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CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

ROYCE

“Like hell.” I step closer to my brother, already thinking about returning the punch he gave me earlier. “You’re not going to be sending her to Vermont. You’re not going to take my family away from me.”

Aiden rolls his eyes, but he doesn’t seem to register what I said. Not at first anyway.

And then it dawns on him, eyes widening as he looks once more between me and Gia.

She bristles as she looks at him, hands curling into fists so tight I can see the white skin from where her nails are digging into her flesh. “What?”

He doesn’t get any closer, instead watching her through narrowed eyes, his mouth set in a thin line. “Family?”

“Yeah.” I pull my shoulders back, ready to take the next punch I know is coming. There’s no way it’s not going to after finding out I’m Bianca’s father.

It could mean having to leave the family and go out on my own with Gia, which would be horrible, but as long as I had them, I would be happy. Aiden could take his family bullshit and shove it up his ass for all I care.

This is the same family that turned me into a monster. Dad taught me to kill when I was a child and he trained me to be his assassin when needed. Then I became head enforcer, still killing whoever he pointed at, but I had other men beneath me to point as well.

And as much as I may like the rush of taking down an enemy and getting a job done, I like the rush of being a father more.

“Aiden, if you make me choose, I’m going to become a bigger threat to you than Noah could ever be, and that’s a promise.”

Aiden seems to grow larger as he crosses his arms and stares me down. “What the hell do you mean by your family? She’s nothing but a girlfriend who is likely using you and once this is all over, you’re going to see that you should’ve listened to me.”

I tuck my hands into my pockets, not bothered by him. At least, I’m pretending to not be bothered by him.

It only infuriates him more, the vein in his neck looking like it’s close to exploding as it throbs, his face turning red.

“What the fuck are you keeping from me, Royce?”

“Gia and I had a child when we were together before.”

“A child.” Aiden’s gaze is distant, his hands tight at his sides as he paces around the room. He stalks like an animal that’s been kept in its cage for its entire life and is just waiting for the chance to get free.

He may slaughter us all.

“Yes. We dated for a year. I found out who she was, and then my daughter was born,” I say, keeping my tone as even as possible.

I don’t want to make this worse than it already is, but there’s no telling how Aiden is going to react.

He keeps pacing. I don’t know how we’re going to explain to Gia’s friend that my brother wore holes through her glossy hardwood floors, but it seems like we’ll have to.

Aiden turns and stops, the room falling so silent you could hear a pin drop.

Gia is tense beside me, looking like a cobra that’s poised to strike. I have no doubt that if Aiden so much as mentions Bianca in the wrong way, Gia is going to go through his throat and there’ll be nothing left of him when she’s done.

He spins and lunges at me, going for the throat as I dodge to the side. Gia scrambles out of the way as a lamp goes sailing to the floor, shattering into a hundred tiny glittering pieces.

“What the hell is going on in here?” Ellie’s voice rises above the sound of a ceramic pot breaking as I dodge another attack from Aiden.

My foot catches on the rug, and I trip, turning quick and landing hard on my shoulder.

Aiden is on top of me the second I hit the ground, his hand wrapped around my throat. “What the fuck were you thinking? Not only do you spend your nights dicking down a Rinaldo, but now you’re telling me you have a child with her? After everything their family has done to ours?”

I cough, grabbing his wrist and trying to loosen the fingers currently pressing into either side of my trachea.

Sean rounds on Aiden, kicking him hard in the ribs and throwing him to the ground beside me. “This isn’t how the two of you are going to handle business. Especially not when there is a child in the house.”

“You’re both idiots,” Ellie says, crossing her arms, a thin line appearing between her eyebrows. “So what if Royce had a child with her? You married me off to the man who murdered our father.”

Sean throws his hands up in the air, but there’s a teasing smile on his face as he looks at Ellie. “And here I thought we were finally moving on from that.”

I get to my feet at the same time Aiden does. “I was in love with Gia, and we had a child together, whether you like it or not. You’re going to have to learn to deal with this.”

“I don’t have to learn to deal with shit.” Aiden lunges for me again, but his free shots are done.

With a twist of my hips, I send my fist sailing into the side of his face, his nose crunching beneath the impact.

Blood drips down his face as he looks at me, his breathing ragged and his entire body tense. “You’re making a mistake.”

“No.” I glance at Gia and she’s staring on in horror.

Somehow, I don’t think that she and her sister ever fought like this. Noah certainly didn’t, given his massive age gap with her.

Her eyes water as she spins and stalks back up the stairs.

Ellie sighs and races after her, taking the stairs two at a time while Sean and Dominic stand at the edges of the living room, ready to get between me and Aiden again if they need to.

I approach Aiden, careful to stay out of his reach. “I’m not going to be separated from my family. If you’re sending them to Vermont, then I’m going with them.”

“That’s not how this is going to work. I need you in New York.” Aiden wipes the blood from his face with the hem of his shirt before cupping his nose and setting it.

“And I need to be with my family.”

“You’re both ridiculous,” Skyla says, walking downstairs with a towel pressed to her gunshot wound and Ellie trailing behind her. “The pair of you need to put the egos to the side and just learn to get along with each other. Royce is happy and I think that’s the only thing that matters, don’t you, Aiden?”

Aiden scowls at her. “I thought I told you to stay out of this.”

“Yeah, well, there isn’t time for everyone to keep fighting.” Skyla pulls the towel away and sets it to the side as Ellie crouches in front of her.

“She’s right.” Gia follows Ellie and Skyla back into the room. She’s swapped the shirt for a pair of leggings and a black flannel. “We don’t have time for this. The scouts yesterday were just the first problem Noah is going to send now that he knows where we are.”

Aiden grits his teeth. “Royce will take Gia to Syracuse. Then they will head into Vermont. Skyla, you’re going to take Bianca.”

Gia scowls but she doesn’t say anything. Her gaze flickers over to Skyla who gives her a small nod.

I don’t know what’s happening there, but at least one person in my life is being kind to Gia.

Ellie sighs. “Skyla, we have to get you stitched up before we can go anywhere.”

Gia pulls a little kit out of her pocket and hands it over to Ellie. “Then you’re going to need to get stitching. The scouts have already been here and it’s only going to be a matter of time before the rest of Noah’s men get here, and then we’re all going to be dead.”

Aiden eyes her. “Your brother would kill you?”

“The only person he wouldn’t kill is Bianca. Right now, she’s the heir to the family and he wouldn’t risk losing that. I mean very little to him.” Gia shuffles closer to me, her hand finding mine.

I look over at Skyla. “Once you’re stitched up, go get Bianca. You and she are going to leave right away. I assume the rest of you brought your own cars. We’re going to trade cars and split up.”

“And when are you going to leave?” Aiden asks, his tone solemn. He glances at Skyla when she hisses, Ellie sliding a needle through her skin and beginning to close the wound.

My thumb brushes over the back of Gia’s knuckles. “We’re going to leave in the morning. We’ll pretend that we have Bianca with us.”

Skyla nods. “Noah isn’t going to be expecting us to leave right now. He’s thinking that we’ll be comfortable and that Matt is going to keep an eye on us.”

Aiden nods, wiping away more of the blood that ran down his face, though it’s drying to his skin. “We’re going to be quick about this. I want everyone other than Royce and Gia out of the house in ten minutes. We’re going to confuse them as much as possible. I want everyone taking different roads and if you notice someone following you, I want you to keep them in your sight.”

Ellie finishes stitching up Skyla and goes to the sink to wash her hands. “Is there a car seat in Skyla’s car already?”

Skyla nods and lowers her shirt. “I’ve been keeping one in there just in case.”

She leaves the room, heading up the stairs to grab Bianca.

The others exchange keys while I stand to the side with Gia, hoping that this all goes to plan. We have no way of knowing what Noah knows and what he doesn’t.

After the attack last night, I didn’t have time to question Matt, and I don’t think he would say anything either way. He spent years being deep within the Lynde organization and not once did I think he would ever turn against us.

Aiden nods to Dominic and Sean as they leave the house. “I’m going to be riding with Skyla. Ellie, you take my car.”

Ellie snags the keys out of the air as he tosses them to her. “Where is my niece? I want to meet her before we go.”

Gia’s hand drops from mine as Skyla comes into the room. Gia takes Bianca and hugs her tight, whispering something against her hair before holding her out to Ellie.

Ellie squeals and takes Bianca, laughing and smiling down at her. “Hey, little one. I’m Auntie Ellie and we’re going to have so much fun tormenting your daddy together.”

Bianca grins, showing off her little baby teeth. “Dada.”

My heart feels like it could explode as I swoop in and steal my daughter back from Ellie, giving her a tight hug. “I love you, Bia bean, and everything is going to be okay. You’re going to go with Auntie Skyla and she’s going to keep you safe, and me and Mama are going to come get you soon.”

Even though I know she doesn’t understand, it takes some of the weight off my shoulders.

Aiden looks at me, his upper lip curling before he stalks out of the room, pulling up the hood of his black jacket.

Skyla sighs and grabs a gym bag from the front closet, then opens it and stuffs a blanket into it. “I’m going to take her out to the car in this in case we’re being watched. I should be able to sit in the back with her while Aiden drives and as soon as we’re clear of the house, I’ll buckle her up.”

Gia hugs Skyla tight, tears gathering in her eyes. “Keep my baby safe.”

After hugging her back, Skyla nestles Bianca into the bag, leaving it open as she lifts it over her shoulder. She smiles and gives Gia another tight squeeze before following Aiden out the door.

Ellie stops in front of me. “I’m happy for you, Royce. See you in Vermont.”

She takes off, leaving me alone with Gia.

I clear my throat, wrapping one arm around Gia’s shoulders and pulling her to me as a sob breaks loose from her body.

Gia buries her face into my chest. Her arms loop around my waist as her shoulders shake and her tears soak the front of my shirt. “I didn’t think it was going to be this hard.”

“It’s going to be fine. None of them are going to let Noah get close to Bianca.”

“You can’t say that about your brother.” Gia takes a step back, wiping the tears from her eyes and pulling herself together. “We don’t know what he’s going to do, and he’s already said that he’s still thinking about killing me. We don’t know what that means for Bianca in the end.”

“Skyla won’t let him do anything.”

Gia nods, sitting down on the couch and putting her feet up on the coffee table while I engage the house’s security system on my phone.

As I sit down beside her, she moves to straddle my lap, hands on my shoulders. “I think I need a distraction; otherwise, all I’m going to do is think about what could happen to Bianca while we’re not with her, and I don’t want to do that.”

I skim my hands up her thighs and over her hips. “And you think using me for a distraction is a good idea?”

She leans back, slowly unbuttoning her shirt. “I think doing a lot of things with you is a good idea, but this might also be the only chance we get to be alone for who knows how long. Or we could die.”

My fingers sink into her hips as I drag her as close to me as possible. “Nobody is going to kill you. They have to get through me if they so much as want to lay a finger on you.”

The shirt hits the floor, and she reaches between her breasts for the front clasp of her bra. It falls away as I cup the back of her head and pull her in for a kiss.

Our mouths slant against each other. I trace the seam of her lips with my tongue, grinning when she gives a soft gasp.

Lifting my hips, I grind against her pussy through the thin layers that separate us, throbbing when her nails dig into my shoulders. I’m sure there are going to be scratch marks left on my skin, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.

She stands and sheds the leggings while I lose the joggers, more clothing hitting the floor before she settles back onto my lap.

I wind her hair around my fist, dragging her head back while my cock slides through her slick folds. She rolls her hips, grinding against me with a soft moan.

Her eyes burn with lust as she looks down at me. “I need you. Please.”

“You don’t want to take our time?” I ask, voice husky as I lean forward, biting one nipple and then the other, alternating back and forth until she’s writhing against me, one hand between her legs.

Each brush of her fingers over her clit has her nudging my cock, making me ache. I groan, shifting our position before plunging into her.

“God, you’re so fucking tight.” I grind into her, loving the little mewl that falls from her lips as she rocks her hips with me.

She moves in time with the thrusts, her pussy pulsing around my cock. “More. Please. I need more.”

“Arch your back, baby.” I tug on her hair, accentuating my words and she does as I say, back arching and breasts pushed close to my face.

I flick my tongue over her nipples, teasing them into stiff peaks while she continues to work her clit, circling it until her inner walls are clamping tight around me, milking my cock as she comes.

“Fuck yes.” My hand drops from my hair, and I grab her hips, guiding her faster as my cock stiffens. “Come all over me again, baby. Show me how wet you are for me.”

She gets off and turns around before sinking back down onto my length, her legs spread on either side of mine.

Parting my legs wider, I sink deeper into her, one hand flattening between her shoulder blades and pushing her into a bent position.

She rolls her hips, her full ass bouncing as I drive deeper into her. Nails rake against my calves as she rides me.

My cock throbs as she reaches between us and grabs my balls, giving them a hard squeeze and sending me over the edge.

I pump deeper into her as I find my release. The way she moans as I fill her is the biggest turn-on ever, her hips still rocking until she comes with me.

When her body stops shaking, she leans back and slumps against me, her head on my shoulders. She looks up at me with a small smile, but there’s still a distant look in her eyes.

I wrap my arms tight around her and kiss her temple. “We’re going to be okay, Gia. Bianca is going to be safe with Skyla and we’re going to get through this together.”

She scowls. “I hate the way everyone keeps saying that we’re going to get through this. You might think you know what my brother is capable of, but none of you have lived with him. You haven’t seen it.”

Taking her chin in my hand, I turn her head, her lips brushing against mine. “You know what I’m capable of, Gia, and I will burn the fucking earth to the ground if it means I can make sure that bastard never gets to you again.”

Her eyebrows arch. “You mean that?”

“I do.”

She sighs and nestles deeper into me. “I don’t think this is going to be easy.”

And though I don’t tell her, I agree with her.

Nothing about taking Noah down is going to be easy, but as long as she and Bianca are alive and free when it’s over, I don’t care about what happens to me.