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“You can’t think like that, girl.”
“Why not? Other than you, who can I trust in this world?” I shake my head. “Even Frank is a fucking liar.”
“Men cheat,” she says.
“Yeah, but that doesn’t make it right, and it doesn’t make himnota fucking asshole.” It’s better for her to think my anger is over Frank turning my mom into a mistress than anything else.
“Frank’s not who he seems, just like everyone else.”
“True,” she concedes.
“Oh, and Mom kicked me out.”
“Again?” Ro’s eyes go wide. “You can stay with me if you want. But your mom always says that, every time you fight.”
“Yeah, but tonight I reminded her that I helped her keep the house, and that only seemed to piss her off more. And then I accused her of wanting me gone so she and Frank could have the place to themselves.”
“A reasonable assumption,” she says and puts a sympathetic hand on my shoulder.
“Of course it is, but she didn’t deny it. Then I got really pissy and did a fat line right in front of her. She was screaming by then.” I chuckle as we walk down another block.
“Shit!”
“What?”
I stop in the middle of the sidewalk and shake my head. “She’s pissed off at me when Frank is the reason I’m in this mess to begin with. He’s the one supplying me with the cocaine. Free of charge, I might add. He’s also the only one who could have possibly told the Iron Kings about me. That rotten son of a bitch.” I ball up my fists and scream as loud as I can up at the night sky.
“Gia, you’re scaring me.”
I look into Ro’s worried eyes and shake off my fury. “Sorry, babe. I’m just now realizing that I’m going to have to take on a few big but risky jobs if we want to get the fuck out of here. And it’ll have to be sooner rather than later. Are you sure you’re ready to leave Angel Harbor?”
Ro nods. “I am years past ready to leave. I’ll miss my family, but if we stay, what kind of life will we have? Pregnant by twenty-five by some loser who can’t take care of us? No, thank you.”
I smile. “Then I’m going to get us the cash we need, and I need you not to worry about me or ask me any questions. Okay?”
Ro shakes her head. “I can’t let you get into trouble to get us out of here.”
“You said it yourself, Ro. If we stay, it’s just a different kind of trouble.” I wrap an arm around her. “Don’t worry. If something happens to me, I’ll leave instructions for how you can access the money and get out. Promise me you’ll use it.”
“Gia, don’t talk like that. If it’s that dangerous, don’t fucking do it.”
“I have to. For both of us. You’re my bestie, and as long as one of us gets out, that’s a win for both of us. Promise me.”
She nods reluctantly. “I promise, Gia. But, dammit, if you need help, then I want you to tell me. We’re in this, whatever this is, together.”
“Together,” I promise her even though I know it’s a promise I can’t keep.
“You got any more of that blow?”
Chapter Twelve
Preacher
“We have to do something about Braden,” Coop says in an exhausted voice that matches the mood of the room. “We can’t keep him in The Chamber forever.”
Ace nods and looks around the shop at Ace Motors, where his gaze lands on me and then Shades, Coop, Wild Man, and even Nova. Dix and Joaquin are still in Costa Rica with Devon, which means we’re down a few men, but everything is covered.
Despite all that, Ace still has a pissed-off look on his face. “Yeah, I know. It’s a pain in the ass to worry about keeping that fucker alive, but the more I learn about him, the more I want to know. The more we need to know.”
