It was a quarter til 11 o'clock when Tyler stepped out of the Salvatore Manor. The time had come for him to hand off his protection duties to Matt until 8 o'clock the following morning. Starting tomorrow, they would each work 12-hour shifts protecting Bonnie and Sarah. He popped a cigarette between his lips and lit it as he walked out to Matt's truck. Tyler climbed inside and closed the door to afford them a little privacy. Guards were always patrolling the property to protect the family from threats and the occasional rogue photographer. However, Alaric had assigned even more men to protect the house as they barreled into an uncertain future.

Tyler took a drag from his cigarette and said, "Bonnie had the staff set up a spot for you in the alcove down the hall from her bedroom. She made sure that it is stocked with snacks and shit in case you get hungry while you're on duty. You also need to stop by the study to see Zach before you start your shift. He's going to give you access to the manor's external security cameras."

Matt nodded in understanding. His eyebrows furrowed in concern as his thumbs drummed against the steering wheel. "How is she?"

He huffed and shook his head. "You know, Bon. She's the fucking Rock of Gibraltar as always. She is more concerned with making sure we lock shit down. How did your trip to see your gramps go?"

Matt hadn't expected anything else from Bonnie but he had been worried for her all the same. He said, "He was able to get our guy in Lompoc to hand over the visitor's logs for Shane. Freddie has been visiting him every week for months now."

Tyler cursed, "Cazzo traditore. I'll tell Bonnie in the morning. We might have to clip him inside the prison. Do we have anyone on the inside that can make it happen?"

"Gramps already suggested having my uncle Robbie take care of him. Ain't like he's ever getting out of there anyway," Matt said with a shrug.

Matt had the distinction of both sides of his family being connected to the Salvatore organization. He was part of the fourth generation of Maxwell men to work for them. However, he and the Salvatore boys were distant cousins through his mother's side of the family. His mother's family had been loyal to the Salvatores until Domenico betrayed Alonzo Lockwood. It hadn't taken much effort to convince Rob Sr. to change his allegiance to the Benedetto family.

He nodded and said, "I'll talk to Bonnie in the morning and get back to you. Hopefully, you'll have a quiet night here. Call me if anything happens."

"I'm not going to take offense to you implying that I can't handle anything that might happen on my watch."

"It's not like that," Tyler replied with a pinched expression.

The blond man chuckled. "I'm just fucking with you. Get out of here. It'll be eight o'clock before you know it. We both know you're not a morning person."

"You're an asshole." Tyler shook his head with a mirthful expression as he climbed out of the truck. He walked down the winding driveway to his car and climbed inside.

Tyler felt exhaustion tugging at the back of his eyelids as he drove off the Salvatore property. However, he couldn't go home and fall into bed just yet. Tyler's father and uncles were waiting for him at his parents' house. He was sorely tempted to crash in his old bedroom after they finished talking. Driving home after the meeting sounded as if it would take more energy than he currently had to give. Unfortunately, while his body was ready to give out, his mind was working overtime.

The brooding young man was grateful that there wasn't much traffic at that time of night. Therefore, it didn't take him very long to make it out to his family's house in Santa Clarita. He parked on the street since the driveway was already full. Tyler killed the engine and sniffed his shirt. Of course, he smelled like an ashtray. He groaned as he searched his glove compartment for a bottle of Febreeze. Tyler settled for a can of body spray instead. He spritzed his clothes hoping that it would mask the cigarette smell. Afterwards he climbed out of the car and headed up to the house.

He walked around to reach the house's side door and entered the kitchen. Tyler smiled seeing his mother loading the dishwasher in her bathrobe. "Hey, Ma."

Carol turned around at the sound of her only son's voice. "Hi, honey. Are you hungry? I was just putting away the leftovers."

He locked the door and shook his head. "No, I'm not hungry. I ate while I was working tonight. Where is everyone?"

"They're downstairs in the basement waiting for you. Are you sure that you aren't hungry? I can heat up a little something for you. I made stuffed pork chops, au gratin potatoes, and roasted asparagus."

He looked tempted for just a moment and then shook his head. They had business to get to downstairs. He pecked her cheek and said, "Nah. I should get down there. Put some aside for me and I'll grab it on the way out."

Carol smiled triumphantly. "I'll hide a plate for you in the vegetable crisper to keep it away from Brady."

"Thanks, Ma."

She wrinkled her nose and lightly slapped his cheek. "What did I tell you about smoking cigarettes? You wanna get throat cancer like my father?"

Tyler winced and said, "I'm trying to quit, Ma. I promise."

"You better," Carol said.

"You'll probably be in bed before I leave. I love you. And I'll see you for Thanksgiving. I probably won't make it here until after dinner," Tyler explained as he grabbed a beer from the refrigerator.

She nodded in understanding. Carol wasn't involved in the family business but she kept her ears open when the men were talking. She said, "I love you, too. How is Bonnie doing?"

Tyler paused with his hand on the basement door. He didn't know how much his father had told her. He said, "She's doing okay."

"You keep her safe…okay?" Carol whispered. She turned around to hide her pained expression from Tyler.

Tyler stood there dumbstruck for a moment. An uncomfortable feeling settled into his bones and suddenly he had questions that he didn't want to be answered. He headed downstairs to the soundproof basement. The huge space had been finished with drywall and hardwood flooring years ago. It served as a meeting room/man cave for the Lockwood men. However, Brady's room and the gym also occupied the space.

Brady was sitting on an L-shaped leather couch that ran the length of two walls. He was finishing what was undoubtedly a second helping of Carol's dinner. Brady nodded to acknowledge his nephew when he walked into the room.

Mason turned off the television and moved to sit on the couch with his younger brother. He was exhausted and still had to go home to his wife and children. However, rest would be in short supply in the coming weeks.

Richard stood up from his recliner and clapped his son on the back. "How did the handoff with Matthew go?"

"It was fine," Tyler replied. He took a sip of his beer. "He's posted down the hall from Bonnie and Damon's bedroom. He also has a clear sightline to Sarah and Bella's room. He knows what to do if anything happens."

"That's good," Richard said. He trusted Matt almost as much as he trusted his son. The boy would protect Bonnie and Sarah from any threats—internal or external.

Tyler plopped down on the couch. "Bonnie's worried that we've got a problem and she's not wrong. Damon called John Gilbert out to the manor tonight. They were locked up tight in the study for well over an hour before Zach joined them. The three of them were still in the office when I left."

The frustration rolling off Richard's body was practically palpable. In the beginning, they had all been pleased when Giuseppe named John his consigliere. John's father, Jonathan, had been one of the first moles Alonzo helped Miss Emily plant in the Salvatore organization. Jonathan had been utterly devoted to the Benedetto family from that moment forward. However, his youngest son was more self-serving. John played his part but it was obvious that he longed for more power.

"Senior has similar concerns about Freddie," Richard revealed. He had spent over an hour talking to the elder statesman of the Donovan family.

Tyler nodded. "Matt told me that Freddie has been visiting Shane like clockwork."

The older man looked to his younger brother. "What was your read on John when you went to his house last week?"

Mason frowned and said, "He said all the right things but that is par for the course for John. He is too smart to say anything that we could use against him. Besides, was more interested in talking about his half-wit nephew. He was fishing around for information about Ric's daughters."

Tyler snorted. "He can't be serious. Josie and Lizzie won't even turn 15 for a few more weeks. There's no way Ric will even think of arranging a marriage for either of them."

Richard shook his head and said, "It's not too early to lay the groundwork for it. Giuseppe and Sheila had been working out the details for Damon and Bonnie's marriage long before she got sick. The cancer just sped up the timetable. John's looking for a way to secure their position in the organization. He knows that Ric and Damon both favor our family more than they favor his. Marriage between a Gilbert and a Salvatore would cement their importance…might even change Ric's mind about who should take his place as underboss in the future."

Mason was uncomfortable with how easily they traded the lives of their daughters and sisters. He had three girls of his own and couldn't imagine selling them off like cattle to gain a better jockeying position in the family. Yet his older brother had done that very thing to his only daughter.

The official story was that Lexi had fallen in love with one of Big John Benedetto's grandsons. Everyone believed that Cesare and Lexi met while she spent the summer with the Loiaconos in Milazzo. In truth, Sheila and Big John had orchestrated the marriage. The Lockwood family was Sheila's greatest ally. The marriage between Lexi and Cesare was meant to bind the two families in a more permanent way.

Mason said, "John might be a problem but it's mine to sort out. Bonnie told me to start looking into how many of our people are still loyal to the Benedetto family. I think I'll start with John's sycophants. We can't risk him outing Bonnie or us to the Salvatores to gain their favor."

Brady suggested, "You should try Freddie first. He's been suckling from John's teat since he became consigliere. If anyone knows which side John is playing, it will be him. Besides, it would be killing two birds with one stone since we need to know about his meetings with Shane."

Richard nodded in agreement. He had been thinking the same thing. Freddie would be a hard nut to crack but everyone had a breaking point. "I'll get drinks with Grayson after work tomorrow. He's always been the more sensible Gilbert. The rest of you are going to need to divide and conquer to get face-to-face time with all our people. We can't leave Bonnie in that house with Damon if there is even a chance that someone might tell him the truth."

"He wouldn't hurt, Bonnie. He wouldn't risk war with Big John," Tyler said confidently.

Brady scoffed. "Killing her while Giuseppe is on the run would be the perfect cover. He could blame it all on his father. It would get his old man and his wife out of the way in one fell swoop."

Richard could practically see the dark thoughts in his son's head. He decided to put his mind at ease. They couldn't afford for Tyler to do anything rash. He said, "I don't like Damon but he does love Bonnie. It's just in the screwed up way that all Salvatores show their love for the opposite sex. He wouldn't kill Bonnie if he learned of her betrayal. However, it doesn't mean that she wouldn't face consequences for her actions. He could lock her up in that fortress of a house and there wouldn't be much we could do about it."

Tyler's expression hardened. Giuseppe had done enough to isolate Bonnie from her family. He didn't want to imagine her being even more alone. "What should I do?"

"You worry about keeping Bonnie safe. The moment we think her safety has been compromised, we will pull her out of there," Richard promised.

"She won't leave without Sarah," he replied. He knew how much Bonnie loved that little girl. She had fallen in love with Sarah from the start. The baby had reminded Bonnie so much of herself—both abandoned by their mothers.

"I know. It's one of the reasons I was happy when she adopted Sarah. She is the girl's mother in the eyes of the law. Bonnie and Damon can fight for custody like any other disgruntled couple."

Tyler nodded but he didn't like playing fast and loose with Bonnie's life. He still worried that she had a Damon-sized blindspot. Normally, Tyler trusted her judgment and ability to plan for the unforeseen. He was scared that Damon would catch her off guard. However, he trusted his father and he trusted himself. Tyler would gladly carve Damon's heart from his chest to protect her. Fortunately, he was in the perfect position to do that.

Richard looked at his watch and rubbed at his tired eyes. "I am going to turn in for the night. We'll meet back here tomorrow night. Call the burner if anything important comes up before then."

The younger men all agreed. They knew that he was burning the candle at both ends just as they were. However, Richard had a real job at Velocita. He was the director of marketing. His presence would be missed if he was out of the office for any length of time.

Mason waited until he was sure that his older brother was on the main floor. He lifted an eyebrow at Tyler and asked, "Did you and Bonnie talk after I left?"

"Yeah?" he asked.

Brady chuckled. "He's trying to ask if you are banging the boss."

Tyler's jaw ticked in anger. He growled, "Watch your mouth."

Brady's smile grew even more. "You know that I wouldn't disrespect Bonnie. I was just trying to gauge your reaction. You've got it bad for her. Don't you?"

Mason was certain that Tyler's feelings for Bonnie weren't one-sided. Normally, he wouldn't interfere with his nephew's personal life. Unfortunately, they were on the edge of either getting everything they had been working for or plunging into a full on mob war. Now wasn't time for the two twenty-somethings to figure out their feelings for each other.

"If you want to keep Bonnie safe…then you keep this thing platonic until we're out of the shit," Mason said. "Damon might forgive her for going behind his back to protect her family. But you know he wouldn't forgive her for sleeping with another man. And he'd kill you."

"I'm not afraid of that asshole," Tyler snapped.

Mason said, "You're a fool not to fear a man with wounded pride, Ty. Damon is a selfish son of a bitch but Bonnie belongs to him. He'll kill you if he even suspects that you are more than just friends with his wife."

The younger man huffed but conceded, "He doesn't even know that we are really friends. I mean I am sure that he remembers us playing together as kids but he thinks that is all in the past now."

"Then you understand what I am saying to you. You are my only nephew and I am not about to lose you to that asshole's jealous rage. If you want Bonnie then you need to be patient."

"I'm with Elena," he argued weakly.

Mason rolled his eyes but decided not to comment on that doomed pairing. He said, "If you want Bonnie then you need to be patient. Damon isn't capable of changing. If he were then he would have done so already. His whore has been taunting Bonnie for years. He knows that now, yet Katherine is still holed up in the Salvatore villa in Tenerife. Bonnie will eventually grow tired of his bullshit. Just give her some time. In the mean time, keep your head in the game."

Tyler quietly considered what his uncle was saying to him. He was right that putting Bonnie in more danger was selfish and stupid. "You know Lucy was asking about you."

Mason asked, "Me?"

He chuckled. "No, she thinks you're an idiot. She was asking about Uncle Brady."

Brady raised an eyebrow as he thought about Lucy. He hadn't seen her in a couple of years but she had always been a smokeshow. "Yeah?"

"Yeah. She thinks that you are hot. She's definitely DTF. There was talk of tingles and fucking against walls," the younger man explained.

Mason huffed. He looked at his younger brother and said, "She's crazy. She pulled a gun on me this afternoon."

Brady grinned. It always looked so unnatural when he smiled. Therefore, a full-fledged grin was disturbing. "I like em crazy. How long is she in town?"

"She's here until Giuseppe is dead. If Damon won't put a freaking bullet in his old man's head, she will."

"Give her my number, Ty," Brady replied. He was seeing a couple of women casually but it was nothing serious. He liked keeping his options open.

The elder brother frowned deeply. "She's crazy and you know better than to shit where you eat, Brady. When you piss her off, there could be blowback for all of us. And you are going to piss her off—it's just part of your charm."

Tyler laughed as he took out his phone. He said, "You're just mad that she never gave you the time of day. Lucy has always been impervious to your bullshit. Anyway, Luce told me to give you her number. I'll text it to you."

"He's just not used to women being able to ignore the lure of those beautiful green peepers."

Mason rolled his eyes. "Says my blue eyed baby brother. I am happily married to a crazy woman of my own. I don't need more problems in my life. I'm just saying that Lucy is violent and crazy. Don't call me when she stabs your ass for looking at another woman."

Brady's phone buzzed when he received the next message from Tyler. He said, "I'm going to go give her a call."

"Seriously?" Mason asked.

"Yeah. She is probably foaming at the mouth because of Giuseppe and Damon. I could go for an angry fuck right about now," Brady replied. He walked down the hall to his bedroom.

Mason just shook his head and stood up. He didn't even know why he tried with Brady sometimes. Fortunately, his brother was all business where it counted. "I'm about to head out. Are you leaving, too?"

Tyler said, "Nah. I think I might hit the gym."

The older man gave his nephew a knowing look. He clapped Tyler on the back and said, "You might want to consider having a conversation with your old man. He's going to see your Saint Christopher's medal around Bonnie's neck and come to the same conclusion that I did. Don't blindside him on this, Ty."

He ran a frustrated hand over his head. "I don't even know what the fuck this."

Mason gave him a skeptical look.

"What? I don't."

He slowly sat back down. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Tyler glared. "Are we going to paint our fucking nails and eat ice cream, too?"

Mason smacked the back of his head. "Don't be a wise ass. This isn't just your life on the line. You know none of us would be able to just let it go if Damon had you clipped."

The younger man knew that his uncle was speaking the truth. He groaned, "Bonnie and I kissed the night she came to my house. She was crying. I was ready to murder Giuseppe. It just happened. I know that sounds lame but it is the truth. It just happened. It didn't go any further than that because she was in so much pain. We didn't talk about the kiss after that night. We just pretended like nothing happened until this afternoon. I was beginning to think that maybe the kiss was driven by adrenaline, you know…"

"This afternoon?" Mason asked. He braced himself for the worst.

Tyler rolled his eyes. "We kissed again. This time it was just…I don't know. Different. It was different. It wasn't rushed. It wasn't passionate. It was just…fucking right."

The older man sat there pensively for a few minutes.

Tyler became irate. "You ask if I want to talk but then you go as quiet as a mouse!"

"I'm thinking," he huffed. "You should try it more often. Maybe use that fancy college degree my brother paid for."

"Yes, I'm sure my double major in criminal justice and political science would really help me with this shit," he quipped with a small smirk.

Mason chuckled deeply. "I will never understand what you were thinking."

"It was meant to be ironic. Then I realized that I actually liked both subjects," he explained sheepishly. Tyler had considered going to law school for a minute. However, the rigors of law school and his real job wouldn't have meshed well. Instead, he took a corporate security position at Velocita.

He smiled wryly. "Look it seems like you aren't sure what's happening between you and Bonnie. She's married and you are dating Elena. You both have some things to sort out first. I'm all for what's good for the goose being good for the gander. Except in this situation, the goose is a homicidal asshole that dropped his first body at 14 years old. You don't need those types of problems unless you're both sure."

Tyler grimaced but nodded. "You're right. I know that you are right. The last thing Bonnie needs to be is the other woman. She's had enough of being someone's second or third choice."

Mason said, "I am glad that you are seeing my point of view. For a minute, I thought I was going to have to get Dickie down here."

He chuckled. Few people dared to call his father by his childhood moniker. Richard might have the persona of a boring corporate suit. However, everyone in the family had seen the brutal lethality he possessed. "I don't need Pop losing sleep over anything else."

Brady walked out of the back smelling of cologne. He had already changed clothes.

Mason asked, "Where are you going?"

"Lucy and I are going out for drinks," Brady replied.

Mason groaned. "Looks like I'm 1 for 2 tonight. Let's hope I fare better with Freddie in the morning. I'm going home before Vick sends out a search party for me."

Brady chuckled. "I'll walk out with you. You can express all of your freaking agita about my situation."

Tyler shook his head at his uncles as they argued on their way upstairs. He took out his phone and pulled up Bonnie's number. He considered calling just to check on her. Tyler sighed and dropped the phone onto the coffee table. It was as if his uncle's lecture had just gone in one ear and out the other.

He stood and walked to Brady's room. He decided to borrow some workout clothes. He needed to burn off whatever was eating at him before he had to go back to the Manor in the morning.