She tries to interrupt me, but I stop her.
“This is the only thing saving my life, Rachel. I can’t …” I shake my head. “It’s this or I go back to that bridge.”
“Okay, then.” She stands awkwardly by the door. “It feels weird leaving you here like this.”
“I don’t think that’s the strangest part of all of this,” I joke.
She steps toward me and presses a key in the palm of my hand. “If you ever change your mind.”
“I won’t.”
“But if Jackson needs you …”
“Then I’ll be right here. You can even include it in the contract, if it makes you feel better.”
“Okay,” she says, turning away from me and heading toward the door. She pauses before stepping out. “I do hope you live a happy life.”
“You too,” I whisper, knowing she will. How could she not?
A life with Raffe is the best thing I could ever imagine.
Chapter Ten
Brody
“Rachel’s friend was Bill?”
She nods, and I rub my hand over the back of my neck. Fuck. This isn’t going to sit well with Raffe.
“Bill didn’t know who I was.”
I breathe a sigh of relief. “Thank fuck.”
Jenny begins to clear the table, and I can tell I struck a nerve. I grab her around the wrist. “Hey. I’m sorry. That’s not what I meant.”
“I know what you meant. If Bill would have known, it would have been considered a betrayal toward Raffe according to club rules.”
“Listen, I’m not saying you and Rachel betrayed him, but …”
Honestly, I don’t know how to feel about all of this. If I’m having a hard time with it, how will the others react?
“It’s okay, Brody. I don’t expect anyone to understand.”
She pulls away from me and heads over to the kitchen sink.
“So, I’m going to be upfront.” I turn in my chair to look at her. “I can’t leave you here.”
Jenny doesn’t turn around, but tension pulls her shoulders upward. “Forget you ever came here. You yourself are unsure of my motives. Just walk away, and no one ever has to know.”
“Your mother was supposed to receive a letter today. From what I understand, there are multiple letters going out to the club.”
Her shoulders fall, and she takes a deep breath.
“Again, I hate to do this, but I’m going to have to ask you to come with me. My wife and I just put a new addition on our house. We have a guest room.”
“I can’t leave.”
“Can’t or won’t?”
