Page 21 of Ruined

If I wasn’t mistaken, Jessie had taken the picture of us.

Even then, we had always clashed heads, but we loved each other in our own sick, twisted ways.

Silent tears trickled down my cheeks as I picked up the picture, a small, sad smile playing on my lips.

Fuck, I already missed him so damn much.

“I will always love you, Joey,” I whispered, my words almost inaudible to my own ears.

I grabbed his cut one of the members had laid out on his bed, and I grabbed his knife that he always kept under his pillow. It was the first knife he ever owned, and he had always said if he ever had a kid, he would always give the knife to his child.

He wasn’t ever given the option. Joey would never have a family, never have children.

I walked back out of the room, and Tristan looked down at the items in my hand. Deciding to stay silent, he just followed me out of the clubhouse without a word. He was strapping my duffel bag to his bike when Jessie rushed outside and threw her arms around me. I hugged her back instantly.

“I’ll miss you, gorgeous,” she whispered into my shoulder.

I squeezed her gently, tears stinging my eyes, but I wouldn’t let them fall—not here. “I’ll miss you, too, gorgeous,” I whispered in return.

She pulled back from me, her dark eyes glimmering with unshed tears. “Promise me that you’ll stay safe?”

I nodded. “You better do the same,” I told her. She gave me a wobbly smile. “If things ever get to be too rough around here, call me. I promise I will come to get you, whether Tristan agrees or not.”

She nodded and kissed my cheek. “Please keep in touch,” she quietly begged me.

I kissed her cheek as well. “Always, gorgeous.”

With one last sad smile, she headed back to the clubhouse, where Ink was standing in the doorway, waiting on her. I had no idea what was going on with those two, but it wasn’t my business.

I sighed and slid onto the bike behind Tristan as he turned the engine over, the bike rumbling to life beneath me as I sat down. He gripped one of my hands and brought it up to his lips, pressing a light kiss to my knuckles. I drew in a slow, deep breath before I tightly wound my arms around his midsection and pressed the front of my body to his back.

And then, we were off to the Sons of Death’s territory, leaving the home I’d shared with Joey for the past three years behind.

Chapter Ten

Adelaide

Igagged when I woke up, vomit rising in my throat. I quickly lurched from the bed and rushed into the bathroom connected to Tristan’s room, barely making it in front of the toilet before I began to empty my stomach.

I vaguely heard Tristan call after me, concern coloring his voice. I couldn’t respond. I quickly dropped to my knees in front of the toilet, throwing up stomach acid again since I didn’t eat anything yesterday. Tristan was kneeling next to me instantly, his hand holding my hair back out of my face as his other hand caressed my back, whispering soothing words to me as I continued retching.

Afterward, I sagged against the wall in exhaustion and closed my eyes, ignoring Tristan’s worried gaze as he studied my face. I didn’t want the worry. I probably just had some kind of stomach bug. It wasn’t even something to be worried about.

“When was your last period, Addy?” Tristan gently asked me.

I opened my eyes to look at the handsome man in front of me, arching my eyebrow at him as I did so. “What kind of question is that?” I asked in confusion. What the fuck did my period have to do with anything?

“Just answer it,” he told me, frustrated.

I sighed as I thought about his question. I took a moment to do the math in my head, and my eyes flashed back open. Tears instantly welled in my eyes when I realized I was actually late.

I was very possibly pregnant.

With Joey’s baby.

And there was no question that it was his because Vin used a condom the entire time with me.

I had to look down to make sure a knife hadn’t been lodged in my heart when pain lanced through my chest.

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