Chapter Thirty-Two
Corey
“Don’t you think they are leaving a little too easy?” I ask Leif, who has no choice but to sit on the couch and listen to me vent ever since I shot him. The poor man’s suffering is eternal. I even have my sad playlist going on in the background, so he has to listen to all my emotional ballads. “Jealous” by Labrinth is currently playing.
“Yeah, I do,” he replies, shrugging. “But they have also heard about River’s...reputation, and they know he has Tatum, so if I was them I’d be pretty concerned as well.”
“Do they still think you’re their insider?” I ask. I’m trying to let myself relax, but I don’t know if everything is over yet. My nervous system is still locked in fight or flight.
“Yeah. I think being shot made them trust me even more, because why would I be loyal to a club that shot me?”
I wince and look over at him. “I’m sorry. You know that, right?”
He smirks. “Well, it’s the first time you’ve said it. But it’s fine—it’s not the first time I’ve been shot, and I’m sure it’s not going to be the last.”
“That’s kind of depressing.”
“Kind of like this music,” he comments.
I ignore it. “You don’t have any tattoos?”
He shakes his head. “Nope, too much of a commitment.”
“I see.”
“So do you want to keep discussing everything except Damon and his new baby mama?” he asks, studying me.
“Yes. Who braids your hair?” I deflect once more.
He laughs. “I have a lady.”
“Do you, now?”
“Just for my hair, yes, I do,” he replies, eyes going back to the TV screen, where Shameless is playing.
Blaze walks in and sits down next to me. “What’s with the pornstache?” I ask.
Leif laughs, probably thrilled that it’s no longer him getting grilled.
Blaze stokes the hairy caterpillar in question. It makes him look like he’s contemplating life. “Believe it or not, women like it. And more importantly, I like it.”
“I like your self-confidence.”
“I like your red hair,” he replies, reaching out and touching a curly strand. “There’s a lot of it.”
“Indeed. You guys are all right, you know that? I didn’t know what it would be like having new randoms around here, but I’m quite enjoying it,” I say, smiling as I reach for my phone, seeing if Damon had messaged me again.
Bella joins us with some snacks, and I know she’s missing my brother while he’s away torturing my other brother. Wow, there’s a sentence I never thought I’d be saying. “Thank you,” I say, grabbing a handful of popcorn.
“Of course,” she replies, snuggling in next to me.
Julianna pops her head around the corner. “Damon’s here.”
I share a look with Bella. He said he was going to give me time. It’s been two days.
Blaze laughs and slides as far away from me as he can without falling off the couch. “We’re an impatient type of male.”
“Clearly,” I mutter, getting up so the whole room doesn’t hear whatever Damon is about to say to me.
And there he is, walking in with Romeo, his gray eyes like angry clouds, going straight to me.
“Hey,” he says, coming up to me, while Romeo keeps on walking. “I know I said I’d give you time, but I’m going crazy just sitting at home thinking of you being here upset and angry at me.”
I smile sadly and go closer to him, resting my cheek on his chest, while his strong arms come around me. “I’m glad you came,” I admit, sighing. I know that’s probably giving him mixed signals, but now that he’s here I feel a bit better. We go into my room for some privacy and end up snuggled together on the bed.
“Whatever happens, I don’t want it to break us up,” he says, stroking my back. “And I know that’s easier for me to say than you, because it’s me needing the support and you who is going to have to deal with all the shit that comes with this situation. But I can’t lose you. I only just got you.”
He’s right, it will be me having to compromise and be put in a less-than-ideal situation.
But it is what it is. I have two options. I either walk away, or I agree to stay and whatever happens, I make it work for him, and support him through it all.
If I do the former, I could have major regrets. I’d miss him so much, and I’d have to watch him move on with his life. And the baby might not even be his. With the latter, it’s not going to be an easy ride. He could potentially have to co-parent with Melinda and be tied to her for the rest of his life, and I wouldn’t be giving him his firstborn child, which is kind of a hard pill to swallow if I’m being completely honest. Even if I’m unsure whether I want children in the first place, which makes the whole thing even more confusing.
But I think I’ve always known what I’m going to do.
Now, if he had cheated on me and gotten her pregnant, this would be a completely different outcome. I would have been out of here the second Melinda got out of that car. But we weren’t together then, and although I don’t like it one bit, he was free to be with whoever he wanted.
“We’ll get through this,” I tell him, lifting my head up to look at him. “Somehow.”
He smiles and gently pushes my hair off my face. “I’m so sorry you have to go through this. And that I ruined our fairy tale.”
“I guess no relationship is perfect,” I reply. “You’re just going to have to be an extra-fucking-amazing boyfriend.”
He kisses my forehead. “Now, that I can do.”
With all of our personal shit taking up all of my time and focus, I almost forget about everything else going on in our lives.
But I guess I’m easily reminded when Romeo rushes into my room without even knocking.
“They must have tracked us somehow,” he says, and I quickly get off Damon, who jumps off the bed.
“Go to Julianna,” he says, gently pushing me out before him. “Stay with her and Bella.”
I find them in the nursery, and I stare up at the wall mural I painted for Julian when he was born.
“I thought they said they’re going to leave,” I say in a whisper-yell. “What are they doing back here?” Like I needed any more drama today.
“I guess they didn’t like the offer we made,” Julianna replies, sitting in her rocking chair with Julian. “There’s almost no chance they can get in here, though, but if they do, we need to go to the basement.”
“That’s where all the weapons are, too,” I add, my mind already concocting a plan in case it all goes to hell. “What about Leif? He’s injured—should we bring him in here with us?”
“I’m sure he’ll be fine,” Bella assures me, opening the curtains to look out the window. “He’s a Viking.”
Yes, yes, he is.
All I know is that if I hear them getting through the gates and onto the property, I’m going to the basement.
To get a gun.
Leif hobbles into the room on his crutches. “Gio must be getting desperate. He’s asked me to kill River’s old lady in retaliation. He wants me to do it as soon as they let Tatum free.”
We all look at Bella, who gasps. “You aren’t going to, right?”
Leif simply grins. “No, I like my balls where they are.”
“Smart,” I mutter.