Total pages in book: 121
Estimated words: 113319 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 567(@200wpm)___ 453(@250wpm)___ 378(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 113319 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 567(@200wpm)___ 453(@250wpm)___ 378(@300wpm)
“Hey,” I said, standing on the other side of the couch. She looked up, surprised.
“Oh, hi, Jessie.” She gazed over my shoulder, obviously looking for Matt.
“Can I have a word?”
She straightened up slowly, suddenly fidgeting. “Uh…”
“Come on.” I gestured, knowing she was like me, a little too easygoing for her own good at times. It would be hard for her to give me a flat no. “It’ll only take a minute. I’m on my way out. I wanted to say goodbye.”
“Oh…kay, but…” She looked around as she did what she was told. “Maybe just for a moment…”
She wasn’t supposed to talk to me. That, or she knew talking to me would get her in trouble. More reason for me to force the meeting.
Broken Sue stood with Mr. Tom, Jimmy, and Aurora near the small kitchen table, clearly waiting for me.
“Where’s Austin?” I asked.
“Using his presence and posturing to keep everyone contained in the front room,” Broken Sue replied. “He wants to keep control and make sure everyone behaves.”
“Everyone is afraid to move.” Aurora smirked. “Your ex included. He and his boys are visibly shaking as the alpha stares them down.”
“I just have one thing to do and we’ll head out,” I said.
“Need anything?” Broken Sue asked as I ushered Camila past him.
“Yeah. Watch our six. We need a second. Undisturbed.”
“You heard her, Master Jimmy—let’s get ready,” Mr. Tom told my son. “Which of those presents do you want to take, and which of them do you want to stuff down the couch cushions and pretend you forgot?”
Broken Sue stepped forward to go with me, and Aurora stood her ground, presumably to guard the kitchen door.
“Oh…outside?” Camila said when we reached the back door.
“Yup.” I gestured her through, and Broken Sue pushed in behind us, his aura of intensity hurrying her into the backyard.
“Just…for a minute, okay?”
We took a seat on the cold patio furniture, metal chairs without cushions surrounding a dirty glass table. Though it was sunny most of the year here, and not cold by most of the country’s standards, people didn’t hang around outside during the winter without heating lamps and a firepit.
Broken Sue shut the door behind him and stepped to the side, leaning against the wall. My people spread out around the yard, perking up now that I’d come outside. I had a feeling they were bored out of their minds and would all be happy to leave.
“You didn’t call me the other night,” I started, knowing the clock was ticking. Her expression turned uncomfortable. “You worried he’d check the phone records and see my number listed.”
Her uncomfortable expression turned guilty.
“Yeah.” I nodded. “He did that to me, too. You were at that dinner. How he talks to you is the same as how he talked to me. It doesn’t get better, Camila. And if you’re cool with that, then great. I’m happy for you. But if you have any doubts, now is the time to fix your situation. Either push back or get out. Because once he knocks you up, things get a lot more complicated.”
Tears filled her eyes.
“Oh God, you’re already pregnant. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean—”
“No!” She put out her hand. “No, it’s not—”
The door swung open to reveal Matt, his face bland and composed and his body language screaming furious.
“Camila,” he said in a disapproving tone. “You—”
Broken Sue flung out a hand, grabbing the middle of Matt’s chest.
“This is a private conversation,” he growled, leaning toward Matt with crazy eyes. “You’re not wanted out here.”
The color drained from Matt’s suddenly long face, and his jaw went slack.
Broken Sue, with no visible effort, pushed Matt back into the house and closed the door behind him. He moved his big mass in front and crossed his arms over his chest, looking at me.
That meant proceed.
Matt trying to barge into the conversation meant hurry up.
“What were you going to say?” I prompted Camila.
“Oh, it’s just…” She licked her lips as she glanced at Broken Sue. “Maybe I should go in—”
“Camila”—I laid my hand on the table—“talk to me. I understand where you are. You know I do. You saw proof. You’ve seen how this family treats me. Is it different for you?”
She sagged a little, and a tear fell down her cheek. “That dinner the other night…” She shook her head. “It was like a cold splash of water. I’d been in denial, I think. It’s just… He can be so charming. So, so charming. He always used to say the right things. To compliment me and seem to mean it. My whole family loves him. And he takes—or took, I guess, he doesn’t do it much anymore—me out to these fancy dinners and everyone was all smiles to meet me…”
She leaned back in her chair.
“I don’t know where it went wrong,” she said, in almost a whisper. “I don’t know how it got to this. Tripping over landmines. The things that used to make him happy now make him chastise me…” She shook her head. “But that dinner…” Another tear fell. “I just don’t know how I ended up here. I thought it was so terrible the way he was treating you, and the things he was saying. But then I realized…”