Chapter Fifty-One
"Baby, I think he has a point," I say to her as gently as I can. She turns to look at me, anger dancing in her eyes. I need to tread carefully here. "Look—"
"Wait…" Andrea cuts me off. "Nova, the guys are right. I should have known something wasn’t right.
And the truth is, I had my suspicions, but I couldn't prove anything.
I had no evidence, all I had was a will that was allegedly signed by both of your parents, stating that your aunt and uncle were to be your guardians.
I was then also made to sign a court agreement that I would not approach you or your brother without prior consent of your guardians and that I wasn't allowed to see you alone. "
She takes a large drink of water before continuing. "The only reason I was allowed to see you was because you and Mason demanded it so much. But then the visits stopped a couple of years ago. I asked why, and he told me that you guys had said you didn't want to see me anymore."
I watch Nova as her eyebrows furrow and she shakes her head. "He told us that you didn't want to see us anymore, that you had met someone and were getting on with your life." The tears roll down her cheeks, and I don't know if she can stop them or if she even tried.
"Baby?" I question. "Are you okay? Talk to us."
"My heads spinning, there's just so much I don't understand.
I don't get why he would stop us from seeing Andrea, I don't get what difference it made.
We never told her anything, he made us promise to keep quiet and we did.
" She reaches for her bottle of water from the table and takes a few big gulps.
"I need some air," she declares to the room.
Pushing her seat away from the table, she stands and heads toward the door.
I get up out of my seat to follow her, but Tongue stands too.
"I'll go with her,” he states and walks toward the door.
I look directly at her in question, but she gives me a small smile and a little nod.
I feel my heart tighten as I watch her and Tongue leave the room.
I trust him with her, and I feel like he may understand her situation more than anyone, despite the fact he's not told us anything.
As the door closes, I retake my seat and then return my gaze back to Andrea.
"You said you thought something wasn't right but had no proof of anything, yet you still chose to leave them?" I question her, with a little more anger in my tone than I intended. None of the brothers stop me, they want answers too.
She lets out a small laugh. "I understand that you gentlemen have done your research, but you haven't done a very good job if you're asking me that." Her tone is clipped but calm as she leans back in her chair and folds her arms over her chest.
Out of the corner of my eye, I see Nitro almost mirror her stance, but he kicks his right leg up over his left one.
He doesn't say anything, he just sits there, watching her for a minute.
Her demeanour has changed since Nova left the room, the guilt was radiating from her as she spoke to my woman, but the moment her and Tongue left, Andrea seemed poised, like she's ready for whatever we throw at her.
"Care to explain what you mean by that?" Nitro finally asks. She turns to look at him, then to Wrath, who right now looks like he wants to kill her.
She chews on her bottom lip, taking this moment to look at me.
I raise an eyebrow at her as I see the corner of her lips curl up into the smallest of smiles before her gaze settles back on Prez.
"If you had done your research, you would have known that I had been arrested twice for public disorder and breach of a court order. "
"Huh." Data cuts her off and we all turn to him. "I saw the records, but I couldn’t work out what they were for," he says.
"Data?" Prez questions.
"Remember when I said I thought I had something on her, but couldn't be certain and I would let you know once I figured it out?
" Nitro nods at him. "Well, it was this.
There were records of her arrest, but they're sealed tighter than a submarine.
I've been trying for days to get into them.
Now I know what I'm looking at, it should make it easier for me to unseal them. "
"Don't waste your time," Andrea states. "I'll have my solicitor send you everything you need, save you the trouble.
" She turns back to Nitro. "I tried twice to see Nova and Mason after Roger said they didn't want to see me anymore, once at their house, the second time at the diner where Nova works. He was home when I went to the house. I was arrested on the doorstep, the kids weren’t in.
I still haven't figured out how he knew I was at the diner before I'd even got a chance to see her.
I was arrested right after I stepped out of my car. That was two years ago."
She takes a few sips of water and then glances at Wrath. "I understand your anger, and you thinking that I abandoned them, but I can assure you I've spent every day thinking of those two kids. I've even had someone watching them for me, trying to get me some proof." She blows out a breath.
"What do you mean? Who the fuck have you had watching them?" Nitro snaps before I even have a chance to ask.
I watch her fingers tap on the arm of the chair, she's nervous. She blows out a breath and faces Nitro. "He's an old friend of Nova's parents. He went to school with her father. "
She takes a few sips of water, then places the bottle back on the table. "A man named Arthur Black."