Page 20

CHAPTER TWENTY

ROYCE

I take a peek at Gia. “I know. You need to listen to me right now, okay?”

She says nothing, twisting to look in the back seat. Bianca is still quiet, calm in her car seat, completely unaware of what’s happening.

Thank fuck for small miracles.

“Gia, focus.”

The lights of the car behind us are getting bigger. Gia leans forward in her seat, her lips pressed into a thin line. The color is drained from her face, her nails biting into her palms.

“What?” she snaps, seeming more like a wild animal backed into a corner than a woman at the moment.

I point to the glove box. “There’s a gun in there. You need to get ready.”

Gia’s hands shake as she rips open the box, digging through crumpled napkins and the vehicle’s stained and torn apart instruction manual before she finally finds the button for the hidden compartment at the back.

She pulls out the gun, checking the magazine. “Can you see who’s behind us?”

“Not a clue, but you need to be ready. I’m going to slow down enough to let them get closer, and then you’re going to need to shoot out the tires. At least one.”

“Lucky for you, I’m a good shot,” she says, a grim smile on her face as she rolls her window down, cold wind blowing through and chilling the car.

I ease onto the brake just as my phone starts ringing.

Glancing at it, Skyla’s name flashes across the screen. I reach for it as Gia unbuckles herself, prepared to angle herself out the window the moment the car is slow enough.

I don’t have time for this right now.

Grabbing the phone, I slide my phone across the screen and shove it between my ear and my shoulder. “I’m a little busy at the moment. What do you need?”

“Hello to you too, baby brother.” Skyla laughs as the car behind us speeds up.

It’s only going to be another few feet before Gia takes aim.

“You need to hurry up.”

“I’m the one behind you. There’s a truck stop not far ahead. Go there and pull over.” Skyla’s tone is firm, leaving no room for argument.

She ends the call, and I toss the phone to the side, speeding up again.

Trees blur by on either side as the sun sets, bright streaks of pink and orange shooting across the bottom of the sky, making the clouds look like cotton candy.

Up ahead, a small building rises up out of a concrete lot, neon lights shining along the roof of the structure covering the gas pumps.

There are several carts and trucks stationed outside the greasy diner, but none of them look anything like the men I’ve seen working for Noah over the last several months.

Still, I slow as we get closer, passing the first entrance and heading to the second, staring at the people gathered outside and having a smoke between beers.

Gia makes a strangled noise in the back of her throat before turning around and kneeling on her seat the best she can.

As she leans out the window, I grab her by the back of the jacket and haul her back in the car.

“What the hell was that for?” She looks at me over her shoulder, and if looks could kill, I would be six feet deep by now.

“Because I changed my mind.”

Her eyes nearly bulge out of her head. “You changed your mind?”

“Yes. New plan.” I ease the car closer to the entrance, taking a final look at the people gathered. They don’t look like they’re going to pose any threat to us, and if Skyla thinks it’s safe to stop, then we’re going to stop.

Gia nudges me. “Why are we pulling over? Royce, they’re going to get us if we pull over. I won’t have enough time to shoot out the tires.”

I turn off the road and into the lot, parking at the far end where the shadows are darker. “I’ve got this handled, alright?”

“Do you?” she snaps, her tone sharp as she twists in her seat to stare at me. “Because right now I don’t think you do. The sun is setting, and you know Noah is going to be on our trail—if that isn’t him pulling into the lot now—and you still think the best decision is pulling over?”

“Gia—”

“No!” She vibrates with anger as she recoils away from me. “You told me that you were going to keep us safe, and I don’t see how this is keeping us safe!”

I sigh and rake a hand through my hair, glancing in the mirror to make sure Bianca is still settled in her seat. “Skyla is the one pulling into the lot right now. Noah isn’t behind us. It’s fine, okay?”

Gia gapes at me. “You could have said that instead of giving me a heart attack. What happened to trusting each other?”

She throws the door open, getting out and slamming it behind her, but the weight of her anger still lingers behind her.

Maybe I should’ve told her what was happening as soon as I knew, but I don’t have time to tell her my every plan and keep us alive at the same time.

Though I hate to admit it, she does have a point.

What happened to trust?

If she really did trust me to keep her safe, she wouldn’t be questioning me like this.

She didn’t deny the fact that she saw me as a monster a few days ago, though.

That’s the bitter pill I have to swallow. I know what I am, and it would be stupid to think that she would see me as anything else.

Bianca might see me differently, though. She might learn to trust me as she gets older. Hell, she may be the one person in the world who won’t look at me and see a killer.

I take a deep breath, preparing for Skyla to gang up on me with Gia.

As I step out of the car, the pair of them turn and both give me a dirty look, though neither says anything.

Skyla stalks over to me, stopping in front of me before pulling me into a tight hug. “I was worried that I was going to be too late.”

“Too late?” I ask, hugging her back before letting her go. “If you were the only one following us, then we should have some good time ahead of Noah. The sun is only starting to set now.”

Gia tucks the gun into her waistband before stepping closer to us, perching on the hood of the car. “He came after us before then, didn’t he?”

Skyla nods. “I was already in the area. I’ve been staying up here a bit and Sean wanted me to look into a couple business ventures he has out this way. Aiden called me and told me what was happening. I got to the house as Matt was leaving.”

“Did Matt make it out?” I ask, keeping one eye on the girls and one eye on the road. “He was supposed to lead anyone that might have come along in the opposite direction. Back toward the city.”

“He got out, but the Rinaldos were on him right away.” Skyla stuffs her hands in her pockets, shifting her weight from one side to the other. “Sean was driving another car. Took out both the people after Matt as they appeared, but Aiden thinks there are going to be more coming after you soon. He’s on his way up here now and he should be able to draw a few more away from you.”

Gia looks at me with shining eyes before she looks up at the neon lights. “We have to get to Ontario, but if we get caught up at the border, he’s going to be on us and he’s not going to think twice about killing anyone who gets in his way.”

I swallow hard, stooping down to check on Bianca. “Nothing is going to happen to us. We’re going to keep going to the border.”

Skyla clears her throat, shifting closer to Gia and wrapping an arm around her shoulders. “We’re going to get you out of here. Our mole is currently feeding information to your brother.”

“Where does Noah think I am?” Gia asks, her voice breaking.

“He thinks you’re in the car with Matt,” I say, voice tight as I look over her. “He’s going to keep chasing Matt down until he either kills him or realizes that you’re not with him, and then we’re going to have another problem on our hands.”

Skyla holds Gia tighter. “Everything is going to be fine. We have this under control, but we do think the two of you are being tracked. Jade and Summer were running a couple tracking programs at home, and they were able to pick up on the car at the safe house.”

“Phone?” I pull mine out of my pocket and open the back of it, pulling out the sim card and the battery. I crush the sim card beneath the toe of my boot into the cement before tossing the battery into the bushes.

The shell of the phone goes sailing into one of the garbage cans.

Gia digs the heels of her hands into her eyes. “There’s no way that this is happening right now. Me and Bianca were never supposed to be pulled into this shit show, and now we’re even deeper into another fucking mess!”

Bianca starts crying and I pull her out of the car, holding her close. She thrashes against me, tears streaming down her red cheeks as she looks for Gia.

“Come here.” Gia reaches for our daughter, holding her close and rocking her. “Everything is going to be fine, Bia bean. We’re going to get through this, and then we’re going to get you a nice house with a big backyard where your uncle is never going to be able to find you.”

Skyla nods, wiping some of Bianca’s tears. “We’ve got this figured out. We’ve been preparing for scenarios like this for months.”

“I’m glad you guys have been preparing,” Gia says, venom in her voice as she hits full mama bear mode, carrying Bianca around in a small circle, trying to soothe her back to sleep. “That doesn’t help me, though. We weren’t supposed to be part of this. We were supposed to be working on our paintings and moving on with our lives.”

I move closer to her, wrapping my arms around her and pulling her in tight before she can wriggle away from me. My lips brush against the shell of her ear. “Everything is going to be fine. I’m going to take care of everything. We just have to work together, alright? I promise that we’re going to be fine.”

A tear rolls down Gia’s cheek. “You can’t promise that.”

“I know, but I told you that I’m going to do whatever it takes to keep you and Bianca safe, and I mean that. No matter the cost, I’m going to take care of you two.”

Skyla hums and looks out at the road, dipping her head. “I think we’re going to have company soon. That car has circled twice and if I’m right, it’s on its way back.”

Gia’s breath catches in her throat as she leans into me, Bianca’s crying finally stopping. “What do we do now?”

The car passes by again, slowing more as Skyla steps away from us. “We’re going to switch cars. The three of you are going to get in mine.”

I nod, switching keys with her. “We’re going to continue to a house in Ontario. You’ll be following us there?”

Skyla nods. “I’ll hang back and keep everyone else at a distance if they start to catch up. You should be able to get across the border without a problem at the very least.”

Gia hands me Bianca. “Hold her while I move the seat over.”

She makes quick work of the seat while I rock Bianca back and forth, trying to lull her back to sleep. She’s missed all of her naps today, so she should be ready to sleep, but when her little hands curl into fists, I know she’s trying her hardest to fight it.

“It’s okay, baby girl. Just go to sleep. Mom and Dad have this.” I keep my voice soft and soothing, glaring at Skyla when she stares at me. “What?”

“I didn’t think I was ever going to see the day when you had kids.”

“And?”

My heart speeds up as she shrugs. I wish that there was a single person in my life who would’ve pictured me settling down and having a family, but I didn’t even think about that kind of future for myself.

I was born to kill and that’s what I’m good at.

Skyla smiles and wiggles her fingers at Bianca. “You make a good dad. I can see how much you love her.”

Beaming, I settle Bianca into her car seat when Gia steps away from the car.

As soon as Bianca is secure, I shut the door. “Okay, that car is doing another lap. They shouldn’t be able to see us from this distance, but we need to get out of here now.”

Skyla nods, getting the address from Gia. My sister heads to one car while me and Gia get in the other.

Gia runs her fingers through her hair, her breath coming in short bursts as she props her feet on the edge of the seat and pulls her knees to her chest. “You know, I used to be steady in an emergency. I didn’t panic like this before I had Bianca.”

“Well, now there’s someone else to worry about. Someone you love more than life itself.” I reach out and take her hand, squeezing it tight before letting go and starting the car. “I know how terrifying this is, but you need to get it together.”

Well, there’s that look that could kill again.

Gia scoffs and shakes her head, shoving my hand away from her as Bianca starts another round of tears and whimpers in the back. “I can’t believe you just said that to me!”

I grip the wheel tighter, shifting the car into gear and driving out of the parking lot like I’m nothing more than another diner leaving for the night. “Look, panicking isn’t going to do any good, and you sitting there and worrying is only going to make it harder to think.”

“Yeah, sure. Sorry. This is hard for you. I forgot that.” She crosses her arms over her chest, glaring out the window. “I need time to process this, Royce.”

“We don’t have time for you to process this.” My tone is sharper than intended, but I can’t deal with her and Bianca melting down right now.

If we’re going to get across the border and to the house, I need to be able to focus on driving and whether or not more cars are appearing behind us. Coddling Gia isn’t an option.

But when I see the expression on her face, I almost consider stopping the car just so I can pull her into my arms and offer every ounce of comfort I can.

“Nobody has a real plan,” Gia says, her voice rising before she glances in the mirror at Bianca again. “How am I supposed to relax when there hasn’t been a plan in place since the beginning?”

My hands tighten on the wheel. “There’s always been a plan.”

“Doesn’t seem like it from where I’m sitting. It seems more like you decided to kidnap me, and since then, it’s been nothing but getting caught and being on the run and never being able to just take a breather.”

“I’m sorry if war is inconvenient for your schedule.” Sarcasm drips from my tone. Groaning, I pinch the bridge of my nose and take a deep breath. “I don’t want to sit here and fight with you about this right now. We can fight all you want when we get to the house, but at this current moment, the two of us need to be a team.”

“A team?” She stares out the window, the look in her eyes haunted. “We’re not a damn team. You spend time pushing me around.”

My hand hits the dash. “For fuck’s sake, Gia! Stop! Just stop!”

“Why? Because you told me to?”

“Because if you don’t, I’m going to shove you out of this fucking car and you can deal with your brother on your own.”

Gia glares at me, fire burning into the side of my face with the heat of it. “That’s your fucking solution? If I push too much, you’re just going to throw me out of the car?”

I slam on the brakes, bracing as the car comes to a screeching halt. Her seat belt locks as she moves in her seat, her head hitting the window. “I’m going to make this perfectly clear. I may care for you, but if it comes down to protecting you or Bianca, the choice is going to be her. Every. Single. Time. So either you shut the fuck up or you run for your life. Your choice.”

Her mouth pinches before she nods, shoulders slumping. “I’m sorry. I’m just scared, and I have no clue what’s going to happen, but I do know that you’re not going to let anything happen to us.”

“Good. I’m sorry too. I’ve never been the most patient person.” I glance in the mirror again as lights start to flash behind us. “There’s a burner phone under the seat of the car. Pull it out and power it on, please.”

Gia does as I ask, handing me the phone once it’s ready.

I dial Skyla’s number, and the call connects on the first ring. “Why are your lights flashing? Is there someone behind you?”

“No,” she says, her voice tight. “There’s something wrong with the car and I think I see smoke.”

“Pull over. I’ll stop and get you and we’ll keep going together.” I end the call and hand the phone back to Gia. “Send Kat another message so she knows this is the phone she’s going to be contacting you on.”

“Why does your sister keep a burner phone?” Gia types out a message before putting the phone in the cupholder.

Behind us, Skyla positions her car across the two-lane road, blocking any cars that might be coming from behind us.

I throw the car into reverse. “She’s never been one to stay in places for too long. Gotten better as she’s gotten older, but she likes to be ready to leave somewhere without a trace at a moment’s notice.”

Gia makes a noise in the back of her throat. “I guess that makes sense.”

The back door opens as soon as the car stops, and Skyla gets in beside the car seat.

As soon as she’s in and the door is shut, I slam my foot down on the accelerator, turning off the headlights and heading into the night.

Skyla looks between the two of us, her head popping between the seats. “The two of you are tense. Did I miss something?”

Gia shrugs. “I’m not used to life on the run.”

Grinning, Skyla clamps a hand on her shoulder. “You’ll get used to it.”

While the two of them talk, I keep one eye on the road ahead of us and one on the road behind us.

If someone is tailing us, I don’t want to be surprised.

Just as I’m about to turn away, I swear I see a flicker of light, but when I look back, it’s gone again, nothing but the night surrounding us.

Still, I can’t chase away the chill that runs down my spine.