Page 15 of Unveiled Wounds

“Grease only had an extra to spare, so the enforcers drove the cartel fucks, and the prospect is with Grace and JR in hers.”

I could have kissed Sabre if the thought didn’t repulse me so much. “It’s okay. I’ll just ride back with you,” I said to Grizz. “It’s only a few miles, and you don’t have to take the highway.” Outside, I was the epitome of calm. Inside, I was doing a fucking jig on Sabre’s toes.

Grizz said nothing as he led me to his bike. Grabbing the sweatshirt, he threw it in his saddlebag. The crop top wouldn’t protect me in a crash, but I didn’t question him. I was getting my way without having to throw a tantrum. He slipped his helmet on my head, and I threw my leg over his bike. The prospect of feeling the wind against my skin thrilled me.

We waited until Sabre was ready, and then the club rode out in formation.

***

I was still sitting behind Grizz, using his body as a shield as I watched Grace rapidly tap her foot. The anger was pouring off of her as she crossed her arms over her chest. We’d gone way past “serious shit” to “oh fuck no.”

Removing Grizz’s helmet, I handed it to him, laying my chin on his shoulder.

“The longer you wait, the more time you give her to gear up.”

I knew he was trying to be encouraging, but I didn’t have the energy to fight her. I would have preferred to forget the wholething, but I wouldn’t get the chance. “It was nice knowing you,” I whispered into his ear, before swinging my leg over his bike.

He laughed. “If she takes a swing, lay her out. I can takehim.”

Sabre turned his head, and Grizz just finger-waved in his direction.

“At least I know whose side you’re on.” My heart skipped a beat at the idea he would come to my rescue. My knight in shining leather to defend my honor. I’d never seen Grizz in a fight, and my heart skipped another beat because I couldn’t bear to watch him get hurt.

“Yours, even if I think you’re wrong.”

“Charmer.” I kissed his cheek and prepared for the battle that awaited me. I took a few steps forward, but my sister wasn’t having any of it. She stepped right up to me and shoved my shoulder.

“Never do that to me again,” she said through gritted teeth.

“Do what? Save your fucking life? You and I both know how it feels to be missing a parent, Grace.” I aimed low and hit my mark when the hurt crossed her face.

“Meredith with the low blow.”The brothers were standing on the porch watching us, and someone was running commentary as if this was a boxing match. I didn’t take my eyes off of Grace, nor did I care to know who it was.

“How dare you say something like that to me!”

“Say what? The truth fucking hurts. As soon as the prospect said the cartel was there, you should have gotten your happy ass out of the chair and run.”

“Should we take bets on who’s going to win? Meredith came out swinging.”Didn’t the brothers have anything better to be doing?

“I get it. You hate me for blowing up your life, but I’m still your sister. I should have been the one protecting you.”

There was a collectiveawwfrom the porch.

The memories played in my head, like snippets from a movie that I didn’t want to watch. The dinner at my aunt’s house after the brothers had moved her into the pool house. My dad not backing down about her divorce and then throwing my failed wedding into the mix. Grace telling me about what she’d seen, and my heart breaking. After that, my pregnancy announcement had been the last thing on anyone’s mind, and I still harbored resentment, even though I should have apologized for my behavior that night. It had started my downhill spiral filled with bitterness and outrage. Who knew what would have happened if that moment had been different? I didn’t respond fast enough, still replaying the past.

“You’re so absorbed in your own head that you don’t even pay attention to the world around you. JR doesn’t even know you because you won’t touch him.” Pain etched across her face.

“Fuck you.” I was done, and as much as I wanted to release all the emotions I’d been trying to bury, now wasn’t the time. I tried to walk around her, but she stepped in the middle of my path.

“Fuck me? Fuck you!” She shoved my shoulder again.

I shoved her shoulder back. “Fuck you. You want to hash this out in the middle of the yard? Fine. I made the right decision for me, and right after Brandon called, you should have told me what you saw. I didn’t give a flying fuck he was cheating. It was over, but you didn’t tell me to protect your own selfish image. If you had, you would have had to address your own failing marriage. You want to call me selfish, but what about your own mistakes? You could have stood on business a lot fucking sooner.”

“Can I change my bet? I’m not sure who’s going to win now.”

I shook my head, not shocked that the brothers had taken bets on us. “I told you to run because there was no way we were going to stand together. They weren’t looking for me. They kept askingabout you because they saw your car. How were you going to defend yourself with JR strapped to you? They had guns, Grace.”

“I need to change my bet, too. There’s no way Flo could have fought them off. Little man is a lover, not a fighter.”

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