Page 65 of Hide Little Traitor

I ate a quick dinner that Ronan threw together, and true to his word, when I was in the cellar, he still couldn’t cook to save his life.

The spaghetti wasn’t quite cooked through, and the sauce was a little cold, but I ate it without comment, knowing once my belly was full I could retreat.

I’ve never been more confused and conflicted about my own emotions than I am right now, and although I haven’t seen Damon since he stormed outside an hour ago, I know it’s because of him more than anyone.

As shitty as the things he said about me were, they didn’t come from a place of hatred, and I’m starting to wonder if they ever did.

Was his cruelty toward me a way to protect himself back then?

I shake off the thought and pull out an oversized shirt I’ve taken to sleeping in.

There’s no justification for how Damon has treated me, and I refuse to excuse any of his shitty behavior.

Slipping into bed, I turn onto my side and flick off the light, making the room fall into complete darkness.

The quiet is deafening out here. No cars in the distance. No appliances humming. Outside these walls there’s nothing but wilderness for miles, and I’m as comforted by that as I am unnerved.

There’s also the worry that the four men on the other side of the door are going to kill each other while I’m not there as a buffer, but I try not to let that thought get to me.

They’re adults, and the fact that they’ve gotten into multiple arguments in the brief time they’ve spent together is their own issue to work through.

Or at least that’s what I tell myself.

I should be reveling in my alone time after an emotionally charged day, but I find myself missing them now there’s a door between us, and that’s all I need to know I’m fucked.

Because there’s no reality where I have a happily ever after with all four of them, and that means I’m destined to have my heart broken into four pieces.

CHAPTER FORTY-ONE

RONAN

NOW

Ichecked on Damon a little while ago under the guise of handing him the shitty bowl of pasta I made.

He’s fine. Licking his wounds and insisting he doesn’t give a fuck about Chloe.

The problem is, my brother may be the master of shielding his emotions, but I see right through those walls he builds. I was too blind when we were kids, too wrapped up with being in love to realize Damon had those same feelings for her. He just never knew how to deal with them.

Ryker and Kingston sit on the couch, their bodies leaning over a small table covered in documents and maps.

It’s weird as hell being here with the man I’ve held responsible for Mom’s accident all these years, but the more secrets that are uncovered, the more confident I am that there’s more to the story.

The man in question glances up and nods for me to join them. He doesn’t stop talking as he fills a third glass of amber liquid and slides it across the table to me.

“Thanks,” I say, trying to tune into the conversation they’re having.

We’ve all but ruled out my family being responsible for the attack. After checking all the bodies, Damon and I couldn’t identify a single one of them, making it unlikely to have been Dad.

If it was anyone else, I’d consider the idea of hired mercenaries, but Salvatore Lombardi is the most paranoid man I’ve ever met. He wouldn’t trust a job like this to someone outside the family.

Which most likely means it’s one of Kingston’s enemies.

And boy, does he have a lot.

Hawk Security is responsible for the deaths of more than their fair share of high-profile criminals. From cartel leaders to shady senators getting their rocks off hurting innocent women, Kingston has coordinated their downfalls. The options are endless.

Ryker leans back and tugs a laptop onto his lap, his fingers flying over the keyboard quicker than I can track them.