Total pages in book: 89
Estimated words: 88080 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 440(@200wpm)___ 352(@250wpm)___ 294(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 88080 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 440(@200wpm)___ 352(@250wpm)___ 294(@300wpm)
“Jordy,” I whimper.
His shoulders tense and he fists his hands like he might beat the shit out of Renaldo.
“You do as I ask and I’ll leave the little girl alone. Deal?” Renaldo pats Jordy’s shoulder like they’re best friends.
Jordy nods. I don’t understand what the implications of this will be, but I don’t like it. Renaldo terrifies me and everything he does is illegal. He’s going to pull Jordy under and drown him. Jordy whispered to me in the supply closet at his work—after Renaldo had beat the crap out of him a few weeks ago—that he’d eventually untangle himself from Renaldo, but that it’d take time and patience. I feel like we’re running out of both.
“Good boy,” Renaldo praises. “Run along. I’ll call you when I need you.”
“Roux,” Kayden grinds out. “I thought we were going to have dinner—”
“No,” I hiss out, glaring at him in accusation. “We’re not.”
He brought me right to his brother. I sure as hell am not having dinner with him.
I refuse to let his kicked puppy expression get to me. Instead, I hop into the car with Jordy and buckle in. The car kicks up gravel as he peels out of the lot. As soon as we’re on the road, he reaches over, taking my sore wrist in his gentle grip.
“I’m sorry, Little Hoodlum.”
Me too, Jordy.
Nothing can ever be easy for us.
Jordy
I see red.
Deep, bloody red.
The rage consumes me to the point it’s blinding. I want to kill him. Renaldo Ramirez needs to fucking die. How dare he touch Roux? How dare he threaten me with her? I knew he’d sniff out my weakness and use it against me. I just didn’t think it would happen so quickly.
Fuck.
This is going bad fast.
By the time I’ve reached the apartment, Roan and Hollis are already there. They’re both waiting outside, freaked the fuck out. As soon as I saw her text, I blew out of the restaurant so fast to get to her. Roan called me, losing his goddamn mind, but I told him to let me handle Renaldo. Roan would get his ass shot. At least Renaldo feels like he needs me in some capacity, which works to my advantage.
I’ve barely shut off the car before Roan is yanking open the door and pulling Roux into his arms. She clings to her brother, sobbing. We didn’t speak on the way home. I was too overcome with rage and she was trembling with terror. Roan has a way of calming Roux down when shit gets too rough. It gives me a sense of peace watching her relax as he whispers assurances to her. Hollis’s brows are pinched with worry.
“Come here, kiddo,” Hollis says, hugging Roux next.
Roan pulls out his phone and makes a call. He hangs up and nods his head for us to go upstairs. “They’re on their way,” Roan tells me.
Roux looks over her shoulder at me in confusion. We all pile into the apartment. Hollis sets to fussing over Roux, making sure she doesn’t want anything to eat or drink. Roan and I sit at the table wearing matching scowls.
“How did your meeting go with Samantha?” I ask.
The anger floods from his face as frustration takes over. “Fine. Gio’s attorney keeps throwing wrench after wrench in our attempt to get this paternity test done. It’s fucking annoying.”
“That’s the nerd I know,” I grumble.
“Hollis went and saw Sidney. To see if he could talk some sense into her. She blew the hell up, man.” He scrubs his palm over his face. “I don’t understand why she’s being so difficult over this.”
“Because he’s obviously your kid and she doesn’t want to share him.”
He scowls. “But I would be good to him. I’m not trying to steal him away or anything. I just want to know him.”
“And thank fuck for the laws of our country. Just give it time. Samantha is good. She’ll get you your son if he’s yours. Trust me.”
Someone knocks and Roan calls out for them to come in. My eyes dart over to Roux, who stands by the fridge, sipping on a Coke. As soon as our guest arrives, the color drains out of her face.
“Tom,” Roan and I greet as he enters with Garrett and Samantha.
“Boys.” He smiles at Roux. “Hey, stranger.”
Roux sets her Coke down. “Were you stalking me?”
He chuckles. “I’m only looking after you.” He nods at Roan and me. “And them.”
Samantha sashays into the room, swaying her hips. I don’t miss the fact Roux’s nostrils flare in annoyance. “Tom would like to talk to you, Roux. He needs your help.”
Roux’s eyes dart to mine and I nod. She’s argued time and time again she can handle all the dark, fucked-up elements of my world. My girl is about to be tested.
“I’m going to wash today’s restaurant grime off my body while you guys talk,” I tell them. “Be back in ten.”