Total pages in book: 80
Estimated words: 76381 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 382(@200wpm)___ 306(@250wpm)___ 255(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 76381 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 382(@200wpm)___ 306(@250wpm)___ 255(@300wpm)
I turned my face into his chest, breathing in his crisp, spicy scent as his arms went around me.
It had been so long since I felt a man’s arms around me. The comfort of it, the security of it, only made me cry harder.
Callow, the poor soul, didn’t try to say anything. He just held onto me as I purged all of the feelings I’d been dragging along with me for far too long.
When the tears finally stopped pouring and I managed to catch my breath, the embarrassment had me starting to pull away.
Only for something in the corner of my eye to catch my attention.
And there was my daughter.
Watching me.
Looking horrified.
“Hey,” Cali said, coming up behind Daphne. “Let’s give your mom a couple more minutes, okay?” she asked, reaching to steer Daphne away as she looked at me, eyes wide.
“Great,” I said, wiping hard at my cheeks as I sniffled.
“Maybe it’s good,” Callow said.
“What?” I asked, not able to look at him after that little breakdown.
“That she sees her actions have impact,” he said, shrugging.
“Maybe,” I agreed.
I’d always tried to be stoic for Daphne. I think it was a way of overcompensating since she would have no one else to go to if I was emotionally fragile. There was no one coming to entertain her while I broke down. So I just… kept it together.
Even when we were days away from being evicted. Even when the lights got cut off or I was trying to make twenty dollars feed us for a week. Even when I was sick, exhausted, anxious, depressed. I had to be that stable person for my kid.
So aside from the occasional time when I was physically hurt—like when I’d broken my wrist or sliced off the tip of my finger—I didn’t let myself cry in front of her.
I thought it was for the best.
But maybe Callow was right. Maybe she needed to see that her actions had both physical and emotional consequences for others aside from her.
Callow’s bullet wound from saving her.
My tears of just absolute overwhelm.
“Things are gonna be alright, Sabrina,” Callow said, voice like a soothing balm over sore wounds.
“I know,” I agreed, glancing over at him. “I will figure this out,” I added, climbing off of the table as my resolve came back little by little. “Thank you for saving my girl. And for calling me. And… everything,” I said, feeling like I needed to put some distance between us. Because every fiber of my being wanted to run back into his arms.
“Babe,” Callow called, making me turn back, finding him watching me with those gorgeous blue eyes.
“Yeah?”
He paused, like he didn’t know what he was going to say. Then settled on, “If you need anything…”
“Thank you,” I said, feeling teary-eyed again.
I had to blink away the tears as I moved back into the clubhouse, surprised by just how unexpectedly good it felt to have someone offer me help.
“Mom?” Daphne called, voice small, almost like a girl several years younger, as she looked at me.
“We should get going,” I told her. “These guys have… a lot going on,” I added, hearing the rumble of men’s voices in the common room. “Thanks for hanging with her, Cali,” I said, forcing a small smile.
“Yeah… thanks,” Daphne said as she rushed to follow me out of the room.
I said nothing to the other men as I led Daphne out of the building and to our car.
I could feel her gaze on me as we got in and pulled out of the lot, but I didn’t quite trust myself to say anything just yet.
In the end, it was Daphne who couldn’t take the silence as we walked into our apartment.
“Mom?” she called behind me, her voice quivering. I turned back to find her eyes welling up. “I’m sorry,” she said, voice cracking.
Her head fell as the tears started to slide down her cheeks.
Maybe Callow was right.
She needed to see me break down in order for her to be able to open up to me as well.
I walked back over, wrapping my arms around my kid in a way she hadn’t let me for almost a year.
As we stood there, I was sure that things had finally taken a turn.
There was no way I could have known what chain of events had been put into motion that afternoon. And how my daughter and I were going to find ourselves wrapped up in some sort of street war between criminal organizations.
CHAPTER SIX
Callow
“Everything okay with that?” Fallon asked when I made my way back into the clubhouse.
Sabrina’s tears were still wetting through my shirt. I swear I could still feel the way her body vibrated with sobs as I held her.
I’d only ever heard one other person cry like that in my life. When someone had seen his best friend get shot while we were on a mission.