Knife scrubs the back of his neck. “Horse … I think Rebbie’s been talking to Dee. I’d like to say she’s not helping her—but I’m not sure.”
I stare at him. “You know what it would mean if she helped put a hit on me?”
“Yeah,” he whispers. “I know.”
“I appreciate you having my back, brother, but I’m not sure you should go with me. If they want me dead, they might decide you’re dispensable, too. They could just tell Rebbie you were collateral damage.”
Knife shrugs, looking hollow. “If Rebbie’s involved, they might hesitate. Might buy us time.”
I shift gears, jaw tight. “I can’t believe the mother of my son would plot to kill me,” I mutter.
Knife lets the silence settle before he finally answers. “Women keep their motives quiet. You don’t see how black they are until they think they’ve lost control.”
“If this is about Rebbie—Knife, if she’s turned dark on you—do you think it’s because you fucked around on her so much? Do we need to worry about the club girls?”
Knife shakes his head. “Maybe I wouldn’t have if things were different. Hell, if she had shown me who she really was, I never would have had her in my bed.”
I glance at him sharply. “Is there something I don’t know?”
“Nothing that concerns you.”
“The hell it doesn’t,” I say, reaching over to squeeze his shoulder. “You’re my brother.”
Knife swallows. His voice comes out dead. “Let’s just say … Rebbie’s got a violent streak. Enough that I’d rather find other women than be alone with her. I’d never hit her, Horse. That might make me weak, but you know how my mom was treated. I could never be a man who hurts a woman. But I can avoid her.”
My grip tightens on the wheel. “That’s no life, brother.”
“It’s the one I’ve got. And I’m not leaving her. I can’t protect Janie if I do. So, this is how it is.”
I curse under my breath. Rage simmering low and dangerous inside of me. Janie is Knife and Rebbie’s girl. She’s older than Caleb. I think she’s in the fourth grade this year. The girl is still too young to be exposed to this side of life.
“Why didn’t you tell me?” I ask quietly.
“Because you’d try to fix it,” he says simply. “But you can’t fix everything. If you could, Dee wouldn’t be using your son as leverage to extort money out of you and live the life she does. You give her everything, and still it’s not enough.”
He’s right. And I hate it.
“I get it, brother,” I say, and I mean it. But I swear right then and there—if I clean up this mess with Dee, I’ll find a way to get Knife out from under Rebbie’s thumb. Somehow.
Knife sighs. “So, tell me about Gwen. The club’s buzzing. Word is you moved in with her.”
I can’t help the smile spreading across my face. “Gwen’s special.”
“When do we meet her?”
“Christmas Day. Dinner at my place. Family only. She’s bringing her girls. I’m giving Caleb a real Christmas—hell, I’m even making Rocky play Santa. Bring Janie. No club girls, though. I don’t want her to see that side of the life yet. This is about family.”
Knife laughs. “Damn, man. You sound whipped.”
“Fuck no,” I shoot back with a grin. “I just know she’s all I’ll ever want.”
Knife gives me a look out of the corner of his eye—half disbelief, half something close to admiration. I let him stare. It doesn’t bother me. For the first time in my life, I feel like a man who’s got everything he ever wanted right within reach.
I know it.I never want to go back to the way it was before Gwen. She’s given me everything. I’ll burn down the whole damn world before I let anyone take her away from me.
Best Friends, Becoming A Mom, & Other Chaos
GWEN
