“Yes!” Ispat angrily. “Jesus, Gauge, enough already.”
“Iwon’tlet anythin’ happen to you, Jolie. You got my word on that.”
Iscoffed and rolled my eyes and his frown deepened.
“What? You think my word don’tmean anything?”
Ishook my head. “No one keeps their word.” It was supposed to come out indifferent, but instead it came out coarse and sassy.
“Well my word means everythin’, and Iain’tnever broken my word yet. You feel me, Jolie?”
Iopened my mouth to speak, but when Ifelt abubble of panic rising in my chest Islammed my lips closed again and shook my head.
“What’sthat look for?” he asked.
“Nothing. Ijust, Ineed to get home,” Isaid, turning from him.
Gauge reached out and gripped my bicep, turning me back to look at him. “That can’thappen; it’snot safe just now.”
“So what? You expect me to stay here? With you animals? Hell to the no.” Ijerked free from him, the pinch of his grip bringing me back from my panic attack. “I’ve survived this long without your help. Ithink I’ll be okay.”
“And yet you needed me to come and rescue you,” he snapped. His expression darkened and Icould tell he regretted saying that last comment immediately. But you can’ttake things back. Once those words are out there in the world, there’sno coming back from them.
“You can’tgo home yet,” he said again, firmer that time.
“And you can’ttell me what to do.” Ijabbed afinger into his chest.
“He’sright though,” Dom said from behind me, and Iturned to glare at him, taking in his regretful yet equally angry expression. “It’snot safe, Jolie.”
“Oh please, like you care, Dom,” Ilaughed bitterly.
“Icare,” he said.
“I’msurprised you even bothered to come looking for me.”
“Ifucking care, Jolie!” he yelled, throwing his arms up. “There’sno fucking winning with you, is there? Idon’tcome and you call me out, but when Ido come, you give me shit.”
We glared at one another, nostrils flared, hands balled into fists… God, there was no denying that we were related.
“Ineed to go home,” Isaid, alittle more calmly. “Like I’ve been trying to tell you,Marcel—your little brother—needs us. He’sback on drugs again, Dom, and Ican’t… Mom and I, we can’tdo it on our own this time.”
Ifelt the panic and worry clawing up my throat because with everything that Ihad just been through, I’dalmost forgotten about Marcel. Mom had begged me to get Dom and bring him back home to help, and Ihad tried. But Dom, like the rest of my family, avoided our home and all its problems, like it might contaminate them. For such abig family, there seemed so few of us that wereactuallyacting like we cared about one another. I’dgone to the club to get Dom and then I’dleft Mom cleaning up Marcel’spuke and wiping his sweaty brow so Icould go to work, despite her begging me not to leave her.
And then everything had gone to total and utter shit.
Murder, gunfire, and kidnapping…and God knows what else would have happened if Gauge hadn’tcome for me.
Isuddenly felt lightheaded with the realization of what I’dbeen through. It was too much to bear—way too much—yet it was my life. It had always been my life in one way or another. Constantly going from one drama to the next. Iwas ahigh school dropout turned stripper with one brother on drugs, one in the army, another in an MC club that never came home, and my own twin that point blank denied our existence because he was embarrassed about how fucked up we all were.
“You okay?” Gauge asked, concern in his deep brown eyes even if his tone remained impassive.
Irolled my eyes and looked away from him.
Dom turned to Shooter, who had now joined us. “Can you talk some sense into her, please. She won’tfucking listen to me.”
“Iwonder why,” Ibit out, despite the rising panic Iwas feeling and the guilt that was eating away at my insides. It was easier to put on ahard front than to admit Iwas scared or needed help. Iwas an award-winning actress.
Shooter turned to me, his brow furrowed. His gaze moved to Gauge and then back to me again and then he dragged ahand down his beard.
