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After Aiden left, Luca tipped his head at the door, gesturing for us to leave.
I bounced Sofia in my arms. “Wanna go in the pool with Daddy?”
Her face lit up at my question. I could have said anything, and she would have given me that adorable baby face.
“I’ll take that as a yes.”
My brothers kissed Sofia and Alex before we left the room.
On our way toward the back of the house, Alex said, “I’m not stupid.” She brushed her curls over her shoulder. “I know you’re trying to distract me.”
I shifted Sofia in my arms, so her head rested on my chest. “Can’t a man spend time with his wife and daughter without being accused of having ulterior motives?”
“Your brothers are keeping secrets from me.” She hooked her arm through mine. “And so are you. You know I don’t like when you lie to me. I thought we had a deal.”
“I’m not lying to you, Pet.”
She rubbed her pink glossed lips together. “No? Because I can tell when you’re lying. The muscle in your face twitches. I know all of your brothers’ tells. Even Luca’s.”
“Do you want the truth?”
Alex bobbed her head and blonde curls dropped onto her forehead. “You promised me, Damian. No sugar coating or lies.”
I couldn’t take any chances with her health. Not with the twins already putting enough stress on her body. Alex still had minor PTSD flashbacks that gave her panic attacks.
My nightmares slowed after Sofia’s birth. But I still had them, and so did Alex. Even Bash had dreams on occasion, dark thoughts about the night we killed Fitzy. That was the night he finally let go with me, when he stopped holding back because of his fears.
“I love you.” I squeezed Alex’s hand. “That’s why I made that promise. But you need to trust me when I say we’re not hiding anything from you.”
I hated lying. But it was a necessary evil to protect our queen and the babies growing inside her.
“Tell me one thing. Will Marcello be okay?”
I nodded, even though I couldn’t guarantee Marcello would come back alive. Not when he was dealing with forces outside of his control. His team and the Knights were going into this blind.
That was the truth.
And it hurt.
ChapterSix
MARCELLO
We met the local Knights at the temple beneath Devil’s Creek. Sonny and his brothers, Finn and Callum, were here. They had offered to go after Drake with us. But we needed them to stay behind and deal with the Irish.
Aiden wasn’t an option.
Alex needed him.
So that left Cole and me.
Cole stood beside me with his hands shoved into his pockets, a concerned expression on his face. I understood his pain because I didn’t want to leave Alex or our children. The doctor scheduled her C-section for the end of the month, and with all the stress, I was afraid she would deliver sooner.
What if I don’t come back?
Luca sat on the throne at the front of the dimly lit room, leaning forward with his elbows resting on his thighs. He blew out a deep breath as he studied each of our faces. “We’re in a precarious situation without Drake. He’s usually our eyes and ears.” His gaze shifted to me. “So that leaves you, Marcello.”
“I know Drake’s systems.”
