all started. Paige quit taking her medicine. Then, Heidi found out she was pregnant. When she told Paige about the pregnancy, Paige left a note on the coffee table breaking up with her and moved out of their house while Heidi was at work. Several weeks later, Heidi was on her way to Precious Metals for a shift when Paige invited her to her new house to talk. Heidi went running at the chance to work things out with her. Unfortunately, Paige locked her in the basement, refused to let her out, and held her there for months. She was off her medications, and Heidi knew it. She tried to wait it out until she could talk some sense into Paige or until someone found out—whichever came first. Then, the baby came, and Heidi started bleeding. Paige shot herself after Heidi bled to death from giving birth to my daughter.”
I bolted to the bathroom and crashed to my knees seconds before vomit spewed from my mouth. I heaved and heaved until my stomach couldn’t heave anymore. Then, I fell back onto my ass and cried. I cried for the loss of my sister, the loss of what could have been my sister-in-law, and for the little girl who would never know her mother.
I don’t know when he joined me, but when I realized strong arms were comforting me, I crawled into them. Because I needed someone to hold me together after a massive proverbial hole was blown through my heart.
17
“Heidi is the mother of your baby?” I sobbed.
I felt him nod against the top of my head. “Yes, she was. Is. Fuck!”
“I’m so sorry,” I cried and hoped I conveyed the sheer sincerity I felt.
“It’s the hand I was dealt,” he said simply.
“It’s a shitty hand.”
“Preaching to the choir, Sweet Sloane,” he agreed.
Suddenly, I pushed away and looked up to meet his eyes. “Can I meet her? Your daughter. I mean, I’m kind of her aunt.”
He arched an eyebrow. “I don’t know,” he said slowly. “She’s not keen on meeting people who’re openly violent towards her father.”
“I thought you were a conartist or something,” I defended. “I didn’t know!”
He got to his feet and helped me to mine. “I’ll step out so you can freshen up. You want me to call downstairs and have them send up a new toothbrush.”
Remembering my vomit breath, I slapped a hand over my mouth and moved as far away from him as possible. “Yes, please.”
After taking a few minutes to compose myself, I returned to the chair, but I wasn’t quite ready to continue our conversation. Thankfully, I didn’t have to.
“I need a shower,” he announced and disappeared into the bathroom without giving me a chance to say anything. Glancing down at the dress I was wearing, I decided to do as he said, and made myself comfortable. Already barefoot, I unzipped my dress and stepped out of it, exhaling in relief when the constricting material released my body. Then, I reached into his duffel bag and pulled out a T-shirt to wear. When I slipped it over my head, I inhaled deeply and groaned as his scent filled my nose.
I glanced down at the gun strapped to my thigh. Deep down, I didn’t think I needed it with me. I never would have followed him into his room if I did, but like my dad always said, “Your enemies will stab you in the back, but your ‘friends’ will stab you in the front while you’re watching. Always be ready to defend yourself. Always.” As a compromise, I took it off and laid it on the nightstand with my folded dress on top.
Crawling into the bed, I propped myself up on a mound of pillows and got comfortable. With my hands behind my head and my legs crossed at my ankles, I waited for him to exit the bathroom, knowing full well he’d only have a towel wrapped around his waist. Or I tried to wait for him, but he was taking forever. By the time he finally emerged from the bathroom, I had changed positions so many times I’d lost count and was in the middle of rearranging myself when I heard him turn off the water.
Scrambling to get myself back into my original pose, I bounced onto my back and crossed my legs moments before he opened the door and stepped into the room. And, damn, he did not disappoint. I’d just seen him in only his boxing trunks, and I’d