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Even though my fear is trying to choke me, I find myself smiling at Gianna’s rambling.
“Ha-ha, I figured you were listening, and you’d like today's podcast,” I giggle.
“It totally made my day.”
“Where are you?” I ask. She’d left and gone out on the hunt searching for her next story. It’s just the way Gianna is. She’s a traveling soul. Can’t sit still for anything.
“I’m in Texas right now waiting on the person I’m interviewing to come in,” she answers with a huff of annoyance. “They’re five minutes late already, and I hope they don’t stand me up.”
“Do I want to know what story you’re on?” I quip.
“Probably not. Either way, I’ll be posting it to my blog tomorrow,” she snorts. “Anyway, what are you doing?”
“Going through my email. I got another of those threatening messages again,” I tell her and read the thing to her.
“You need to tell War about this,” she states immediately after I finish telling her.
“No, I don’t want to. He doesn’t need the headache of this drama,” I protest.
“Shy, he can help.”
“I don’t want to be a burden. We’re just starting out, and I just told him I love him, for god’s sake. Everything’s going at warp speed. The last thing I want is for War to see me as someone who can’t handle her own mess.”
What I don’t say is I’m scared of telling him, and then he’ll leave me. Everyone leaves. Even Gianna, though she always comes back. My grandma, I understand, and she visits often, but that doesn’t mean she didn’t leave me. And of course, there’s my mother, who left me to my grandma when I was too young to remember her. She didn’t want anything to do with being a mom. Said I was too much for her. That she needed to be free, live in the wind. She definitely did that. I asked my grandma once, and she didn’t have an answer for me as to why my mom couldn’t handle me. I don’t even know who my dad is. My mom never said a word edgewise to my grandma.
“Listen to me, Shy, you need to tell him. These messages are getting out of hand,” Gianna snaps. “I don’t want to see something happen to you, and he can help. The club can help. Trust him to take care of this for you.”
I sigh and reach up to pinch the bridge of my nose. “Will you drop it if I say I’ll think about it?” Though I already know, I won’t tell him.
“Not a chance, but I’ll leave it be for the time being. When I get back to town, we’ll discuss this further.”
That’s Gianna for you. We switch the topic and finish our call fifteen minutes later.
I push the thought of the message and minimize the screen to my email and get up to shower. I want to be ready for when War gets back from dealing with whatever he had to rush out for.
We’re moving quickly, and I love it, but at the same time, it terrifies me. I need to know balance is securely in place between us before I let him in further than he already is.
CHAPTERTWELVE
GIANNA
I pull the phone away from my ear and immediately switch to my contacts in search of the number I need. I love Shyann, and I know her. She says she’ll think about telling my brother about the emails, but I know better.
Shyann’s my best friend, and I would do anything for her, including protecting her when she refuses to do so for herself.
I should be focused on the man I’m about to meet and not on this, but until then, I can’t. I touch his name on my phone, then the little phone icon, and lift the device to my ear.
“You better not be callin’ to tell me you’re in trouble.” He answers on the third ring, a growl in his voice.
“Well, hello to you too, big brother,” I snort, rolling my eyes. “I miss you too.”
“Miss you too,” he grunts, “Now are you callin’ cause you got trouble?”
I smile as I know my brother and how he’s protective of me. He’s always been that way. Growing up, he did everything he had to do to keep me safe. Mostly he took the beatings without question. I blame myself for the scars that mar his front and back, but he never did. Our parents, in the eye of the public, looked to be like every other type of couple. In private, it was a totally other matter. Our parents liked to have parties, and more times than I can count, War was the centerpiece for them to beat and harm as they saw fit. If War didn’t, they would come after me. I knew the horrors that would await me. And my big brother saved me from it every time. War got his road name because of the hellhole we both grew up in. I survived as I am now, thanks to him. He took the battles on and never blinked an eye about it.
Shaking my head, I clear my throat. “No, I’m not in trouble. But I need to talk to you.”
“What is it? I’m in the middle of something right now?”
