“Like I said. I wasn’t about to let my best shooter go. I can’t have the gang take these hits because it could blow back on me. You aren’t in the gang. but I will have you teamed up with Daniels to keep you in line.”
“I’m not being babysat by Daniels!”
“Just take the deal, Abby. You get your old man off the charges. I get my hits done.”
“Who are the people you want dead?”
“All on the board.” Blake sat back, looking calm and relaxed and not one bit guilty about blackmailing me. “They are deciding whether I get my sentence dropped.”
“So what, you want me to kill them? Won’t they just be replaced? And won’t everyone know it is you behind it?”
God, you didn’t need a brain to work out Blake would be behind the killings.
“They might think it’s me, but I’ll have no link to the killings. And as soon as they start dropping, so will the years off my sentence. So you get to pick. Will you do it? Or will I be seeing your dad in here?”
I was never good at making on-the-spot decisions. I would like to think I acted good under pressure. But the reality was, I sucked at it. Did I let Dad come in here and face Blake? Or do I step out of retirement and handle it myself?
I knew Dad wouldn’t last a day in here.
“I’m pregnant.” I told Blake the truth. “We will only have a short window for this.”
“How far along?”
“Nine weeks.”
“Is it anyone’s I know?”
If I said it was Reaper, they would use that against me. I didn’t need Reaper having a weakness. I had a weakness with Dad. Blake knew I would do anything to protect him.
“No.”
“If you work quick, you will have them done before you are showing. Does this mean you are taking the deal?”
“Will all the charges be dropped against Dad?”
“Jed Harrison will be in the clear by the end of the day.”
“So what is making me not back out of it once Dad’s name is clear?”
“Because I can just as easily change my mind.” He gave me a serious expression. “I didn’t take you as one to go back on your word.”
He was right, I wouldn’t. Well, not normally. I couldn’t lose my dad. Not now. Not ever. I had already lost one parent. I knew one day I would lose Dad, but I wouldn’t lose him if I could help it.
“I’ll do it. Give Daniels my details. Tell him to reach out to me when he is ready.” I pushed the chair back and got up. “I’ll see you when that deal is over with.”
Blake nodded his head. “By the way, congratulations.”
I threw a wave over my shoulder and kept walking. So my fate was sealed. I was going back to the gang that attempted to kill me. How was I going to explain that to Reaper?
I knew as soon as I was standing in line to get my stuff back, there was only one solution.
Break it off with Kade.
He could then move on to his new charter and leave me to deal with my mess.
I loved him.
And I loved him that much that I would let him go.