Page 29 of Sweet Madness

I let out a sigh of relief after talking to two of my favorite people in the whole world. “I love you, Daddy.”

“I love you more than life, my darling girl.”

We both smile at each other.

Thank you, my lucky stars, for the life I have and for this man that means more to me than all the chocolate cupcakes in the world.

“I will castrate him, you know.” Dad warns.

My brows furrowed in confusion. “What do you mean?”

“If he ever hurts you, I will make sure to personally fly to the location and castrate him.”

I hold in the laugh that threatens to slip free from my chest.

And he would too.

My father hates the sight of blood, but I believe if someone ever hurt his wife and kids, he would get his hands dirty. Of that, I have no doubt.

“Okay, Daddy but that won’t happen.” I don’t tell him that said man has already hurt my stupid feelings. I like Shaw Banning way too much to allow anyone to hurt him, not even my number one man. “Hey, Dad.”

Dad leans forward, and gives me his entire attention, though I notice his eyes occasionally drifting to something on his desk. “Yes?”

“How’s everyone? How are the girls? Are the boys causing trouble?” I smile fondly, thinking about my siblings. Evie is the youngest, and she’s a sweetheart. Mom says she reminds her so much of me when I was younger— a blonde, green-eyed version of me. Personally, I think Evie looks just like Aunt Mila, I’m happy about it. Mom got a mini version of the sister who brightened her darkest days.

Evie brings that same light to all of us.

The twin girls are like night and day, yet the only one that gives Daddy the most headaches is Ambrose. She’s most like Mom, while Haven is calmer and more reserved. Then there are the boys. The three of them are so much like my parents that I know it scares them. Kyrin is Mom’s twin in looks, but he’s too wild to ever be like her— wild, reckless, and devious. But there’s more to him that not many see, though his family does. Then there’s Kael and Royal, the oldest of the boys. Both look like replicas of my father but with a little more of my mother’s personality.

They’re both quiet but deadly.

One more than the other.

Those two, along with Royal and Ambrose, will send my father to an early grave.

But I know their hearts.

They all have different personalities, but they all possess pure hearts.

Hearts of gold.

Only those who truly deserve it get to know those beautiful hearts of theirs.

“They’re…” Dad begins, then stops abruptly, glancing down at his phone with a curse. “This kid… No.” His eyes darken with fury.

I straighten in my seat, feeling a knot in my stomach. “Dad, what’s going on?”

His blue eyes, the same shade as mine, pierce me with a look that told me that something was terribly wrong before he masks it. “Nothing, baby. Just your brother is a pain in the ass.”

I frown at that, not convinced at all. “Which one?”

“Royal.” He sighs, looking exhausted.

Royal…

My brother has made mistakes—some out of love, and others because he’s a bit reckless.

“What did he do?” I whisper, knowing that Dad was not okay but was hiding it from me. I guess I know where I got that tendency from.

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