Page 26 of Heavy

I can see her chewing on the inside of her cheek, a habit that I adopted from her. I’d make them so raw I could barely eat. I’d find myself biting my cheek with each bite of food.

“I understand.” As she sighs, seeming to contemplate, Ronan returns his fingers to my skin. I know exactly what he’s doing, and while it still makes my pussy needy, it’s more sensual. The snake tattoo that wraps around my thigh feels alive as he traces its design with his fingers. I want so badly to look at him, get a glimpse of what his eyes are saying through his silence.

“Did you know your father has a brother?”

The moment the words come out of her lips, Ronan’s fingers slow, but he doesn’t stop completely.

“Uncle Jax?” I play stupid.Mydad had three brothers. “Or Thomas? Or—”

“No, sweetheart, your stepfather.”

I shake my head, and she wets her lips before saying, “He was just released from prison. Eamon wants to have dinner for us to meet him.”

Something tells me that it’s going to be a lonely dinner. I can’t imagine that Ronan would accept the invite. He and Eamon don’t seem to have any sort of relationship, because I highly doubt if they did, he would be touching his stepdaughter the way he is.

“That’s nice,” I say with a nervous laugh. “What’s his name? Why haven’t we heard of him before?”

“His name is Ronan. I think your father wasn’t sure where he was, or even that he was still alive.” I stay silent, waiting for her to continue and explain to me what I already know. “His file appeared on my desk a few days before he was released and I let your stepfather know.”

“Did Eamon see him?”

Ronan suddenly pinches my inner thigh, causing me to shuffle my feet slightly as I stifle a yelp that threatens to escape my throat.

“He picked him up the day he got out of prison, but I haven’t had a chance to talk much with him since then. I’ve been busy with a big case, and he’s also been working late hours.” I can see the sadness pulled between her wrinkled brows. “I don’t like it.”

“That Eamon’s working late, or…” I’m not stupid, I know what she’s alluding to.

“No, meeting his brother.”

My chest aches, because I really do not want to have this conversation with her right now. “Mom, let’s chat outside, maybe some—” I’m in the midst of taking a step away, when Ronan hooks his finger around a belt loop of my jean shorts and keeps me close.

It's as if my mom isn't even listening. She leans forward onto the table, resting her face in her hands. “He killed someone, Cal, and your father wants to bring him into our home.”

My attempt at not physically shaking doesn’t work, and I know he can see it;feelit. He tugs harder on my shorts, prompting me to take an awkward step forward, straddling his legs as I adjust my position. With a jerk, I’m forced to bend at my hips and lean over the table.

“What did he do?” I ask shakily. His face is right at my thighs, and to distract myself, I reach out to take one of my mom’s hands away. “Murder is very broad.”

I get two different responses from that.

One, my mom lifts her head up and looks at me like I’ve gone fucking insane. And two, Ronan quite literally presses his face between my thighs, and draws his chin up so his nose brushes against my slit.

I’m going to die. My heart pounds against its cage, each beat a desperate warning, and I’m convinced it will give out any moment now.

“Cal, please, he took someone’s life. There is no degree at which—”

“What about self-defense?” I cut her off, now more than ever needing to keep myself talking or else I’ll moan instead as his hand comes to grab my thigh, his thumb brushingdangerouslyclose to the seams of my panties under my shorts. The thought of grabbing onto his hair and holding him in place while I grind against him, just to get some friction against my clit for a little relief, has me soaking my panties. “You’re a lawyer, Mom. I’m not going to go about this with you. Maybe he has changed.”

I highly doubt that, though. I’ve seen Ronan’s violence and have no doubt he would kill again if given the right motivation. That being said, it doesn’t make him a bad person. Until someone tells me that he slit a woman’s throat for disobeying him, I’m going to choose to believe it wasn’t an act of impulse.

“I didn’t look too much into the case, sweetheart, something about a bar fight. I’m sure you can google it. It wasn’t his first time in prison either, he was there before.”

I roll my eyes, both at her prudishness and at Ronan, who leans back, creating space between us. Did I say something wrong? Had I not said enough to defend him?

Holy shit. Am I that desperate for him to keep touching me that I’m internally whining with him leaning away? I think I was hoping he’d tell me I was agood girlfor defending him. I’m seriously sick in the head.

“So… dinner.” I pull our conversation along. “When?”

“Friday night.” She stands up and begins walking around the table.

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