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I kiss her forehead. “Baby, I will do everything you need and want to make this pregnancy as smooth as possible, I promise.”
“I’ll keep that in mind for when we do get pregnant,” she says, slipping out of my arms to finish dressing for the day.
I’m about to make some off the cuff comment about her already being pregnant, but there’s a soft knock on our suite door. I take quick stock of my woman to makes sure she’s decent.
“It’s open,” I say a little too gruffly, hating the interruption.
Candy pokes her head through the door. I’m instantly on edge, raising an eyebrow. Candy anywhere near me is trouble.She’s been scarce. What the fuck is she up to?If she’s entering our room, it isn’t good.
“Yes?” I clip.
Candy cringes at my brusque demeanor. Josephine backhands me in the chest. “Stop being a jerk, Maceo. Hey, Candy, what’s up?”
Confused, I look at my woman. Was she replaced by an imposter? After Candy started rumors about Josephine getting friendly with my brothers while I was away, I assumed we were on the same page.
Candy steps slowly into the room, looking uncomfortable and stiff. It’s the first I notice she’s not dressed in skimpy clothing—she’s wearing skinny jeans and a fitted tee. Maybe Candy was replaced with an imposter as well.
“I was wondering if I could have a word with Atlas,” she says in a small voice.
I roll my eyes, knowing she’s up to her old tricks. But Josephine catches me by surprise. “No problem. I need to head out to the build anyways,” Josephine says nonchalantly.
Excuse me?!She cannot mean to leave me alone in our suite with this—for lack of a better word—bitch?The hell with that!
I’m about to protest when Candy beats me to the punch. “No, Jo, please stay.”
Josephine looks wide-eyed at her and back at me. I’m beyond curious as to what’s up Candy’s sleeve. All hunches point to something not good.
Josephine waves at the couch. “Um, sure. Have a seat.”
Candy sits and Josephine sits next to her. I choose to stand because I don’t want to get comfortable around this woman. For all I know, she’s about to ask Josephine and me for a threesome, and I’ll need to be ready to throw her out.
With an audible swallow, Candy looks at me. Whatever she sees in my face has her sinking deep into the couch, scooting closer to my woman ‘till she’s practically in Josephine’s lap.
Josephine wraps an arm around her tenderly. “Candy, you’re shaking. Is everything okay?”
Candy shakes her head slowly, keeping her eyes downcast. “No.”
Josephine shoots me an alarmed look before turning her attention back to the bubble-gum-haired wench. “Hey, it’s okay. This is a safe space. Maceo won’t get nasty, I promise.”
Candy’s shoulder bounce.Is she crying?“I did something which put the club at risk,” she blurts.
At the mention of putting my crew and family in danger, I nearly snap. Josephine stops me by throwing her palm up. I have to give my woman credit—she’s way calmer than me after what Candy mentioned. “What did you do, Candy?”
Candy gulps. “I was responsible for giving the hacker access to your database.”
“The fuck?!” The treacherousputahas some fucking nerve.
Candy flinches. Josephine gives me a pointed look, telling me to back the fuck off. “Can you explain to us what happened and why you did it?”
A soft cry escapes her mouth before she continues. “You both know I worked the streets in Denver before the MC took me in. What you don’t know was who my pimp was. From the time I was forced out of my home by my drug addict parents, I was selling myself to stay alive. I survived for four years on the streets, if you can call it survival. I can’t tell you how many times I was beaten or raped before he found me and made me into one of hisputtanas.
“At first, he was my savor, taking me in, feeding and clothing me, putting a roof over my head, and giving me a bed to sleep in. I was beyond grateful, desperate for any form of kindness, and eager to please him. All was fine until I was put to work, forced to service multiple men in one night, sometimes more than one at once. I was beaten and raped, but it was worse than the streets. I was forced to work for him for five years before I escaped to the streets again—the fear of the unknown was less terrifying than continuing to endure the treatment of the whorehouse.”
“Oh, Candy. I’m sorry,” Jo says, trying to soothe our Judas.
Candy takes a wet, stuttering breath. “I had been on the run for a week and found myself in Fort Collins when I met the MC at the local watering hole. I was terrified I’d be forced back to my pimp and leapt at the offer to join the MC as a bunny. I’ve been here for nearly two years. The only reason my old boss didn’t come after me is because he’s afraid of Atlas.”
I pace back and forth, unable to give Candy my full sympathy when I know she’s done something seriously horrible to put us in danger. But Josephine…fuck, Josephine is holding on to Candy and keeping her lost soul from falling apart. Josephine has the biggest heart imaginable if she can show empathy to Candy.
