The Gritty Truth (The Whiskeys Dark Knights at Peaceful Harbor #7) - Melissa Foster Page 0,111
baby in the oven.”
The girls laughed.
“I’m sure you’ve noticed that Jace is chomping at the bit to climb on that baby bandwagon,” Dixie said.
“Well, Quincy and I have talked about it. He wants to have five years drug free before we start a family, which I’m totally on board with. We’re both so young. I love kids, but I want that time alone with him before we have babies to care for. I’ve gone my whole life without feeling the way I feel with him. Call me selfish, but I’m not ready to share that yet.”
“Aw, I’m going to cry,” Finlay said.
Penny tossed her napkin. “Here you go, hormone hoarder.”
“I think it’s really smart to wait,” Gemma said supportively. “You’ve both been through a lot, and you deserve to enjoy each other.”
“She’s right. There’s plenty of time for babies,” Penny said. “And I’m sure Kennedy and Lincoln will be happy to fill all of your tiny human needs.”
“So will Axel,” Crystal chimed in. “Feel free to come over between three and four in the morning, which he’s recently declared as party time.”
They laughed and talked as they finished their gingerbread creations and cleaned up.
“Let’s open presents!” Dixie announced.
“I told you I didn’t want presents,” Josie insisted as Sarah led her to a chair.
Sarah gave her shoulder a loving squeeze and said, “Sit down and enjoy it, sis.”
Dixie handed her a black-and-white gift bag with a pink ribbon and said, “This isn’t for you. It’s for Jed.”
Josie peeked into the bag and said, “Ooh la la! I see a Leather and Lace label.” She pulled out a slinky black lace negligee.
The girls oohed and aahed, but all Roni could think about was where she could get something sexy like that to wear for Quincy. The way he’d gone crazy for her heels and ribbons, she knew he’d love it. She missed him again. Even with all these girlfriends, she couldn’t wait to get back home and see him, and see her furniture moved in.
“I’m going to have to google that company,” Roni whispered to Tracey.
“I’ll hook you up!” Dixie said loudly.
“I told you secrets are hard to keep in this group,” Penny said.
Roni shrugged and said, “It’s okay. We’re living together. You guys know we mess around.”
“Hey, Roni?” Gemma said, looking at her phone. “Tru just texted asking if he had the wrong time to meet Quincy. Have you heard from him?”
“He went to the shelter. He might be running late.” Roni reached into her back pocket for her phone, but it wasn’t there. “I must have left my phone in the car. Let me grab it and see if he sent a message.”
She went outside and ran to the car, the cold air stinging her cheeks. She grabbed her phone, and as she closed the door, she caught sight of something in the driveway near the road. She squinted to see better, and as she walked toward it, she realized it was a person. The hair on the back of her neck stood on end when she recognized the clothes Quincy had been wearing when she’d left. She screamed, “Quincy!” and ran toward him, hollering, “Help! Someone help!” His jacket was gone, his shirt torn, and he wasn’t moving. She fell to the ground beside him, and the sight of rubber tubing tied around his arm, just above his elbow, gutted her. “Nonononono!”
The girls barreled out of the building, and Roni shouted, “Call 911!” She turned Quincy over, but he was deadweight, out cold, his lips darker than normal. “Ohgod, nonono! Quincy, wake up! Please wake up!”
The girls were talking frantically into their phones as Penny dropped to her knees and grabbed his arm, checking his pulse. “I got a pulse!” she yelled, tears pouring down her cheeks.
Dixie shouted, “Is he breathing?” with the phone pressed to her ear.
“I don’t know!” Roni said, tears blurring her vision as she lowered her ear to his mouth. “A little, but just barely. Hurry. Please hurry!”
“Do you know what drugs he took?” Dixie asked.
“No!” she said angrily. “He wouldn’t take any! Please, hurry!”
As Dixie rattled off Quincy’s drug history, Diesel and Tracey sprinted down the driveway from the clubhouse. The other girls shouted, calling out Quincy’s name, trying to rouse him.
Roni cradled him against her chest, rocking forward and back, chanting, “Don’tdiedon’tdiedon’tdie.” Everything else turned to white noise as she pleaded with him to wake up. Tracey tried to pull her off him as Diesel sank down beside him, but she fought to