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She glanced over her shoulder after she reached the top of the stairs. “There won’t be a next time.”
With those words, she pushed the door open and closed it behind her. I cursed under my breath, knowing I couldn’t go back upstairs until I took care of the problem she’d left me. I knew it would only satisfy me for a moment. My cock had a one-track mind, and right now it was all on her.
Next time things would go very differently.
She’d just changed the game.
CHAPTERTEN
Placingthe phone to my ear, I gazed through the glass as sadness tugged at my heart like it did every time I came here.
“Hi, Noah,” I said softly once he picked up his phone.
He stared at me, his eyes hollow and void of the bubbling happiness that used to consume him as a child. His black hair was long and pulled behind his head. Dark stubble covered his face, and new tattoos ran down his arms. He’d been in here nearly two years, and I barely recognized him as the brother I once knew and loved.
“You didn’t come visit last week,” he said, questions in his eyes. “That’s the first time you’ve ever missed a visit. Is everything okay?”
“Define okay,” I muttered, thinking of the shitshow of a week I’d had. “I’m back in Braidwood.”
His eyes widened in shock. “What happened?”
I quickly explained everything that had happened, knowing I didn’t have a ton of time. I still had one more thing to do before I went home for family dinner.
“They forced you back there?” he snarled, his temper rising. “Those fucking assholes.”
“I’m fine. I can take care of myself,” I replied, trying to calm him down. He had enough to think about; he didn’t need to worry about me too. Especially when there was nothing he could do to help. “I’m still working on getting you out.”
He scoffed. “I got twenty years, Kat.”
“You were set up,” I hissed, rage surging through me. “I’ll get you out.”
He was only seventeen when he went to prison. They tried him as an adult, and even with William helping, there was no way to drop the charges. The evidence was overwhelming. It happened outside of Braidwood, where my family didn’t have any power over the authorities who took the case over.
“Are they giving you trouble?” Noah asked, worry covering his face.
“Not as much as I thought they would.” The entire week, all three of them had kept their eyes on me but gave me space. Which scared me more. Because I knew they were planning something.
“Don’t make it worse on yourself with them.” He leaned his elbows on the small counter. “I don’t need you to fight my battles for me.”
Guilt slithered through my chest. The fact that I’d enjoyed what West had done to me had been eating me up. The whole point was to have Eli walk in to see his best friend giving me pleasure instead of pain. But he never fucking showed.
“I’m serious, Kat.” Noah’s voice pulled me out of my head. “Stay away from them.”
“Kind of hard to do that when we literally have to spend every Sunday together. And apparently the basketball teams do everything together.”
His lips lifted in a half grin. “You’re on the team?”
“Yeah. I guess I have one thing to look forward to this year.” If I even got to play. Bri was still frigid toward me. Having the captain hate me was not the best way to start the season. “Are you doing okay in here? Do you need more money?”
He shook his head. “Dad has been sending me more than enough.”
William. Noah was the only person he cared for in this world. It became obvious a few years ago that he wanted his son to take my place as a leader within the families. That plan was shot to shit when Noah went to prison.
We chatted a little longer before I glanced at the time. “I have to go, Noah. But I’ll come back next week. I miss you.”
“I miss you too, Kat.” He pressed his palm against the glass. “You know your visits mean everything to me.”
A lump grew in my throat. “Soon, you won’t have to sit behind glass when I see you.”
