Page 40 of Brandishing Betrayals

“I want the truth,” he demanded. His brow furrowed as stared contemplatively at me.

“I don’t owe you anything. I’m still wearing the bruises you gave me from the last time we had this conversation. Leave me alone.Please.” I emphasized the word almost imploringly.

Jason ground his molars, a vein in his temple popping. His stone-cold stare cut right through me. I couldn’t give in; I stared right back. His eyes roamed over my face, as if trying to see through my lie, or look for any hint that something else must be truth.

I had to stay strong. I couldn’t let them in.

“Mom!” Luke called out. “You ready? I’m starving!”

“Yeah, honey. I’m ready,” I called back to Luke, my eyes still on Jason.

The vein in his jaw popped again as he ground his molars. Ignoring him, I put my key into the ignition and cranked on the car. “This isn’t over,” he ground out, before walking away.

I took a deep breath, then turned to close my door again. Luke climbed into the back seat and was buckling up as Nico squeezed into the doorway before I could close the door. “Jesus,” I gasped.

“Nah, not Jesus. Still Nico.” Nico laughed at his own joke.

I rolled my eyes, despite the small smile pulling at my lips. I’ve never been able to stay angry with Nico for long. Our relationship had always been different than with Marcos or Jason—lighter, more carefree. I had missed him more than anything in the last couple days.

“Have a good night, beautiful,” Nico said, and then pressed a kiss to my cheek before I could stop him.

He stepped away and closed my car door before I could say anything.

I sat there slightly dazed for moment, before Luke spoke up in the backseat. “Ready mom?”

“Yeah, honey,” I said, jerking myself out of my thoughts and put the car in drive. I glanced around to make sure no one was around me before I pulled out of the parking spot, thoroughly ignoring the two bikers that were about twenty feet away, watching me intently.

Maya

“Girl,youlooksomuch better today, than you did when you got here Friday night,” Jenna exclaimed Sunday morning as we sat down to breakfast in Jenna’s dining room, while Jenna’s husband Brad entertained the kids in the eat in kitchen.

I let out a self-depreciating laugh, “Oh you mean, when I was exhausted and stressed to holy hell after a week of too much shit happening? Then rolled in here at eight p.m.? Of course, I look better than I did then.”

Jenna shook her head, a sad smile gracing her lips. “Not what I meant, and you know it.”

The week dragged on for me, by the time I was loading up the car Friday evening after work, I was exhausted and more than ready to hit the road. Between work, seeing Marcos and the guys at football—all three of them had shown up for Wednesday and Thursday’s practice. Then add in the fucking flowers that Dax Hillcrest had left me everywhere I fucking went, plus the stress of taking care of my sick father, it had been a godsend to get some time to unwind with my sister.

The stress that had melted off of me as she drove down Lake Shore Drive through downtown, following the lakefront as I headed to my sister’s home in Lakeview. Even though I had shown up looking haggard Friday night, I had still felt the weight of the world lift away the moment my sister wrapped her arms around me. It had taken everything in me not to break down and cry.

“I’ve been under a lot of stress,” I sighed. “The guys are always around now. They stay through Luke’s football practice. I get there and they’re hanging around. He’s loving every moment of it, of course. And I can’t fucking blame him, but it’s so hard.”

“Don’t you think it’s time that you told those guys the real reason you left? You didn’t have a fucking choice, that dirt bag practically chased you out of town.” Jenna practically growled the words.

I swallowed thickly, dropping my head and staring into the cup of coffee I cradled in my hands. “I don’t know.” I sighed heavily. “In the days before I left them, Dax had shot both Marcos and Jason, had his girlfriend infiltrate their clubhouse, and had Nico framed for something he didn’t do. The man is utterly dangerous and holds sway with the police. He’s already threatened Luke and our parents. Do you really think it’s smart to tell Marcos, Jason, or Nico? They would fly off the deep-endand start a fucking war with Las Serpientes, and then we’d really be in danger.” I sighed again, setting down my mug and running my fingers through my messy hair.

“I think you’re not being fair,” Jenna said slowly.

My eyes shot to my sisters, not believing what I was hearing.

“Hear me out,” she hedged, raising her hands up in surrender, “just a minute.”

I kept my mouth shut and waited.

“What if you still don’t tell them, and Dax doesn’t care that you’ve been keeping your distance and he STILL decides to lash out? What then? Now your boys have no idea what happened to you, or Luke, and they’re left in the dark forever.”

“But he—”

“OR!” Jenna spoke over me. “Or, you confess to your men. Come clean about why you left back then, how utterly fucking terrified you were, and tell them how it’s all starting again. Tell them Dax Hillcrest has been harassing you for fucking YEARS—because I know he’s sent people out here to check up on you—don’t fucking deny it.”

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