I rubbed my hand over my distended belly, wishing that I could feel the life inside move already.

The baby books that I’d read said I’d be able to feel the baby any day now, but it hadn’t happened quite yet.

The prosecutor looked over the table at me and winced. “We’re not going to file any other charges against him. He’s agreed to fully cooperate with us in exchange for our plea deal. That’s better than we could hope for if we took it to trial.”

My mouth fell open in outrage. “So, I came all the way here for nothing?”

That was just plain outrageous to me.

Rodrigo hadn’t killed Senator Antilles. His partner had…but he’d still forced sixteen and seventeen-year-old girls to do things that they didn’t want to—and even if they had ‘wanted’ to like he claimed they did, then he should’ve been the adult and not slept with them on general principle alone.

He was a piece of crap and didn’t deserve to be on this planet sharing the same air as the girls that he’d abused.

Wade moved, and I shifted my gaze to his just in time to see his eyes narrow. “Not for nothing. For Rome.”

“Rome doesn’t want me!” I all but snarled.

“Rome wants you.” He tapped the envelopes that he could see sticking out of my purse. “Read ‘em.”

I looked away, right at the curious prosecutor who was now staring at me as if I were an interesting bug that he’d never seen before.

“I, unfortunately, don’t get to choose who we prosecute. The DA—district attorney—is the one who decides that. I’m sorry,” he apologized. “He obviously thinks that whatever he got in return for this plea was good enough to make the deal. I apologize for your inconvenience in coming all the way here for nothing.”

With that, he gathered his briefcase that he hadn’t even bothered to open and left the small briefing room in the middle of the police station without a backward glance.

I was left staring at the empty seat where he’d been sitting before Wade broke the silence.

“Read the letters, honey. I swear to God…please, just read them.”Chapter 24I often try to convince myself that I enjoy the company of others. Then I actually spend time with them and realize that I don’t.

-Rome’s secret thoughts

Rome

After hearing the doorbell ring, I opened the door to my place with unease teasing my skin.

I’d expected Tyler or Wade…hell even Linc or Bayou. Possibly even a few other brothers of the MC.

What I hadn’t expected was my…grandmother.

“What are you doing here?” I asked curtly.

My grandmother pushed her way inside my home without so much as a hello.

Instead, she came to a stop right inside the entrance, then turned with her arms crossed over her chest.

“I’m sorry.”

I blinked.

“You’re…what?” I asked. “Why?”

What was I supposed to say here?

‘It’s okay’ would never come out of my mouth.

My grandmother had chosen my friend over me. Granted, Tyler had meant a great deal to all of us, even her, but Tyler wasn’t her grandson. I was.

She’d…disappointed me.

Seemed like I was always going to have disappointment to look forward to.

“I’m sorry,” she repeated. “I wish I could tell you some pretty words, and make it all okay, but I can’t. I was wrong. I was so wrong that I will never be able to forgive myself. But…I don’t want you to be stubborn like me.”

My brows rose.

“How would you know if I’m being stubborn or not?” I asked stiffly.

She gave me a look. “You’ve known that I have been in town since the funeral, hoping that you would give me a chance…so it’s not gone unnoticed that your woman friend who you fell in love with is no longer around…or she wasn’t until today.”

My heart started to pound.

I’d heard the same thing, that Izzy had arrived, yet none of my friends had confirmed it for me knowing it was probably something that should be left alone.

But my grandmother had never been one to shy away from confrontation. Seeing as she’d booted my ass to the curb the moment she’d heard that I’d slept with Tyler’s woman.

“What does this have to do with anything between you and me?” I questioned.

She studied me with those eyes that had once meant the world to me. “One day, you’re going to be old and gray like me, only years away from dying, and you’re going to look back on the important things in your life. Things that you had the power to change, but didn’t.” She looked down, and for the first time, I saw how truly old she looked. “You’re my thing. I’ve lived a good life. Had a child. A husband that I adored. Grandchildren. But…I didn’t treat one of those precious gifts right. Just like you’re not doing.”

I would’ve laughed had she not been telling me something I hadn’t told myself time and time again since Izzy had disappeared from my life.

Tags: Lani Lynn Vale Bear Bottom Guardians MC Romance
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