Total pages in book: 161
Estimated words: 149338 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 747(@200wpm)___ 597(@250wpm)___ 498(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 149338 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 747(@200wpm)___ 597(@250wpm)___ 498(@300wpm)
“Oh, come on, Briggs. Have you seen your uncle? The man is gorgeous. I think he’s better looking now than he was when I first met him. I mean, look at Lexi. She’s what? Twenty years younger than him?” Aubrey added, making Alex laugh. “Obviously the man has some pull.”
I laughed. I couldn’t help it. It wasn’t just a pull, it was a tight lock. “He’s umm… intense,” I replied, clearing my throat. “Amari doesn’t seem to think so. She adores him,” I added.
“Yeah… She’s loved him since day one. Austin and I were dumbfounded when he showed up in my hospital room right after I’d given birth. We hadn’t even told him I was in labor yet, but of course, he would know. He was the first person to hold her after Austin and I. It was actually his idea to name her Amari. He said she looked just like my mom.” She reminiscently smiled. “He’s been here for every important event ever since. He sends the kids gifts all the time, they Skype at least once a week. No one else matters when Unkey is around. He is definitely not the same man that raised me. Not even a little. I mean, hell… my bodyguard Esteban took care of me more than he did.”
He raised her? I started to feel like I didn’t know this man at all. What else has he kept from me?
Taking in my surprised expression, Briggs asked, “You didn’t know?”
“I just assumed it was work-related stuff when he would go out of town, or get back later than usual,” I candidly spoke.
“With my uncle, never assume anything. That’s the best advice I can give you. But he’s taken with you. I can see it when he looks at you. I’ve never seen him look at anyone like that before. My uncle is hard to live with and hard to love but you have to understand when he loves, he loves hard. It is the only way he knows how to.”
I didn’t know what to say, so I didn’t say anything. I sat there and fidgeted with my napkin instead.
“Do you love him?” Aubrey asked, taking me by surprise.
I simply nodded, unable to form the words.
“Then that’s all that matters. The rest will fall into place,” Alex chimed in.
“I’m going to get something to drink. I’ll be right back.” I excused myself, needing a minute.
All of this was a little overwhelming, I never had girlfriends to sit around and talk with. And the last thing I wanted was to answer questions I didn’t even have answers to. I spent the rest of the afternoon taking in what it truly felt like to have friends and to be a part of a family. They were all so close with one another, the love these men had for their women was indescribable. I’d never seen anything like it before. I loved them all instantly. The girls welcomed me with open arms, including his niece. I even caught Martinez having what appeared to be a serious conversation with Briggs at one point.
Were they talking about me? Maybe all of this was getting to him too?
I made my way toward the bathroom, looking at myself in the mirror for a few minutes, trying to control the overpowering emotions reeling in my core. I took a deep breath, making my way back outside, looking for Martinez. I hadn’t seen him for a while. Come to think about it, I hadn’t seen Austin or Dylan either.
“I just don’t think I can do it,” I heard Martinez say down the hallway out of nowhere.
My feet moved of their own accord, standing outside the adjacent door.
“It’s your only choice,” Dylan remarked.
“It is what it is, Martinez,” Austin asserted. “She will—”
The front door slammed open.
“Where is she? Mia, where the fuck are you?! I know you’re here!” a man with a deep southern accent barged in the house, hollering.
I ran past the office door where Martinez and the boys were discussing something that didn’t sound right, toward the commotion in the living room. A broad, muscular, tall man covered in tattoos, wearing a leather vest, was striding toward Mia. It all happened so quickly. No one had time to intervene. My eyes couldn’t move fast enough as the man barreled through the guests, trying to get right up into Mia’s face. Her dark brown eyes were wide and anxious.
“Creed!” Mia screeched, trying to back away.
The man didn’t falter, grabbing her arm, holding her in place. We all stood there in shock, watching in horror as the scene played out. Creed got right up in Mia’s face, hovering above her with a menacing glare. She cowered back.
“I found this in the trash,” he gritted through a clenched jaw and threw something at her.
My mouth dropped open. It was a pregnancy test.