Total pages in book: 84
Estimated words: 78647 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 393(@200wpm)___ 315(@250wpm)___ 262(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 78647 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 393(@200wpm)___ 315(@250wpm)___ 262(@300wpm)
“Thank fuck for that,” I told her and stormed back into the bathroom, slamming the door behind me.
On last night.
On Bonnie.
And on us.
I had other shit to worry about, so I slapped on my game face, got dressed and went to face Sadie. And Jasper.
I had to tell them that I trusted in the wrong person and it would definitely bring more shit our way. I took my time heading down the stairs and joining my brothers, enjoying a few moments of silence before I entered the lion’s den.
“Boys. Nice of you to join us.” Sadie wore a sardonic smile from her perch behind her oversized desk. “Grab a drink. Have a seat.”
As much as I would love the sting of booze to get me through what had to happen next, I knew I needed a clear head. I took several deep breaths, listening as Sadie caught us up on everything.
“A crew will clean and repair everything at Midnight Mass as soon as the police clear, which should be early tomorrow morning. Two of the three suspects are in custody. Our custody,” she clarified when Kat opened her mouth to ask the question. “The thing no one, not even the cops on our payroll, can figure out,” she said as if she already knew the answer, “is what the fuck prompted this attack?”
This moment was as good a time as any. “I think I know.” All eyes swung my way, Jasper’s burning with anger and suspicion. “Turns out Bonnie hasn’t been as clean as we all thought.”
“Fuck,” Jasper bit out, his worst fears. His prediction had come true.
“Poor girl,” Kat said with a sad dip of her head.
“Fuck. Maisie’ll be crushed,” Virgil growled, knowing his girl would be gutted by the news.
“I’m sorry, Ma. I fucked up. I thought I had her under control but it turns out it was beyond my capability.”
I still couldn’t fucking believe it. Bonnie had gotten one over on me. She looked pale and thin, sure, but no worse than she had when I found her on the street, beaten. Broken.
“No need for an apology, son.”
“The hell it isn’t,” Jasper roared into the thick silence of the room. “He said—”
Sadie cut off Jasper’s tirade by raising her hand and slicing it through the air. “Enough! Addiction is a powerful thing, and we all know what it did to your father.” Her gaze was pointed as it bounced on each of us, so we were all clear what we were dealing with. “The battle is a tough one and there are always setbacks. Always.”
“Bullshit, Ma. I’m sorry, but it’s true. I gave her a chance. I laid out my expectations, and she agreed, but the whole damn time she was using. Popping pills, snorting shit and who knows what else. She owes a lot of money.”
“What? We don’t have money to help her? And we will help her,” Sadie said. Her tone made it clear she expected no arguments.
But I couldn’t help it. “No way. Bonnie made this bed and she can find her way out of it. On her own.”
Kat sucked in an outraged breath as if I were the monster here. “Bonnie has no one, you asshole, and that’s on us.” Her gaze slid from me to Sadie before landing on Jasper, the one in charge.
“We have to help her, even if it offends your delicate sensibilities, baby brother.”
“You’re letting your emotions cloud your judgment.” The same way I had but unlike my sister, I’d very recently learned this lesson the hard way.
“She’s not ready to get clean, which means more trouble will land on our door, and we already have the Rhymer heiress and The Crusaders to deal with. Isn’t that enough?”
“Dammit, Cal it’s not that easy and you know it!” Virgil rarely let his frustration show, but I knew this was all a little too close to home for him.
“I’ll protect the family the same way I’ve always done, but I can’t, won’t, let anything happen to Bonnie.”
Maisie would never forgive him and he’d never forgive us.
Me most of all.
“You know what Calvin, you don’t want to deal with Bonnie anymore? Fine.” Ma nodded to Virgil. “Go get Bonnie and bring her back to the blue room.”
“I’ll get her,” I insisted. The least I could do was deliver the news to her myself.
“No. You stay here. Virgil will get her.”
Shit. I was pissed at Bonnie, sure, but this would just feel like one more rejection to her. It wasn’t right. “Ma, please. She’ll—”
“Oh? Now you suddenly care what she might think or feel? No. Virgil can handle it. He’s grown.”
“Just tell her…shit, tell her I’m sorry.”
Virgil nodded and walked out to do Sadie’s bidding. I dropped down on the sofa beside Kat, imagining the look on Bonnie’s face when she realized what was happening now. Especially after what happened earlier today. Last night too.