Ride or Die (Rejects Paradise 4)

“They could,” he says. “But you’ll then receive a rushed result. I’m assuming in this instance, you’re wanting a result that has been thoroughly checked and checked again.”

Colton nods and awkwardly looks at me, not liking when his money doesn’t get him what he wants, and I can’t help but laugh. Colton is such a badass, always on point and at the top of his game, but when he’s sulking, it’s the cutest thing I’ve ever seen.

I really hope this baby is his.

We finish in the doctor's office ten minutes later, and Colton gets me to school just in time for the bell to ring. I rush in after giving him a quick kiss and have to bypass my locker to make it to my homeroom in time.

The day drags on, and by the time lunch rolls around, I’ve had two missed calls from Christian and three texts telling me that Nic was seen by our men in Bellevue Springs. So, I’m not surprised when I walk out to find him standing in the school parking lot, leaning against his car as though absolutely nothing has changed between us.

The second Nic lays his eyes on me, he pushes off his car, and my heart begins to race. I was expecting plenty of things today, but having Nic show up at my school wasn’t exactly one of them.

Glancing back over my shoulder, I check that no one is around before I slowly start making my way toward him. This could be a huge mistake, but he won't hurt me. At least, I don't think he would. Surely, after everything we’ve been through together, he still feels that need to protect me. Though, he sure as hell didn't feel it when he left me covered in bruises after dragging me down three flights of stairs.

“What are you doing here?” I ask, creeping towards him while making sure to keep my distance. I fight the urge to throw myself into his arms, no matter how much I wish that everything could be as it was before. That can never happen now, way too much has gone down between us. Not to mention, the fucker killed my father in cold blood.

Nic takes a step toward me, his eyes dark and deadly, no sign of the man he used to be. “Call it off, Ocean,” he tells me.

I shake my head, realizing that this is a business meeting, not a social call. “I can’t do that,” I tell him. “And you made sure of that.”

His lip twitches ever so slightly, the only hint that our situation is affecting him. “You don’t know what you’re doing. You’re going to get yourself killed.”

“Like you give a shit about that,” I snap, though deep down, I know he does. If he didn’t care, he wouldn’t have shown his face at the wedding, and honestly, hating him would have been so much easier if he hadn’t come to show his support.

Nic scoffs, just as I knew he would. “You know that’s not fucking true,” he spits back at me. “I’m the only fucking one who’s had your back, right from the start. I was going to fucking marry you.”

“Oh, come on,” I all but laugh. “Now you know that’s not true. You haven't had my back since the second I moved to Bellevue Springs. You’ve been against me, always fighting, resenting me for moving on and allowing Colton into my life. Oh, and have you also forgotten that you killed my father because I sure as hell haven’t. I’m pretty sure that someone who had my back wouldn’t even consider hurting my family like that, no matter who they are.”

He takes a big step toward me, putting him right in front of me and becoming the leader of the Widows, not the Nic I grew up with. “Call. It. Off.”

I stand tall, raising my chin in defiance and refusing to back down. I don’t just stand here for myself anymore. I represent every Wolf who got down on one knee and vowed their loyalty. I will not be weak, not anymore. “No,” I tell him. “If you want to prove that you truly have my back, then you call it off. Be the bigger person, prove to me that you’re still a good guy.”

“Good guy?” Nic scoffs. “Where’s your fucking loyalty? Was it fucking easy turning your back on the boys? Do you have any idea how much you’ve hurt them?”

I press my lips into a firm line. “Probably about as much as they’ve hurt me.”

“So, that’s it then? This is all about payback. Hurting us because we hurt you.”

“No,” I tell him. “This is about making things right. The boys hurt me, but you did so much more than that. You killed me. The Ocean you used to know, she doesn’t exist anymore. She’s dead. I’m a Wolf now, and you can sleep well knowing that you’re the one who pushed me to it. They’re my family now.”