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CHAPTER ELEVEN

GIA

“You know, I thought I could trust you.” Noah taps his fingers on the bulge of his bicep, the hem of his short sleeve slightly rolled up, showing off the black and gray family tree tattoo he has. “I guess I was wrong.”

My throat is dry, feeling like sandpaper as I pull out the chair and sit down across from him. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

What does he know?

How much does he know?

“Why are you trying to go for walks around the neighborhood?”

Play it cool. Don’t fuck this up.

I lean over and unsnap the plastic buckle holding Bianca in place, pulling her into my lap. “I wanted to get some fresh air. We were kept locked in a house and Bianca is a growing girl. She needs to get outside and see the sun.”

He arches an eyebrow, leaning back in the chair, his leg bouncing. “I don’t believe you.”

“I don’t know why you wouldn’t when I’ve been faithful to the family for my entire life.” I let Bianca down when she starts to wiggle, and she stuffs her hands in the front of her purple romper, toddling around on little legs.

Noah hums. “I don’t know about that. You paint for us, but when it comes down to it, I’m sure you would run if you thought you had the chance.”

Nobody ever dreams of accusing you of being stupid, Noah.

“I wouldn’t leave everything I have behind. That would be foolish.”

“You’re not a fool by any means, but you’re not as innocent as you want everyone to think either.” Noah shifts in his seat, bracing his forearms on the table. “You may do the work I ask you to do, but I know about your offshore accounts.”

“Are you saying that you don’t have accounts in case the feds come looking?” I grin down at Bianca as she tugs at my pants, babbling to herself before taking off again. “Because I know that you’re going to protect yourself too.”

“I am.” Noah runs his tongue over his front teeth. His nod is sharp as he rises to his feet. “I’m going to be watching you, Gia. I don’t know what the Lyndes may have said or done while you were with them.”

“Does that mean that you’re going to make us prisoners like they did?” I snap, getting to my feet and moving in his way. The hair on the back of my neck stands, a prickling sensation crawling down my spine.

Every fiber of my being is screaming at me to run right now. To scoop Bianca up and sprint as far and as fast as I can.

“I’ll do what I have to.” Noah smiles like I should understand, like I should believe that he only has my best intentions at heart.

Unfortunately for you, I’m not stupid either.

“No. You don’t get to keep me locked away. I know that you’re trying to protect us, but you can’t control my life.”

He looms over me, a darkness in his gaze that I don’t see often. “Watch me.”

For the first time in a long time, I get the sense that my brother is going to harm me. I don’t know if it’s going to be physical or not, but the feeling in my gut is telling me that I’m not safe here.

Bianca isn’t safe here.

I stare at the man I once thought would protect me with his life. I don’t know how true that is anymore.

Noah leans back, ruffling my hair the way he used to when I was a child. “I’m not going to station people outside your door, but the exterior of the house is guarded heavily. If you try anything, I’ll know.”

A pit opens in the bottom of my stomach, but I roll my eyes and scoop up Bianca when she tries to run by, doing my best to make him believe that I’m not scared of him even though I’m terrified. “I’m not going anywhere. It’s been a long day. I’m going to take Bia bean to bed, and then I’m going to spend some time painting.”

He eyes me for a moment before nodding and leaving through the back door, stopping to stare at the setting sun.

I take the stairs two at a time, eager to get to my room and figure out what to do.

Staying here doesn’t seem like an option anymore.

As I turn the corner, I bump straight into Zoe. She throws her hands out to steady me, making a funny face at Bianca.

Will she turn against me the same way Noah is?

Zoe grins when Bianca giggles. “Where are you going in such a hurry, Gia?”

“I’m getting the hell out of here.” I keep my tone low, glancing around to make sure that there isn’t anybody listening. “You should too. I don’t know what Noah is up to, but I doubt that it’s good.”

“I’m not going to go anywhere.” Zoe wiggles her fingers at Bianca before grabbing my arm and hauling me to my bedroom. She shuts the door behind us as I set Bianca down on the fluffy rug. “You have got to be kidding me, Gia. There is no way that you’re thinking of leaving. Not now. You know what he would do to you? He would think that you betrayed us all.”

“I have to do what’s best for Bia.”

“And you’re willing to give up everything that’s been provided for you?” Zoe scoffs, her eyes flashing with anger—the first sign of her temper bubbling to the surface. “Gia, you have to think about this. Leaving isn’t what’s best for Bianca. You just think that it’s going to solve your problems.”

“I can forge paintings anywhere,” I say, even though I know that losing Noah’s connections is going to cut me off at the knees. “I have money saved too.”

I’ve been waiting for a day like this , is what I don’t tell her. What I know I shouldn’t tell her.

Right now, I don’t think even my sister is on my side.

Her face pinches tighter, lips pressing into a thin line. “You’ve been planning this, then.”

Yes.

“Are you telling me that you don’t hide away a ton of money?” I shake my head, glancing at Bianca as she goes over to the little bin of toys and starts pulling out the few dolls Noah keeps at his house for her.

Zoe shrugs. “I do, but that’s not the point. The point is that you’re planning on turning your back on the family. And don’t tell me that you’re not. I can see it on your face.”

“Look, I need to get out of here. You know that sooner or later, one side is going to slaughter the other. I have to go, and I need you to let me. Please. Bianca needs to be away from this until everything settles down again. Please, Zo.”

I hate having to beg her, but if I have to fight with her about this, I will. Bianca comes first and Zoe has always had her own interests at heart. I can’t fault her for that, but it is making trying to get away more difficult.

She stares at me for a moment, her gaze searching mine before her hand wraps around the doorknob. “I’m going to go shopping. I want no part of this, but I’m not going to stop you either. Just promise me that you’re going to do everything you can to be safe.”

“I will.” I hesitate before pulling her into a tight hug. “Thank you, Zo.”

Her body stiffens before she relaxes into me.

I don’t remember the last time we hugged like this, but if everything is going to go to shit, I don’t want there to be tension between me and my sister.

After a moment, Zoe wiggles out of my arms and heads out the door.

As soon as she’s gone, I turn to Bianca.

Going back to Royce is going to be better than staying with Noah. I know without a doubt that Royce would never do anything to harm Bianca.

Which means that somehow, I have to get Bianca out of here and back to her father.

My jaw clenches as I look out the window at the setting sun. By the time I get a diaper bag packed and her strapped to my chest, it should be dark enough to climb out the window.

Bianca hums to herself, and I think it’s supposed to be one of the songs Mom likes to play all the time, but I can’t quite make out the tune. It sounds more like a soft screech than anything else.

“We’re going to get out of here.” I crouch down in front of her, my voice barely more than a whisper. “And then when we do, your dad is going to make sure that nothing ever happens to you.”

I take a deep breath and stand, turning on the speaker and blaring some punk music, hoping the noise is enough to keep anyone from coming to look for me.

Noah will assume that I’m in my room and sulking like I used to when I was a teenager. He’s always had a hard time seeing that I’m a grown woman now and not some child.

Hurrying around the room, I pack up a diaper bag, slipping a few toys into it. I grab the keys to a car I have hidden at an abandoned house a block over, stuffing them into my jeans.

After the diaper bag is filled, I grab the carrier and strap it to my back before nestling Bianca inside.

“No.” She digs her little fingers into my back as I go to the window and open it.

I check the straps on the carrier one last time, making sure they’re tight before stepping out the window and onto the little roof of the back patio.

There aren’t any men wandering around this side of the house right now. The patrol should be just beyond the gardens, walking the perimeter of the property. Within the next five minutes, a small group of them will break off and start their walk closer to the house.

Five minutes isn’t a lot of time to disappear, but it’s going to have to be enough.

Bianca murmurs something in the carrier, her head resting against my back.

I lob the bag down to the ground first before walking to the edge of the roof.

Turning, I grab on to the trellis there, climbing down it quickly. I can’t remember the last time I snuck out of the house this way. It feels like a criminal, and if I get caught, Noah is going to treat me as such.

As I hit the ground, I turn and standing by the garden is Royce. He’s just hidden behind one of the large rosebushes as two men pass by sooner than expected.

I duck behind a couch on the patio, holding my breath and hoping that by the time someone looks at the cameras, I’m going to be long gone.

The second the men are gone, I grab the diaper bag and take off running through the shadows to where Royce is standing.

He doesn’t say anything, jerking his chin deeper into the winding bushes that line the garden.

I have no clue how he got onto the property, but I don’t think I’ve ever been happier to see him.

Royce takes the diaper bag from me. We creep through the bushes, thorny branches reaching out and scratching my arms as I shield Bianca from them.

There’s a hole in the wall on the other side of the bushes not far ahead. Royce steps through it first, waiting for me.

When we reach the other side, a car flies up to the curb.

Skyla sits behind the wheel, grinning from one ear to the other. “I told him that you could get out of there on your own, but he didn’t want to listen.”

I eye Royce as he winces, his hand drifting to his thigh. “You should’ve stayed in the car.”

He ignores me, taking the driver’s side while Skyla gets out and jogs over to another waiting car.

I take Bianca out of the carrier, settling her into the car seat already waiting for her.

The car shoots forward as people start shouting in the distance.

I finish getting Bianca settled before climbing between the seats and dropping down into the one beside Royce. “How did you know I was going to be leaving tonight?”

“Skyla mentioned you earlier. She said that she ran into you.” Royce’s knuckles are white on the wheel. “Figured I should come get you.”

I bite the inside of my cheek. “I’m sorry I left you alone. I told Skyla as soon as I could, but I couldn’t disobey Jace.”

“You thought you were doing what was best for Bianca.” His tone is tight as he looks over me, his gaze wary as we roll up to a red light.

“How is the leg doing?”

His broad shoulders shrug. “It’s as fine as a leg with a bullet wound can be.”

I sigh, combing my fingers through my hair, pulling it back into a low bun with the elastic on my wrist. “Are you sure that you should be driving right now? I could drive.”

“Gia, just stop. You did what you had to. I don’t want you to worry about me like I matter to you, alright?”

There is a sharp edge to the words that cut me down a little, making me feel worse. A foul taste rises in the back of my mouth, my pulse racing. I stare at him before looking away, not sure what to say to him.

How would I have told Bianca that I was the reason her father died?

I swallow hard. “I do care about you. It’s just—it’s difficult.”

Royce’s jaw clenches as he heads for a back road out of the city. “Why did you sneak out tonight?”

“I knew that you would protect Bianca, and I couldn’t say the same about Noah.”

“Why not? As far as he knows, she’s not connected to me.”

“Jace suspects something, I think.”

With a groan, he pulls out his phone and shoves it at me. “Text Skyla and tell her to go to plan two.”

I do as he says, thumbs flying over the screen before I send the message. He takes the phone back and slides it into the console, running a hand down his beard.

“This is going to have to look like a kidnapping again.” He glances at me before his attention turns back to the road, knuckles while on the leather wheel. “Skyla is going to circle back to make it look like we took you and Bianca. She’ll cover your tracks.”

Guilt eats at me. Without hesitation, he and his sister are willing to put themselves in danger to protect me. Zoe was angry I kept money hidden.

Am I on the right side of this war?

“You don’t have to do that.”

“No, we do.” He barely looks at me as he speaks, the lights of the city fading behind us as he heads back out into the country. “It’s going to look like a kidnapping, and this time you’re not going to be allowed to leave.”

I take a shuddering breath, glancing in the mirror at Bianca as she falls asleep. “I’m willing to do whatever it takes to keep Bianca safe—even if it means making an enemy of my brother.”

“Good,” he says as he turns onto a road I don’t recognize. “Because you’re going to have to.”