Page 45 of Savage Little Queen

He hesitated for a moment and shrugged. “I don’t know. It’s the tears. Blurring my vision.”

Dominic shook his head at him before kissing me. Then, it was all business again.

“We need a plan. Are we going back to Bolten? I don’t back down from shit.” Dominic looked around at all of us.

“We could keep Bianca dead,” Levin said. “Have dickweed take her somewhere far from here until shit dies down.”

“No,” I said immediately. “I go where you all go.”

“To be fair, bumblebee, you’re not going where I go.” Levin sighed.

Vincent scowled as he sank onto a chair in the room. “I think you’re fucking ridiculous going into the fold. I don’t think it’s a good idea.”

“It doesn’t matter. If my father finds out Stefan is alive, what do you think will happen? I can’t lose him again,” Levin’s voiceshook. “He’s pissed me off by lying to me, but I get it as much as I hate why. Not to mention the current fucked up situation with Dom’s new family. I need to show my loyalty to Matteo. Forsake Dom.”

“He’s going to demand Alessio bring in Vincent,” Dominic said. “It’s only a matter of time. He wants me alone and backed into a corner.”

“Fuck that,” Vincent snarled. Fallon held my hand tighter as we sat next to one another on the bed. “Fuckthat.I’m not going into the fold.”

“You’ll go if you’re called,” Dominic’s voice was firm. “That’s all there is to it. If you don’t, it won’t fucking matter if you’re Alessio’s son. Matteo will have you taken out, no questions asked. So, if summoned, you go.”

“And leave you alone with just Fallon and B?” Vincent’s dark eyes flashed.

Dominic shrugged helplessly. “I still have the court.”

“You know as well as I do that loyalty there will waver when they see us split,” Levin said. “You won’t have shit, Dom.”

My heart thrashed in my chest. Matteo was a wicked man intent on ruining Dominic’s life, and for what? Anger rushed through me. Dominic had told me everything going on. It broke my heart to see the hurt on his face. I knew he wanted to have a father who cared about him. Maybe a part of him hoped Matteo would someday come around, but now that Matteo wasn’t even his father, everything was going to hell.

We were all silent for a moment before Vincent spoke.

“B, tell Dom. We need the manpower.”

Fear took over my anger at what Vincent was asking me to do.

“Vinny, no. . .”

“He needs to know,” Vincent said gently. “I’m here with you. It’ll be OK.”

“What? What’s going on?” Dominic demanded.

Fallon sighed and rubbed at his eyes.

“Vinny, I-I can’t.”

“B, baby, they deserve to know. And you deserve your freedom.”

He was right, but I really hated it.

I swallowed hard, the fear of potentially losing my guys after just getting them back making my stomach and heart hurt.

Slowly, I got to my feet and wiped my hands down my leggings.

Dominic stared up at me, his green eyes filled with worry.

God, I didn’t want to hurt him.

And Levin.

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