“Of course I do. You didn’t have to replace it though. I was happy to buy a cheap car for now,” I scolded but kissed his cheek to show him my appreciation.
“You have heaps of money,” he reminded me, raising an eyebrow as if I’d forgotten my current bank balance.
“It’s not mine,” I scowled, making him sigh and cup my chin to make me look him in the eye.
“He left it for you, baby girl. He wanted you to have it.”
I couldn’t do this right now.
I wasn’t touching Slash’s fucking money.
“Skeet…”
He cut me off, his voice gentle.
“I know. Just saying, okay?”
Diesel’s face soured, catching my attention.
“Diesel?”
He lifted his chin in the direction of the diner, the expression still firmly plastered to his face.
“Isn’t that your fucking aunt?”
I glanced over my shoulder to see Aunt Miranda walking towards us, making me roll my eyes.
“Yeah, it’s fine.”
He muttered something under his breath about putting her in the trunk, but he let me talk once Miranda reached us.
“Aunt Miranda, nice to see you.”
Not.
Miranda glanced around everyone almost nervously before meeting my gaze.
“Can we talk?”
“Sure. Talk,” I shrugged, making her cringe.
“I meant in private.”
“Just tell me now, or I’m not interested,” I snapped, already losing interest.
I wasn’t going to play games with her, and she’d be wise to realize that before starting the same argument as last time.
I wasn’t going anywhere.
The crew was my family.
“It’s personal,” she insisted, but I just lifted my lip in a small smirk, enjoying her discomfort.
“So?”
She glanced at the guys again before speaking softly.
“It’s personal to do with you. I know the truth.”
My heart seemed to stop as I watched the look of torment on my aunt’s face.
She believed me?
About all of it?
“It’s okay. The guys know about Max. Caden’s father’s the one who hurt me,” I explained, jerking my thumb in the direction of the diner.
Miranda seemed surprised, and she absently stepped closer to me.
“You’ve spoken to them about it?”
Well, duh?
“Of course I have, we were dating. I tell them everything,” I snorted as if she was stupid.
“I’m sorry I didn’t believe you,” she said softly, her voice shaking with emotion, but I suddenly frowned.
Hold the fuck up.
“How come you believe me now?”
Miranda sighed, tucking her hair behind her ear nervously.
“Someone left a box at my motel room. There were letters, recordings and videos in it.”
My blood ran cold, but I tried to keep calm.
“Of what?”
“Of you. Recordings of your father admitting it all. Someone must have gotten it out of him and…”
“Hang on, someone left them for you?”
This shit just kept getting more and more fucking confusing.
She nodded, looking unsure when Skeeter kissed my head and spoke.
“Hey, Hunter and I might go see if we can find anything out about the accident from the guys. Take Diesel with you, okay? He stays with you until we get back,” he ordered softly, begging me with his sharp green eyes to do as I was told.
I nodded, giving both him and Hunter a kiss, before turning to Miranda again as if we hadn’t been interrupted.
“Do you have the box of stuff with you? Can I have it to look through? I really want to find out who dropped it to you, because not many people actually know about it.”
“It’s in my car. Do they always tell you what to do? What accident?” Miranda blurted out, earning a grin from me.
“They think they’re telling me what to do, but I make up my own mind. Diesel was my buddy for the day anyway.”
She frowned. “The accident?”
Diesel snorted, giving me a look as if it were my fault bad shit kept happening to me.
“Someone rammed her off the road yesterday. Her car’s totaled and she’s lucky she didn’t die, let alone break a bone. We just like to stick around to make sure no one hurts her. Kind of like body guards.”
My aunt’s eyes widened in horror, confusion and concern covering her face.
“Someone’s trying to hurt you? Why?”
Don’t say it.
“Crew issues,” Diesel shrugged, earning a look of frustration from Miranda.
Fucking hell.
He said it.
She exploded, not caring that she was arguing with a murdering machine.
“She shouldn’t be around crew business! This is why she’s in danger!”
I growled, getting tired of the conversation real quick.
“It’s my fucking crew, so don’t start. They’re family, and the only reason Slash isn’t here is because he took a fucking bullet that was meant for me. I owe the crew for so much, but if helping Skeet run it is how I repay Slash for his life? Then I’ll fucking do it. I’m a member of the Bloody Psychos, so deal with it,” I spat, my tense body hating me as it ached.
Miranda’s face softened and she gave me a small smile that I wasn’t expecting.
“You’re so much like your mother, sweetheart. Such a kind heart and soul.”
My heart burned at the thought of Mom.
“Did you know she wasn’t my real mom? Or about Claire?”
She sighed, appearing conflicted as she fiddled with her hands, not meeting my gaze for a moment until speaking up.
“I knew she had raised you since you were a baby. Who’s Claire?”
As if on cue, Claire walked past with a sneer, her designer jeans tighter than necessary with a stupidly high pair of heels on.
“Are you really parading your disgusting relationship around in public again, Aurora?”
She’d never learn.
I smirked before startling her by slamming her up against the Corvette, ignoring the alarm as it screamed through the parking lot as I got in her face.
My body burned all over as pain shot though me, and I did well not to show it.
I’d never let Claire see me as weak.
Diesel snatched the keys from my free hand to shut the alarm off, but I kept my eyes on Claire, my voice low.
“Have some fucking respect. This is our Aunt Miranda. Aunt Miranda, this is Claire. My sister.”
Miranda’s eyebrows shot up as she stared at us as if we’d lost the fucking plot. “Pardon?”
“Well, since my birth mother died when she had me, Max hated me and never wanted more children. So, when he knocked Mom up, he told her the baby died at birth and then adopted her out. Claire doesn’t like trailer trash whores, so careful, she’s a tad nasty since she grew up on the right side of town,” I explained sarcastically.
Claire struggled against my grip, knowing it was no use.
She wouldn’t get free until I wanted her to.
“Let me fucking go!”
“No,” I smiled sweetly before elbowing her in the stomach.
She growled, trying to fight back, but Caden rolled his eyes as he approached us with the guys, apparently done with their breakfast.