Page 25 of Devil's Game

“We’ve been keeping an eye out for them—when you were gone.” He sighed, jaw tightening. “I almost wanted to leave them to fend for themselves after we rolled out phase one of the plan because of what she did to you, but we didn’t.”

His sable eyes were open, silently asking for direction. I knew they would pull back if I wanted them to, even if it dragged my parents even further under Angelo’s thumb.

“I used to blame the Barones. I used to think that everything would be perfect if they didn’t have that added pressure on them. If, someday, I could make enough money for them, that they’d be able to leave and start fresh.” My lips twitched at just how naive I’d been. “I lost that hope when she put her hands on me.”

Kellan’s hand tightened on my leg, a rare spark of anger flashing in his eyes as he glanced at the diner, like he wasseriously considering pulling in there and paying Greg and Pam back for all they’d done.

“I don’t want them in our lives, but there are plenty of people like them out in the world, and I wouldn’t stop you from protecting them any more than I would Greg and Pam.” I placed a hand on his, letting my touch comfort him like he’d done for me so many times before.

His features softened, his thumb rubbing tender circles over my thigh as he pressed on the gas, taking us far away from the parents I never wanted to think about again.

“What about your parents and Merrick’s mom? Are they safe with the Barones’ attention on us?” I frowned, knowing they’d already taken precautions, but I had to make sure.

“They’re safe.” He nodded, shifting our hands so they twined together. “Once we knew that we were going up against the Barones, we got them out of here, but even we don’t know where they went.”

I clutched his hand tighter as his lips pulled down. “You’ll see them soon.”

They’d always been far closer with their parents than I was with Greg and Pam. They were good people, who made the best out of a bad situation and didn’t let it affect who they were at their cores.

“We have a way to get in touch with them in an emergency, but I don’t want to take a chance . . .” He trailed off, not needing to finish the thought.

This was only going to end with Tommaso and Angelo six-feet-under; there was no other possibility I’d let either of us consider.

My gaze drifted back to the window as we sank into a comfortable silence, the buildings clearing as we made our way to the outskirts of town. The road was one we’d driven countless times before as we escaped to the only place where we could be ourselves, the place where we first became a family. We’d sharedso much there, and as we approached the driveway to the old fire station, my lips were moving before I even registered the words rolling off my tongue.

“Can we stop?”

“Are you sure?” Kellan’s brows furrowed, a note of worry in his gaze.

“I haven’t been back yet.” Excitement bubbled up in my chest as he pulled into the parking lot, and I scanned every inch of the building and the worn grey pavement for any differences.

Weeds burst through the cracks in the driveway, like nature was attempting to take back the land and swallow the building whole. Other than a few vines of ivy climbing up the sides of the building, it was almost exactly as I remembered it.

“When was the last time you were here?”

He gave me a chagrined look as he drove to the back of the building and put the car in park. “About a year ago.”

Some of the lightness in my chest drifted away at his guilty expression. “When?”

“Merrick caught a glimpse of Tommaso when he came to meet with his father, and he sort of lost it.”

I sighed a breath of relief. “At least he hadn’t blown up at him.”

“Yeah, well, this might’ve been the place where we took out a lot of our anger over the years.” He winced, his sable eyes brimming with his apology.

“I need to see it.” My stomach sank as I glanced to the back door and the basement window right beside it, memories of that night seven years ago when Merrick and I had first discovered this place flitting through my mind.

These walls held so many memories, ones I’d clung to in New York for the first few years until they became too painful to dredge up. But I could only imagine what that physical reminder would’ve done to me if they’d been the ones to leave.

Kellan’s expression was somber as he nodded and turned off the car. He squared his shoulders, as though he was preparing for war.

“We don’t have to if it’s too much.”

“You should see it.” Kellan wrapped his hand around mine, squeezing it reassuringly, yet his smile didn’t reach his eyes. “It just—it might not look the same as the last time you saw it.”

My stomach clenched, everystep taking me closer to what felt like my execution. But it wasn’t. It would never be like that for us. There was nothing these men could do that would scare me away.

But I almost wasn’t prepared for the pain that sliced into me as Kellan opened the door to the firehouse and I witnessed the utter destruction they had wreaked. It was as though each smash of their sledgehammer, pound of their fist, or crash of the wooden furniture had been an expression of the agony throbbing in their hearts, begging to be unleashed.

---