Page 102

There should be some relief at hearing him say that he doesn’t like my relationship with Gia, but there isn’t.

It only makes me more annoyed with him.

I look out the window at the towering buildings blurring by, the spaces between them becoming greater as Aiden turns onto the road that leads to the highway. There’s no way of knowing if we’re going to catch up with Noah or even get there before him. His delay doesn’t mean much when we’re still behind him.

Aiden sighs. “Do you love her?”

“Yes.”

He makes a noise in the back of his throat. “And did you really not know who she was when the two of you got together?”

“I didn’t have a clue. She goes by her mother’s last name. Always has. I never met her family either. We spent most of our time at one of my places or out.” My arms drop and I pick at a speck of blood embedded into my jeans. “But you know what, none of that would matter either way.”

“Oh?”

“It wouldn’t. I had the chance to fall in love with her all over again this time and I knew who she was and who she’s related to, and it happened.”

“I still don’t like this.”

“You don’t have to, but you are going to show her respect, and you are going to support us. And if you can’t do that, once we get to Vermont, you’re not going to see me or them ever again.”

The vein in his neck throbs as he glances at me, speeding up more as we hit the open highway. “I can do that.”

“Good, now drive like your life depends on it, because my family’s does.”

CHAPTERTWENTY-NINE

GIA

A heavy thudon the front door echoes through the house, stealing the air from my lungs.

I take a deep breath, trying to stop the jitters coursing through me. Right now, I’m the only one in the house and Bianca is asleep in the panic room. The others are doing laps of the property, waiting for Noah and his men to show up.

Though I’m starting to doubt that’s going to happen.

It’s been hours. Noah should’ve been here by now. The information Mom gave me was wrong and she was just trying to set me on edge.

At least, that’s what I’ve been telling myself for the last seven hours while I rotated between pacing the house and going into the panic room with Bianca to keep her entertained.

Mom was lying though. She had to be. Otherwise, we’d all by dead by now. The storm last night wasn’t enough to clog up the roads. The plows took care of it all within hours.

The words play like a mantra through my head as I make my way to the door, hands shaking and breathing shallow.

This is fine.

Royce is just back early. He doesn’t have a key to Skyla’s house, so he would have to knock.

If Noah or his men had gotten close to the property, the Lyndes would’ve raised an alert.

Still, I stand on my toes and look through the peephole, but all I see is black. There’s no shape of a body or blowing snow from the wind howling through the trees. Nothing.

There has to be a buildup on it from the storm last night.

With a deep breath, I twist the lock and open the door.

And within seconds, I regret it.

Though I only open it a crack, Noah forces it the rest of the way open, a smirk on his face as his men take up position on the porch outside. Jace follows him in, standing by the door with his arms crossed.