Chained Princess

Chapter 8: Reckless Aftermath

K I A R A ' S P. O. V

I ran. My heels were held loose in my hand, my bag hanging low and my heart pounding as I sprinted through the streets of Manhattan.

A large bus was incoming ahead, only a frail elderly woman was waiting at the bright red stop, so I took my opportunity and hopped onto it, stealing a seat right at the back.

My phone was vibrating with a plethora of messages and missed calls. I shot Tessa a quick text telling her I was safe and then another to Alessi, informing I would be home soon.

As the bus started up again, I subbed, leaning my head against the cold thick glass. Watching the buildings and the bright lampposts pass me by, I could nothing but listen to the thoughts invading my head.

I was an i***t. A dumb stupid i***t.

Firstly for agreeing to sing a song in the first place, secondly for running out like a fool with tears streaming down my face, thirdly for not getting the hell out of the club as fast as possible and finally...for telling Aaron Black the truth.

Even if now it felt as though a heavy weight had been lifted off my chest and I could finally breathe. The guilt that was always there, pooling itself away in the bottom of my stomach had settled.

A fragment of it remained, and all because it looked like I had broken Aaron when I finally blurted out the truth. His face was ashen, his eyes filled with a sort of relenting horror and he stumbled backwards...he actually stumbled backwards.

What hurt the most was the way he let go of me, like I was fire and had scorched his skin.

Maybe I was fire? Maybe I was raging flame that caused mass destruction in its wake? Maybe only water could put me out? Only he could?

I doubt I'd ever see him again. He's probably already packing his bags and fleeing for Cuba. Aaron never wanted this, never wanted a family or me...not fully. He wanted my body, he wanted s*x but never my heart. If I was going to be with someone, I needed them to want all of me.

I was surprised he didn't chase after me, although I had just stunned him into silence after my revelation. I don't even know why I had told him, I was hell bent on keeping my mouth shut, ignoring the bastard whenever he was near but that proved to be impossible.

We were magnetic, always gravitating towards each other, forced to be together.

Then he had me pinned against the wall and he just looked so angry, which made me angry. How dare he be pissed off at the thought of me having another man's child? We were done, finished, over. He was the reason why.

Aaron wasn't ready for a real relationship and I doubted he ever would be.

The bus came to a screeching halt, pulling up a block away from my house. I quickly brushed past the remaining passengers, ignoring the lingering stare of the creepy bus driver.

When I finally heard the doors slide shut, I let out a deep breath, knowing that my night was yet to be over. Aaron knew, and despite every cell in my body telling me that he was going to flee...I couldn't ignore the possibility of him wanting more. Wanting to be a father.

I couldn't keep Stasia away from him. Not if he wanted a relationship with her and that meant potentially moving back to New York, it meant leaving Italy and Alessi behind. He deserved to know the truth about Aaron. I couldn't lie or hurt anyone else. Not anymore.

"Hey Bella," Alessi sleepily murmured as I stepped into my room. The baby monitor was on, blasting Anastasia's loud snores through the speaker. How he slept through that, I'll never know.

"Hi," I chucked off my heels and shrugged off my dress, grabbing a plain black T-shirt from my dresser and yanking it on. Grabbing my hair, I bundle it all into big messy bun on the top of my head and climbed onto the bed.

One look at the pure devastation on my face and he sat up. "What happened?" I held out my hand and let out a sigh of relief as he took it.

Alessi sat up against the headboard and tugged me closer, letting our legs brush over the covers. His hand swept away a dark tendril of hair that had fallen out of the bun and he smiled. This beautiful happy man smiled despite knowing that this was end.

"We need to break up." The hand stroking my cheek froze and he recoiled, retracting his body away from mine.

As soon as there was a lengthy amount of space between us, he looked at me with a dark brooding stare. "Why?" Sucking in a breath, I deliberated where to start, what to say, what to hide?

Then I realised that the truth seemed to be the running theme tonight, it was only fair I carried that on.

"Tonight I bumped into Anastasia's father, and during my song at karaoke...I started crying because I realised that I still have feelings for him and I don't think they will ever go away." His stare was still pinned on me end I glanced away for a moment, ashamed.

"He didn't know about Anastasia. When we broke up, he made it clear he didn't want a family, children, a wife so I left without telling him. Other factors were involved but ultimately I thought I made the right decision for Anastasia. He heard me on the phone talking to her and asked who the father was. I couldn't lie anymore."

"That's it?" I gave him an incredulous look.

"Um...yes." A sigh of relief left his lips and he grinned, reaching over to peck my lips. Pressing his forehead to mine, I continued to stare at him with an unwavering confusion.

"Thank f**k for that. I thought you had slept with him or kissed him or something like that. This is nothing Kiara, we can work through this."

"But I think I'm still in love with him, I don't know if I could ever love you." I spoke with caution, monitoring him carefully.

This was strange, this was definitely a weird reaction. Right?

"Over time that will fade, I promise you."

"If he wants to be in her life, it might mean I'll have to move here to New York again." I felt terrible. Here he was offering up works of encouragement and I was just chucking him more problems.

"Then I'll move with you." I just stared at him and he pecked my lips again. "The company has a New York division, I'm sure it won't be that hard to transfer."

"You're serious about this? You want to be with me still...despite everything."

"If he wants to be in Stasia's life, then he can and I'll be with you every step of the way."

"You're too good for me." I murmured, the truth of my words settling in. Alessi gripped my cheeks and tilted my head up, a soft smile gracing his face.

"No I'm not, I'm just a man determined to have what I want and what I want is you and Stasia. Let's try and if it proves to be too hard...then we'll discuss it then."

Kneeling up, I dropped my head down to kiss him. The small peck quickly turned ravenous, and I straddled his lap, pulling his shirt overhead. "Thank you." I whispered, as his hands delved into my panties.

***

A A R O N ' S P. O. V

A kid. I have a f*****g kid.

The revelation was hitting me harder than a hundred bricks, and the pain that amplified from the way she ran was all consuming.

I was a father. Me, Aaron Black known playboy and ruthless tyrant who ruled his empire with an iron fist. I was a father to a...little girl. Holy hell, holy f**k. How did this happen? When did it happen? Why did she keep it from me?

Reaching into my pocket, I pulled out a pack of cigs, reminding myself to buy some more as I slowly lit the last one and chucked the waste into the black bin.

What? I might be a criminal but that doesn't mean I don't recycle.

Taking a long relaxing drag, I perched myself down on the edge of the wall, letting the nicotine take its effect. Smoking was bad, yes, but not as bad as coming home high everyday.

Smoking my Aunt could deal with, smoking outside was safe for Caitlin. s**t, Caitlin.

How was I supposed to explain this to her? Technically she's an Aunt, ha my eleven year old sister would have a niece. That's how f****d up my world is.

Resting my head against the wall I had just pinned Kiara against, I sighed, running every single possibility through my mind. How the hell was I supposed to be father?

First of all, I didn't want to be one. Dead-set on that after seeing what a s**t bag my own was, I figured I couldn't be much better than him.

Second, if I claimed the kid as my own, then the world would know, meaning my enemies would too. I didn't want that on my conscious. That my child died or was harmed because of me.

Thirdly I was severely f****d up. I mean, in every sense of the word. Sure, I had an eleven year old to care for and provide which I did. However, she was my sister, would always be my sister. Having a daughter seemed so much harder, so much more responsibility. I couldn't just leave my kid with my nanny every night, come back home at eleven, when they're asleep and then wake up at six and leave before they're even up.

Caitlin's understood that I worked, that I wasn't her father but we still had fun. Being a dad make teaching right from wrong, scolding, punishments, school.

Being a brother and a father were very different. I don't think I'd ever be ready for the jump.

And finally, there was her. We had a child together and that meant that our souls were tied together, our lives forever entwined by this creation of a child we had made. I don't know if she could ever just be the mother of my child, I don't know if I could watch her move on, hear about it from my own kid. It would kill me.

Possibilities of all the countries which I could flee to until the wedding was over crossed my mind. Greece, England, Scotland, Cuba...hell even Canada. I was in the midst of figuring out what excuse I could use to pull Caitlin from school, when she suddenly came stumbling out into the alley.

Letting my cigarette drop to the ground, I squished it with my foot and strode over to her. Tessa still hadn't noticed me, she was too busy blowing kisses into her phone and giggling about nothing.

"Bye Kaley baby, love you." I grimaced. Kaley baby? Kiara's brother is a hardcore guy and he lets his fiancé call him that s**t.

Fuck, if I'm ever that whipped, put a bullet through my skull.

"Tessa." My voice thundered, causing her jump. Startled, she slowly turned around and flashed me the fakest smile I've ever seen.

"Aaron." She crossed her arms, instantly sobering up. "Always a displeasure to see you."

"I know." Those two words caused her smug face to turn almost ashen.

"What are you talking about?" She couldn't hide the tinge of fear seeping out of her voice.

Taking three steps towards her, I let my mobster persona set it, staring at her with a darkened rage. Once I was towering over her quivering body, I leaned in until my lips were against her ear. "I know."

She stayed still, stunned by my words, and then stumbled backwards. "Stop playing games Aaron and tell me what the f**k you're talking about."

I clenched my jaw and dug my nails straight into my palm, letting the skin splinter under the sharp jab.

Anyone else, and I would have made sure they didn't see tomorrow. However, she was Kiara's friend, her best friend, I would never take Tessa away from her:

"I know I have a daughter, and I know Kiara lied. She just told me and then she ran." She was stupefied in fear and shock. "Surprising, I know." I mocked sarcastically. "However, I'm guessing you already knew that, as did most of her family. I don't like being lied to Tessa."

My words held more meaning and she knew it. I watched as the fight in her eyes simmered out and she sighed in defeat. "What do you want to know?"

"Everything." I bellowed out, anger know consuming the initial shock. I was over the revelation, now I wanted anger and blood.

"For that you need to talk to Kiara, only she can tell you everything."

"But you can tell me parts. I want to know."

"Fine." Huffing, she took a seat on the wall I was just stay and gestured for me to do the same. "She found out in the hospital after she almost died. She was around four weeks at that point and all I know is that she was terrified. Terrified of losing her baby, like she nearly lost her life and of...getting her heart broken by you again. She knew you didn't want kids or a family. In fact, she gave you one last chance at the airport." I frowned, recalling that horrible day over and over again.

"When the f**k did she give me a chance?" I growled.

"All you had to do was admit you loved her. All you had to do was open yourself up to the woman who was in love with you. However, as usual you were a coward, and you didn't tell her, you hurt her again. She didn't want her baby to be hurt in the same way by you, rejected, so she left. It was the best decision she could have made for her baby Aaron. She was thinking as a mother not the woman who loved you."

"She didn't think her baby would need a father?"

"You'd have to ask her and I would start by referring to her baby as our baby Aaron. Yours and hers, that is if you want to be in her life

Our baby. Kiara and mine's. f**k, that sounded so right.

"Wait a minute, you said four weeks from the attack. Four weeks from the attack, Kiara and I broke up. That very week in fact." I had the date tattooed into my memory for all of time. The day I screwed up my chance at happiness, the day I invited darkness back into my life.

From the way Tessa froze, I knew something was up. She seemed almost at a loss for words, and this girl was never struggling to speak.

"Tessa, tell me." She deliberated between being a good friend and saving Kiara the misery of telling me herself tonight, because if she didn't tell me the truth, the first place I was going would be the Romano mansion.

"She didn't know okay. She...slept with you that week and with Tristan on the night you broke up." Despite already knowing that little piece of information, it still caused every cell in my body to quake in anger.

Tristan slept with Kiara. You already knew that though, so don't be a d**k a blow up about it...again.

"So Aaron, if she slept with you and Tristan in the same week it meant the baby could have been either of yours and...she didn't know who." f**k my life.

"And now? How does she know it's mine?" To my surprise, she smiled.

"Aaron, she's yours, trust me." I recalled picking up that little girl I thought was Kiara's cousin. Her black hair, her blue eyes, the striking resemblance was uncanny, however Kiara didn't know for certain.

The image though, the image of that little girl knocked the wind out of my chest. I held her, actually talked to her, bonded with her. Could I really let her go? She could be my baby, my daughter and I've already missed so much.

"Thank you." I got up and left her sitting there without another word. Pulling out my phone, my thumb trembled in anger as I pressed the number and waited for it dial.

"Hello?" Tristan mumbled groggily. It was only eleven and the bastard was already in bed. Probably shacking up with Mia.

"We've got a problem, actually more like a situation."

"What is it?" I gnawed on my bottom lip, debating how to put this.

"One of us is the father to a little girl and we have to figure out who the f**k it is." If she was mine...I wasn't letting her go without a fight. Kiara Romano had another thing coming.

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A/N: What do you think of Alessi? I mean Kiara did try and break up with him but I'm curious as to what you thought of the whole thing!

Also what do you think Aaron will do?

And who's the father? Kiara never did an actual DNA test! ?