Page 55 of Scarred Hearts

After picking up my kids from their family’s house, I took them home, and was just about to get Evan settled in his bedroom with his favorite show on his TV. However, the minute we walked into the house, he was magically fine. He and Jackson high-fived and Naya giggled behind my back, but I saw their reflections in the breakfast nook mirror.

They explained that their aunt’s house was boring. Evan took one for the team, playing sick so they could leave early. I was secretly a little impressed. At the same time, I wasn’t happy they were manipulating their aunt and uncle. Then again, who was I to judge? My entire family was full of manipulation.

Jenna stopped by to drop something off just as Ian called me to come to the warehouse for a meeting. She offered to take the kids with her, feed them lunch, let them swim, then take them up to work in the evening. Reluctantly, I agreed. I hadn’t seen them in a couple of days and missed them. I promised we’d order pizza and watch a movie tomorrow night which didn’t faze them in the slightest. They loved going anywhere with my sister.

When I got to the warehouses, Ian told me to come into Hofstein. It was where he’d had some men preparing it for the fight that would finally happen. We’d not touched the Fitzgerald Warehouse next door since Luke annihilated Dante Mascoli.

The Rovati brothers were present with a strange girl I’d never seen before. She was quiet, leaning on the side of the square, boxing ring and picking her nails. Her long, dark brown hair obscured her face. She didn’t so much as look up at me when I entered. Nico and Ice Man were leaning against one of the walls near the newly installed bathrooms, chatting amongst themselves. And Ian, was waiting for me with a scowl on his face, commenting about how long it took me to arrive.

We waited and waited. Finally, Luke showed up. He rounded the corner into the main room with Giovanna at his side. I wasn’t expecting her and did my best not to react. We weren’t in the presence of just the family, and whatever reason we were here, it was business.

She looked adorably sweet and innocent in her dark denim, cut off shorts, white lace tank top, and white work boots. I wanted to drag her into the office by her bright, loose Dutch braids, bend her over Ian’s desk, and fuck her pussy raw. She was irresistible, and I craved her. I got ready to greet her with a curt nod and hello, but she homed in on the girl, her eyes swelling.

“YOU FUCKING CUNT!” she screamed, charging at the girl before Luke could grab her.

“What the fuck?!” Ian barked just as the girl drew her fists up.

“Oh shit,” the girl replied when Giovanna dove at her, striking her twice before Luke and Luca Rovati could pull them apart. She got in a swing, jabbing Giovanna in the jaw. She stumbled back, clutching her face, as the girl snarled back at her.

“What the fuck is going on?!” Ian spat, trying to make sense of it.

The Rovati brothers exchanged confused glances, their eyebrows furrowing in concern as they surrounded the girl in protection mode. I wanted to do the same to Giovanna, but I didn’t want to make Ian mad after last night. She glimpsed me in anger, though it didn’t appear directed at me.

“Gia,” Ian repeated calmly, “what the fuck is going on?”

Cupping her jaw from the blow, her face contorted into fury again before she addressed Ian directly. “She hurt Luca.”

“She didn’t hurt me,” Luca replied.

Giovanna flickered her gaze. “Not you, my brother, Luca.”

“Oh.” He crossed his arms.

“What’d she do?” Emilio asked before anyone else could speak.

Giovanna glared at him, which surprised me, considering he was known for his temper when anyone so much as looked at him wrong. She might not have wanted to disappoint my family, but she didn’t have an ounce of fear inside her.

“Luke,” Ian offered a nod at him, “let her go.” He shifted his gaze to her. “Stand down, am I clear?”

Giovanna replied with a nod as he turned to the brothers. “Let Nadia go, and you better not touch Gia,” he warned her.

They withdrew from her, and she rolled her eyes, popping her hip with her hand on it. “Whatever.”

Giovanni, looming tall and broad over the girl, scowled down at her. He laid a hand on her shoulder, leaning forward close to her ear. “What did we discuss on the way? Save it for the ring.”

“Wait,” I said, lifting a hand, unaware of what was going on. “What do you mean?” Taking a step closer to Giovanna, I was ready to protect her from any harm about to come her way. No one told me anything about the girls fighting.

“He means that we should keep our personal issues out of the warehouse,” the girl named Nadia sneered at me in pure mockery, “and focus on the fight.”

Fucking bitch. I opened my mouth to speak, but Giovanna spat at her, “Don’t you dare speak to him!”

Proud of her sudden possessiveness, I did my best to stifle a smile and remind myself that we were in a hostile situation. Still, I wanted to throw her over my shoulder and leave the room.

She glanced at me and then Luke before settling her gaze on Ian. “Mr. Knight, with all due respect, what the fuck is Nadia doing here?”

Frustrated, Ian sighed heavily, running a hand through his hair. “Well, I had no idea you and her had any bad blood between you. The point of today was to come together with our friends and discuss a way to take back control of the families and restore peace.” He furrowed his brow. “Since we’ve now got an issue with the Russians too.”

She looked up at me before fisting her hands on her hips, her lips balling tightly in irritation.

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