Page 41 of 23 Hours

Taking Dom into her lap, he snuggles against Beth’s average chest and tugs on a stand of brown hair. Beth’s pretty in a Plain Jane kinda way. Nothing about her is exquisite or striking. Bottom line, she’s wholesome and nice. A good, albeit naïve, and too trusting of a woman, who had her heart stomped on by Runner. She’s friends with Bink and became mine thanks to a bit of Big coercion. I don’t need to bore you with the details.

Laying my sleepy girl’s head against my shoulder, I pepper her soft hair with Grandpa Gunz kisses, and relax, enjoying the world’s best medicine—Leech time. She’s snuggly and beyond fuckin’ adorable in her skull-print jumper as she lets me snuggle with my much larger, tattooed arms wrapped protectively around her teeny form.

Beth’s eyes rest heavily on us as she permits me time to be with my girl without distraction.

It doesn’t last long enough.

Once Leech zonks out and Janie comes to take Dom home, Beth doesn’t let her previous question slide and probes a second time. “Soooo,” she drawls, massaging the tops of her denim-covered thighs nervously. “You have a son.”

Knowin’ the Sacred Sisters, they sent Beth here for the deets. I haven’t said a word to anybody about Adam since church. Don’t think I have anything else to say on the matter. If Big asks, I’ll tell him. Anyone else can kiss off. Adam and Kit are mine. For me. Not the club’s and surely not a group of nosy old ladies’ business. They do their thing, fine. But I don’t want some unfounded, overprotective judgments screwing things up for me with Kit. ’Cause that’s what’ll happen.

What Beth says next confirms my suspicions. “Bink texted our group. That’s how I know. She said he’s grown, and his mom kept him from you. She said the woman stayed here this week, for a day. Do you think that’s smart, Gunz? Havin’ her here? What if he’s not yours? What if she’s here to hurt the club? What if—”

I hold up a hand for her to quit talking. These are not the words of my friend. Of the woman I’ve been there for… the heartbroken person who cried on my shoulder before fallin’ asleep in my bed. These are not the questions and accusations founded by Beth. These have Bink and the rest of the Sacred Sisters written all over ‘em.

I’ve had enough.

I’m done.

Spent.

Massaging the bridge of my nose, eyes closed, I rest my chin against Leech’s hair and try my hardest to reel in the budding anger before I take it out on Beth, or accidentally wake my grandbaby. It’s not her fault she’s the pawn of the sisterhood. Alright, it is, but it’s not intentional. She’s not malicious. There’s no doubt in my mind this is born of care and concern. However, I’m still fucking done. I don’t have another ounce left in me to deal with petty bullshit. I’m going to war tomorrow.

Clenching my jaw, I swallow the sharp retort I wanna unleash and formulate a better one. One I’d normally say under better circumstances—when I have a legitimate patience storage to siphon from. Too bad for them, those wells were sucked dry.

“Gunz, I’m sorry,” Beth tacks on when she realizes I’m not in a good place.

“It’s fine,” I lie, then squeeze my grandbaby a little tighter to imprint her body on mine, to remember when I’m gone for days on end. I’m gonna miss this little shit. Dom, too.

She pats my knee in apology and rests her hand there. “It’s not. I see you’re upset. I didn’t mean to make you upset. I promise.”

“I know.”

“The sisters are worried.” Beth’s nail traces anxious circles across my kneecap. I watch as it does, too caught up in my own head to pay attention to those around us.

“I know. They sent you to get information.”

Out of my periphery, I watch Beth’s body language and expression morph from blank indifference to guilty as her eyes mist over. Lettin’ the guilt eat her from the inside out, she sucks in a sharp, emotional breath. “I’m sorry.”

I know she is. If I didn’t, I wouldn’t say what I’m about to, so she has something to report back to the sisters.

“I do have a son. Heismine. He looks like me. And his mother never kept him from me. Her intentions of why she was here are our business. I would appreciate it if the sisters would respect my privacy on this. Everything’s still fresh, and I’m leaving tomorrow. My head needs to be in the game, not on this sh—stuff.”

The knee drawing persists. “That’s good… understandable. I’ll tell them.”

“Thanks.”

Her finger pauses mid-draw. “Do you want me to tell them now?” Tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, Beth looks to me for guidance.

“Are they waiting on your report?” Wantin’ a little less touchy-touchy, I remove her hand from my leg and set it back on hers. She frowns as I do.

“I’m guessing so. Bink has… um… never mind.”

“No. Finish your thought. Bink has what?”

“She packed food for you to take on the road tomorrow. I’m supposed to go get it.”

“Okay. You do that. But have her bring me the food when you’re finished tellin’ her I have a son, who is really mine, and I plan on keepin’ him and his mother in my life.” I reiterate the last bit so she don’t forget. I need her to relay the message loud and clear for Bink’s stubborn mind to hang on to, so she’ll quit makin’ my life difficult.

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