Series: Like Us Series by Krista Ritchie
Total pages in book: 177
Estimated words: 174544 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 873(@200wpm)___ 698(@250wpm)___ 582(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 174544 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 873(@200wpm)___ 698(@250wpm)___ 582(@300wpm)
“To make this very clear,” Connor continues, “I also wouldn’t have stopped Rose if it weren’t for Lo. He said he put you through enough, and Rose didn’t need to do extra damage.”
Lo wears another half-smile. “What can I say? I was feeling charitable.”
“I’m happy to be your favorite charity case,” I say lightly.
“Did I call you my favorite?” He feigns confusion.
“Inferred it.” I’m feeling better now, breathing easier, and I walk a little closer, back towards the chair. Looking at Connor, the words I wanted to say earlier reach my tongue. “I’m sorry.”
“For what?” he asks calmly. He definitely knows the origins of my apology.
Feels like a Cobalt test.
I just let it out. “For Beckett.”
Connor stares straight through me. Like he can see every organ and blood cell inside my body. No way that’s possible, but if someone had X-ray vision, guess I’d say it’d be him.
He knows I’ve tattooed his son.
He knows I’ve been Beckett’s friend.
He knows we were friends.
He’s never put up a stink about it like I’m a bad influence. Never scolded me. Never condemned me. And now, his wife hates me, and he’s still looking straight through me.
Connor never blinks. “Next time you have pertinent information regarding my children’s safety and you don’t tell me until it’s too late, Rose will be the least of your worries. Understood? Or do you need synonyms for pertinent?”
“I know what it means,” I breathe. “I’m going to make things right.”
“You were talking about your mom’s family.” Connor places me back where I left off. “They disowned her.”
“Because she had you?” Lo says.
“Yeah.” Still standing, I bow forward, resting my forearms on the chair. I sift through the cigarette pack. “My parents were teenagers when they had me. Mom was fourteen. Dad was also fourteen. Her family didn’t like that she got pregnant so young. They just abandoned her.”
“Where’d she live?” Lo asks, his frown crinkling his brows.
“With my dad. His parents took her in.” I stand up straighter. “She’s in prison, so I’d rather just leave her out of this, if that’s okay?”
“It’s fine,” Connor says, swiping through the tablet.
Lo is searching me, and I’m avoiding.
“We ready?” I wonder and check the time on my cheap black watch.
“Why don’t you like your Uncle Raff?” Lo questions, back to that.
“I didn’t say he was special or anything.”
“Call it a hunch.” Lo is trying to hold my gaze, and I’m still looking away. Staring at nothing in particular.
“My memories of him are foggy.” I take a beat, and both Connor and Lo are quiet, letting me try to unearth the past. “Of what I know, Uncle Raff didn’t like his older brother Bobby much. I’ve heard Bobby was hard on Raff. Maybe picked on him, bullied him. Bobby only had two kids—Sean, who’s my dad, and then Scottie, and once Bobby died…”
I see my dad cowering. He’s a teenager. I hear a loud clattering noise, but I blink into focus, just as Lo speaks.
“Raff bullied your dad and Scottie?”
“Nah, not Scottie. He was too little. He’s only three years older than me,” I remind them. “With Bobby gone, my dad became the man of the house. He dropped out of high school. Got a full-time job at the Quickie-Mart. I think he might’ve sold pot on the side. Meth came later, but it ate away their money. It didn’t make them richer.”
Connor runs a finger against his temple. “If Raff dislikes Sean, and Sean is the ringleader, then is it likely Raff isn’t a part of the stolen Jeep or the assault or anything to do with our families?”
“I’m not sure. I don’t know if my dad’s even the ringleader or not,” I tell them. “He’s the one who mostly cooked meth, and like I told Lo, it’s mostly for themselves. They weren’t big on dealing to outsiders when I was around.”
“But they needed money?” Connor asks.
I nod again. “I wasn’t involved in that though.”
“What about Oliver—or Ollie?” Lo wonders. I remember bringing up my dad’s cousin before. “Do you still think he’s close to your dad and involved?”
“I’d have to ask my dad.” I pocket the cigarettes. “I’ll fix him on the family chart thing.”
“Is he related to Raff?” Connor wonders.
“No, he’s Paddy’s oldest son.”
Lo rolls his eyes, and I make my way to the door.
I ask, “Ready now?” I’m itching to go and rip this Band-Aid.
“Yeah,” Lo says, digging out his car keys. “I’m driving you.”
“You can’t drive him.” Connor rests his electronic tablet on the desk. “We’ve been over this, Lo.”
They have?
“Great, so you heard me last time when I said, I don’t care if I’m spotted. He’s my son’s bodyguard. It’s not that weird for me to drive him to South Philly.”
“Lo—”
“For Christ’s sake, Connor, he’s going in my car. I’m dropping him off. I’m picking him up. If you have a problem with that, take it to your god, whoever that may be. And if it’s yourself, there’s ten billion mirrors in your mansion, have fun.”