“No. But I get the feeling this is a recent change.”
Unease filled me again. “Were they abusive? Her adoptive parents, I mean?”
“No. But her dad was, apparently, in debt with the Triads.”
“What?” I hissed.
“Calm down, Rach,” he soothed. “It pissed me off too. He’s a gambler. My sources tell me he always pays his debts.”
Hand tightening to the point of pain around my fork, I rasped, “They could have hurt her to get to him.”
“I’m trying not to think about that.”
“You’re right. It’s all conjecture until we know what’s going on.”
“We?” he asked quietly. “You interested, Rach?”
“Of course I am!”
“Couple months ago, when I raised the subject of Wynter, you started crying, Rach,” he soothed. “Then after Scott… I wasn’t being judgmental, just trying to assess your limits.”
“She’s one of my biggest regrets,” I whispered miserably. “Not the adoption. Just that I let her down.”
“You wish we’d raised her?”
“I wish I’d been able to.”
I stared down at my barely-showing belly and prayed to God that I’d be better with this one. That I’d be able to do it this time.
The actual process of being pregnant was terrifying to me.
This situation with Rex had to resolve itself soon because I’d need him to get through it. Yet…. Wynter needed him too. More than I did. She was only a kid, and I was a grown-ass woman.
“Me too,” he said on a sigh. “Should I have fought harder, Rach?”
“No. If you had, I’d have shattered into a million pieces. I barely kept it together as it was.” I stared down at the puddles of ranch dressing on my plate, trying not to feel nauseated when I knew I had to finish the meal. “I wish things were different, but they’re not.”
He sighed. “We can be there for her now, can’t we?”
“We can.” I raised my hand for the server. “Can I get some bottled water, please? With ice?”
She smiled at me then disappeared.
“You doing okay?”
“Been better.”
“Understandable.”
“What else did you learn?”
“She plays the piano.”
The smile that blossomed on my lips warmed my soul. “She does? You know—”
“You always wanted to learn how to play the piano. Yeah, I remember,” he teased me gently.
I picked up my fork. “I can’t believe she plays.”
“She’s with the school band too.”
My brows lifted as I swallowed some lettuce. “Really?”
“Really.”
I couldn’t stop myself from snorting. “Mr. Cool Dude King has a kid who’s a band geek.”
As I chomped on a walnut, he chuckled. “Yeah, it took me by surprise too. But as long as it makes her happy, that’s all that matters, right?”
My smile appeared again. “Right.”
After five minutes of him telling me my daughter looked like us both, loved history, and that he was going to buy her her own helmet, my plate was empty and I hadn’t even realized I’d been eating.
From: [email protected]
Subject: Photo
You owe me a photo.
R
From: [email protected]
Subject: Re. Photo
I didn’t forget.
K
From: [email protected]
Subject: Re. Photo
You sure? I think you might have, but I know what you’re like—you hate being wrong.
R
From: [email protected]
Subject: Re. Photo
And you don’t? Ha! I’m pretty goddamn sure one of the reasons you went into defense rather than prosecution is to prove other people wrong even when they’re right.
K
From: [email protected]
Subject: Re. Photo
Well, that’s a character assassination right there.
But… you’re partially right.
Nyx and Giulia are still staying with me.
Is it strange that I’m not upset about that?
I was kind of looking forward to an empty house again, but instead, they’ve still staked out the front living room, and I’m listening to Giulia puke because, for some goddamn reason, I can hear everything that goes on in their bathroom.
Yes, everything.
Good, bad, ugly.
I won’t tell her though—she’d be mortified.
R
From: [email protected]
Subject: Re. Photo
Why only partially right? Which part was partially wrong?
And yes, that’s weird. I’ve lived with Nyx almost all my life and I can confirm that he’s a bear with a sore head, sore paw, and sore every-fucking-thing else most of the damn time.
Why are they still there? The clubhouse is good to go, isn’t it?
Lol, thank you for the heads up. I’ll be sure to hold that over Giulia when she gets too big for her boots at some point in the future.
K
From: [email protected]
Subject: Re. Photo
If I answer the part that’s partially wrong, that’s the answer to one of your daily questions. You okay with that?
And if you tell her I told you, I’ll deny everything.
Nothing’s wrong with the compound. They’ve decided to move out.
R
From: [email protected]
Subject: Re. Photo
Jesus, Nyx is growing up! He wants to move out of the clubhouse?!
Guess being a dad isn’t gonna be too bad for him.
About time he made a life for himself elsewhere. Not that I can judge, but my woman doesn’t want me living with her so I don’t think that’s entirely my fault. What the fuck do I want with a house that I’d have to rattle around in on my own?
And yeah, consider one question struck off the list.
K
From: [email protected]