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“Nah, I’m cool,” she says. “Everything still hurts.”
“Come in.”
She checks the hallway before walking into the room and I carefully close the door behind her. She takes a seat close to the window, and I offer her a can of soda from the fridge while I opt for plain water. I can’t keep much down these days—the morning sickness works in a relentless loop with episodes of ravenous hunger and nausea—and I never know what state I’m going to be in when I get out of bed.
Take today, for instance; the mere smell of food turns me inside out.
“How are you holding up?” Shiloh asks me.
“Oh, I’m fine,” I say, sitting in the chair next to her. “What about your mom? The shop? How’d all that work out?”
“It’s going to be a doozy,” she musters a tired smile. “There’s already been an internal investigation opened into those SWAT officers. We were lucky because of our CCTV system. They didn’t take that into account when they stormed the place. And now, they’re going to pay through the nose for what they did.”
“I’m still shocked and saddened by the whole thing.” I pause and take a deep breath. “Was anyone else hurt?”
“One of our mechanics took a bullet in the leg, but he’s going to make a full recovery, according to his doctor. And you can bet your ass he’s suing the Everton PD for everything they’ve got. Those cops had absolutely no reason to shoot when they did.”
“What about Spike and the others?”
Shiloh sighs deeply and takes a sip of her soda. “They’re going to be out soon. Maybe a couple of more days. The cabal is closing ranks, and their lawyers are fighting ours at every turn. We’re letting them think they’re winning because there’s a massive RICO operation that’s about to burst wide open. The Feds and Amstaff are working hard to get it rolling as quickly as possible, but I understand why they’re playing this waiting game. It’s better to be safe than sorry with those pricks. It’s why I wanted to come over and see you. I spoke to Sky.”
“You did? Where is he? Raylan? Kendric?” My heart starts skipping beats again.
“County jail, but Amstaff reached out to a couple of his former rookies and asked them to make sure that our guys are kept safe. Apparently, the Black Hand keeps trying to gain access to them by whatever means necessary, but I don’t know what their endgame is. It’s not like they can kill them without making things worse for themselves.”
“It must be about the evidence that my father had against them,” I say, remembering that brief exchange with Troy from the other night. “They’re desperate to get it before the cops do.”
“Too late for that.”
“How did they seem? Sky and the guys?”
Shiloh looks directly at me, her gaze softening. “You are head over heels for them, aren’t you?”
“Can you blame me?”
“Not at all. I’m just surprised there’s a woman on this earth who is able to see them and love them for who they are. They’re a rare breed, and they’re exceptionally good men. Honestly, I didn’t think you, of all people, would fall the way you so obviously did.”
I can’t help but laugh. “Because they kidnapped me.”
“Yeah, you’re the poster child for Stockholm Syndrome.”
“If I had a nickel for all the times I said that to myself,” I mutter.
Shiloh gives me a persistent look, and I see the worry reflected in the deep, dark pools of her eyes. I feel like I’m closer to Sky when I’m with her. “How are you feeling, though? Have you told them yet?”
“Told them what?”
“Oh, come on, it’s so obvious. Mom called it the minute she saw you, but we were too busy dodging those SWAT goons to mention it right then and there. You’re expecting.”
My jaw drops. “How in the world—”
“Women know. Especially Mom. That woman sees and knows everything before anybody else, trust me. Her gut is never wrong. When she senses something, it’s usually true.”
I gasp, my face burning red. “No, I haven’t told them yet. I’m just waiting for the storm to clear. Praying that everything will be okay.”
“Yeah, it’s not a guarantee at this point. The Black Hand are slippery fuckers,” Shiloh groans, rubbing her face. The exhaustion is showing. She is worn out, much like the rest of us, except she’s also walking around with a dreadful injury. Her entire life has been disrupted, and her man is back in jail. It can’t be easy. “I will tell you one thing, though, Ariana.”
“What’s that?”
