Page 69 of Cruel Secrets

I set Bianca on the floor, giving her one of her little fabric books about zoo animals before setting the suitcase on the twin bed in the middle of the room. “This doesn’t make sense.”

“Your brother likes the hunt. I’ve seen him act like this before with my siblings. He gives people a chance to run and get away because he likes to chase them. Noah is hell-bent on proving that no matter what you do, there’s no getting away from him, which is why we have to hurry up and get the hell out of here.”

I nod, hands shaking as I rip open the dresser drawers, pulling out clothing and diapers to stuff into the suitcase. “So, this is just a game to him.”

“It is.” Royce hovers in the doorway for a couple minutes longer, his gaze burning into my back. “Gia, you know that I’m going to do everything I can to keep the two of you safe, right? I will die for you if I have to.”

My heart stops in my chest as I whirl around, striding across the room and poking a finger to his chest. “You listen to me. If you leave your daughter without a father, I will bring you back to life and kill you myself.”

He chuckles, taking my hand and kissing the back of it. “We’re going to get through this. Are you fine dealing with everything in here?”

“I am.” I pause, holding on to his hand when he tries to let go. “Does this have anything to do with the call you took the other day? I know you said that it had to do with business, but I keep getting this sick feeling in my stomach that tells me there’s more to it than that.”

“No.” Royce holds my gaze with his own, his dark-green eyes looking like they’re a forest in the middle of a raging storm. “Nothing about that call had anything to do with this.”

“You promise?” I ask, voice wavering slightly.

I don’t know if I can trust him, but I want to.

More than anything, I want to believe that this man has our best interests at heart.

“I promise. It had to do with one of my businesses and some money Skyla is moving through it. Nothing I did brought Noah here as far as I know, but now that he is here, we have to hurry up and get out.”

With a deep breath, I leave him, hurrying to pack everything I can while he goes to our room. Drawers open and slam shut as I empty out everything I’m going to need with Bianca before grabbing her and the bag and heading downstairs.

Matt is waiting by the door with a small smile, a box of things from the study at his feet.

Royce races down the stairs after us, the suitcase thumping along behind him. He grabs the keys to the SUV and tosses them to Matt. “Go through the woods and get this. Noah is going to think that we’re in it, since it’s armored.”

I look at Royce like he has three heads. “We’re not going to be taking the armored car even though we’re being hunted down?”

He shakes his head, grabbing the keys from where I left them on the kitchen table when we got home. “No. We’re going to take the car. Noah is going to follow the SUV without a second thought if he thinks we’re skipping town.”

Taking a deep breath, I try to stay calm, but blood rushing fills my ears as I follow Royce to the car outside and secure Bianca into her car seat.

Royce shoves Bianca’s suitcase in the trunk before handing the other off to Matt. “We’re going to head upstate. Go in the opposite direction. Circle back when you lose the tail you’re likely going to pick up. I’ll send you an address as soon as I know where we’re going.”

Matt nods and takes the box and suitcase, heading into the trees surrounding the property.

Royce nods to the little car. “Get inside.”

I slide into the passenger seat, dragging the seat belt across my body and trying to count my breaths.

If someone woke up and told me this morning that we were going to be on the run from my brother, I would’ve said that they were losing their minds.

We were supposed to be safe with Royce.

The plan—though I don’t know much else of it—was to stay hidden and wait for this all to be over. We weren’t supposed to be whipping out of the driveway and heading out onto the highway while the sun sinks a little closer to the horizon.

I look over at Royce as we head outside the small town, fields on one side and forest on the other. “Where are we going?”

“Not sure. We’re not safe here anymore and heading to Syracuse isn’t an option.”

“Syracuse?”

He glances over at me. “The next closest safe house. It would’ve been the next logical place to bring both of you, but I spoke to Aiden, and we have to operate under the assumption that every safe house has been compromised.”

“You think it’s that bad?”

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