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“Dominic,” I seethe. “Get it together. I’m going to need you to drive me home, look after me, and feed Colten some bullshit about why I can’t come home until my bruises go down. I need you to not be in a hospital being fed from a tube again. We both know he doesn’t go as hard on me. I have to take this one.”

His eyes glass over, and I do everything in my power to stop my own tears from falling.

“This madness has to end, Gianna. We can’t keep playing rock, paper, scissors over who gets beat the worst this time.”

I draw in a sharp breath. “I know; that’s why we’re doing what we’re doing at Sterling Ranch, Dom. We’re forming alliances with families that will help us. We’re close.”

I stretch out my pinky finger to him. “I promise, little bro. Just like I always have, we will get out of this, and we will reign over this empire soon.”

He wraps his little finger around mine.

I kill the engine and toss Dom the keys, opening the driver's door. “If I’m not back here in an hour, come and get me.”

He drops his head. I know this kills him inside that he can’t fix this for me. But this is all we know. Punishments mean power.

“G, remember what he does isn’t out of love,” he mutters.

I slide out of the car, holding onto the metal frame. “It’s the only way he knows how, Dom. And it might be fine. He might understand.”

Or, that’s what I’ve told myself since I was a kid. This is how we get stronger, how I stand up against men twice my size. If my father didn’t treat me like this, I wouldn’t be who I am today.

With my head held high, my heels click along the pavement as I round the corner to Dad’s complex and jab in the security code next to the iron gates.

If hell were a place, I think it would feel like this.

CHAPTER SIXTY-FOUR

Colten

I stopped by Gianna’s place first, and her car wasn’t there, so I’m five minutes out from the second address, Vito’s. That nagging feeling in my gut has me pressing my boot down on the gas pedal.

I call her cell one more time, listening to it until it rings out. So instead, I call Hunter, who picks up within five seconds.

“You’re in LA?” he asks.

He must have gotten the flight information sent over.

“Yeah… I am. And I got a bad feelin’, bro.”

“Jesus Christ. Did you not learn from the last time we went to LA? Bad shit happens to us there, Colt. Gianna is a grown-up, the heir to a mafia throne; she doesn’t need you to babysit her.”

“I ain’t doing that,” I snap.

Hunter doesn’t understand. He hasn’t seen what I have. The way she asked me if Wyatt is going to get punished for spilling water. The way she force-feeds herself to finish a meal until she looks like she might vomit.

Behind all that strength is a scared little girl who has had no one to save her. And that narrative is about to change.

“Then why did you run after her?” Hunter asks, calming his tone.

“Because I think some fucked up shit goes on in her family, Hunter. And after what went down with Levi, Gianna needs me.”

Hunter sighs. “Are you sure you ain’t creating a story that means you can get her to agree to Romeo's offer? Do you want Vito to be the bad guy so Gianna kills him? Is that it?”

I frown. “What the fuck, no? I’m trustin’ my gut, like you always tell me to do, big bro.”

“Then fine. Do you need backup?”

I spot Gianna’s Rolls parked and slam on the brakes. Dom turns to face me, his eyes blowing wide.