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“Yeah. I agreed to the deal, but if I remember correctly, I was going to tell Gianna to fuck off; you are the one who told me to fuckin’ take it. So don’t come at me like I’m shipping you off like an innocent goddamn bride, Colten.”

I open my mouth to respond, but can’t. Instead, I laugh.

“Do I really sound like a little bitch?” I ask.

A grin twitches at his lips. “Yeah. A bit. You’ve been in a grump since we got Ace back. I thought you were processing. I thought the wedding wasn’t bothering you.”

I take a breath. The truth is, for the first time in my damn life, when Ace was kidnapped, I was scared. I was petrified I was going to lose him. We already lost one brother; I can’t lose Ace or Hunter.

But getting married? To a woman whose family tried to tear mine apart? I can’t shake this feeling I’m inviting the devil into our safe space.

This land is sacred. This is our life; everything is to protect it. Hunter and Lola, their kids. Ace and Harper, expectin’ a baby. I’m surrounded by love. By growing families. Hell, even the weird as shit relationship Violet and Jett have. Tate has an on-and-off girlfriend who seems to hate his guts—I’m not sure I’d want that last option.

And then there's me, fuckin’ around with anything that moves to try and feel something. Ain’t had a serious girlfriend. Ain’t ever been in love.

But, deep down, I hoped I’d meet a girl, and I’d fall so hard she’d bring me to my knees. And we’d bring up our own family here, alongside my brothers.

Instead? I’m marrying a woman I don’t trust. A woman who could bring me to my knees, only to slit my throat the second I blink.

“It ain’t the idea of marriage I had in my head, Hunter. We’re already lookin’ over our shoulder every two seconds, waiting for the next bomb to drop, and now I gotta live with my own fucking grenade of a woman.”

He chuckles, taking a step closer. “You ain’t gotta live with her. It’s a marriage on paper for a deal. She’s going to be busy planning world domination back in LA. Your life isn’t going to drastically change. You can still fuck who you want. Work all the hours God gives. And then, once Enzo makes his moves, the Milano family won’t even exist, and you can pretend this never happened. We’re using her as much as she thinks she’s using us.”

I swallow. I don’t like the sound of this. Gianna is not a woman you walk over and get away with it.

“Yeah? Then why did I get a call from Harper telling me that she and Dominic will be residing on Sterling Ranch for the foreseeable future after the wedding?”

Hunter frowns.

I pick up the bale of hay. “That’s why I’m shoving coke in a trailer; I don’t want her nosing on our business.”

“And you didn’t think to mention this?”

I sigh. “Hunter, you’re busy with Willow and Wyatt. Ace is building his dream home. I told you I’ll handle this, didn’t I? That the shipments, the mafia bullshit we have to deal with, that falls on me for a while, Gianna included. If I think something warrants a family discussion, I’ll tell you. But we’ve got Jett and Tate now, their ranch right next door. We’ve got the manpower. We’re good.”

Hunter takes the hay from me. “I haven’t disappeared on you, Colt.”

“I know. I need to keep busy, alright? So, help me load this shit up, so I have time to shower before I see my bride.”

Hunter snickers. “That’s the spirit. You know she’s here already? Have you seen her?”

My heart races way more than it should. I shake my head. “Bad luck, isn’t it?”

I withhold the fact that I was spying on her last night.

His eyebrow arches. “I think we’ve had enough of that.”

“Exactly my thought.”

For some reason, Ace’s sweet wife, Harper, sees some sort of good in Gianna. Enough to call her a friend. Which makes me think perhaps she isn’t the viper I assume… all of the time.

Hunter nods.

I’m that fuckin’ stressed I wish I did take Romeo up on his offer; I bet I’d feel a hell of a lot better if I had.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Gianna