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“She has a cruel tongue, Gia. I can guarantee you, she’ll have nothing nice to say to you. You deserve better than her judgment, and I’d never put you and Bryce in a situation where you’d be uncomfortable, and trust me, you’d be uncomfortable.” The hypocrisy of my words isn’t lost on me. That’s the exact same as Gia not wanting her sons around her father, and my blood runs cold at the way things went down back at the restaurant.

“I’m sorry about what I said at the restaurant.”

She places her finger over my mouth. “It’s okay,” she whispers.

I gently remove it and shake my head while entwining my fingers with hers. “It’s not. I’m sorry, and you’re right. If you don’t want our children to see your father, then that’s up to you. You’re their mother, a damn good one, and I support you.” I feel the tension drain from her body. “And as much as I wish I was Bryce’s father, I’m not.” I swallow thickly, hating the words as I say them. “I won’t push for his adoption, but I need you to know I want it.” I stare into her green orbs, and they fill with tears. My heart pounds, and I long to tell her how I feel but can’t quite make the words come out, so I hope she can decipher what I’m trying to say. “I want all of you, Gia. You’ve stolen my heart, little thief.”

She lifts up, and I think she’s going to kiss me, but her lips rest over my heart, and I wouldn’t change a damn thing about it. “You’re a little thief too.”

* * *

The sun streams through the curtains, and I reluctantly lift my head from off the pillow and glance at the clock—10:30 a.m. Fuck!

My eyes latch on to the spot where the photo that normally sits beside Gia’s bed is, and it’s absent, as is my girl. Her side of the bed is cold, and my body fills with a need to be near her to make sure she’s aware of how much she means to me. So, with that thought in mind, I throw the sheets back and grab my boxers and pants from the floor, then slip them on before heading to the bathroom to freshen up.

When I make it down the stairs, I glance at the sideboard and find the photo’s missing from there too, causing my heart to constrict. She’s fucking trying, and that means the world to me.

The smell of pancakes fills my nostrils and has my stomach growling. A smile tugs on my lips as I enter the kitchen, but it soon dies when Tyson comes into sight. He sits at the counter drinking coffee with a sly smirk on his face when he sees me. Then he trails his eyes up and down me before flicking his gaze back to Gia.

“Pleased to see you got your head out of your ass,” he grunts, and stares at my girl’s back, and my body tightens at the thought of him staring at her ass. She is, after all, in my white shirt. Does she even have panties on?

A feral sound leaves my throat, then I quickly mask it with a cough, and when douche canoe chuckles, I snap my gaze back to his. “Why are you here, anyway?” I grit out while Gia thrusts a coffee in my hand.

She tilts her head to face me with a serene smile, ignoring my souring mood. “Do you want pancakes?”

“Are they organic?” I ask while glaring at Tyson.

“They are.” I gift her a nod while smiling smugly in Tyson’s direction. There you go, motherfucker. She’s accommodating my needs.

“I came to take Bryce to summer camp,” he declares, with a grin mirroring my own.

Mine slides off my face in an instant, and my spine straightens at the thought of him continuing to play a father figure in Bryce’s life when he has me. “Well, I’m taking him.”

He crosses his arms over his chest. “He’s already there.” Then he glances at his watch. “Camp started at eight a.m. today.” As he clucks with his tongue, it makes me want to rip the smug look off his face.

“Well, then, you’re not needed here any longer,” I clip out, and wave my hand toward the door.

“I have a late meeting at the center, so he’s going to need to be collected from camp.” Gia’s eyes ping-pong between mine and twat waffle’s.

“I can do that. What time?”

“Six.” They speak at the same time.

“That’s fine. I’ll go into the office for a couple of hours, then collect him.”

“Thank you.” Gia lifts onto her tiptoes and places a kiss on my cheek. I band my arm around her waist and hold her while my eyes remain locked on Tyson. Turning her, I lower my lips to hers, all while watching the prick from over her shoulder, staking my claim on the woman who’s captured me. He rolls his eyes, and I lift my finger behind Gia’s back, flipping him off.

“Okay, lovebirds. I’m out!” he declares, and I smile into our kiss. That’s right, fuckwit, you’re not needed here.

CHAPTERTHIRTY-TWO

REED

I’ve spentthe last two hours working on Mase’s divorce, and finally, I have some news he’s going to want to hear, so I made the call and told the guys to gather in my office.

With my arms crossed over my chest, I beam in Shaw’s direction, and he leads the guys into my room. “Oh god, he got laid.” He surmises. I mean, he’s not wrong, but that’s not the reason for my glowing disposition.

“Are you back to fucking multiple women?” Tate asks, and I glare back at him.