ACCIDENTALLY MARRIED TO THE BILLIONAIRE SINGLE DAD (Gabrielle and Damon) novel Chapter 161

CHAPTER 161

DAMON’S POV

Blood.

It was splattered across the walls, streaking the floor.

Rhys stood in front of it, an axe clutched in his hands.

A body was lying face down on the floor.

I had expected several things when I received my brother’s call.

But nothing prepared me for this.

I hesitated at the door.

Rhys noticed and turned, revealing more blood across his face and chest. His eyes were wild and unrepentant, yet strangely calm.

“Damon,” he said almost cheerfully. “You’re finally here, brother.”

I could only stare at him, my mind struggling to reconcile the sight of my brother with the horror behind him.

“What have you done?” I finally managed to ask, my voice low and shaking with controlled fury.

He lifted the axe slightly and ran a hand through his blood–soaked hair. “I killed someone.”

“Of course you killed someone,” I snapped, impatience cutting through my shock. “I can fucking see that.”

Rhys laughed.

“You always overreact. Don’t tell me you’re mad. Mad is boring. This…” He gestured to the body with the axe, “This is thrilling.”

My brows drew together in question. “What the fuck is wrong with you?”

He tilted his head, inspecting the axe in his hands like a toy. “Same thing wrong with you, brother. The taste for revenge.”

My fist clenched.

I wanted revenge but I wasn’t this reckless about it.

It had been years since I saw that look in his eyes–a look that I couldn’t decipher, but I knew it meant something was wrong with him.

I clenched my fists, trying to force my voice to remain calm. “Who the fuck did you kill?”

Rhys tilted the axe lazily, letting a droplet of blood fall to the floor. “Oh, come on, Damon. Don’t you even want to know how I am? Or if I sustained any injuries?”

I pinched the bridge of my nose and took a deep breath.

“Who did you kill?”

“Fine,” he said casually. “I killed Rocco’s boy. He got in my way.”

“This isn’t Rocco’s house,” I said.

“It’s one of my houses,” he responded. “I brought the bastard here. I was going to keep him until you came so we could question him together.”

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My gaze narrowed. “We never had that arrangement, Rhys.”

“I know we didn’t,” he said, wiping the axe on his pants. “But we also never had the arrangement of you sacrificing yourself again.”

The words came out like they were forced out of his mouth.

I pushed away from the door and stepped closer. “You’d better start talking while you still have my attention, Rhys.”

“Exactly!” He shouted, his chest heaving now. “I have always had to do shit like this to get your fucking attention for years.”

My jaw ticked.

I’d been avoiding this conversation for years, and I wasn’t going to let him bring it up now.

Guilt nudged in my chest.

God, I fucking hated emotions.

“Why did you kill Rocco’s boy?” I asked.

“He’s only collateral,” Rhys said with a shrug, almost smiling. “I was aiming for his Rocco. Life is messy.”

“Tell me Rocco didn’t see you,” I said.

“He didn’t, unfortunately,” he answered.

I let out a sigh of relief.

“His body would have b wasn’t Rocco’s house

re instead,” he continued. “I went to kill him, but found out my sources weren’t accurate. It

son’s.”

As

Locco’s boy I thought he meant a guard or an assistant.

t possibly belong to Rocco’s son.

Rhys smiled. “I killed Rocco’s heir. And it feels good because I know Rocco is suffering right now.

tarted ringing.

DFALwed down, as if time had paused.

head. “No.”

other,” he said, stepping closer to me. “I used this axe to kill him so easily. A weak heir, if you ask me.”

I started, voice tight, almost strangled. “You actually killed him?”

stepped closer, as if savoring the chaos, the thrill radiating from him in waves. “Yes.”

metallic scent of blood hung thick in the air and settled at the back of my throat.

forced my gaze away from Rhys and down to the body.

Slowly, I walked forward.

I crouched beside the body and grabbed the man’s shoulder.

“Don’t,” Rhys said.

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I ignored him and flipped the body over.

The bloodied face – well, half face–staring back at me was young and unmistakable Rocco’s son.

1 straightened slowly, wiping my hand with a handkerchief as I turned to face my brother.

There went the guilt 1 felt.

“I never cared about your recklessness as long as you stayed far away from me,” I said. “But this isn’t reckless, it’s stupid.”

Rhys grinned.

“There he is,” he said, “I was wondering when you’d start talking to me like family again.”

My jaw tightened, “Do you understand what you’ve done? Rocco won’t wait until a month anymore. You just fucked up my plans.”

His smile only widened.

“Good. It was beginning to get slow and boring. I just took over Diego’s seat and felt the need to help you. You’re fucking welcome, asshole,”

I stared at him, searching his face for some sign that he understood the weight of his actions. That he understood the avalanche he had just triggered.

But there was nothing

Only excitement.

“You’ve been planning too slowly for my liking,” Rhys continued, pacing slowly through the blood like it didn’t exist. “Like a boring old man.”

He stopped in front of me.

“Well, congratulations, brother,” he said. “You don’t have to plan anymore. I brought the fight to our doorstep. We just have to kill Rocco and that’s it.”

My hands curled into fists in an attempt to hold myself back from hitting him.

“Did you think for one second what would happen when the other Dons start coming for you?”

His expression fell. “Why would they do that?”

“Because you killed their leader’s son,” I answered. “And if you kill Rocco, how do you intend to handle the rest?”

He shrugged lightly. “Kill them too? I’ll kill everyone if I have to. You’re the one who has a problem with taking lives, not me.”

I was damaged, sure, but Rhys was far worse. I could see the craziness in his eyes.

I looked at the body again.

All my careful planning to spill as little blood as possible had just been torn apart by my brother.

My chest tightened but I pushed the feeling down and focused on the only thing that mattered now.

“You have a point,” he said, “Shit, I didn’t think about that.”

“No,” I responded calmly. “It’s obvious you don’t think at all.”

His eyes darkened.

“I thought about it when you pretended like I didn’t exist for years,” he said. “It’s not my fault our father was a cheat. Why do

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CHAPTER 161

you still hate me so much?”

I ignored the sting of that followed his question and pulled my phone from my pocket.

“You’re already cleaning up my mess?” he asked.

I typed quickly and sent the message. “My people will take care of the body.”

Rhys glanced at the corpse and then back at me. “Are you not even going to yell at me or call me a bastard? Nothing?”

“I don’t have the luxury of fighting with you right now.”

He stared at me as if I’d suddenly grown horns.

I hadn’t.

I had only just realized that I was partly responsible for why my half–brother was so fucked up.

Our relationship had been strained from the beginning, and it wasn’t either of our faults that Father was a cheat.

Yet I had always treated him as if he were to blame for everything.

It wasn’t fair, and I could see that I had been a shitty brother all these years.

But that still didn’t excuse his actions.

I slipped the phone back into my pocket and met his gaze. “Let’s go.”

He blinked

“That’s it?”

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1. ng.

ce like he was trying to find anger or disappointment there.

e’s no need to hide you anymore,” I said. “You’ll go back home with me. Italy is not safe for either of us anymore.”

eyes widened in surprise.

en a slow grin spread across his face. “So you won’t cut me off again?”

I didn’t answer.

“Interesting,” he said. “If I knew all it took was becoming a Don and killing someone important, I’d have done it years ago.”

I sighed in exhaustion, ignoring him as I walked toward the door.

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When I drove into the estate, I noticed Gabrielle pacing on the porch, biting her nails nervously.

My heart skipped a beat.

The sight of her almost made me forget that Rhys had just set our lives ablaze.

Her pretty eyes fell on my car and I could see the instant relief in them as she waited for me to alight.

I parked the car in the driveway and turned to my brother. “I know you’re a Don now and you can take care of yourself, but I can’t let you stay here. Come with me.”

Rhys ran a hand through his hair and looked toward the house.

He leaned back in the seat and let out a short laugh

“So you’re not leaving me,” he said. “You’re actually bringing me with you. And I can come out of hiding?

“Yes”

His grin returned quickly,

“Alright,” he said. “Give me a minute.”

He stepped out of the car and walked toward his house without another word

I stayed in the driver’s seat and closed my eyes for a moment.

Everything had moved too fast today,

Then I stepped out of the car.

The sound drew her attention and Gabrielle rushed down the steps, running towards me.

She crashed into my arms, and her hands grabbed the front of my shirt, holding on tightly.

I wrapped my arms around her and pressed a kiss to her head, feeling all my worries disappear instantly.

“I have missed you, wife,” I said.

God, she smelled so good and felt soft.

She had her face buried against my chest, and then suddenly, she pulled back.

I saw her eyes clearly under the porch light.

They were red and her lashes were wet like she had been crying

My chest tightened. “What happened?”

Her hand moved before I could react and a slap landed across my face.

The sting spread across my cheek, but I just stared at her in disbelief.

She looked furious.

Her chest rose and fell quickly. “I thought something had happened to you. Don’t you dare try to die on me again!”

I didn’t get the chance to respond when she grabbed my collar and pulled me down.

Then she rose on her toes and kissed me.

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