Page 107 of Blackout-

“Yeah, well, he needs to get a grip on life because things are about to get worse.”

“How so?”

“Remember that call I got when I was here the other day? It was my brother, Frankie.”

Taking a bite of ice cream, I raise an eyebrow.

“The youngest, right?”

“Youngest and fucking dumbest,” he grunts. “The fucking kid has been preaching about abstinence and all this bullshit about waiting until he finds the right girl…”

“Aww, that’s sweet

He glares at me.

“What? It is,” I defend.

“You’re missing the kicker, here,” he mutters. “Frankie found his perfect girl, got his dick wet and the fucking condom broke,” he hisses. “The little shit called me in a panic. I mean he was sobbing, asking me why the condom was empty,” he continues, shaking his head. “Not cool.”

Lifting my hand, I cover my mouth and suppress the laughter.

“You’re kidding,” I accuse.

“Do I look like I’m kidding?” he asks, raising an eyebrow. “It gets better. Guess who Frankie’s perfect girl is? The fucking district attorney’s daughter.”

My hand drops from my face as I stare at him in shock.

“Yeah, Frankie might’ve knocked up Ritzer’s daughter. Tell me, how do you think that will play out with my old man?”

“Does Ritzer know Frankie is Wolf’s son?”

“Ritzer doesn’t even know Frankie exists,” Nico replies. “They’ve been sneaking around for two months because the girl knows her father will fucking castrate my brother.” He pauses for a beat, shoving more ice cream in his mouth. “Forget my old man, wait until yours finds out.”

He’s right. Ritzer has had it out for the club for a while, way before my father went against the deal and he indicted my husband. I’m not sure he’s finished with them either. Blackie is a consolation prize for the powerhouse attorney. He won’t settle. Especially if it turns out that Wolf’s son knocked up his little girl.

“I mean, maybe I’m overreacting,” Nico says. “What are the odds of her getting knocked up after one time?”

“You didn’t pay much attention in sex education class, did you?”

“I paid enough attention not to get anyone pregnant in ten years,” he counters.

“That you know of,” I tease, taking another bite. “So, what are you going to do? Are you going to tell your father?”

“Fuck no,” he replies. “I’m not getting involved in this mess. If she winds up pregnant, then I’ll buy a shower gift. Until then, mums the word.”

I laugh at him and he smiles at me. Leaning over he digs his spoon into my pint and shoves some of my ice cream into his mouth.

“Enough about Johnny Appleseed,” he says with his mouthful. “How have you been doing? I’m sorry I jetted on you the other day.”

“I’m okay,” I say, handing him the rest of my ice cream. “Here, I’m full.” He takes the ice cream but instead of digging in, he drops both pints on the coffee table and turns his body to face me.

“You don’t have to pretend with me, Lacey,” he says seriously.

In the little while he’s been here, I haven’t thought about my troubles. It’s almost as if Icanpretend I’m normal when I’m around Nico, and I like that. I like it a lot.

“What if I want to pretend with you?” I ask. “You know sometimes it’s nice to forget what a mess your life is. It’s nice to forget your husband is in jail or that you were alone when you heard your baby’s heartbeat for the first time.”

His face softens as he frowns at me.

---