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Those two might be twins, but River is definitely bigger than his sister and already protective of her. He probably senses that she’s going to need protecting and that she’s going to be like her mother in size.
“Come here, baby girl,” Chains says, releasing a breath, squatting down, and holding his arms open for the little girl to come to him. She does and he picks her up, kissing her cheek. “Everything’s gonna be okay.”
“I want Bart Bart,” she says, tears in her eyes.
“You’ll see Bart soon,” he confirms and looks at me.
I give him a shrug. The plan I told them doesn’t involve my sister and the others, but having them here would help in protecting the women and children. With their men here, that would be even better.
“Come on, Chains, you know we can help. Let us do this, and we promise to stay retired,” Victoria remarks.
“Yeah, until someone else threatens your family.” Tracker snorts, evidently knowing his ol’ lady well enough to know she isn’t ever going to ever fully retire.
“Fine, you best not go against what we have planned,” Chains grunts and sets Brook back on her feet. “We’ll talk about this outside where the kids can’t hear.”
I look at Camilla and give her a kiss. “Stay here. I’ll fill you in after, okay?”
“Okay.” She nods, drawing her lip between her teeth.
I’m sure she wants to be a part of the discussion, to know what’s going on, but she’s holding back. I appreciate this, though I know later she’ll have questions, questions I’ll have to answer. I refuse to hold back from her. She’s proven she’s able to handle not just this life, but a life we’re going to share.
The sooner I get this taken care of, the sooner we can start to make it one damn good life at that.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
CAMILLA
Something’s happening here, and I don’t know if I can just sit and wait it out. It’s not my style. I became a lawyer to help people. There has to be something I can do to help the club. To put a stop to everything going on.
“I know you want to help them,” Ela murmurs, taking a seat next to me.
“I can’t just sit by and let someone else die,” I whisper, twisting in order to look at the other woman. I knew the woman, not as well as I would have liked, but I knew her.
“If you don’t, then you chance not just your death but that of Lynch and the child you now carry,” she warns, looking directly in my eyes.
“What?” The question is no more than a breath whooshing past my lips. “I’m not pregnant.” I couldn’t be. I was on the pill. Well, not the pill exactly, but I got the shot six months as I’m supposed to, not because I was having sex, but because it helped with my period and the horrible cramps I would get. I’ve been getting the shot since just before I turned eighteen and knew I wanted to have sex with Lynch, that I’d give him my virginity. I was too young to think of children and wanted to be able to have sex with Lynch without a condom. I wanted to feel all of him that first time and every other time after that.
“But you are, child.” Ela nods, smiling softly. “It’s still very early, but the child is there. It’s a boy, and he’s going to grow to be a strong man. However, for him to do that, you must protect him. Keep him safe. Don’t go looking for trouble.”
“Why are you telling me this?” Didn’t Fury say she spoke in riddles and didn’t intervene in fate?
“Because Scarlett asked me to protect her grandchild,” Ela answers, surprising me.
“Scarlett?” I ask, not recognizing the name.
“Lynch’s mother,” she explains, patting my thigh. “No one knew the truth of her death until recently. I’d seen her around both Lynch and Harlow, she’d never speak, though. She just watched over both of her children. People think I’m crazy because of the sight I have, for the riddles I speak. I learned so long ago to ignore them, to be who I am, and not let anyone make me feel differently. I love my family, and you are a part of that. Just as Scarlett loved her family, she sacrificed her life to save her son and daughter. To ensure the future for them, she lost the love of her life. Let her family think she was only a wild child and couldn’t handle being a mother.”
“But she loved her kids,” I utter, nodding.
“She did,” Ela agrees, looking over my shoulder as if she were listening to someone else. “Scarlett isn’t the only one who wants you to stay safe,” she whispers, tears filling her eyes. “Your parents both want you to stop feeling the guilt for what has happened between you and Lynch. Your father says guilt should only lay on the shoulders of the ones responsible.”That sounds like something my dad would say for sure. “Trust me when I say this from experience, Camilla, you should heed your dad’s words. It’s not on you or him. You are each other’s match.”
Lynch’s match.
I’m his equal, just as he’s mine.
Nodding, I decide once and for all to let the guilt go. To listen to Ela. Let Lynch do what he needs to and pray like hell, whatever that is, he’ll make it through.
Hours pass before Lynch comes back inside. He’s still wearing the blood-stained clothes, but he’s got a bag in his hand as he strolls in, eyes scanning until they land on me.
