The Vindication Gents

Chapter 3.20

Charles Debrun’s POV

I was not happy as I looked at the piece that was left of St. Peter’s Basilica. Bloody hell, it could have been us inside the building and blew up as well. We were one of the witnesses that Interpol questioned how they could come to this bombing.

“Have you noticed anything peculiar?” A Scottish man was asking some questions to me as I was sitting at the back of the ambulance that was trying to find survivors from the explosion. I doubted it.

“Sir?” The man asked again as he was tucking away the notepad that he was using to take notes.

“Mr. Durand, are you here with your wife?” He asked as I read the name tag. It is pronounced ‘MacGregor’. I sighed as I was rubbing my face with my hands.

“Yes,”

“Is she safe?” He asked as I was looking around before I set my eyes on the familiar face that had French-braided her hair and she was talking to the officer that made her statement.

“Yes, as you can see,” I said as I gestured to him where Kiara was standing right then.

“Well, that’s a relief. I do hope that you can help me to find this terrorist that was responsible for making such an attack on this place.” MacGregor said as he was tucking his notepad away before he was scanning the area.

“I’m afraid that it’s all I can give you, for now, Detective MacGregor,” I said, as I was looking at my hands that were intertwined between my thighs. My heart was still beating fast from the aftermath of the explosion. Bloody hell. MacGregor regarded me for a while before he nodded at me.

“Thank you for your cooperation then,” he said as he went to his colleague who was talking with Kiara. He nodded at her before he dismissed her. Kiara searched for me before her black eyes, because of the lens, caught my gaze and came toward me.

“Have you given your statement yet?” She asked me as I nodded.

“Can we get out of here?” She inquired before I nodded again. She sighed before she took my hand and we left the scene. I did not remember that I was going to the passenger seat as Kiara made sure that I was sitting still. She did the driving until I didn’t know what was going on.

I almost lost her. I almost killed her. She was about to go away with me by her side.

I sighed as I was looking at the window. Everything was a blur as I did not care anymore. Maybe I was thinking about this too much, but this feeling that was tugging at my heart was not settling well on my stomach.

“Charles, we need to talk about what happened,” Kiara said as I merely nodded at her. She was driving in the opposite direction from Tony and Christina’s mansion. I don’t know where we were going but all that mattered was that Kiara was safe.

She was safe for now.

I shivered when I thought about the other possibility that would have happened if she did not drag us out in time. I cannot think about it but I have to swallow that thought like bad food in my mouth.

“We’re here,” she said as I was looking outside the window. We are not in the city anymore. We were somewhere that was near the Colosseum. I sighed before Kiara was getting out of the car and I followed her pursuit.

“What are we doing here?” I asked her as I was looking around. There were not many people around, as I gathered, this place was not that famous.

“Hiding,” was all she said as she took her backpack and went inside the hotel. I stopped in my walk as I was staring at the open door in front of me. Kiara came back as she ushered me in. I did not know what to say, as she might know better what to do in this situation.

“Take a seat,” she instructed as I went to sit on the bed. There was not much in the room, just a bed, a door to the bathroom and a closet. It was the very least people would have expected to find us.

“Kiara, I—“

“Shut your mouth trap and take off your disguise,” she snapped at me before she gave me the contact lens case and she took the cap. She went into the bathroom before she locked the door. I sighed, as I didn’t have a mirror to get the contact out. I will wait for my turn.

After a few minutes later, Kiara emerged from the bathroom and I went to the bathroom. She still didn’t talk with me as I went inside the bathroom. I looked at the person that was staring at me in the mirror. He was a hot mess.

I sighed before I went to wash my hands carefully before I retracted the contacts. It was hard but I finally got it off from my eyeballs. Nasty little things. I saw there was a dust bin as I threw the contacts inside it. I gave myself another wash on the face before I exited the bathroom. I saw that Kiara was sitting on the bed with her head hanging between her shoulders, looking at the floor.

“You think they will not find us here?” I asked as I went to lean against the wall as she looked up to meet my gaze.

“Bloody hell, what happened?” I asked as I went to kneel in front of Kiara. Her eyes were bloodshot as she was shaking her head. Her body was shivering as I was soothing her with my arms.

“I’m scared, Charles,” she confessed as she was looking at her hands on her laps. I was still soothing her as I was trying to draw her into my arms. She jerked away.

“What are you scared about?” I asked as Kiara went to face the window. I did not know what she was upset about. Maybe she was angry because she couldn’t take Chris down as we planned. She sighed before she turned to look at me.

“I’m scared that you might get killed in this mission,” she confessed as she was staring at me with her blue eyes. I blinked a few moments as I was trying to get what she meant by that.

“What are you saying?“

“I was trying to say that I am afraid of you, you dumb i***t, good for nothing doctor,” she snapped as I was about to say something, but I thought it was better to say something right now.

“Chris and that stupid fiancée of yours were planning something. And then, Chris knew that we were following them as they got out before the bombing. God, I was such an i***t,” she said as she was sighing. She paced back and forth in the small confinement of the room. I was staring at her as she took a deep breath.

“I will retreat you from this mission,”

“What? You can’t be serious. You can hardly go on with this mission on your own,” I retorted before she turned sharply at me.

“If it makes you safe, then I will. Besides, I have enough of your buffoon to keep me from going up and taking Chris Virtanen down, once and for all,” she said as she was breathing hard. Damn this woman for being so sexy in the moment of heat.

I scoffed at her statement before I laughed. I would be angry and throw things. Not laughing at such a moment. Kiara was confused before I turned to look at her. I think she flinched after she saw my face. Gosh, I hoped she would not shy away after learning this.

“So, you think that you can get down by yourself, huh?” I said darkly as I stalked over her. She was walking backwards as I was advancing on her.

“Charles, stop,” she said, but I smirked wickedly at her. She was afraid. I can see it in her eyes, but I have to rest assured that she didn’t have to be afraid of me.

“Why? You thought I would do something terrible, didn't you? Oh, but I am far more of a buffoon than someone dangerous. I can hardly survive the bombing, as you told me,” I said as I was still walking in my predatory stance toward Kiara.

She was driving me crazy, crazy with needs among other things.

Her back was hitting the wall as I was trapping her in my arms. She gulped as she looked into my eyes as I was breathing hard to control this anger, fury as she wanted me to get out of the mission.

Not a chance, sweetheart.

“You will be going to Switzerland first thing in the morning. I have already told Boss,” she said as I was staring at her eyes. She gulped.

“You did, didn’t you? You were so eager to get me off of this mission because you wanted another partner, didn’t you?” I taunted him as she was glaring at me.

“At least my new partner will know what to do after the bombing or traumatic experience,” she spat at me. I smirked wickedly as I knew she was shivering right now.

Not because of my threat, but because of my heat.

“Is that so? Will you be able to give you pleasure the same way that I have given you or will I be giving it to you, Kiara? Hmm?” I asked as I was playing with her throat on my finger. She shivered as she was gasping.

God, I loved to make her succumb right now.

“Charles,”

“Yes?” I asked as I was nuzzling her neck, but I did not touch it. My hot breath was making her shiver even more because of my touch.

“If I was off of the mission, you would never see me again. Is that understood? I will disappear from your life, forever,” I said as I was pulling away from her.

“Is that what you want?” I asked her as I was looking into her eyes. She was nodding at me but her quickened breath and dilated eyes told different things.

“Liar,”

Suddenly, I smashed my lips with hers as she was gripping my hair. I think today was too much for us. I don’t even know what was real and what was a lie anymore. But one thing I know, Kiara was mine and she will never let me go, never again.

“God, Charles. I love you,”

“I have the same regard for you as well, Kiara,”

“But we cannot continue like this. I have to find another way.”

“What way?”

“I have to protect you,”

“I can protect myself,” I said as I was kissing her again. She moaned as she was wrapping one of her legs around my hips. I’m sure she can feel my hardness as I was groaning into her mouth.

“Marry me, Kiara Hoffman. Marry me and we will find this killer together,” I said as she stopped her kisses as she was looking into my eyes. Her eyes shone with admiration and love before she kissed me again.

And I think for the first time that day, my heart was aching with love for Kiara.