Page 8

Having little Venari back in the ballgame has been a little tense, to say the least. I mean, at least she and Bishop have both decided to pull their heads in until the twins are born, but to say she’s just walked back in and it’s been a happy family again would be a lie.
“Lie to her,” Bishop says, brushing her off. “You’re good at that.”
Here we go.
Madison’s back straightens, defiance flashing over her eyes. “Fuck you. How about you lie to her? Oh, I know! How about you—”
“—Kitty.” Nate stands from his chair and moves toward where she’s standing, a hand on her stomach. Still can’t believe there are two babies in there. She’s small as fuck. “You need to go upstairs and rest.”
Madison relaxes in Nate’s embrace. “Please, Nate. She’s not dealing well and neither am I. Saint—”
“Is fucking safe, Mads!” I glare at her, leaning forward to rest my elbows on my knees. I run my fingers through my hair, exhaling pent-up anger. “Fuck, you know, it amazes me how you all question my intentions and actions when it comes to her.” I stand from my chair and walk to the only window in the room. I turn to face them, my hands in my pockets and my head resting on the wall to the side. “Actually, it’s slightly insulting. So here’s what’s going to happen when it comes to Saint Vitiosis.” I point to Bishop and Madison. “Both of you are going to do what you need to do, and I’m going to do what I need to do. For right now, though, she is safe.”
“With Veronica, Brantley! Seriously!” It’s good to have Madison home. She’s back with full force.
“Yeah, Mads, with Veronica and her coven. A world that, as far as we know, our enemies don’t know about.”
Madison shakes her head but looks away from me, not wanting to say any more. Which I appreciate. She looks at Bishop. “We need to talk. Now.”
Bishop’s lips curl slightly. “Why the fuck for?”
“Now! Bishop.”
He stands from his chair, storms to the other side of the room, and slams his office door behind him, leaving Nate, Eli, and me.
“There’s too much tension. Why don’t they fuck and get it over with?”
“Because,” I say, kicking off the wall, “just like his little sister, Bishop doesn’t take betrayal well.”
“Betrayal?” Nate growls. “Are you fucking kidding me, B? You can’t seriously be taking his side on this. He is going to be a father. He needs to step the fuck up and let that shit go.”
“Yeah?” I raise my brows, dropping back onto my chair while keeping my eyes locked solely on Nate. “And whose fault is it that he didn’t know until last week?”
“I will stand by her, Bran. Even if he doesn’t this time.” Nate squeezes his eyes closed. “I should have from the start.”
“No one is going to hold it against you for not doing what you should have done in the first place.”
His gaze burns into mine, his jaw flexing. “Fuck you.” He turns and leaves the same way Madison and Bishop did, the second door slamming in a matter of minutes.
“No cap, I’ve always admired you, Bran,” Eli says, and if it wasn’t for the seriousness in his tone, I would have ignored him. He continues, “You’re the only one who keeps us all real.”
“Eli?” I murmur, pulling my phone out of my pocket to open a new text. “Don’t ever say ‘no cap’ again.” He laughs, but I fade him out, opening a new text message. “What are we going to do about The Gentlemen?”
Me: What’s she doing?
“We kill them all,” I say, tapping my phone against my thigh as a text comes through when Bishop walks back into the room.
“See, but we assume it was The Gentlemen who did the shoot-out.”
“Where the fuck is Nate?” Bishop asks, looking around the room.
I open the text.
V: She’s fine. You know I will take care of her.
I do know she will. I trust very few people in this world, but Veronica is one of them. Shutting out of the message, I shake my head at Bishop. “He’s pissed. Caught up in the drama between you and Madison.”
Bishop leans forward, grabbing his Glock off his desk and shoving it into the waistband of his jeans.
“We’ve got to handle this shit so Saint can come back.”
“Why can’t she?” Eli murmurs, standing before we both follow Bishop out the door.
“Because she already got fucking shot at once. I’m not letting it happen again.” We reach the front door, all three of our cars parked out front of Bishop’s temporary house while his home is being built.
I pull my keys out of my pocket. “Where are we going?”
Bishop smirks at me from over his shoulder, walking straight for his Maserati. “Think this trip will make you happy.”