Page 91 of Hide Little Traitor

It’s because of her. It always is with him.

Even before they officially started dating, his entire universe revolved around Chloe, and if he’s not careful, it’s going to get one, or both, of them killed.

Dad paces restlessly, his eyes flicking to the gym door every other minute like Ronan’s going to appear out of thin air.

We’ll be lucky if he gets here in the next half hour.

I did what I could to distract Dad when I first got here, asking him a bunch of questions I already have the answers to just so he wouldn’t look at the clock.

But I don’t know why I bothered.

Maybe if Dad gives him a good enough beating, he’ll start being on time.

Just thinking it makes my skin crawl, because I’ve done everything in my power to prevent him from being on the receiving end of our father’s fury over the years, taking more than my fair share of punishments on his behalf.

I need him to get his head in the game.

Our turn to lead may feel like it’s a lifetime away right now, but in reality, it will be less than a decade. Just long enough for me to marry Mikayla and him to finish college, and when he becomes my underboss, I’ll need him to put the family above all else.

Including Chloe.

He rushes into the gym a few minutes later, his eyes darting around the equipment that’s laid out on the mats.

“Sorry I’m late. I walked Chloe to Mom’s room on my way here, and she had fallen out of bed,” he explains. “I got her settled, but it took her a little while to calm down.”

The mention of our mother is usually enough to settle Dad’s anger, but he advances on Ronan so quickly I don’t even get the chance to warn him.

His fist flies through the air, cracking against my brother’s jaw so hard I wince as he stumbles back.

“You will be punctual to all training sessions, son.” He spits the word. “Your mother has full-time nurses to help her. Your job is to be here when I demand it, and you’ll do well to remember that if you don’t want the things you care about taken from you.”

“I couldn’t leave her on the floor crying!” he argues, and I blow out a sigh. He knows better than that. Arguing with Salvatore Lombardi is about as productive as arguing with a brick wall, except a brick wall isn’t going to land you in the hospital.

“You will do as you’re told, when you’re told, or I’ll organize for that little girlfriend of yours to be married off to another family.”

“You can’t do that!”

“Oh, I absolutely can, Ronan, and I suggest you remember who’s in charge here and who allows you to run around with that little bitch.”

He turns away, striding toward the door with fury rolling off him.

“Hand-to-hand combat today. I’ll be back to check on you in an hour, and I better not find either of you slacking off.”

We each stare after him, but it’s not until his footsteps disappear in the distance that I move toward my brother, tilting his chin to get a look at the bruising already pushing to the surface.

One thing you can be sure of with our father? He’s never going to pull a punch.

“Why did you argue with him?” I snap.

“Because he was being unreasonable.”

“When have you ever known our father to be a reasonable man?”

“He usually is when it comes to Mom.”

I nod, because he’s right. Usually anything to do with our mother is his number one priority, even before the family, but maybe that’s changing.

She hasn’t wanted him near her the last few weeks, and I can’t tell if she’s found out about his side pieces or if there’s something else going on.