Total pages in book: 82
Estimated words: 79169 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 396(@200wpm)___ 317(@250wpm)___ 264(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 79169 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 396(@200wpm)___ 317(@250wpm)___ 264(@300wpm)
She sighed. “And what about Cat? Have you thought about her?”
“You think she’ll have an issue with it?”
“No, probably not, but I’ll need to talk to her.”
“Then talk to her.”
“So, you’re really serious about this?”
“Absolutely. We love each other, and this just feels right.” My eyes never left hers. “Doesn’t it?”
“Yeah.” She raked her teeth over her bottom lip, then nodded. “It does.”
“Then, say yes.”
18
REBECCA
Hours after he’d fallen asleep, I was still lying in bed staring up at the ceiling as I battled through the pros and cons of moving in with Thatch. I’d already gone through a similar struggle when I first discovered he’d been shot.
Seeing his wound caught me by complete surprise.
It had me questioning everything about my relationship with Thatch, but then I remembered the night he’d brought dinner to the house.
Cat’s eyes had lit up as she rushed over to him with a bright smile on her face and admired his freshly-shaved beard like he was a dear old friend.
It was a brief moment, but that said it all.
Thatch was loving and compassionate, and even though he had his secrets with his club, I knew I could trust him. Cat knew it, too. I could’ve thought of a hundred reasons why I should walk out that door, but all I came up with were ones to stay.
I ran into the same issue when I tried to think of why I shouldn’t move in with him. I’d start with the cons, and it wasn’t long before the pros would take over. I had no idea how long I’d lain there contemplating it all when I finally dozed off.
I woke up the next morning with Thatch giving me a gentle nudge as he whispered in my ear, “Hey, babe?”
“Hmmm?”
“There’s someone at the door.”
I didn’t bother opening my eyes as I told him, “It’s probably just Celeste. She’ll come back later.”
“You sure?”
“Mmm-hmm.” I rolled over and placed my head on his chest, then nuzzled closer. “I like waking up in bed with you next to me.”
“You could wake up to me every—”
Before I could finish my sentence, a woman shouted from downstairs, “Rebecca? Catherine?”
I shot up in the bed in a panic as I gasped. “Joyce?”
“Trevor’s mother?” Thatch asked as he eased out of bed and started putting on his clothes.
“I think so.”
I held my breath as I sat there listening for her to call out again, and I grimaced when I heard her shout, “Rebecca! Are you awake?”
“It’s her.” I turned to Thatch as I shrieked, “She’s in the house.”
“What the fuck?” he growled. “Don’t you have a restraining order on her?”
“Yeah, I do.” I jumped out of bed and put on my robe. “She has a key. I’ve been trying to get the locks changed, but the locksmith I use has been backed up for weeks. Oh God! What if she gets to Cat?”
“Not gonna let that happen.” He motioned his hand down the hall and ordered, “Get Cat and stay upstairs.”
With that, he walked out of the room.
I rushed down to Cat’s room and was relieved that she was still sleeping. I closed her door and prayed she wouldn’t hear when Joyce shouted, “Who are you?”
“That’s none of your concern, ma’am.”
“Where are Rebecca and Cat?”
“Also, none of your concern.”
“Of course, it’s my concern,” she argued. “Rebecca is my daughter-in-law, and Cat is my granddaughter. I need to speak with her.”
“She has a restraining order on you, ma’am.” Thatch’s tone grew fierce. “You no longer have the right to speak to her.”
Ignoring him completely, she called out to me again. “Rebecca! I know you’re here. I know you’re up there listening to me!”
“I’m not telling you again, lady. You gotta go.”
“Trevor’s dead!” Joyce cried.
Her words hit me like a Mack truck.
I’d wished him dead a thousand times, but even though he’d hurt Cat and me terribly, I’d never truly meant it. I just wanted him to leave us alone and let us get on with our lives.
I couldn’t move.
I couldn’t breathe.
I could only stand there and listen as she sobbed. “They killed him! They killed him in that Godforsaken prison. They killed my boy!”
Trying his best to be understanding of her anguish, Thatch told Joyce, “I’m sorry for your loss. I know this has to be tough for you, but breaking in here and carrying on isn’t the way to handle this.”
“You’re him,” she spat. “You’re the man she’s been seeing.”
“That’s none of your business.”
“It most certainly is!” Joyce turned her attention back to me as she called up the stairs, “So, this guy’s the reason you gave up on Trevor? He’s the reason you stopped caring if he lived or died! Trevor never gave up on you! He loved you and Cat right up until the minute they...”
“That’s enough.”
There was a scuffle below, and then I heard Joyce snarl, “Get your hands off me!”