Total pages in book: 71
Estimated words: 69155 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 346(@200wpm)___ 277(@250wpm)___ 231(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 69155 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 346(@200wpm)___ 277(@250wpm)___ 231(@300wpm)
My chest tightens, and I take a deep, angry breath. “He hasn’t got anything to do with this.”
“You fuckin’ him, is that it?” Kendric throws at me, eyes fierce.
“Go fuck yourself, Kendric. I’m not fucking him. I’m working with him. He’s not a bad person.”
“You’re sure of that. You’re willin’ to risk my fuckin’ life for it? Because if you’re wrong, and I go to prison because we can’t fix this, you’re goin’ to live with your choice right now.”
Guilt slams into my chest and I cross my arms, trying really fucking hard to convince myself I’m doing the right thing here. What if I am wrong? What if Kendric goes down because I refuse to look into Blanche? Am I making the wrong choice? God dammit, I don’t know what to think anymore. Everything is confusing me. Blanche doesn’t seem like the kind of man to do something like this, but Kendric is right, can I be one hundred percent sure of that?
Alarick intervenes before I can say anything more. “That’s enough. Do what I’m fuckin’ tellin’ you to do, Kendric. We don’t have time for this fuckin’ bullshit.”
Kendric doesn’t take his eyes off me.
He’s angry.
I’m angry.
We’re running out of time.
Changing the subject, Alarick asks, “We’re goin’ to get your boy back this afternoon, you ready for that?”
I pull my eyes away from Kendric’s and look to him. My voice strong when I say, “I’m ready.”
I’m more than ready.
I need my son back.
I need my freedom back.
I just need this all to be over so I can finally start my life the way I have been wanting to for so long.
The time has finally come.
13
ZARIAH
“What the fuck is goin’ on, Zariah?” Reece asks, walking out of the house with Jayden and his sister in tow.
His sister has never liked me, mostly because she’s a fucking suck up and doesn’t want anybody getting too close to her and the control she has over her brother. The two of them are close, their whole family is.
In the reflection of the front window, I can see the bikers gathering behind me. Twenty of them, all strong, all powerful, all ready to take what belongs to me. I know this isn’t necessarily the right way to go about getting this to stop, but it’s certainly the most effective. Reece isn’t going to take on a biker club, even he’s not that stupid.
“I’m taking Jayden back.”
“Mommy!” Jayden cries, running toward me with a happy smile on his face.
He moves before Reece can stop him, and the moment he’s in my arms, I exhale a sigh of relief. Pure, utter joy that my baby is safe in my arms again. I lean down so I can hug him, even though my body aches. I breathe him in and thank everything in the universe that he’s here with me and I’ve gotten him back.
The idea that he would be taken from me made me sick to my stomach.
The idea that he’s going to be taken from Reece makes me equally as sick.
He loves his father, and I know Reece loves him, but after what he did to me, I can’t be certain he’ll never do it to my son.
We’re going to have to fight this one out and let a judge decide.
“I’m taking my son back,” I say carefully as Jayden walks toward Kendric and Alarick, standing at the front of the group. He looks at their bikes and squeals happily.
He’s not afraid of them. Not at all.
“What?” Reece’s sister, Tarryn, snaps. “Who do you think you are, coming here and threatening my brother with a bunch of ... what ... gang members?”
I fight the urge to roll my eyes. “This has nothing to do with you, Tarryn.”
“It has everything to do with me. That is my nephew.”
“He is my son, and I am taking him because your brother is an abusive asshole and I’m done with it. I’m not risking my baby boy’s life any longer.”
“I’d never hurt him!” Reece bellows.
“You’re a liar!” Tarryn spits.
“Oh, so your brother hasn’t told you that he’s been abusing me for years?”
Tarryn shakes her head, her expression tight and angry. “You monster. You lying, pathetic woman. How dare you make up lies so you can take Reece’s only son away from him. How dare you.”
“I’m not here to convince you of the kind of man he is. I know what he’s done. I lived it. I’m not going to put up with it anymore.”
“He’s never laid a hand on you,” she screams, throwing her hands up. “Reece, tell her she’s a god damned liar and call the police.”
“I am the fucking police,” I yell back. “Go ahead, Reece. Tell her that you’ve never laid a hand on me. Tell her you’ve never beaten me. Tell her you’ve never shoved my head down a fucking toilet because I was so sick. Tell her you never pushed me down the fucking stairs when I was pregnant with our son. Tell her you never punched me in the ribs, or the stomach, or the legs because you didn’t want to leave marks on my face. Go ahead, tell her you’ve never fucking hurt me.”