Page 80 of Undeniable
I slapped a hand over my mouth to muffle the sharp intake of breath. Then I remembered that Josh had a message for Lucas to watch his six.
I flew off the bed. “Did Erik say who did it?”
Bailey’s lips pressed tight. “No names. Just… It’s about his dad owing money.”
A pain spread through my chest. “Gambling money. And?”
“Lucas is at the hospital, but he’s okay. He’s actually there visiting because his dad was beaten up pretty badly too.”
I rubbed my chest. “Thank hell. We need to go.” I ran into the bathroom and unhooked my phone from the charger.
“You really want to go looking like you have been crying for days?”
I darted past her and went into the walk-in closet. “I’ll think of something to tell him. But I need to be with him.”
“Do you think Josh has something to do with all this?”
I slipped on a pair of jeans. “Maybe. I don’t know.” I couldn’t think. My looming pregnancy test was screwing with my head. “What is happening today? First, my shocking news. Then my mother was sentenced to a year in jail, and finally Lucas was beaten up.”
“I’ll change. Meet me downstairs,” she said.
I finished dressing then checked my messages.
Lucas
Call me when you see this.
I didn’t have any voicemails. The text was it. So I called Lucas.
The line rang once. “Mazzie, are you okay?” The panic was sharp as a tack in his voice.
“I am. I’m so sorry to have scared you. My phone died.” I shuddered. “Bailey just told me. What happened?”
He released a heavy breath. “Someone beat Kurtis pretty severely. He’s about to go into surgery.”
“What about you?” I asked.
“I’m fine. Busted lip, sore stomach, and I’ll have a black eye. Nothing severe.”
I choked out a sob.
“Hey, I’m okay,” he said.
I wasn’t. But how could I tell him the truth? “Bailey and I are on our way.”
“No. The storm is pretty bad. You don’t have to come.”
My hand trembled around the phone. “I want to. We need to talk.” I knew I should wait until the second results were back from the second blood test, but it would be a miracle if that test came back negative. And the secret was killing me faster than the truth ever could.
The silence stretched over the line, thick with unspoken tension.
“Mazzie?” His voice was cautious. “What do we need to talk about?”
My throat constricted. You’re supposed to wait until the results come back tomorrow.
“Midnight, you’re scaring me.”
“I don’t mean to. It’s been a really crappy day. It’s about my mom. I’ll fill you in when I get there.”
