“Don’t think you’re off the hook. I want details,” I mumble quietly so only she can hear me.
“You first,Queen.” Andi heads for the kitchen.
“I want to help!” Carter hops up, running after Andi while I make my way over to Kaylie.
“Is it okay if she helps us in the kitchen, Everly?” I ask.
“Sure thing. We’d love to help. She reaches for Kaylie’s hand, who grabs it without hesitation. “Let’s get your hair up in a ponytail and out of your face first, okay, sweetie?”
“Okay.” Kaylie hops up, taking her baby with her. She looks back over her shoulder and says, “Mason went outside to check on the animals. He said he’d be right back.”
“Thank you, sweetheart,” Gabe says, smiling.
“Tell Santa I was a big helper! Tell him I was extra good!” She squeals as she drags Everly toward the kitchen doors. Gabe chuckles as he comes to stand up.
“All right, Parisi. Let’s go. Trevor, go find Mason and tell him to get his ass in my office now.”
“On it, Pres.”
“Excuse me,” I call to my son. He smiles, spinning back and jogging over to where I’m still standing with my arms now crossed.
“Good morning, Mom.” Trevor kisses my cheek. “I’ve got to go.” He runs for the door to do Gabe’s bidding, and I feel Gabe’s breath on my neck from his laughter.
“You’ve got him well trained,” he teases.
I turn my head to kiss him on the lips. “You’re next.” His hand comes down hard, slapping my ass, and I yelp.
“Watch yourself, woman. Don’t forget I have a whole Christmas tree in my office full of interesting ways to handle your ass. Literally.”
Oh shit.
CHAPTER 20
GABE
Vincenzo follows me to my office and makes himself comfortable on the couch against the wall while I sit behind my desk. He sits relaxed, with his arm over the back of the couch and his leg crossed over his knee, like he owns the place.
“I must say, Gabriel. When I got the call from Sadie that you needed my help, I wasn’t expecting it to be for something so mundane.”
“So, Sadie called you.What exactlydid she say I needed your help with?” I swear if that girl has gone and dragged this club into another one of her crazy-ass schemes, I’ll lock her in the basement for a fucking month. Hawk can visit her to paddle her ass daily and nothing more. Of course, she’d probably just find a way to override the fucking system again and escape, the little shit.
“Don’t worry. My men and your prospect, Mason, have taken everything and stowed it away in the basement. We used the same hidden tunnel Kayce used the last time we were here. You remember?” He smirks, the smug bastard. My hand reaches under the desk, finding my gun holstered there as I toy with the safety and the idea of taking Vincenzo out.
It would only take one shot, and his watchdogs aren’t here to stop me.
That’s weird.“Where is Matteo?” I ask, knowing Vincenzo never goes anywhere without his right hand. We’ve had more than one standoff with both of them in the clubhouse.
“He’s home with Shea. She’s not ready to be around anyone in a leather vest just yet, as I’m sure you can understand,” he explains.
“Yeah.” I scrub my beard with my hand. “I guess I can understand that.” Shea was taken as a means of leverage when her traitorous father screwed over the Devil’s Order. We don’t know all the details of what happened to her, but she was in rough shape when we found her. When we went in to rescue her and bring her home to be with Hawk and get her help, she refused to move. Any time someone in a cut spoke to her, she shrank back into herself and whimpered.
It wasn’t until Matteo and his crazy-ass cousin Enzo showed up that she finally perked up. My guys watched on in wonder as Matteo sat his big ass down on the concrete cross-legged and spoke very softly to her. He didn’t reach for her or grab her in any way. He just sat, waiting for her to make a decision.
I still have no clue what the conversation exchanged between them was, but whatever he said, Shea agreed to leave with Matteo and allowed him to take her to his penthouse. Vincenzo’s woman, Mili, is a doctor who is very familiar with working with battered and traumatized women. They stayed at Matteo’s place for several days, making sure Shae got the best care. They even told us about a therapist who has been seeing Shae once a week to help her process through her trauma.
“How’s Hawk doing with it? Not seeing his sister, I mean. Knowing what she went through?” Vincenzo asks, seemingly genuine.
“He doesn’t talk to me much about it. Outside of the details Matteo gave about her care and the therapist, he’s kept his mouth shut. I’m sure if he talks about that shit, it’s with Sadie. But to be honest, he’s been so focused on taking care of his woman and making sure she’s good after everything she went through, I don’t know that he’s put too much thought into Shea.” I shrug. “I’m not even sure if he registers that she’s his sister since they never knew about each other before all the shit with Nate and Cusenza went down. He might be in denial. Not my place to work his shit out for him.”
