One Chance (Hogan Brothers 1)

“Pretty much, yeah. Can’t do anything for I don’t know how long, and I can see it’s killing her inside as well. I can see the ache in her eyes, the sadness when I have to leave the room or risk going to jail for claiming her before she’s legal.” His words held all the pain he felt.

“So, she knows about you?”

“Yup.” The hiss of the can of beer being opened the only sound in the room.

“What are you gonna do?”

“Not a fucking clue. Worst part is, I think her parents already have her married off when she is legal. Maybe even before then.”

“Before then? How is that even possible?”

“She’s from that religious compound an hour out from here.”

That put a wrinkle in things.

“Can’t she leave? Don’t they have something where the kids can move out on their own for a while when they’re eighteen, choose where they want to live or something?”

“Beats me.” He could tell Loch was done with the conversation as he walked out of the room.

Seemed to Nox now, he likely wasn’t the only one with girl trouble. He had his girl under control. Watching his younger brothers fall was gonna be fun.

His phone ringing had all traces of amusement leaving his system at the terrifying words were blasted at him.

There’s been an accident.

“So tell me, Sophia, how are things going with my boy?” Lorraine’s question threw her off guard. She knew the woman would eventually ask her about how quickly things had been moving, but she hadn’t known when.

“Umm, well, good, I think. I hope,” Sophia responded honestly.

“You think?” She had to remember Lorraine didn’t know what had transpired between her and her mother. The accusations, the truths and lies, all the scary things that could happen. Lorraine was in the dark.

“Between us is good. At work is good.” She looked away before saying, “It’s my family that’s not so good.”

“Well, we always knew they’d be a problem. Especially that jealous mother of yours.” Lorraine’s lip curled in disgust as she mentioned the other woman.

“It’s uh, well, become a little more complicated in the last couple of weeks.” She stuttered over her words.

“What do you mean?” her friend asked, understandably confused.

“Lennox told you there was a threat?” Lorraine nodded. “Turns out it was aimed directly at me, not my father, and I think it comes from my mother.” Saying it out loud still hurt like hell.

“Why would you think that?” In the Hogan’s world, Sophia could understand how unfathomable it seemed. Because who really wants to harm their child? How she wished that could be her world, too.

“I guess I’m not really hers. Dad wanted kids, Mom wanted money. They got a surrogate, but my mother was sterile, so, from what I’ve been told, they used the surrogate’s eggs. Turns out this vile woman isn’t really my mother. She spent her entire life making my father regret bringing me into this world with how vicious she’s been. She made my life miserable solely because she could.” Tears stung her eyes.

“But why would she do this now?” Lorraine moved to sit beside her, gripping her hands tightly in her own for comfort. Sophia relished the affection.

“I have no clue. Maybe she finally sees a way to truly hurt one of us. Or maybe she’s simply mentally unhinged. Maybe she’s plotted this for years. I doubt I’ll ever know.”

“Is that why that delicious hunk of meat is sitting outside my door?”

It took Sophia a moment to realize the older woman was talking about Braxton. Laughter bubbled up thinking of him as a hunk. “Yes, that’s why he’s here.” She couldn’t stop laughing; eventually, Lorraine joined in with her.

Once they ran out of breath, things turned serious again. “So, what’s being done? Are the police investigating? Is your father finally going to divorce the wretched woman?”

Thinking back on all the conversations they’d had, she didn’t remember mention of police involvement. Most of the time,

she had been stunned by the new information thrown at her, so she couldn’t be sure.