The moment I walk out of Gio’s office, I find Aria waiting for me in the hall. She didn’t knock this time. “Hey, I was just coming to find you,” I say before throwing her over one shoulder and heading upstairs. Once we’re locked in our room, I set her down on the bed.
“OMG, I can walk, Santo. Stop doing that.” She swats at my chest.
“I like carrying you.” My lips press against hers. “I have to go do something for a few hours. But I’ll have my phone on me. You can call me at any point. And Gabe and Marcel are staying here with you. All the girls are gonna be here.”
“What are you doing? Actually, don’t tell me. I don’t need to know,” she says. “Can I come? I can… I don’t know what I can do, but I’m sure I can find a way to be useful.”
“Darling, the best way you can be useful is to stay put. Safe,” I tell her. “This house is safe. Nothing is getting in here.”
“I’ll be fine,” Aria says. “You don’t need to worry about me.”
“I will always worry about you.”
“Just be safe. I’ve kinda gotten addicted to you and I don’t do withdrawals very well.” She smiles up at me.
“I’ll happily feed your addiction every day for the rest of our lives, darling.” I lean in and press my lips to hers, trying to convey how much I feel through just a kiss.
I walk next to Gio as we’re led through the biker clubhouse. I never understood why these assholes live like trash. This place is filthy. We have fifty guys surrounding the building. Any sign of trouble and they’re going to rain down fire on this shithole. Although they’d be fucking stupid to try to go up against us, and judging by how wary they’re all acting right now, I think they know it. Gio and I came in alone while Vin and the other guys are waiting for our signal—should we need the reinforcements.
“You got the package?” Gio asks the club president.
“I’ve got it, but there’s something else we need to talk about first, son,” Tommy says.
Gio’s jaw ticks. “I’m not your son, and if you disrespect me like that again, I will rip your fucking tongue out of your mouth and shove it down your VP’s throat,” he says in a calm tone.
The sound of a female gasp has me turning my head to the side. Fucking ghosts. I’m so tired of them popping up when I don’t need to see them. Ignoring the woman who looks like my mother, I return my attention to Tommy and Gio.
“Your mother wanted to talk to you,” Tommy says.
“My mother is dead,” Gio replies. “Either you give me the package I came for, or I give the signal for my men to come in and take it. Word of advice: You don’t want to choose option two.”
Tommy looks to the woman who is still standing on the stairs to my left. I can feel her eyes on me, on us, but I’m not giving her any of my fucking time. “Give them what they want, Tommy,” she says.
He nods his head and calls out to one of his guys, “Bring the fucker out here.”
“Glad you could see things my way.” Gio smirks like the ass he is. My brother knows full well that Tommy does not want to give in to our demands.
Chapter Thirty-Six
“Can you stop pacing? You’re making me dizzy and I was shot not all that long ago,” Drew says.
I turn and scowl at him. “Leave me alone or I’ll shoot you again.”
“You wouldn’t,” he says confidently.
“Maybe not,” I tell him and then turn to my brother-in-law. “Gabe, if I asked you to shoot Drew, would you?”
“Without a second of hesitation, sweetheart,” Gabe replies.
I tamp down my smirk before turning to Marcel. “How about you?”
“Sure would,” he says.
“See? I don’t need to shoot you. I’ll have Santo’s brothers do it for me,” I tell Drew. He knows I’m bluffing, but it’s a threat I’ve never had in my arsenal before. And right now, he’s pissing me off. If I want to pace around the room because I’m worried about my husband, I will.
I didn’t ask Santo what he was doing because I didn’t need to. I know he’s going after Oliver. I have faith in my husband and his family, and the fact that this isn’t their first time doing something like this doesn’t mean I’m not worried about him.
“Your brothers,” Marcel says.