Total pages in book: 77
Estimated words: 74589 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 373(@200wpm)___ 298(@250wpm)___ 249(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 74589 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 373(@200wpm)___ 298(@250wpm)___ 249(@300wpm)
“Look,” he says as I get closer. He’s holding his gun up aimed at someone. I realize there’s a girl on the floor in front of him, trembling in the corner beside the ladies’ room. “Look at her, Nolan.”
I stare down at Kady.
She looks at me, tears streaming down her face, streaking black makeup along her cheeks. “I’m sorry,” she sobs. “I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t be here. I shouldn’t have come back. I knew this was a mistake but I couldn’t help myself.”
“Kady,” I say and step closer. “What the hell were you thinking?”
“This is what you brought into our lives,” Eric says, pointing the gun at her head. “This is why I’m so angry. You think I’m the traitor? Look at this, Nolan. She’s living in your fucking house, and she’s drinking at an ORB bar. I didn’t stab you in the back all those years ago, but it looks like you’re stabbing me and the whole crew in the chest with your stupid goddamn decisions.”
Kady sobs and shakes her head. “I’m not drinking, I swear, I’m just looking for Jaxson.”
“What different does it make if you’re drinking or not?” Eric waves the gun around and I’m worried he’s going to shoot someone by mistake. He stares death at me. “I didn’t rat on Cora. I didn’t hurt her mother. And I hate you for asking it.”
“All right, Eric, I believe you.” I move closer and crouch down. “Kady, what the hell are you doing here?”
Eric shakes his head. “Who cares? I’m going to do what you never had the balls to do.” He holds the gun out, aiming at her face.
She yelps and goes still and stares up into my eyes. “Please, don’t,” she whispers. “Please, don’t hurt me, I’m pregnant.”
We all freeze.
Eric blinks at her and most of his anger drains away. Kady’s crying harder and saying it, over and over. I’m pregnant, I’m pregnant.
Everything clicks into place.
“That’s why you can’t seem to let him go,” I say and put a hand on her shoulder. Eric reluctantly lowers the gun. “You’re pregnant with Jaxson’s baby. That’s why you’re not drinking tonight.”
“I’m sorry,” she says and wraps her arms around herself. “Don’t tell Cora, please.”
I laugh bitterly and get to my feet. “You gonna kill a pregnant girl?” I ask Eric.
“No,” he says and looks at me sideways. “You gonna break this to Cora?”
“Someone has to.” I grab Kady by the arm. “Come on.”
“You’re going to tell her?” she asks, sounding panicked.
“I’m sorry.”
She slumps forward, resigned, and lets me drag her back into the main room. Eric covers us as we escape back to the Rover. Once inside, I start the engine, and drive away from the brewery as fast as I can.
“Tom and Alex will take the guns back to the club,” Eric says, staring out the windshield. “We’ll figure out what we have back there.”
“Sounds good.”
“You going to deal with her?”
I nod once. “I have to.”
“I understand.” He looks at Kady in the rearview mirror. “I almost feel bad for her.”
I grunt in response and pull into the parking lot of the Lonely Cat. Eric gets out, but before he can close the door and walk off, I reach out and hold it open. “About what I said.”
“Do you trust me?” Eric looks into my eyes. “I mean it, do you trust me? No bullshit.”
“I trust you.”
“All right. We’ll get past it.” He bangs his fist against the car door and walks off.
I’m not sure how we’re going to do that exactly, but I meant what I said. I don’t think Eric’s the one that fucked Cora—but if it wasn’t him, then who?
I turn around and look at Kady. She’s an exhausted and emotional mess.
“Ready to talk to your sister?”
“No,” she says.
“Too bad.” I put the car into gear and drive.
Chapter 18
Cora
“What were you thinking?” I stare at Kady as she sits on the couch with her knees pulled to her chest. Nolan’s outside giving us some space and all I want to do is break down sobbing like a child. I’m wobbly, unsteady, trying to piece everything together in my head—
And so much makes sense now.
“I should’ve told you. I’m sorry.”
“Kady,” I say and move closer to her, but she shakes her head.
“No, don’t, please. I don’t want you to turn into big sister Cora with your pity and your answers. I know I’m just the fuck-up little sister that can’t keep her shit together, but I don’t want you to treat me like a moron, okay?”
“I’m not trying to do that. I’m just trying to help.”
“Help less. Support more.” She leans back and puts her hands on her belly. “I’m pregnant, Cora, and this baby’s coming.”
I sink down onto the couch next to her. “That’s why you couldn’t let him go, right?”
“That’s what he was blackmailing me over from the beginning.” She stares at her hands with a far-off expression. “He was forcing me to let him be this baby’s father, even though I told him I don’t want some motorcycle gangster as my baby’s daddy. I want to raise this child on my own, you know? I don’t need him, but he wouldn’t let it go, and the more I thought about it, the more I realized this child’s going to want to know who their father is, even if he’s a piece of shit. I couldn’t let him go.”