Page 179 of Making Choices

Makes my stomach churn to the point of nausea.

I’d rather her ire—at least then I still have a chance at claiming her heart.

Cherub’s antipathy is a killer blow.

I’m unable to defend myself—to explain the reality between me and Bebe—because the rest of my club brothers start to file into the chapel. As I take them in, the mood sombre, a sliver of foreboding runs the length of my spine. Brutus’ brother sits in a chair next to my Duchess’ twin. The dark-haired man is broken—physically and mentally. Green at the gills and obviously coming down from something, his body visibly shakes, and his blown-out pupils can barely focus on anything for more than a second.

Lifting my chin in Sander’s direction, I ask, “What the fuck happened to him?”

“Dad.” Cherub’s voice is filled with a tinge of agony that only deepens as she continues. “He hurt Sander and threatened Zeke to try to force me to marry Hugh St. James.”

Every atom in my body seizes.

My brain freezes.

Then all the pieces fall into place, and everything Venom’s requested makes sense.

Gabriel.

Mumma.

Cass.

Cherub.

Me.

He’s not playing a game to keep his Lily from choosing me.

He’s martyring himself to save us all.

“Fuck.”

Two blue eyes filled with tears meet mine, then my duchess slowly inclines her head. I feel her swallow beneath my palm a moment before she says, “Yep.”

“I’m gonna fix this,” I tell her.

Cherub straightens her shoulders at the same time as she wraps her fingers around my wrist. Realising that I’m still collaring her throat, I go to pull my hand away. She stops me, holding me in place with a gentle grip on my wrist as her gaze bores holes in mine and the words she speaks flay me alive, “We are… by doing exactly as Zeke asked and getting married.” Before I can reply, Cherub tilts so she can peer past me. “I want to know who you really are because it’s obviously the key to all of this—Zeke made that very clear.”

From behind me, Mumma answers in a tone that tells me she’s going to do whatever it takes to bring Brutus and the Maddisons to their knees, “I’m Aoife McKinnley, mo ulaidh bheag. Daughter of Amos McKinnley, deceased leader of the UK Trinity and sister of the current leader, Alasdair.”

“A fuckin’ McKinnley,” Cass grumbles. “Jesus Christ.”

“Not likely,” Mumma snaps back at him. “I don’t plan on dyin’ for any man’s sins.” She nods to herself, then pushes between me and my duchess. Taking hold of Cherub’s hand, my mother presses a kiss to her cheek. “We’re gonna finish this, whatever it takes. No more lies. No more games. No more secrets.”

Although Mumma’s final statement is seemingly directed at everyone in the chapel, I know she’s aiming it at me. The time has come for the full truth to be revealed. About Mumma’s childhood. My secrets. The Maddisons attempts to infiltrate us. How close Bebe came to finalising her plan. Every single thing that’s been kept hidden in the dark needs to be brought into the light.

Except one thing.

I will never divulge the complete truth about Jenna and my son.

Unbidden, the vision of my boy’s grey, lifeless face invades my mind.

Swallowing it down, I grab hold of the anger that’s fuelled me for more than a decade.

“Gather the brothers. Bring Nadia, too.” My terse order is directed at Hunter, who’s still hovering over our mother like a fearful hen. “It’s time we all laid our cards on the table.”

“Consider it done.”

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