Page 74 of Redemption

“There’s no fixing this, so it’s a pointless suggestion, anyway.”

The front door opens, and TK nearly gasps when he sees Lex. He knew she’d lost weight when he saw her last night at the wedding, but seeing her in shorts and a tank top shows the stress she’s dealt with.

“Oh, hi,” Lex says, her eyes avoiding TK’s. “I didn’t realize you guys were out here.”

“Lex, you gotta eat,” he says without thinking.

Colt glares at him. “Dad…”

“I’m working on it,” she says and looks down at herself. “I went from one extreme to the other, didn’t I?”

“What?”

Colt whips around. “You thought you were fat?”

“You know how I felt,” she whispers.

TK’s mouth drops open. There’s no hiding the damage. Damage none of them would’ve ever expected, and her swollen, bloodshot eyes tells him she cried all night while Colt hated himself on these steps.

“The kids are asking for you, Colt,” she says, her voice louder. “Do you two want to come in for breakfast?”

He wants to go inside just to make sure she eats, but he looks at Karmen and knows they need to have their own conversation. “No, we need to get going. We just stopped by to check on everything. Didn’t hear about the guy last night until this morning.”

“Yeah, it was lucky we had Colt here. Is the lockdown still in place?”

The waver in her voice annoys him, mostly because he knows the anxiety doesn’t stem from any potential danger. No, it comes from the fear of having her husband staying in the house with her another night. “I’m not sure. We haven’t talked yet this morning. But we’ll be sure to let you know.”

“Give the kids a kiss for us,” Karmen says.

“I will.”

She climbs off the step, and TK quickly walks up the stairs to Lex, and pulls her into a hug. “We love you. Please don’t ever forget that.”

“Thanks,” she says, but even as he releases her, she refuses to make eye contact. How the hell did they all miss this? The signs flash in goddamned neon, and they all just blindly went on their merry way.

“Lex, look at me.”

She does, and she wears all her pain on her face. “We’re still your family.”

She attempts what looks like a smile, but it comes off more like a grimace. No, it’s not the club that ruins women, it’s the men. He did the same damn thing Colt did. Karmen was right when she said their son followed in his footsteps. Damn it.

Chapter 27

Griffin’s Beach

TK

TK parks outside the house he used to call home, but he stays seated after Karmen hops off the back. He knows they need to have this conversation, but part of him fears the truth.

“Do you want to go? I’m sure I’ll be fine alone,” Karmen says. Her voice sounds almost disappointed, but she wears a good mask. She’s had years to perfect it.

He looks up at the woman who finally looks her age. For the longest time, she fought it by coloring her hair with the latest trends and wearing more makeup than she had when she was in her twenties. Her diet was minimal, and now, he can’t help but wonder if it was his fault after seeing Lex.

“Did you question yourself like Lex does?” he asks, his heart pounding. “Because of me?”

Her head looks side to side at the neighboring houses. “Can we talk about this inside? I think the neighbors have gotten enough shows over the years.”

His foot kicks out the kickstand and quickly follows her inside. He needs to hear her answer, even though it might just kill him.

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