I swallowed hard, my throat tight. “I did something stupid.”
He chuckled, the sound low and disbelieving. “That’s unlikely. I’m the one always screwin’ up.”
“I’m serious, Quinton,” I muttered, using his given name, letting him know how serious I was.
His chuckle died immediately. “Hang on,” he said, and I heard rustling, footsteps, the soft creak of a door opening and closing. When he spoke again, his voice was quieter, more focused. “Alright. Let me have it. How bad are we talkin’, Chapman?”
I closed my eyes, pressing my free hand against my face, trying to find the words.
“I slept with Shadow’s sister.”
Silence. Complete, utter silence. And then: “I’m sorry. Can you repeat that?”
“Your hearing’s just fine.”
“Does Shadow know?”
“I don’t know.”
“Does Ghost know?”
“I don’t know.”
“Was it consensual?”
I growled, low and dangerous, and Digger quickly backtracked. “Sorry. It’s you. Of course it was. Did you wrap up?”
My stomach dropped. “I don’t know.”
“She on the pill?”
“I don’t know.”
“Jesus fuck, Chapman, whatdoyou know?”
“I know I slept with Shadow’s sister,” I snapped, my voice raw.
“Which one? He’s got like fifty of them.”
“Four. And it was Hope.” I was getting annoyed now, the panic giving way to frustration. “Look, Quinton, I need help, not your commentary. My ass is toast when Shadow learns the truth. He’s gonna demand the Golden Line-Up, and Reaper is gonna back him up.”
“And that’s gonna be after Stella kicks your ass,” Digger said, his tone grim. “Sorry, bro, but you are up shit’s creek without a paddle. What the fuck were you thinkin’? You know the rules.”
“I wasn’t thinking,” I groaned, rubbing my hand down my face. “That’s the problem. I was drunk. I thought I was sleeping with Julie.”
The line went silent again, and I could practically hear my brother’s brain trying to process what I had just said. “You remember Julie died, right?” he asked carefully. “You didn’t hit your head and forget that?”
“Quinton, I swear to fucking God—”
“Fine,” he groaned, cutting me off. “Alright. Well, first things first, you need to see if there’s anythin’ to worry about. Hate sayin’ this, but you’re gonna have to ask Hope if she’s on the pill.If she isn’t, then it’s a waitin’ game. ’Cause until you know for sure you didn’t knock her up, you are livin’ on borrowed time.”
My chest tightened. “I can’t just walk up to her and ask. She lives with Shadow. Everyone in the Diamondbacks saw what happened.”
“What happened?”
I sighed, sinking down onto the edge of the bed, and told him everything. The barbecue. The flash of white fabric. The way I had fought through the crowd, driven by the scent of jasmine and the desperate, irrational belief that Julie was there. Finding Hope behind the garage with another man’s lips on hers. The punch. The realization. The way I had walked away without saying a goddamn word.
Digger whistled low when I finished. “Jesus, Chapman. Look, my advice: lie low, find a way to speak with Hope without gettin’ yourself killed, and get some answers. If she’s on the pill, beat feet home. If not, hole up somewhere safe until you know for sure. But, brother, if she’s in the family way, you know what you’re gonna have to do, right?”
