Page 46 of Secret Betrayals
I don’t know him. I don’t know Gabriella. And I don’t give a flying fuck about their past until Talon makes it clear where they stand. Until then? They’re nothing to me but a threat. And threats get handled. I’m unarmed. I’ll own that. If he pulls the trigger, Heather’s done. But so is he. I’ll take his ass down, and I’ll make it count.
“You must be a dumb motherfucker to pull this shit in public,” I bite out. “You better check yourself, kid, or my brother’s gonna end up a father oftwo.”
Sebastian smirks. It’s faint, but I catch it. Something flashes in his eyes. He reaches into his suit jacket and pullsanothergun.
Points it at me.
I scoff.
This kid’s balls must weigh ten pounds.
Behind me, I hear a few curses fly. None of us saw that coming. The little psycho has a death wish. His eyes are locked on mine, head tilted, daring me to twitch.
“Sebastian,” Gabriella says, then speaks in Italian in a firmer tone this time.
I don’t know what the fuck she said, but it carried weight. His jaw ticks like he’s grinding his teeth down to dust. He glances at her, and some silent conversation passes between them.
Finally, he lowers the first gun, flips the safety on, and holsters it. The second one, pointed atme,stays drawn for another beat.
Heather exhales like she forgot how to breathe, stepping behind me, trying to use me for cover. Doesn’t stop her from shooting Gabriella and her son a death glare so hot it could strip paint.
Gabriella says something else to him—quieter this time—and he finally slides the second piece back into its holster. No safety click this time. Smart. He’s ready to draw again if he needs to. Iclock that and tuck it away. I ain’t gonna pop off—not here, not now—but this kid’s name just went on the list.
He steps up to Heather like he doesn’t give a fuck whose woman she is. Looks down at her like she’s nothing but garbage under his boot and growls, “Puttana.” He chuckles lowly. “Family, my father, none of it matters—I’ll put a bullet in you and sleep like a baby. You’re a fucking whore. You know it. We know it. You might fool them, but you’ll never fool us.” His voice doesn’t rise. It gets colder, meaner, and deadlier.
“Speak to mymammalike that again, and we’ll see how pretty your brains look on the wall.” He smirks, the kind that dares her to test him. “She didn’t fuck you up seventeen years ago. Don’t think she won’t now. Watch your fuckin’ mouth.”
He steps back, still mugging her, eyes full of disgust, as he takes his place behind Gabriella. Still watching. Still dangerous. And for the first time, Heather looks shook. Wide-eyed, gaping, quiet. It hits her. Gabriella didn’t just keep Talon’skidsfrom him. She hassons.Two of them.Something Heather’s wanted since forever. Something she’s never had. And now, the woman she’s apparently “took” Talon from just one-upped her without even trying.
Heather pulls herself together, puts that cold mask back on. But her eyes—those are wild with jealousy and rage. She’s glaring at Gabriella like she wants to rip her apart with her bare hands.
Heather might be a lot of things—a pain in my ass included—but she’s not soft. She’s prideful, spiteful, and territorial as hell. And this? Finding out Talon’s ex not only hadhiskids butsons? That kind of thing can break a woman like her in ways a bullet never could.
And if I know Heather, she ain’t going to break quietly.
As she moves to step around me, I block her path. I smirk at her boldness, ready to go toe-to-toe with Gabriella and her gun-wielding son. But I can't let her spiral. I pull her into me and lower my eyes to hers, sending her a silent message.I got this.
Gabriella’s voice pulls my attention back. “I apologize for my son, Sebastian. He is very protective of me and does not take disrespect lightly. Especially when it comes from someone connected to your club.” Her gaze cuts to Heather, though she never actually looks at her. “Particularly the woman who is the reason he didn’t grow up with his father.”
She looks at her son. Then to me. Calm. Unbothered. Unshaken.
The room is tense, thick with unspoken questions. Officers, elite members, my parents, Nitro, Luna, and Heather all stand silent, still processing the scene. Only my mother and Luna seem truly shocked. My ma's eyes meet mine, and I see the disappointment. Her expression tightens, and I know she caught what I said earlier about Gabriella and her boy not being family.
My mother believes in blood. In loyalty. In protecting your own. And I spit in the face of all of that. Yeah, I’ll be hearing about that later.
Gabriella continues, her voice sharp and dry. “We came here even though we’renotconsidered family. After I wasphysically assaulted—” she pauses, her hand lightly brushing her neck, her glare trained on me “—because my skull was apparently a good substitute for a sledgehammer.”
The room stills. She rolls her eyes like the dramatics bore her. “My family insisted I stay overnight. But I felt it more importantto figure out what really happened to Talon. My resources are vast. My network moves faster than your club. Armand is out gathering intel now. Because this…” She looks around the room. “…this is what Ido.”
She finishes, eyes slicing through the space. Controlled. Poised. Calculated.
Then Heather snaps.
“What intel?” she barks. “You, me, and everyone here know it wasyou. Bitter bitch. You did this to Talon. My husband. Because he didn’t want you.”
Gabriella doesn’t flinch. Doesn’t look her way. Just lifts her eyes to me, then to my father.
“Brick,” she says, calm as ever, “you’re free to believe whatever version of the truth helps you sleep. But you have bigger problems than a woman nursing a broken heart. I hold no grudge against Talon. I don’tlikehim, but I buried my hurt so my kids would know their father.” Her words are flat, her eyes hollow. My father studies her, his jaw ticking. I can tell he’s processing. And maybe—maybe—he’s starting to believe her.
