Page 87 of Cruel Secrets

Somehow, I don’t think that she and her sister ever fought like this. Noah certainly didn’t, given his massive age gap with her.

Her eyes water as she spins and stalks back up the stairs.

Ellie sighs and races after her, taking the stairs two at a time while Sean and Dominic stand at the edges of the living room, ready to get between me and Aiden again if they need to.

I approach Aiden, careful to stay out of his reach. “I’m not going to be separated from my family. If you’re sending them to Vermont, then I’m going with them.”

“That’s not how this is going to work. I need you in New York.” Aiden wipes the blood from his face with the hem of his shirt before cupping his nose and setting it.

“And I need to be with my family.”

“You’re both ridiculous,” Skyla says, walking downstairs with a towel pressed to her gunshot wound and Ellie trailing behind her. “The pair of you need to put the egos to the side and just learn to get along with each other. Royce is happy and I think that’s the only thing that matters, don’t you, Aiden?”

Aiden scowls at her. “I thought I told you to stay out of this.”

“Yeah, well, there isn’t time for everyone to keep fighting.” Skyla pulls the towel away and sets it to the side as Ellie crouches in front of her.

“She’s right.” Gia follows Ellie and Skyla back into the room. She’s swapped the shirt for a pair of leggings and a black flannel. “We don’t have time for this. The scouts yesterday were just the first problem Noah is going to send now that he knows where we are.”

Aiden grits his teeth. “Royce will take Gia to Syracuse. Then they will head into Vermont. Skyla, you’re going to take Bianca.”

Gia scowls but she doesn’t say anything. Her gaze flickers over to Skyla who gives her a small nod.

I don’t know what’s happening there, but at least one person in my life is being kind to Gia.

Ellie sighs. “Skyla, we have to get you stitched up before we can go anywhere.”

Gia pulls a little kit out of her pocket and hands it over to Ellie. “Then you’re going to need to get stitching. The scouts have already been here and it’s only going to be a matter of time before the rest of Noah’s men get here, and then we’re all going to be dead.”

Aiden eyes her. “Your brother would kill you?”

“The only person he wouldn’t kill is Bianca. Right now, she’s the heir to the family and he wouldn’t risk losing that. I mean very little to him.” Gia shuffles closer to me, her hand finding mine.

I look over at Skyla. “Once you’re stitched up, go get Bianca. You and she are going to leave right away. I assume the rest of you brought your own cars. We’re going to trade cars and split up.”

“And when are you going to leave?” Aiden asks, his tone solemn. He glances at Skyla when she hisses, Ellie sliding a needle through her skin and beginning to close the wound.

My thumb brushes over the back of Gia’s knuckles. “We’re going to leave in the morning. We’ll pretend that we have Bianca with us.”

Skyla nods. “Noah isn’t going to be expecting us to leave right now. He’s thinking that we’ll be comfortable and that Matt is going to keep an eye on us.”

Aiden nods, wiping away more of the blood that ran down his face, though it’s drying to his skin. “We’re going to be quick about this. I want everyone other than Royce and Gia out of the house in ten minutes. We’re going to confuse them as much as possible. I want everyone taking different roads and if you notice someone following you, I want you to keep them in your sight.”

Ellie finishes stitching up Skyla and goes to the sink to wash her hands. “Is there a car seat in Skyla’s car already?”

Skyla nods and lowers her shirt. “I’ve been keeping one in there just in case.”

She leaves the room, heading up the stairs to grab Bianca.

The others exchange keys while I stand to the side with Gia, hoping that this all goes to plan. We have no way of knowing what Noah knows and what he doesn’t.

After the attack last night, I didn’t have time to question Matt, and I don’t think he would say anything either way. He spent years being deep within the Lynde organization and not once did I think he would ever turn against us.

Aiden nods to Dominic and Sean as they leave the house. “I’m going to be riding with Skyla. Ellie, you take my car.”

Ellie snags the keys out of the air as he tosses them to her. “Where is my niece? I want to meet her before we go.”

Gia’s hand drops from mine as Skyla comes into the room. Gia takes Bianca and hugs her tight, whispering something against her hair before holding her out to Ellie.

---