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“I didn’t need that image,” I mutter, shaking my head. But I smile back despite myself. “Maybe that’s what I should do with Keely. Although we’re already married.”
“Maybe,” Mom echoes. “Whatever you do, make sure you do it right. Make sure that girl knows how you feel.” She hugs me quickly. “Good luck.”
Then she leaves. With my bottle.
Chapter37
Keely
Ihole up at Jamila’s apartment feeling like my entire life’s over.
“They’re going to come for me,” I say, feeling miserable. I’m on Jamila’s couch the next morning, drinking coffee, staring at her TV, doing exactly what I did the day before. “Sooner or later, that door’s gonna get kicked down, and like a dozen Crowley thugs are going to drag me off so Nolan can keep me chained up in his basement.”
That’s dramatic, but it’s where I’m at right now.
Moping, basically.
“It can’t be that bad,” she says, sitting cross-legged. “Nolan wouldn’t do something crazy like, I don’t know, abduct you or something, right?”
She does not sound certain.
I groan, putting my coffee mug down, and leaning my face into my hands. “That’s exactly something he’d do.”
“Come on, even a Crowley isn’t above the law. I know they have political connections and all that, but…” She trails off, looking uncomfortable.
Because she knows the truth.
“If there’s anyone that trulyisabove the law, it’s Nolan and his brothers.” I lean back, eyes squeezed shut. “I don’t know what to do. I’m not really excited to give birth in Nolan’s murder dungeon.”
“He doesn’t actuallyhavea murder dungeon, right?”
I give her a look. “Not that I know about.”
She seems a little uncomfortable and changes the subject. “Do you want him to be a part of your baby’s life?” she asks. “Assuming he doesn’t kidnap you.”
“That’s the question. If I really had an answer, this would be easy, right? I’d either be on the run right now, or I’d be back at Nolan’s place.”
“Why are you so conflicted?” Jamila asks, sounding genuinely unsure. “I mean, I thought you had made up your mind already. You can’t actually want to have anything to do with those people?”
I lean forward again, shaking my head. “It’s not that simple. Before this happened, Nolan was talking about buying a house in the suburbs, about making a family—”
“Seriously?” Jamila looks appalled. “That’s horrifying. Imagine waking up to find that monster in your kitchen making toast.”
She makes it sound horrible, but I’d kind of love that. Shirtless Nolan, buttering some bread, looking at me like he’s about to butter me up next.
“The crazy thing is he really meant it,” I say, trying to get her to understand. “He wasn’t talking about all that stuff for him. It was all for me and our imaginary babies. He even said at one point that our kids wouldn’t have to join the family organization, not in any illicit role at least. He was genuinely trying.”
Jamila scoffs. “I find that hard to believe.”
“He seemed so sincere. I don’t know what to think.” I rub my face, groaning. Jamila’s probably too biased to give me good advice here, but I have nobody else.
Before I can say more, there’s a knock at the door. Jamila looks over, frowns at me, then gets to her feet. She pads over and stares into the peephole before opening up.
Part of me expects a team of black-suited thugs to come piling in here, guns ready.
Ash stands on the threshold. She’s alone, looking a little awkward as she glances toward me then back to Jamila.
“I was wondering when you were gonna show up,” Jamila says. She doesn’t sound happy.
