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They meant something different to me than Becca did, and I didn’t realize how much I needed her here.
Had no idea that despite trying to hold onto my anger, I’d already forgiven her.
The bitch. I fucking loved her.
Rook had been right about that, too.
“You’re still an idiot,” I told her. “Now I’m stuck babysitting your ass.”
Becca winced, but I just shook my head at her. “It’s okay. I’m glad you’re here.”
“Glad someone is,” she muttered, her gaze jerking from me to Corvus and back again before she cleared her throat and sighed. “Good. Now, what can I do to help?”
Becca took the handle of her suitcase and rolled it further into the apartment, her nose turning up at the smell of vomit on the air. “God, what did he eat?”
Corvus’ haughty stare followed her, his jaw muscles flaring as he clenched his teeth. I grabbed the arm of his jacket and pulled it hard. “You don’t have to forgive her, but don’t be a dick,” I whispered.
He pursed his lips but nodded.
Becca gasped, and the suitcase dropped to the hardwood as she caught sight of Rook for the first time. “Holy fuck,” she said. “What happened to him?”
“He’s been drugged,” I said, going around to the other side of the couch as Grey helped ease Rook back down onto the cushions.
“Can you grab me a cloth?” he asked, but before I could go for one, Becca was already rushing through to the kitchen, running a kitchen towel under the hot water. She came with it and knelt next to Grey and Rook, lifting the cloth to wipe away the bits of vomit stuck to his chin.
Grey watched her with narrowed eyes for a moment before holding out his hand for the towel. “I got this,” he said, and she dipped her head, getting uncertainly to her feet to pass it to him so he could finish the job she’d started.
She swallowed hard, tapping her wrists against her thighs. “So, uh, I’m just going to address the big fat fucking elephant in the room and say—”
“Becks, you don’t have to do this now.”
“I do. Just let me say it.”
I shut up, wrapping my arms around myself at a sudden chill in the room.
“I fucked up. Really bad. But I think you should know the reason why I thought I was doing the right thing. I mean, at first. And really only for a minute.”
“You were manipulated,” I corrected her. “Used. It’s—”
“No. It wasn’t just that. I wanted to hurt them. If it weren’t for the Saints, my mom might still be here. I blamed them even though she brought it on herself. She was only caught in the crossfire because she was cheating on my dad with a Saint.”
“What?” Corvus demanded. Clearly, he hadn’t known this and there was very little Corvus James didn’t know.
Becca nodded. “My mom never took my dad’s name. Her last name was Matthews. Eden Matthews. She was with Damien St. Vincent before he left to go start his gang chapter somewhere else. Her death was probably why he left.”
Recognition flashed in Corvus’ eyes, and I wondered what he knew about her. About what happened.
“I didn’t find out about the affair until a few years back. It just made me hate the gang even more,” Becca added, tucking a loose strand of her long straight hair back behind her ear.
I hadn’t known this, and a part of me ached for her, but another part of me wondered why she’d omitted this part. Though, I hadn’t exactly given her a chance to explain herself since all that shit went down.
Her brown eyes found mine, the apology clear there. “It wasn’t just him influencing me. I was angry, and I wanted someone to hurt for making me have to grow up without her. I was wrong. I didn’t know you guys, but when I did get to know you I knew I couldn’t go through with what he wanted me to do. Especially not after—when I knew it would hurt Ava Jade.”
“If you’re asking for us to forgive you…” Grey said, his tone harsh as he trailed off.
“I’m not,” Becca said. “But I wanted you to know why I agreed to help him. And ultimately, why I didn’t go through with it all. You can forgive me or damn me, but either way, if my girl will have me, I’m not going anywhere.”
I offered her a sad smile, and she returned it.
