Page 46 of Cruel Secrets

She raises her hand again, this time ready to smack the other side. “Maybe pushing you around would knock some goddamn sense into you.”

“Don’t know why you’re so pissed.”

Skyla steps closer to me, her finger jabbing into my chest. “You. Don’t. Know. Why?”

Each word is accentuated with a harder jab, sending me back a step. If this were anyone other than her, I would break the damn finger. Skyla’s the only one who’s ever been fully on my side, though. Just like she is now.

If she wasn’t, she would’ve told Aiden and Sean about Bianca.

“How stupid are you?” Skyla holds up a hand. “Wait. Don’t answer that. Obviously, you’re the biggest idiot ever. Idiots all across the world are going to build shrines dedicated to your dumbassery.”

“Dumbassery isn’t a word.”

She gives me a dirty look. “Idiot.”

“I’m not. I didn’t know Gia was a Rinaldo when we were dating. We were together for a year before I found out who she was. I left as soon as I did, and she hid the baby from me until I showed up in her house a couple weeks ago.”

Skyla paces back and forth. “I can’t believe you let this happen. You know Aiden is going to freak out when he finds out, right?”

Understatement of the year.

“You can’t tell him.” The words are out in a rush. “He doesn’t know and you can’t tell him. It would put Bianca in danger.”

She stops. “You know he wouldn’t hurt her.”

Do I?

“I know, but there’s a rat among the men. If Aiden finds out, he’s going to be pissed, but I can deal with that.” I take a deep breath, linking my hands behind my head, trying to get a breath. “The problem is if Noah finds out. You know he’s a monster. We don’t know what he’s going to do to her.”

Skyla grabs me, hauling me in for a tight hug. “It’s going to be okay. We’re going to keep Bianca safe, and nothing is going to happen to her.”

“You have to promise to keep Gia safe too. I’m not going to be the reason my daughter’s mother dies.” I hug Skyla back before letting her go. “Gia is a good woman, and she doesn’t trust her brother. You saw her. She escaped to come back to us.”

“I’ll do what I can to keep this a secret from Aiden for now.” Skyla leads the way out of the woods and back toward the house. “But sooner or later you know you’re going to have to tell him.”

“I know.”

“She changes things, Royce.”

I turn toward the house, catching a glimpse of Gia’s silhouette framed in the window. Her full lips press together as Bianca stops squirming on her hip, matching stares on their faces.

Fuck, I’d do anything to protect them.

The wind bites through my jacket like the icy reminder that my family—and Noah—are closing in on us.

Bianca does change things. She changes everything, and I’m afraid of what that means in a dangerous world like mine.

CHAPTERFOURTEEN

GIA

If Royce doesn’t start talkingto me soon, I’m going to lose my mind.

The wind screeches outside and whips snow against the windowpane, leaving a frost trail in its wake. It’s like the inside of my mind right now—cold and turbulent. Bianca’s tiny face presses against the pane and she laughs, looking up at me with a bright smile.

At least she’s oblivious.

I don’t know what I would do if she was older and watching the war between me and her father. How do you explain to a child that even though you once loved someone, they’re hell-bent on tearing your life apart?

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