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“Sex trafficking?” Her eyes were huge. “That’s what Harold is involved with?”
“Him as well as a lot of their associates. Ted. James. Caleb Black.”
She rubbed a hand over her face. “I can’t believe that. Harold has daughters. A wife. Sisters even! How could he?”
I honestly had no idea. “Letting go of the house and the business wiped clear the debt Brooke owed and got us out of any further involvement with those men. I couldn’t run a business if that’s the sort of thing they do to get ahead.”
Rebel took Mom’s hand and rubbed the back of it. “I’m so sorry, Riva. I shouldn’t have just blurted it out like that. I’ve had some time to get used to it. Are you okay?”
Mom drew in a deep breath, her gaze bouncing around between each of us. “Where are you all going to live?”
“I have a little money left,” I assured her.
“And in the meantime, they can come stay with me at the MC clubhouse,” Fang’s voice was so polite it almost verged on sweet.
Mom screwed up her face. “What? No. Oh my goodness, you’ll all come stay here. We have so many spare rooms.”
I shook my head. “We’ll be fine at the clubhouse.”
She eyed me. “What, on Fang’s couch?”
“We have a bed, Mom.”
Fang cleared his throat. “Actually, it’s a pull-out couch. You and Kian will have to share it.”
I stared at him. “Seriously, bro?”
He lifted a shoulder. “We were going to give you the room the women were sharing, but War’s mom already claimed it for one of her friends who’s in town visiting.”
“Couldn’t War have just told her no?”
Fang shook his head quickly. “Nobody tells Fancy no. But the pull-out is good. I’ve slept on it before.”
Rebel cringed. “Maybe we could just stay here a few nights.”
“You think?” I asked her sarcastically.
Mom smiled. “Now that that’s settled, eat. I don’t know when Karmichael will be home, so we aren’t waiting for him.” She pushed us toward the platters of food and smiled at the four of us. “It’ll be lovely to have a full house again.”
* * *
Itook the guest room farthest away from my mother and Karmichael’s room. Kian took the one next door, and even Fang was persuaded to stay, bribed with promises of a quiet night, and took the room across the hallway.
Mom cleared her throat when Rebel followed me into my room, wheeling her suitcase full of clothes to the corner beside mine.
“Vaughn, can I speak to you for a moment, please?” Mom walked away without giving me the chance to say yes or no.
Rebel lowered her voice to a whisper. “Uh-oh. Is there a no-sex-before-marriage rule in your mom’s house? Does she think I’m a virgin?”
I stared down at her. “You’re dating three men, Roach. I think she might have an idea you aren’t the Virgin Mary.”
“Dammit!” she swore, then called out to my mom in the hallway. “Sorry for the bad language, Riva!” She dropped her voice again. “And for letting your son come all over my pussy.”
I widened my eyes at her, trying not to laugh. “What is wrong with you? Go to bed and get naked. I’ll deal with you later.”
She laughed and shoved me toward the door, but it was nice to see her happy. I knew she was scared about the court case and what might happen to Hayley Jade. But she wasn’t letting Caleb win. She was clearly choosing happiness, even in the midst of the multiple disasters around us.
It was all we could do if we didn’t want to drown in it.
