Total pages in book: 109
Estimated words: 109176 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 546(@200wpm)___ 437(@250wpm)___ 364(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 109176 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 546(@200wpm)___ 437(@250wpm)___ 364(@300wpm)
“I hate that you feel that way, and I’m sure Molly would too if she knew. You were a kid.”
“I might have been a kid, but since I was eighteen, I needed to take care of my sister. I wanted to become Molly’s guardian, but it wasn’t easy, and my uncle stepped up. Things got dicey. The money our parents left us got tied up, and I couldn’t access it right away. For a second, I thought my uncle would get her. I knew he didn’t want her. He only wanted the money she would bring. I fought tooth and nail to keep her in the only home she knew. But the little money I did have access to ran out fast without a new income, and hiring a lawyer to get custody of Molly was an expense I couldn’t afford,” I say. “But I needed to find it, so I did.”
“What did you do?” she asks.
“I point shaved a hockey game I was playing in. Then, through a shady friend, I bet on it.”
She bites her lip, and I hear a pained noise from her mouth. “You did what you needed to do,” she tells me.
Her words do little to comfort me. What I did was inexcusable and highly illegal. If the truth came out, my career would be over. I might not go to jail, as I’m not sure of the statute of limitations, but no one would work with me again. Still, for Molly, I wouldn’t change one thing. I’d happily go to jail to make sure she was safe.
“You don’t hate me?”
She frowns. “How could I? In your position, I’d have done the same. And your uncle?”
Removing my hands from my pocket, I run a hand through my disheveled hair. “He disappeared for a while until—”
“Until what?” she asks.
My jaw grows tight. “Until I received a letter. It was the night in New York when I canceled on you. That’s why I did it. Why I ended things with you. I didn’t want to, Hellfire, but I just thought I had no choice. I wanted to protect you. Then—he came to the game. You saw him. He claims to know what I did.”
She squeezes her lids shut for a minute before reopening them. “Do you think he does?”
I nod. “Yes.” There is no question from the smug look he gave me today that he does. The question is whether he can prove it, but from the desperate sound in his voice, I don’t think he can. Of course, I’m not sure that’s a risk I’m willing to take.
“Do you think he has proof?”
“No,” I answer honestly. “Not that it matters. The scandal alone could ruin my career.”
“It’s your word against his. You’re not alone, Dane.” Josephine moves to stand. “We will come up with a plan.” She takes my hands in hers. “Does Molly know?”
“Hell no,” I answer fast. I never wanted my sister anywhere near that man.
She places a gentle kiss on my knuckle. “It’s time you tell her. She’s no longer a kid who needs protecting.”
77
JOSIE
My hands tap nervously on my thighs as I wait for Dane to return. He went to call Molly. He needs to tell her.
I will never take the trust he gave to me today for granted. No matter how this all plays out, I will stand by his side.
Hopefully, it doesn’t get to that, though.
Something tells me this man has zero proof and won’t be taken seriously. However, I understand that it will be hard on everyone if it’s brought to light, even if there’s no evidence to corroborate it.
This will look bad for not only Dane but also the team and Molly.
There is no doubt in my mind that everyone who matters will take Dane’s side. At the time, he had no choice. He needed to protect his sister, and he did what he had to do.
A minute later, Dane strolls back into the room. His head is tilted down, and his fingers twist together.
This man doesn’t look like the man I know.
He looks weighed down by guilt.
I stand immediately and cross the space, throwing my arms around his body and pulling him into a tight embrace. We stand there for a long time, just holding each other. Then Dane leads me to the couch, and I lean my head to rest on his shoulder. The steady rise and fall of his breath calms me as he scrolls through his phone.
Time seems to pass slowly, my brain moving in a million directions, and I soon grow restless. My head tips up, and I see Dane frowning at his phone.
“What are you doing?”
“Just looking to see how long ago I called her.” He’s worried. I can understand. It can’t be easy to tell her all these years later what he did.