Catalina can hear her heartbeat ring in her ears as they step into the penthouse. Polo and Chuck turn toward them.

Kael shot Matias's hand. Jae disarmed Aires with a bullet to his gun.

And then they left them there. "Even as allies, I'll send you both back in pieces if I find you in my city again," Kael said before walking away, stepping on Matias's hand for good measure.

"She must have magic pussy!" Merlot shouts, getting in Kael's face. Those are the first words among them. "That must be the reason you let the fucker go!"

"Merlot, shut up," Polo warns quietly.

Kael calmly heads to the kitchen and pours himself a glass of whiskey. He drinks it, walking back over to them.

His captain stands straighter and hisses, "This shit is a weakness you can't afford, you would've killed him before you married this bitch, before you—"

Still with his glass to his lips, Kael shoots the wall behind Merlot, just an inch past her ear.

Catalina's gasp crawls through her throat, but Merlot doesn't flinch.

Then he has his gun pressed to her forehead, walking forward until Merlot hits the wall. Her jaw is tight as she breathes in and out, staring at her boss in the eyes.

Kael finishes his drink. He looks at Merlot, bored, and quietly says, "The next bullet goes through this."

He presses the metal to her head, and Catalina winces.

"Before I married who?" Kael whispers.

Merlot grits out, "Catalina."

"Catalina," Kael rolls through his tongue, tapping the gun to her head and nodding. "Yes. I quite like your voice, Merlot, but one more word about my wife and I'll cut your tongue off, just like I did to cousin Tariq earlier this evening."

Merlot nods once.

Kael steps back and points to the elevator with his gun. "You're annoying me, get out."

"So this is what it would take for you to kill me," Merlot whispers, her voice breaking at the last word, and then her eyes find Catalina. "I understand."

And then she's gone.

"Chuck." Kael hides his gun and pulls out something from his pocket, and Catalina's stomach churns when she realizes, with horror, that it's Matias's finger. "Sticky note."

Kael inspects it with one hand as he refills his glass while Chuck clicks his pen, ready to write on a yellow sticky note.

"Dear Salvi, I sincerely hope this gift finds you in good health," Kael starts lowly after sipping his glass. "Don't worry—on the other hand, he's okay."

Polo laughs under his breath. Even Chuck is grinning.

Jae sighs.

"With love, the Fourth."

Kael tosses the finger to Chuck. "I'd like a pretty ribbon to tie it all up."

"You got it, boss."

"Ah, and make sure you get me a report on how he's doing tomorrow. Him and the Di Angelo heir. I think Catalina would like the update."

Her jaw tightens as she stares at him, anger now flooding through her system. "Yes, I would, actually. I'd like to know if my brother is okay and my friend didn't bleed to death because of you, and I'd like it even better if you stopped talking like I'm not here."

Kael stares at her. He tilts his head back and drinks his whiskey again, throat moving, never taking his eyes off her.

He wipes his mouth with the back of his hand. "Leave. Jae, to your room."

Polo and Chuck scram without another word. Chuck sends her a small smile she doesn't return.

Kael doesn't take his eyes off her, and Catalina doesn't, either. She tilts her chin up in defiance even as she's still processing her shock and fear.

Jae steps in front of her. "Hyung, she didn't know. She wasn't going to—"

"To your fucking room," Kael repeats with furious quiet.

With a harsh breath, Jae turns around and stalks upstairs.

Kael walks over to Catalina with silent footsteps, setting his glass down on the counter, like a tiger circling his prey before he attacks.

Catalina holds her breath. "I was going to dinner with my brother and friend. I didn't know what was going to happen—"

Catalina gasps when he grasps her neck gently with his blood-tainted hands and tilts it up, and he captures her mouth with a soft kiss.

It's the last thing she expects, but she sinks into his touch, anyway.

Catalina draws in a shuddering breath and lets him pull her bottom lip into his hot and wanting mouth, sliding his tongue against hers no matter how wrong it is, no matter that he just hurt Matias.

She should feel disgusted with herself, but she doesn't. Her brain short-circuits, too.

Why is his kiss cautious? Why is it slow? Has he forgiven her?

Catalina's muscles start to go limp in relief, giving in to his touch, but she realizes, as soon as their bodies press together and his hands grip her face, that his body is still shaking and burning, muscles straining in conscious effort to keep himself at bay.

Kael pulls back, brushing his thumb over her lip. His eyes stay on hers, and in a calm voice, even when he's anything but, he whispers, "Did you love him?"

"No."

"Were you going to leave with him?" Each word is chilling.

"No. Kael, listen to me." She grasps the hand cupping her face and squeezes his fingers, then puts her other hand on his cheek. Firmly, she says, "I wasn't going to leave. I was choosing to trust you. I'm sorry I didn't tell you I was going to dinner with them, but that's all I'll apologize for."

"I told you never to interfere with my decisions again," Kael says quietly. "And what did you do?"

Catalina sucks in a breath. "Matias was only worried for me. Aires didn't even know."

"Worried enough to start a war. He would've grabbed you if I were a second late," Kael tells her, still no emotion on his beautiful face. "But you wanted that, didn't you? Wanted him to take you home, Catalina? Is that it? Think I'm that easy to leave?"

Catalina feels a painful pang at his words.

He really thought she was going to go with Matias.

"No, are you even listening to me? This is my home now, Kael, I was telling Matias to piss off with making decisions for me."

Kael stares at her, tilting his head to the side. "Were you choosing to stay because you were afraid I'd tear apart your father's city getting you back?"

Because he would. He'd do it.

"I was choosing to stay because I wanted to," Catalina hisses through her teeth.

"Prove it." Kael starts unbuttoning his pants. "Get on your knees," he says quietly, pushing the fabric down.

He's hard. He's hard and he's making her relieve him of it.

Catalina takes in a shaky breath and stares at him.

Kael gets himself out of his underwear and strokes, up and down, staring at her and arching his eyebrow. "You didn't hesitate earlier. You were going to do it."

"Matias's life—"

"Stop fucking saying his name," Kael hisses. "One more of his name and I will shove this down your throat and let you choke on it."

Shit. "His life was on the line," Catalina snaps, feeling her lower lip tremble. "My friend—who you were going to kill."

He was going to throw him off the building or snap his neck. He was going to do it.

"Get down on your knees and suck me."

Catalina realizes something.

Kael needs her to do this. He thrives on the submission, the power, the trust she said she has in him, needs her to do this for him and not for Matias or anyone else.

His face is the most vulnerable she's ever seen—even in its cruel harshness beyond the anger.

He didn't kill Matias. He would've before—it was a plan of betrayal.

Slowly, Catalina gets down on her knees, looking up at him.

Kael puts his hands in her hair until they reach the back of her neck, waiting for her to inch her face closer to his groin.

She can tell he wants to push his hips to her mouth, but his muscles are tensing from the effort of restrain.

Catalina opens her mouth and takes him in.

The groan she gets from him fills her with immense satisfaction, but the moment—the moment she looks up at him, she finds him staring at her with a look she never thought she'd see from the Fourth.

Surrender.

Oh. He wants this, he wants this, he needs this, but there's something about it that...oh. Terrifies him.

Catalina drags her mouth on him slowly, her nails scraping his torso and gripping his thighs.

Kael's hand falls from her hair, a strangled sound escaping him as he grips the stool desperately behind him, struggling to maintain his balance. He moans quietly afterward, gorgeous but so loud in her ears, and his head hangs back, and his lovely, tanned throat is exposed.

Kael feels every bit of pleasure she's giving him while she watches him all the while.

Panting and flushed, his eyes squeeze shut. "Stop," he rasps.

She pulls off, panting, blinking up at him.

Kael's hand goes down to himself, and Catalina finally understands.

The last time they did this, on the kitchen counter, Kael also pushed her hand away when he was about to finish.

Kael maintains control in all things. It's how he's wired, it's how he handles his business and people, it's how he kills and survives.

He never submits to anyone, doesn't lose control over his own pleasure, doesn't want to give it to anyone else.

"Let me," Catalina says, pushing his hands away.

"No," he bites out, eyes wild.

"Kael, let me," she whispers, looking up at him.

"Shut up." He grips her neck and pushes her up to her feet, kissing her harshly, all the while stroking himself. He groans in her mouth.

When he's done, he cleans himself up, pulls his pants back on, and finishes his whiskey. Then he goes outside to smoke.

*

Catalina wakes up when strong arms wrap around her from behind.

She went to sleep alone, and now he's in bed, freshly-showered.

Her muscles relax in relief. He's here. Her husband.

Kael's lips press softly on the curve of her neck and shoulder. She feels his naked chest on her back, his controlled breathing and warmth.

"If you leave," Kael whispers, brushing his lips along her jaw, kissing her neck softly, "I will slaughter everything and everyone in my way to get you back."

Catalina swallows thickly at the promise in his voice.

Her hand goes down to his hand. He stills, not expecting her to be awake.

Catalina brushes her finger on his ring. "I'm not leaving."

When he doesn't move or doesn't say anything, Catalina purses her lips and whispers, "Did the family make you choose between me and stepping down?"

"No one makes me do anything. Anyone who dares try can give my regards to Satan."

His voice is harsh and clipped.

"But don't worry, wife. I wasn't planning on killing you."

The words are bitter and cold.

"The mafia comes first," she says. "If you had to kill me for  it, you would."

There's no place for love for the head of the mafia—only ownership and power.

*

Kael is gone when she wakes up. In her disorientation, she realizes too late, while looking at herself in the mirror atop their bed, that it's the first time again since they said they would make this marriage work that she wakes up alone. His side of the bed feels cold.

He left a text on her phone almost an hour ago: Samara's coming up.

Catalina finds Jae cooking breakfast downstairs; it smells like French toast, and Samara is munching on a biscuit, a pile of them lined up prettily beside her teacup. "Good morning, darling!"

She gives her a small smile. At least someone's cheery. "Morning."

Jae turns around and blinks at her, eyes wide, as she reaches the bar. Then he whips his head back around, the tips of his ears turning red.

"Good morning, Jae."

"Morning," he greets back in a small voice. With his back to her, Jae reaches out for a mug beside him and hands it to her. "Coffee?"

A small smile appears on her lips as she takes it, leaning on the counter. "Thank you."

Swallowing thickly, she says, "Jae, I'm sorry for last night. I should've told you. I'm sorry I got you in trouble."

He shakes his head, hair falling on his eyes, and looks at her. "You should've told me, noona, so I could keep you safe. But I understand—it's your brother and your friend. I'm just sorry I wasn't able to stop hyung. Are you okay?"

"Yeah." Catalina brushes his hair back from his forehead and smiles. "Yeah, and don't apologize. It's not your fault."

Jae grins at her.

"The meeting put my dear in a very bad mood, sweet, don't take it against him," Samara chimes in with a dismissive hand.

"In a killing mood, you mean," Catalina corrects flatly.

"That's the thing!" Samara rests her chin on her palm and leans forward, eyes wide. "He didn't even kill Dela Rosa, oh my poor Kael." She sips on her tea, elegantly holding it up with her long fingers, and then sighs, studying her face. "I'm all for women bringing men to their fucking knees, but Kael's too young to meet his father in hell. I like you, though. It's pleasing not thinking about scratching my nails on your face."

Catalina stares at her and squeaks, "I—you think about scratching someone's face when you talk to them?"

"About fifteen times a day on average, sixteen if it's Merlot." The informant grins and picks up another biscuit. "Want one? And it must be true, by the way."

"What is?"

"That you have magic pussy." She bites her biscuit.

Catalina is getting a whiplash talking to this woman. She woke up ten minutes ago and she can't understand half the shit she's saying.

Her phone rings, and Catalina excuses herself to answer it, heart jumping when she sees it's Frankie.

"Cata!" her sister breathes. "Are you okay?"

"Yes, I'm fine." She sits on the bay window and sighs, biting her lip. "What about Aires?"

"Oh, thank God." Frankie exhales heavily. "Aires and Matias jeopardized the alliance, so Father's not happy with them, especially when he received the Fourth's disgusting gift. Matias is still recovering, his hand might not get its a hundred percent function back. Of course, how could it—his hand was shot."

Catalina squeezes her eyes shut and kneads her forehead.

"It's not your fault," Frankie says angrily. "The boys told me to assure you they're fine and not to blame yourself as well. Matias told me to thank you for managing to save his life, he was so sure that monster of a husband of yours was going to kill him."

She was sure of it, too. "It's nothing to thank me for, he's hurt because of me." And he's not a monster, but Catalina doesn't say that.

To everyone else, Kael is.

"He's hurt because he tried to take you away, which was stupid in all sorts of levels," her sister huffs. "But are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere? What did the monster do to you?"

He kissed me like he wanted to kill me.

"Nothing," Catalina answers. "Nothing at all."

*

For another night, Catalina sleeps alone. She has no idea if Kael came home at all.

She's trying not to let it get to her.

Recognizing faces of persons of interest becomes easy work. Sometimes, Samara would tell her, "Oh! I fucked this person once before I cut off his dick under the orders of the Third!" or "The sister's in love with the brother, she told me that while Polo was torturing her," or "This one looked like he wanted me to peg him."

She continues training with Merlot, who seemed to realize Kael would kill her without so much as a blink should she call Catalina a bitch again. Instead of barking and snapping, Merlot's mouth was shut, sticking to giving her reminders in a flat tone when her elbow's too high or her footwork's too sloppy.

She's still not afraid to hit her though, and Catalina appreciates that. In fact, she gets stronger and quicker every day she's in the gym with Merlot because she gets more hits in now than before.

Chuck whistles lowly and pushes off the car when she and the captain come downstairs. He grins lopsidedly and opens the passenger door. "You look even more pathetic than yesterday, blondie, and it's sad. Truly."

He also picked her up after training and commented on her mood. Maybe trying not to let Kael's indifference get to her is a failed mission.

Catalina rolls her eyes and gets in the car. Merlot speeds off in her motorcycle.

"Still nursing her bruised ego, is she?" Chuck snorts, pulling on his seatbelt. "That's what she gets for running her bitch-ass mouth."

Catalina looks at him with a frown. "Hey, I know she's bitchy and rude, but you don't have to talk about her like that."

Chuck raises his eyebrows, still smirking. "After she insulted you to Kael, you still defend her?"

She presses her lips to a thin line. "Kael shut her up, it doesn't matter. And she won't do it again."

"You're right, she won't. Because she knows what will finally get her killed after spending five years in delusion." Chuck looks at her and winks. "You."

Merlot said the same thing the other night, but she doesn't understand. "Delusion?"

"Still want to defend her even if she's in love with your husband?"

Catalina's breath comes out shaky.

"Don't let her talk about you like that next time, blondie," Chuck says. "She thinks you're starting to become Kael's weakness, and a weakness gets him killed."

Catalina swallows thickly and takes in another shaky breath.

Just because Merlot thinks it doesn't mean it's true.

"And you?" she returns, not sure if she wants to hear the answer but asks it anyway, "what do you think?"

Catalina doesn't know what to make of Chuck's grin. "I think it's a perfect night for a suicide mission. If I die, I want you to remember me as the hot hunk who thought your ass looked great in your wedding dress."

Even though she doesn't understand what he means, Catalina laughs out loud.

After two movies on the sofa, Chuck refuses to let her go to bed after she washes up and offers his shoulder instead, winking. "One more movie. Come on, I rarely have time for a movie marathon when I'm on...killing marathons. And you're a good movie partner."

"A good movie partner," she repeats flatly.

"You know." He shrugs. "I've never watched a movie with a lady without some groping or action. This is a nice change—"

Catalina rolls her eyes and leans on him. "Shut up and play it, Chuck."

He pats her head, chuckling.

Because her muscles feel sore from today's exhaustion in training, Catalina finds herself asleep in a matter of minutes.

*

When she wakes up, she's in bed and wrapped around blankets.

Kael's home?

Groggily, Catalina sits up. It's past one in the morning.

She pads down the stairs quietly, hugging her torso with one hand, and hears voices from Kael's office—Polo's and Chuck's.

They're still here. Frowning, she ventures into the kitchen and gets the pot going. It's late and they're still working, they might need to wake themselves up.

She rubs her face while the coffee's brewing, pulse gradually racing when she hears Kael's low and calm voice. Will he brush her off? Continue to ignore her?

Well, fuck that.

Catalina remembers how Kael likes his coffee and hopes the two other men like it just fine the same way.

Taking a deep breath, she knocks once and opens the door immediately after with her back, balancing the tray in her hands, knowing she might run away if she has to wait for permission to come in.

"Have to keep the orders going—" Kael stops mid-sentence and all three men look at her.

Catalina's lips part when she finds Kael pressing a gun to Chuck's temple while seated. Polo is on his laptop, unfazed. Chuck is grinning, eyes shining in amusement, paperwork in front of him.

For someone who's at gunpoint, he looks happy.

They...they've been having this meeting with Kael's gun pressed to Chuck's head?

"Hi," she squeaks. "I brought coffee."

"Much needed, thank you," Polo answers, standing up to take the tray from her.

Kael stares at her.

He looks exhausted. Beautiful still, but exhausted. His hair is disheveled, his shirt wrinkled with the top buttons open, his tie gone.

Catalina missed him looking at her.

"Did we wake you?" Kael asks lowly, brows creasing together.

It's the first time he spoke to her again since he told her he had no plans of killing her.

She missed his voice.

"No," she says. "No, I—I'm just gonna—" Catalina turns around, then turns around again, making a damn fool of herself in the middle of her husband's goddamn office. She hears Chuck's chuckle under his breath, but Kael presses the gun further into his temple. He presses his lips together, keeping in his smile.

Catalina frowns. "You should put that down before I leave."

"I will if you come here."

She raises an eyebrow. "Done ignoring me?"

Polo brushes a palm to his jaw to hide his smile, sipping his coffee.

Chuck is grinning widely now.

Kael continues to stare at her, but his mouth twitches. "I was going to come to bed in ten minutes because yes, I am. I missed you."

What the fuck.

Polo promptly spits his coffee a little. He looks embarrassed of his reaction when they all look at him, and he takes his pocket square and wipes his mouth.

Chuck leans back against his chair with a satisfied smile, crossing his arms against his chest. Kael's gun follows his movement.

Catalina raises an eyebrow, clearing her throat. "Are you going to tell me why you were ignoring me?"

"When these two fuckwits are gone. For now, my arm hurts, but I won't put this down until you come here, Catalina."

She glares at him as she walks forward. Kael watches her every move with dark eyes, the corner of his lips turning up, his torso turning to face her when she's close enough.

Her fingers twitch to touch him, but she hides them behind her back.

"Okay, I'm here, what—"

An embarrassing squeal leaves her lips when Kael grabs her waist and pulls her down to his lap. Her hands fly to his shoulders, face flushing.

Catalina pushes him, eyes wide. "Kael! Polo and Chuck—"

"Will shut the fuck up and continue our meeting," he answers nonchalantly, keeping his arms locked around her, not even budging. "You can go back to sleep."

How is she supposed to sleep like this?! Her heart is pounding, her whole face is red and it's spreading down to her neck, and Kael smells so good and his touch on her lower back feels so good.

"As I was saying," Kael starts again, and then he's droning on and on about their shipments and products while Catalina feels his voice rumble from his chest to hers.

She tries to control her breathing, pressing her face to his neck, but it does nothing to quell her racing pulse.

Catalina stays like that for ten minutes—stiff, unmoving, basking in his scent and his warmth and his touch.

When he says, "Get out of my house," he stands up, carrying her with him, and promptly leaves the room, ignoring Chuck's, "Goodnight, lovebirds!"

Catalina's eyes are shut while Kael walks up the stairs.

He opens the door to their bedroom and lays her down on the mattress. "I know you're not asleep."

She huffs, biting her lip and opening her eyes.

Kael unbuckles his belt. He takes off his shirt. Much like that night back from Montford, he crawls over to her and puts his gun on the side of his bed.

He puts his rough hands on her waist, rolling onto his back and lifts her on top of him, pulling her shirt up over her head and her shorts down her legs.

His eyes roam her skin and body as she straddles his stomach, large hands splaying themselves over the expanse of her thighs, rubbing them up and down her legs.

She can admit to herself that she missed this. Goddamn it, she missed his touch and his attention and affection.

What did he do to her, what is he doing to her?

Kael wraps his arms around her and presses her to him, face on her neck, hands stroking the line of her back. He inhales deeply.

Her hands go to his hair. Kael exhales shakily under his breath at her touch.

"I scared you."

Catalina's hands stop.

Kael kisses her collarbone and drags his lips along her chest, hands going to her behind to grip it tightly. "And then you fucked with my head when you got on your knees. I didn't like it."

She scared him when she took him in her mouth.

Kael tilts his head up to look at her in the eyes. "It was my first in years."

The amount of trust Kael had to give for that, for him to surrender his pleasure...not all the way, but still. Jesus Christ.

Catalina saw it in his eyes when she looked at him on her knees.

Her hands slowly move to cup his face, brushing her thumbs on his cheeks, fingertips prickling at his stubble. "I thought I did such a terrible blowjob."

His soft laugh makes all her insides melt.

Then he brushes her lips with his, softly, gently, in a way that only lovers do, and whispers, "What are you doing to me?"

He captures her mouth.

Tastes her.

"Consuming me—fucking owning—"

Kael kisses her obsessively. Incessantly. With maddening hunger, almost to the point of suffocation.

Like his life requires it.

And Catalina kisses him back the same way.

*

#ReignTheFourthWP