Page 50 of Rebel

My eyes went so wide they started to water. “You knew?”

He shrugged. “Figured it out earlier when I saw the little girl, she has your eyes. That and the age is about right-ish.”

“You never said a damn thing.” My tone was accusatory, and I knew that, but dammit why the fuck didn’t he say something?

“It wasn’t my place. What are you gonna do?”

“I don’t know. I’m fucking furious right now, at Nikki and the Blood Fangs.”

Diesel nodded in understanding. “Listen to yourself Rebel. You’re just as mad at the woman who gave birth to your daughter as you are the assholes who shot up the house with your daughter inside? That’s fucked up.”

“Yeah, I get it, it’s fucked up but right nowI’mfucked up. She’s been back in my life long enough that she should have said something!” How was I the bad guy in all of this?

Diesel nodded and looked away, but I noted the way his jaw clenched. He was angry. At me.

“I deserved to know.” The words came out low and pleading and I felt like a fucking pussy.

“Yeah, maybe you did, but that’s not what happened. This is what happened Rebel and now you have to choose how you want to handle it.” He turned and gave me a pat on the back. “Whatever you decide, we’ll keep them safe until the Blood Fangs have been dealt with.”

Shit.“I’m gonna keep them safe. Both of them.” The fact that he even questioned if I would, put me on edge.

“You figure your shit out and we’ll take care of them.” Diesel glared at me, watching me like he thought I might take a swing at him.

I wanted to, but it wouldn’t solve any of my problems. “Yeah. Whatever.” I walked to the door and yanked it open hard enough it bounced off the wall, stomping inside straight to where Slate sat behind his damn screens. “I need your help.”

Seconds later Diesel stood beside me in the doorway.

Slate’s gaze flicked between us, his curiosity piqued. “Sure brother, what’s up?”

I sucked in a deep breath and let it out in one long, slow shaky sigh. “I need you to look into Nikki. Everything you can find.”

Slate looked to Diesel as if to ask what the fuck was going on, but he looked at me again. “Sure. Anything specific you lookin’ for?”

“I don’t know, just I need to know everything there is to know. Please.”

He watched me for a long moment and then nodded. “Yeah okay, I’ll let you know when I’m done.”

“Thanks.” I turned to leave, but Diesel’s arm shot out to block my path. “What?”

“You sure you want to do this?”

“What fucking choice do I have?” My heart raced. “I can’t trust her to tell me the truth.”

“Have you tried asking?”

I laughed. “What would the point be if she’s a known liar.”

“She didn’t lie.”

“She kept my kid from me!”

“Whoa,” Slate whispered.

“Yeah, for what, a few weeks? You still would’ve missed everythingbutthose weeks, but go ahead and make things worse.” He moved his arm and stepped back.

“Things can’t get worse,” I muttered.

“Wrong. Stacey was dead before I found out about Leo.” With that parting shot, he brushed past me without a look back.

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