AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Before we go on with everything else, I want you to know my ol’ lady, Izzy, lost her brother a long time ago.” I stiffen and prepare to bolt, not wanting to listen to anyone sympathizing with me, but Cyprus holds me close, and Twister continues. “No one knew about it. No one but Coyote over there. She kept everything locked tight. That is until one night I followed her, felt something was off with her, only to find her getting ready to play a fucked-up round of Russian Roulette with herself. She did this because she blamed herself for her own brother.”
I try to swallow past the lump forming in my throat and my breathing becomes ragged.
“A while later, shit happened and she ran. Coyote found her at the cemetery, ready to kill herself right then and there. If not for him working quickly, she’d have done just that,” Twister goes on to explain. “Now, she’s thriving and even has a charity she founded for children who have lost someone.”
Coyote doesn’t come closer, but he speaks up, his voice deep and gentle. “I was her brother’s best friend, so I felt the pain right with her. I know what Cyprus felt losing your brother. The situations may be different, but the loss is never less painful. No matter how they’re taken from us, it feels like your chest is being ripped out. I know Cyprus is good, but, darlin’, you’re gonna have to stop blamin’ yourself because he’s watching over you. You gotta believe it and let him guide you and find peace.”
New tears stream down my face as I nod. These two men knew what it was like. They’re not sympathizing, simply letting me know that they, along with everyone else here, understand my pain.
Wiping away my tears, I suck in a ragged breath and straighten somewhat before looking to Cyprus, seeing him give me a reassuring smile and twist to look toward Stoney. “What was it you needed me to know?”
“That’a girl, sweetheart.” Stoney smiles softly in approval, confusing me. Why would he say that? I want to ask him, but unfortunately, I don’t get the chance. His expression quickly morphs from soft and gentle to hard and serious. “You might not want to answer this, but we’ve got to know. It’s for your safety, and so we can make sure to keep you that way. We’ve got to know what we’re looking at. Okay?”
“Um, okay.” I tense and wait for him to ask.
“Hector took you against your will,” Stoney remarks, and it’s like all the air in the room went stagnant with tension.
“Yes,” I answer, dropping my gaze to the floor. “But he threatened to kill my parents, and they were all I had, so technically, I agreed, so in a way, it wasn’t against my will since I forced myself to be willing.”
“Babe, he threatened you making it still against your will,” Tracker grumbles.
“Noelle, this next question is gonna be difficult, but we gotta know,” Stoney says and waits for me to nod, though I keep my eyes on the floor. “Did he ever get you pregnant?”
I jerk my head back so quickly, my eyes feeling like they’re about to pop out, it all but answers his question for me. My breathing becomes ragged, and I wrap my arms around myself as a shield.
“How . . . how did . . . how did you know?” I shake my head and yank myself from Cyprus’s grasp, not wanting him to hold me as he discovers the truth.
“It was just a question. In the papers, we found it was a stipulation,” Tracker answers.
“What does that mean?”
“You have a trust fund, sweetheart.” Stoney gets my attention. “A hefty one that doubled when Noah died. If something was to happen to both of you, the money was to be donated to several rehab facilities to help people with addictions. No one else would have a claim to the money your biological parents left for you. But there were stipulations. You would need to be married, twenty-five, and either have an heir or be pregnant with one. If something was to happen to you before that child was of age, the money would then be locked again until he or she was the same age, twenty-five.”
My legs feel weak and wobbly at this information, and it’s all I can do to remain standing. It’s so much.
“This is why we ask if you had a child,” Tracker murmurs.
Slowly, I glance over to Cyprus, tears freely streaming down my face, and I swallow my nerves. “Once. I went to a clinic I go to every so often to make sure I’m okay. That he . . . that he didn’t give me anything.”
“Smart,” one of Cyprus’s brothers mutters, but I don’t know which one.
“They told me about it. When I freaked, one of them gave me something. She said she didn’t know my situation but could see the fear in my eyes. She made sure that I didn’t have a baby. I feel horrible about doing it, but I couldn’t stand the thought of carrying a child that belonged to a monster. I hate myself even now for doing something so monstrous.”
“Elle . . .” Cyprus kisses my temple, pulls me into his arms, and holds me tight. “You did what you had to do.”
I nod and curl into him while the guys all talk around me. My head is all over the place. So much information. So much change. It’s more than I can handle right now. I need time to absorb everything else.
“Tomorrow, I want you and the girls at the clubhouse,” Stoney remarks.
“Already planning on it,” Cyprus grunts. “Not taking chances with either of them.”
“Good.” Stoney nods and looks at me. “Noelle, I’m sorry about this. It’s a lot and I know it’s painful to rehash the past, to find out the truth. I get it. It’s like ripping a Band-Aid off an old wound making it fresh again. But know this, you’re one of us, and we’re gonna make sure nothing happens to you again.”
Unable to speak, I nod and curl even tighter into Cyprus, burrowing my face into his chest.
“Church, noon tomorrow,” I hear Stoney remark before several feet.
“Noelle?”
