Page 68 of The Secret's Out

“You know I had a shit past. My mum sold my body and got me to do shit I didn’t like so she could stay high. What you don’t know...the men who, fuck, who took advantage of me.” Shit what would she think of me? I needed to get it out quick, see where I then stood with Josie. Looking to our joined hands, I continued, “I hunted them down and killed them all, but there was one I couldn’t find, until recently.” I didn’t pause for breath, needing to get the words out there. “He’s Cameron’s father. Eli and I went to meet with them. Told his dad that he had to keep his son away from you or else his past would be shown to the press.”

Eli pressed on for me. “We thought he’d listened. It’d been two weeks. Until this morning. Caden had a delivery at the compound, which was why we had to go. There was a box. Let’s just say Nigel, Cameron’s fucked-up father, has told Caden if he doesn’t hand you over to his son, he is going to kill Caden’s mum.”

She gasped and squeezed my hand. I looked to her and she said, “I’ll go. We can’t let—”

“No way in hell, Josie,” I growled. “I’d go there myself and kill the lot of them before I let them take you. I have enough blood on my hands, what’s more—”

“And they deserve it,” Josie said quietly.

Eli’s eyes widened and my head jerked back. I then uttered, “What?”

She stood suddenly, dropping our hands to face us her hands went to her hips, her eyes glared with an intense gleam to them and she leaned forward to speak her next words. Fuck me, she was furious on my behalf. Even her cute nose was scrunched up. “They deserve death, Caden. I know I’m a bad person saying that, but...but...fuck it. Your mum is a bitch and if I had a gun myself, I would shoot her for what she put you through. I’m sorry, but I would. People like that, like Nigel,” she snarled, “they deserve nothing but death. Hell, if I had my chance I would have loved to have killed David with my bare hands for what he did to me. But I can’t.” She took a deep breath. Her gaze flittered to the floor and then back up to me. “I’m sorry your mum is in that situation, but she’s...crazy, Caden. Crazy to have damaged her son, her own flesh and blood like she did. I know you won’t give me up...but, I know you have a big heart, Caden.” Christ, she got to her knees in front of me and moved her way between my legs, taking my hands in hers. “So I know you don’t want your mum’s death on your shoulders.”

“Fuckin’ pure beauty,” Eli growled.

Only Josie and Eli could get me to smile on such a fucked-up day. So I smiled down at Josie and told her, “You’re right, on all accounts, baby. Which is why I called Lan. He’s heading over to Nigel’s estate now to see what he can do.”

She licked her lips. “Why...why didn’t you want to go? He doesn’t deserve jail and you could have saved your mum.”

Cupping her cheeks in my hands, I said, “I never want to see that woman again. She is no one to me, not when I’m finally fuckin’ living.” I kissed her lips and ran my hands to her shoulders before I shrugged. “Besides, if there isn’t anything Lan can do, at least I tried.”

“You are an amazing man, Caden Parker.”

“And you’re a lioness hiding under sheep’s clothes. I’ve never heard you swear so much.” I chuckled when she glared.

“The moment was right for it.” She sighed. “But what about that man who—”

“Even if Lan can find something and he does go to jail, he’ll know what hell is. We have brothers on the inside. Just one call and Nigel will want to die, but they won’t let him.”

Our precious girl nodded and then said, “Good. I’m glad.”

“Baby,” I groaned. “I just told you I have blood on my hands. I’ve taken lives and I’m gonna make a call, if it comes to it, to take another life and all you can say is good?”

She bit her bottom lip and her brows drew down like she was confused. “Well, yes. I mean, it’s not like you went on a killing spree and killed innocent people. They deserved everything they got and so will Nigel.”

That was when Eli and I threw our heads back and laughed.

“How am I being funny?” She glowered and stood.

I sobered and took her hand dragging her to stand between my legs. Her breath caught as she looked down at me. “Can’t fuckin’ believe how lucky we are that we have a woman who is everything and more. You were made for us, precious. Just us. No one else.”

She smiled down at me and before touching her lips to mine, she said, “Never anyone else but you and Eli, always.”

“Our girl is comin’ into her biker-babe stage,” Eli said.

Josie giggled and then gave us a mock glare. “So look out, you don’t want to annoy me.” She leaned over and kissed Eli, only to pull back and ask, “Is this where we have good make-up sex?”

Eli snorted. I laughed.

“Nothing good about it, baby,” Eli said. “It’ll be mind-fuckin’-blowin’.”

It was then we heard the front door slam and footsteps coming down the hall.

“Everyone decent in there?” Simone called before knocking on the door.

“No,” Eli yelled.

“Never,” I said.

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