it's ok... I've been training a lot over the days since the fight is the day after tomorrow." That explains his exhaustion. And I've almost forgotten about the fight he's about to have.

"Don't strain yourself too much, Kian." He just waves it off, which doesn't necessarily make me happy. I'm serious, if he's already exhausting himself like that, he won't have enough power left for the fight.

"Don't worry, I'll manage." Even if he says it so lightly, I notice his slight displeasure. "As long as you're in, I win... You're in, aren't you?" he carefully asks.

"Yes of course." Smiling, he now leans towards me and gently places his lips on mine, so the kiss follows gently. I'm almost melting. I will probably never be able to get used to Kian's tenderness.

"Okay, let's go." He moves away from me and holds the passenger-side door open for me to get in.

***

After a nearly 20 minute drive we arrive in front of a hospital and even now my heart is starting to race. After all, hospitals don't necessarily mean something good. Kian hardly said a word during the drive. He seemed to be lost in his thoughts. But I was no different.

We walk into the hospital in silence. I feel even more uneasy when we take the elevator to the palliative care ward. Kian walks purposefully towards the reception. I stand a little behind him, but still hear the words that Kian and the woman at reception exchange. "Hello, Mr. Warren," she greets him warmly. Kian barely responds to her greeting.

"Can we see her?" His voice sounds different than usual.

"Of course... Oh, did you bring someone with you?" The woman seems surprised, which is why she looks over his shoulder and catches her eye on me.

"Yeah, would that be okay?" Kian asks her rather rudely.

"Of course. You can both go to her. I think she's looking forward to a change of pace on her visiting day."

"Yes, of couse." His voice sounds almost ironic and he simply turns away.

"Thank you very much," I say instead to the woman, who looks as if she doesn't mind Kian's behavior – as if she's used to it. With brisk steps I catch up with Kian, since he has already gone a little ahead. It seems like he's in a hurry. On the way we meet many patients. Most are in wheelchairs, which are pushed by carers or family members. Kian stops in front of a door. He hesitates opening the door. I touch his arm lightly. He turns to me and looks into my eyes. I smile softly at him, to my regret he doesn't return it, instead he just opens the door. The room is large and flooded with light. A few flowers also adorn the otherwise bare, white room. My eyes fall on the woman. She manages only a small and weak smile as she looks at Kian. Her skin is pale, her dark brown hair has lost its luster and her blue eyes must have had more life.

"Kian," she breathes brittlely, stretching out her thin wrist to him. Kian takes her pale hand and sits down next to her on the bed.

"How are you?" he asks her. Even though he speaks softly to her, I can't help noticing the slight chill in his voice. Of course I wonder who this woman is. I have a guess, but I'm not so sure about it that I can already assume it.

"No change. They give me a few more weeks." Kian nods and lowers his head. My throat tightens at the thought that I don't have much longer. "Who is that?" she asks and now her eyes are on me.

Just as I'm about to introduce myself, Kian forestalls me. "This is Estrela Clark," he replies for me.

"Harrison's daughter?" He nods and I wonder how she knows my father. "Come on girls. I want to meet Harrison's girls." I hesitate, but Kian looks at me with determination, even making some space for me. So I go to her bed and she immediately grabs my hand. "I'm Kassandra," she introduces herself.

"Nice to meet you, Miss." I give her a friendly smile.

"Don't call me Sie or Miss, I hate that!" she says, less friendly now and more annoyed.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to..." She doesn't let me finish.

"I used to be as beautiful as you, you know? Men, they all fell for me... but now I'm just a skeleton tied to a bed. No man turns to look at me!" I withdraw from her hand and look at her a bit overwhelmed.

"It's enough," intervenes Kian.

"Kian, are you trying to make me feel bad for bringing Harrison's pretty daughter with you? Do you think that will help me?" Her eyes fill with tears.

"Look at you, you're feeling so bad and you're thinking about so something? ... I brought them so that you would see someone else than me or the nurses every day."

"But I just want to see you because you show me what I've created beautiful." I don't understand anything anymore. What is this woman talking about and who is she?

"I beg you!" Kian wheezes. Her hand moves again and she places it on Kian's cheek.

"Look at you." It's almost frightening how this woman raves about Kian. "Girl, I hope you realize how special he is." She applies the words she says directly to me. I keep quiet because I have no idea how to answer that.

"We're going," Kian says suddenly. Kassandra doesn't seem to want to stop him. There's not even a hint of sadness on her face that he wants to leave so soon.

"Kian," she whispers. "He is here!" Kian's whole posture tenses after these words, immediately noticeably.

"You don't know what you're talking about!" After these words, Kian grabs my hand and drags me out of the room and out of the hospital until we get back to his car. The anger emanating from Kian is clearly palpable. He unlocks his car before snarling, "Get in!" I do it because I don't want to stir him up any more. I assume that he will hit the gas as soon as he gets behind the wheel. Instead, he seems to need a moment, which I would rather have than drive off like a maniac. I scrutinize him. His eyes are closed and his hands are gripped so tightly on the steering wheel that his knuckles are white.

"Who was she?" His gray eyes, in which the storm is boiling, look at me. What feels like an eternity seems to pass before he answers me.

"That was my mother."