Page 76 of A Sinner's Truth

“Ah…” I don’t want to hurt my best friend’s feelings by answering honestly. “I plead the Fifth.”

“That’s not a thing here, and you have to answer, Aria,” Drew says.

“Find my husband. Because this game sucks.”

“Then go and find him. I’m gonna get some sleep and you hanging around is keeping me awake.”

“Are you sure? I want to be here for you, Drew. I feel horrible.” I sigh.

“You are here, Aria, but I really do want to sleep. So please go and pester your husband for a few hours.” Drew waves a hand towards the door.

“Okay, but I’ll be back. Get some good rest and try not to dream about your dick rotting and falling off from disease,” I tell him.

“Cruel, you are so fucking cruel,” he grunts.

“I aim to please.” I laugh and walk out the door, only to run smack-bang into Santo.

Chapter Thirty-Five

Adrenaline runs through my veins. The need to hunt and kill is fucking strong. I know that plans keep people alive. Plans mean fewer fuckups. But right now, I’m ready to say to hell with anything else. But then there’s the promise I made Aria to always be safe and come home to her. That’s the reason I’m still in Gio’s office, listening as he goes over the plan for the third time. The only thing I hate about this is the fact Ihave to leave my wife back home without me. She’s going to hate it.

Gabe and Marcel are staying behind with the women and kids. Gabe keeps out of this life now. He’ll step up if needed, but for the most part, he doesn’t have anything to do with the underworld side of our businesses. Marcel is hanging back because he can be our eyes and ears from right here, while Vin is pumped. He might be the youngest of us all, but the kid loves to get his hands dirty. I think it’s therapeutic for him. He’s been through hell and back, and if a little violence and chaos help him find peace in his head, then I’m not going to stop him.

“Okay, intel says he’s holed up in this room. I’ve heard word from the president of the clubhouse that he doesn’t want bad blood between us. However, if we go in guns blazing, his guys won’t hold back,” Gio says. “We need to be smart, but also prepare ourselves for a fight.”

“Ready,” Vin grunts while stretching his arms above his head.

“There’s something else you should know,” Marcel chimes in.

“What?” Gio’s head snaps up.

“There are women there.” Marcel pulls out a folder and tosses it on the table. “I spotted her a while back, when I went in with Dominic. I thought I was seeing things, but I’ve watched the place for the last year. If it’s not her, then it’s a goddamn doppelgänger.”

“Who is it?” I ask, taking the folder from his hands. I remember him helping his mate out a while ago with an issue with the bikers. The moment I flip to the first page, I drop the entire thing back onto the desk. This has to be some sick joke. The woman in the pictures is an older version of our mother.

“What the fuck?” Gio curses as he picks up the photos and sifts through them.

“How is that possible?” I ask.

“No fucking idea,” Gio grits out. “But it doesn’t matter. This changes nothing. Anyone in that club house is our enemy if they don’t give us what we want. Especially her.” He tosses the pictures aside.

“Why would he let her go? That’s out of character.” Our old man would have never let his wife leave and go on and live a life elsewhere.

“Who the fuck knows why that fucker did anything?” Gio starts pacing around the room. “She’s been alive all these years. Has she just been standing back and watching while he fucked with us throughout our childhood? What kind of mother does that?”

“She’s not our mother. She might be the same woman who gave birth to us, but she’s not a mother,” I tell him. “We haven’t needed her our whole lives. That doesn’t change now.”

My head is spinning. I remember the day our father sat us down and told us that our mother was dead. It’s the same day I realised how cold he was. Gio took us all upstairs with the nanny. He made me swear that no matter what, we’d always stick together. I think our bond as brothers strengthened that day. Children shouldn’t bond over the hatred of a parent, but we did. Gio and I were both forced to grow up faster than any kid should. We took care of the younger three. Or at least we tried. We failed when it came to Vin, and that’s something I’ll never forgive myself for.

“Okay, let’s go knock on their door. Ask them nicely to hand over the asshole and then get out of there.” Gio smirks. I know his version of asking nicely is anything but.

“I need to go talk to Aria,” I tell him. “Give me a few minutes. I’ll meet you out front.” I turn and point to Marcel and Gabe. “And you two, don’t take your eyes off her.”

“I’m putting them all in one room. They’ll be fine,” Gabe says.

I laugh. Gio, Vin, and I might be the ones heading into a fight, but Gabe and Marcel are gonna be stuck in a room with all our wives and two toddlers. I think they’ve got the tougher job here. I know how Eloise gets when Gio is out doing anything like this. She panics. She can become hysterical. I don’t know how Aria will react, but I’m hoping having Drew here will make things a little easier for her.

I’ve watched him over the past few days, talked to him even. He has a way of distracting Aria by blabbering on about absolute nonsense. I still don’t trust the guy, and I’d love to say I trusted Aria. I suppose in a way I do, but there’s a part of me that just won’t fully let myself trust. I’m not sure I ever will.

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