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CHAPTER ELEVEN

Violet

Me: Kayce it’s Vi. We need to talk.

Guardian: This is the Guardian. Angel, are you safe?

I roll my eyes. Always with the protocol crap.

Me: Yes, I’m safe. We need to speak not over text.

Guardian: Do you need transport?

I sigh. I guess we’re doing this.

Me: No. Angel and Cherub are safe.

Guardian: Location?

Me: Undisclosed.

Guardian: Secure?

Me: Yes.

Guardian: Are you certain?

Having enough of the back and forth and getting absolutely freaking nowhere, I decide to go rogue, as Kayce would say, and change the script.

Me: Mili is hurt. Cut the protocol bullshit and CALL ME

The burner phone in my hand rings immediately.

“Kayce?”

“What the hell do you mean Emilia’s hurt? How? Who?” Kayce starts rattling off questions in rapid fire while simultaneously barking orders at his men, who I assume are making the shuffling sounds I hear behind him.

“A few days ago. I don’t know who, but Kayce … they know she’s been helping you. They hurt her to send a message to your team. Whatever shipment you intercepted on the harbor, the owners are pissed, and they took it out on her,” I tell him, fighting the stinging of tears and the lump swelling in my throat.

“Fuck.” Kayce sighs. “How bad? Where is she now? I’ll send an extraction team to get her.”

“No,” I say. “We’re in Baron’s Edge. In one of Vincenzo’s penthouses.”

“Why the fuck are you in Baron’s Edge? You know what will happen if you’re seen? You’ll blow the whole operation, Vi! What the hell?” Kayce shouts. I pull the phone away from my ear as he continues to yell his displeasure. When it seems he’s calmed down a bit, I put the phone back to my ear and answer his questions.

“She called me, Kayce. She was scared, alone, and beaten. I wasn’t going to leave her here to see if the assholes who did this would come back for another round. I owe her my life.”

“Yeah, and if you’re seen moving about that town, you just might pay with your life,” he growls. “Why didn’t she call me? We would’ve come to get her, brought her to a safe location.”

“She didn’t know if the bikers who did this were watching her place. If they were waiting outside for you to show up. Emilia wouldn’t jeopardize any of you or your mission.”

“It’s fucking bullshit,” he spats. “My men and I can handle ourselves. She should’ve called me.”

“Well, I’m calling you now.”

“Fine,” he concedes. “Is she mobile? How badly is she hurt?”

I run down her injuries and explain everything Mili told me about the men who attacked her. I leave out the details about her and Vincenzo arguing and him being a forceful bastard when it came to getting her taken care of. Kayce and Vincenzo have a mutual interest, but they are not what I would call friends, and both are fond of Emilia. Kayce treats her more like a sister, but he’s still very protective of her and if he thought Vincenzo was being too pushy or aggressive in any way; there’s no way I could prevent him from coming here and stirring shit worse than it already is.

“Vincenzo has had his doctors caring for her around the clock, and I’ve been here, too. She’s going to need some time to rest and heal up, but all things considered … she got off lucky, Kayce. They could’ve done so much worse.” The reality and weight of that statement settles in my gut as memories of my abuse come flooding back.

Being tossed against the kitchen cabinets. The edge of the marble counter tops digging into my back, leaving deep, dark bruises on my skin. James’s fist connecting with my face, my stomach, my kidneys. His boot stomping on my chest, making it impossible to breathe.

“The ribs will take a little longer than the other injuries, but she’ll be okay,” I say, my voice sounding hollow even to me.

“Hey,” Kayce calls through the phone. “Violet. Don’t go there. Get that asshole out of your head. You hear me? We’re going to get you back to Oakridge, to Carter, and leave this shit to me and my men. You got me?”

“Yeah.” I sigh, wiping the tears I didn’t realize had fallen down my face. “Our … Vincenzo wants a debriefing, but not here. It’s not safe. What do you suggest I tell him for a rendezvous point?”

“Tell him we’ll see you in Oakridge. My guys are packing up now. I’ll be in contact as soon as we hit town.”

“I have to go get Carter. I plan on taking Mili with me to my apartment,” I explain. “Maybe after you and he have your discussion, you can meet us at my place, and we can figure out Mili’s next steps.”

I hate to think about her walking away from the job in Oakridge after she was so excited to be moving closer to me and Carter. She loves the idea of living and working in a smaller town. She has a contract started on a building she was going to lease for her private practice so she could continue to help Kayce and his men with the women and children they rescue. She’s going to be crushed to have to start over somewhere else, alone.

“Emilia will stay with me when we arrive in Oakridge.” Vincenzo’s deep voice sounds from where he’s leaning on the door frame of my room.

I glare at him.

“Who’s there?” Kayce asks. “Is that Italian asshole pushing himself into the conversation? Put me on speaker.”

Shit.

I do as Kayce asks and put the phone on speaker. “Go ahead.”

“What bullshit are you spewing over there, Parisi?”

“No bullshit. I merely informed Miss Dupree that Emilia will be staying in my home when we arrive in Oakridge. My doctors will oversee her care. It’s the safest place for her while she works through her recovery. No one knows of our connection and, by the same token, no one would dare come on the premises of my home uninvited. Unless they have a death wish. In which case, my men would be very obliging.”

“I can’t stay in your home, Vincenzo. I have to collect Carter and keep everything in our routine as normal as possible.”

“I didn’t say you would be staying with me, Miss Dupree. I said Emilia will. You and Carter may go on about your lives as you see fit. But Ms. D’Angelo needs both medical care and protection. I can supply both of those things.” He tilts his head, as if he expects me to just accept his decision.

“I think Mili should be allowed to make her own decisions about where she wishes to stay and about her medical care. She is a doctor, after all. I’m sure she has some new doctor friends who would be willing to help,” I suggest.

Vincenzo’s eyes flare with anger. “No.”

“No?”

“Yes. No,” Vincenzo repeats. “Emilia is in no condition to make those decisions, and even if she was, I’d still say no.” He stalks toward me, hands still in his pockets. “We still don’t know who these bikers are that attacked her, but they know she’s connected to Mr. Eaton and his team. Therefore, she should distance herself from them for the time being. You have your son and your—Declan—to worry about. You don’t have the time to properly care for Emilia around the clock. Whereas, I have staff on-site at all times and my men patrolling my estate around the clock.” He leans in, our faces inches apart, hovering over the phone in my hand. “Emilia will stay with me.”

“He’s right, Vi,” Kayce’s disgruntled voice says over the speaker. “He has the resources she needs to take care of her. Trident will be in the area while we work to find who is behind the attack and so we can be close should someone attempt another attack.”

“That won’t be necessary, Mr. Eaton. I have it all well in hand,” Vincenzo replies.

“I don’t give a fuck what you have. Emilia is a friend and a coworker. She’s Trident’s responsibility, as are Violet and Carter. We will be in town. Unseen and out of the way, but there none the less.”

Vincenzo scrubs a hand down his face, his frustration etched in the wrinkles around his eyes.

“Fine.”

“Violet,” Kayce says. “Take me off the speaker.”

I do as he asks and put the receiver to my ear.

“Yeah.”

“We need to talk when you get back,” he says ominously.

“O-okay. Is something else wrong?”

“I don’t know yet. But someone has been actively trying to dig into you and Carter online.”

“Shit. Who?”

“We don’t know yet. But someone else has been covering your tracks. Whoever it is, is fucking good too. They’re faster than Tate art covering your shit,” Kayce says, sounding unsure. “Any ideas on who would be looking into you? Or who might cover for you?”

Oh, I have an idea, but I hope like hell I’m wrong.

“No. But I know who may have hired the person covering for me.”

“Fuuuck.” Kayce groans. “You made a deal with the devil, didn’t you?”

“Mm.” It’s all I say, confirming his suspicion.

“Shit. I hope you know what you’re doing.” He groans.

“I don’t. But I’ll do whatever I have to in order to keep my son safe.”

“Understood. Just …” He pauses. “Be careful. The devil you know isn’t always better than those you don’t. They’re all evil in their own right.”

Don’t I know it.

“I need to go, Kayce. I need to help Mili get ready to travel.”

“Yeah, all right. See you when you get here.” The line goes dead. The man has never been one for pleasantries or proper phone etiquette.

I put the phone in my pocket and follow Vincenzo down the hall to the room where Mili is being held.

“Do not discuss the plans for Emilia’s care. I’ll let her know in my own time,” Vincenzo says.

“And miss her losing her shit on you for taking away her choices and controlling her life? I would never,” I say sarcastically.

He walks me to her door, then heads to meet Matteo at the end of the hall.

It’s been three days. I’m more than ready to get home to my son. It’s Sunday. Our day to hangout around the house watching tv, playing games, and eating ice cream. Well, he watches tv and plays games while I wash laundry and get us both ready for the week ahead.

I haven’t been able to call Carter. I’ve had to rely on messages through text using the burner phone Matteo gave me. I miss his voice but I know if I call Carter, Declan will get on the phone and he’ll want answers I can’t give him.

I’m sitting in the room with Mili, waiting as Vincenzo’s men scurry about, gathering our things. We’re finally going back to Oakridge today, but until recently, I didn’t know what the plans were from there. Vincenzo has been tight-lipped and Matteo the same.

The doctor came in earlier and gave his recommendations for the next couple of weeks for Mili to rest and be monitored closely, as the ribs will take some time to heal and the concussion can cause issues for a while longer. I’ve offered again to take her home with me and Carter, to which Vincenzo merely grunted and shook his head.

“What does Kayce want you to do?” Mili asks, slowly sitting herself up and leaning against the headboard.

“He says he’ll meet us in Oakridge. He wants to talk further with Vincenzo in person.” I sigh.

“You’re worried,” Mili says, reaching for my hand. I take hers and give it a slight squeeze. “You think the people who hurt me will follow us to Oakridge.” She’s not asking. We’ve been friends long enough, both of us on the run from our own brand of hell, that she knows me too well.

“Someone has been looking into me and Carter, trying to learn more about us.”

“Shit,” Mili hisses. “You think it’s the people who hurt me? But how would they know about you?”

I shake my head. “No. I don’t think they’re related. It adds to my concerns, though. Matteo assures me no one was watching your apartment when we came to get you, and we weren’t followed back here. But my gut tells me there’s more. I just don’t know what, and it terrifies me.”

“Kayce and Vincenzo won’t let my troubles find you,” she says, inhaling deeply. “We’ll meet with Kayce and then I’ll go with him and his team into hiding again.”

“You’ll do nothing of the sort.” Vincenzo’s deep voice rumbles from the doorway as he strolls into the room.

“I don’t believe you have any say in what I do or where I go,” Mili argues. “I appreciate everything you’ve done for me, and for Violet, but I can handle myself from here.”

Vincenzo stalks slowly into the room, a predatory gleam in his eyes as they scan Mili from head to toe. I almost feel like an intruder in this conversation. The tension is so palpable. He walks to the side of the bed, sitting beside her. I release her hand, not sure what I should do in this situation.

Vincenzo grips Emilia’s chin firmly, forcing her to meet his gaze. “You’ll do as you’re told until I am certain your life is no longer in danger, or I’ll be forced to take measures into my own hands.” He looks at me. “That goes for the both of you.”

“Hey!” I snap back. “I’m not a part of whatever this is.” I wave my hands between the two of them. “I’m going home to my son. If Mili wants to stay with us, she’s welcome to for as long as she likes. But I agree with Mili. If Kayce wants to put her in another location under the protection of his men, she should go.” I shift my attention to Mili’s glassy-eyed glare. “I don’t want you to have to start over, but if it will keep you alive, I’m all for it.”

Emilia sighs, tossing her arms in the air. “Well, I’m glad to see everyone else has a say in what I should do with my life. I’m the one who is hurt. It’s my life being uprooted. I think I should have a say in what I do from here. And you.” She digs her finger into Vincenzo’s chest. His eyes follow her movement, then snap back to glare at hers. “You have not a goddamn thing to say about anything I do. I’m not one of your soldiers. I don’t take orders, and I damn sure don’t bow to the boss. I do whatever the hell I want, and you will accept it, or you can take a long walk off a short peer wearing a pair of cement shoes. Are we clear?”

Vincenzo appears to be fighting a smirk, but he doesn’t break. Instead, he leans in close to Mili’s ear and whispers something that has her cheeks flaming red and her eyes growing wide. She swallows hard as he pulls back, releasing her chin, grazing her cheek with the back of his knuckles as he moves off the bed.

“Kayce will meet us at my home in Oakridge. The jet will be ready in an hour. You have twenty minutes to collect your things and get dressed for the flight. Violet, help Mili change into her clean clothes. My staff has packed the rest of her belongings, but there’s a clean set of clothes in the bathroom for her.” He turns back to Mili and says, “And Emilia, don’t forget what I said. I’m patient to a point, but don’t test me.”

When he leaves the room, I slide up next to Mili on the bed, gripping her hands in mine. “What did he say?”

Mili looks up at me through her long lashes, a hue of pink staining her cheeks. She shrugs. “He told me what would happen if I tried to leave without his permission.”

“Did he threaten to hurt you?” I’ve never known Vincenzo to harm a woman, but I wouldn’t put it past him to threaten it all the same.

“Not exactly,” Mili whispers. “He promised to find me and punish me thoroughly if I run.” Her breathing is a bit ragged, and I’m worried her ribs may be causing her pain, but just as I’m about to ask, I see the slight smirk play on her lips and the look of intrigue in her eyes.

Holy shit.

“Should I run you a bath and let you handle your, uh … situation? I can come back in ten minutes and help you get dressed.”

Mili’s head snaps up. She releases my hands, slapping my arm. “Ow. Fuck you.” She laughs, holding her side. “I don’t have a situation. Just a bossy Italian who thinks he has the upper hand. I’ve outsmarted more than one mob boss in my time. He’s no different.” She waves me off. “Help me up. I can clean myself in the bathroom. I’ll just need help to get dressed.”

“All right.” I help her to the bathroom, getting the shower started and making sure she can reach everything she needs on her own. “Do you want me to help you with your hair?”

“Just put it in a bun, would you? I’ll take a proper shower when we get settled. Right now, I just want to get cleaned up and changed so we can get the hell out of here.”

I get her hair up and out of her way, then wait outside the bathroom door in a chair while she showers, keeping the door cracked open so I can hear if she calls out.

My phone vibrates in my pocket.

Guardian: You have some explaining to do.

Me: About what?

A sense of dread fills me after reading Kayce’s text. He doesn’t respond to my question, which only serves to make me even more nervous.

The housekeeper comes into the room carrying a tray with two sandwiches, two bottles of water, and a small plate with Mili’s pain meds.

“Mr. Parisi asked me to be sure Miss D’Angelo eats and takes her medicine before you leave. It will help her relax for the flight.”

“I’ll be sure to let Mili know. Thank you.”

After the housekeeper leaves, Mili calls out for me. When I open the door to the bathroom, she’s seated on the edge of the bathtub. Even after all the rest she’s had over the last few days, she still appears exhausted. The dark circles under her eyes and the paleness of her skin worries me, but it’s her labored breathing that’s most concerning.

“Are you all right?” I ask, rushing in to help her. Mili waves a hand at me as she gasps for breath. “How can I help?”

“I’m a little nauseous. I just need to sit for a minute,” she says. I watch as she struggles to slow her breathing down. Emilia rubs her temples with both hands.

“Does your head hurt?”

“Mmm.”

“Emilia?” Vincenzo calls from the bedroom. I’m not halfway out of the bathroom door before Vincenzo comes, pushing his way past me. He kneels in front of Mili, her face in his palms. Turning to me, he asks, “What happened?”

“I don’t know. She was taking a shower. I was waiting by the door when she called for me to help her.” I shrug. “I was just going to find you to get the doctor.”

“Go get Matteo. Tell him we’re leaving and to have the doctor meet us at the tarmac.”

“Mili?” I don’t want to piss him off, but my friend is sitting in nothing but a towel in front of a man she doesn’t know and doesn’t seem too fond of. I want to be sure she’s okay with this before I just run off and leave her with him.

“Go. Now,” Vincenzo barks.

“I’m fine, Vi,” she says from behind him. “You know, you don’t have to be an asshole all the time.” She glares at Vincenzo.

I leave to do as he’s asked and find Matteo when my phone vibrates in my pocket.