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That was how long it had been since I’d been standing in her kitchen as I overheard what her son had said to her.
Like when Daddy would hit you and you made the ouchies better?
His words echoed in my brain on repeat, refusing to leave as I imagined scenario after scenario. I hated the images that popped into my head, spinning around and around, getting worse the longer I thought about it. I cracked my neck to the side, trying to distract myself—trying not to think about anyone hurting her.
But it was no use, because all I could think about was her—Peyton, the mom to two boys who had pain in her eyes unlike any I’d ever seen before. I needed to know more about her, I’d even dropped her into conversation with Romeo just so that I could attempt to get some kind of background, but he gave me next to nothing. All he said was that she’d moved in four months ago and he’d helped her carry in some furniture and that was the extent of it.
It wasn’t enough to sate the thoughts swirling around my head. It wasn’t enough to make me not wonder who she was and if she’d run away from something.
I shook my head as I tore my attention off of her house. Of course she’d run away. That wasn’t even a question at this point, not to me anyway.
Swallowing, I tried to not think about her at all, or the fact that her car wasn’t on her driveway. I had a job to do, important things to focus on, but my brain had different ideas on what it should and shouldn’t do in that moment and—
“I gotta head to a meeting,” Romeo said. His voice had me jerking, and I hated to admit my heart beat a little quicker at him leaving through the front door and ambling past me. “I won’t be back until late.”
I nodded, trying not to let anything show, but I wasn’t as good at that as he and Dad were. “Got it. I’ll be here.”
He tilted his head in acknowledgment, not saying another word as he sauntered to his car that was parked on his driveway. Mine was against the curb right in front of his house, a statement for anyone who drove down the street. There was no way you’d miss my bright green Dodge Challenger. Its custom paint job had cost a fortune, but it was so damn worth it.
I lifted my hand in a wave at Romeo as he reversed off the driveway, but he didn’t look back at me once. My older brother was the epitome of broody. His harshness was no doubt a product of the way he was raised, and even though I could be the same at times, I tried not to be the person our father had attempted to turn us into.
Only you can decide your own destiny. At least, that was what I kept telling myself.
I’d kept my attention focused until I could no longer hear Romeo’s car, but as soon as the roar of his engine was gone and the neighborhood silent, I felt my gaze drifting toward the house next door again. Only this time, I took a step away from Romeo’s front door. It was one step—just one—but it was a mistake, one that I didn’t realize until I felt the hard thump against the side of my head.
My legs went weak, threatening to lose control, but I managed to stay upright as I spun around, seeing the outline of the man that I was trying to protect Bailey from.
Gio Pozzi.
Fuck.
“Night night,” he murmured, then slammed an object onto my head a second time.
It was lights out immediately. Darkness surrounding me on all sides. Inwardly I knew I needed to fight it, but my body and brain weren’t cooperating. They were on different schedules entirely.
Until a hand softly landed on my shoulder and a wistful voice said, “Raf? Wake up.”
I groaned, wincing as thumping echoed in my head. My movements were slow and labored, my body not able to catch up with my brain quick enough.
“Please, wake up.” The hand on my shoulder became firmer, shaking me. “Raf.”
“I’m waking up,” I spluttered, opening my eyes and seeing Peyton’s face inches from mine. What the— “Peyton?”
“Hey.” She grinned, her full lips pulling up on both sides. “Are you okay?”
I blinked. Was I okay? I tried to take stock of everything, but I couldn’t comprehend what had happened apart from, “Where’s Bailey?”
Peyton shot up, her eyes wide as she snapped her head around to look at the open front door.
Fuck.
I tried to push myself up as Peyton went inside, and every part of me wanted to shout at her to wait for me, but I knew she wouldn’t listen anyway, not if everything I was thinking was true. Everything she’d done since she’d first seen Bailey was making more and more sense. She was trying to protect someone because she hadn’t been able to protect herself.
“What the hell?” Peyton gasped out. I couldn’t see her anymore, and as much as I tried to push myself up, my legs weren’t working properly. “Is she okay?”
“Leave,” I heard Romeo growl, and at the sound of his voice, something inside of me switched and I stood, using the outside wall as support. “Right now.”
“I asked if Bailey is okay.” I could imagine the look Peyton was giving Romeo right then, probably the same one she’d given me when she’d come around to give Bailey her number—a number I’d memorized. “I’m not leaving until she tells me herself.”
