Total pages in book: 118
Estimated words: 107118 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 536(@200wpm)___ 428(@250wpm)___ 357(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 107118 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 536(@200wpm)___ 428(@250wpm)___ 357(@300wpm)
Ky shook, his hands fisting at his sides. “And I’d say that as much as you hated him, Pop did right not letting you near this place.” He glanced at me and Hush, then said to Sia, “You’d have just become another whore who spread her legs for any brother that threw her scraps of their attention . . . like mother, like daughter.”
Sia stumbled back like Ky had just struck her. “Ky!” Lilah said. “Take that back!”
But Ky ignored his wife.
I should have known that would be what broke Hush. The minute Ky called Sia a slut, I should have predicted my brother would break.
The minute Ky mentioned Sia’s mother . . . fuck, mentioned her that way, he broke from me and cupped Sia’s face. “Don’t listen to him,” he said in Cajun French. Sia didn’t understand shit-all French, but the brother was fucking showing he was there for her. That he had her. “Ignore what he said.” My damn chest cracked. Hush knew what comments like that felt like. “You’re not a slut. Neither was your mamma.”
Sia gripped Hush’s wrists like he was her lifeline. I moved behind her, wrapping my arm around her waist. I met Ky’s furious gaze over Sia’s shoulder. I didn’t care anymore. “You’re nothing to me,” Sia whispered. Lilah sobbed across the room. Sia ignored it and stared down her brother. “Don’t come near me again. Stay away from my ranch. Stay the fuck away from me, period. What you’ve said to me today . . . about Momma . . .” She ducked her head, and then lifted her chin, tears rolling down her cheeks. “I’ll never forgive you.” She took Hush’s hand, then mine. “Let’s go.”
We went to move, but Styx pushed Ky out of the way and lifted his hands. I couldn’t read sign; neither could Hush. But Sia, even though completely broken, translated, “You’re both suspended from the club. Church will be held next week, when the brothers will decide if you can stay.”
When Sia had finished blankly relaying Styx’s words, she turned on her heel and stalked out of church. I looked at Hush, who was paling with every minute that went by. I knew he couldn’t be in a good place. As if he sensed me looking, he lifted his dulling eyes and nodded. He needed to get home, and quick. He was too stressed. We ignored the fucking looks from the people in the bar and got into the truck. Sia curled against Hush as I turned on the engine and raced home.
What the ever-loving fuck just happened?
*****
I knew this day would come, I thought as I watched Hush pacing the living room. I’d always known the day would come when something broke him. When something would happen in our lives that made all the shit from his past come back with vengeance.
From the minute I saw Sia, realized how we both felt about her, I knew she was gonna be what caused his fucking high, impenetrable walls to come tumbling down. Brother couldn’t shut off his emotions forever.
I got in front of him and placed my hands on his shoulders. “Calm down, Val. You’re gonna fit.”
His face crumbled. He turned away and headed upstairs for the bedroom. Sia brushed past me and chased after him. I followed too. Hush was sitting on the edge of the bed, head in his hands. He was rocking back and forth.
Sia dropped to her knees in front of him and pulled his hands from his face. “Hush,” she whispered. “What’s wrong?” Her eyes searched his face. “This can’t be all because of Ky. Please . . .” she begged, eyes glistening. “Tell me.”
Hush stared into Sia’s eyes. I was a statue as I held my breath, waiting for what the hell he would do. He opened his mouth, but then his face fucking collapsed and his head dropped.
My chest cracked. Because I knew he wanted to tell her, but where the fuck did he begin? Why would Ky calling Sia a slut wound my best friend so bad? Why would the fact of us three—like this, how Hush needed to be—not being accepted stab the fucker right in his heart?
There were reasons for it all.
I watched as Hush tried to pull his shit together to tell her. His leg was bouncing, and I knew if he kept going this way, he would end up in a seizure.
So, I straightened my shoulders and started, “I met Hush when I was sixteen.” Hush froze, but Sia turned to look at me, eyes wide. Hush’s eyes focused on the floor, lost in what I was about to say, I was sure. Fuck, I didn’t want him to go back to those days. But Sia deserved to know.
We’d just been suspended from the club. We’d known the minute we made Sia ours we could lose our patches. We hadn’t said the words, but the minute we’d all ended up in bed, we’d made our choice.