Page 34 of Tech

How can James and I be together when his mother is against us? I mean, I don’t even understand why….

Something’s just not right with her.

I swallow hard, refusing to look at Sarah, knowing she's most likely angry about what happened.

"I love him, Sarah. I do, but his own mother is against our relationship, and I can't be the reason they fall out. I refuse.” I look her way. “Besides, the urge to punch his ex is too hard to ignore, I mean, I was so close to letting Ivy tear out their throats."

Sarah snorts, looking back at my sister. She's quiet for a few seconds before whispering, "Please don't give up on him, Brook. Don't let them win."

I blink back the tears, focusing on the pool water, and say, "I don't know how to not give up, Sarah. I don't want to, but my heart hurts. He never mentioned an ex his momma was obsessed with, an ex, who’s most likely the biggest bitch in the US." I shake my head. "I didn't recognize her at first. It wasn't until she said her name that I realized it was Nina from high school, who couldn't keep her legs shut." I bite my bottom lip. "I heard all about how in love her biker boyfriend was with her, not knowing it was James. Rumors ran through the school about how heartbroken he was when she left with another man." I look at her. Her eyes shine with unshed tears for me, and I rasp, "How can I go up against that?"

I sniffle and shake my head, looking back at the pool. Sarah doesn't say anything, but honestly, what else is there to say; Nina's still here, staying at his parents' house.

Ollie was with James a few days ago, learning how to box, and he told me a lot, including how Eagle has been staying at the club, and that Nina got bitchy because my brother was there.

It took everything in me not keep Ollie from seeing him. My dad spent an hour convincing me that my brother needed the time with James, and then Eagle spent another hour promising me that his old lady and the bitch won’t go near him.

A whistle blows, bringing me out of my head, and I smile. I see my sister bend forward, touching the board, her back arched, before jumping into the pool at the second whistle.

Sarah and I stand, our conversation forgotten.

"Come on, Josy!" I shout, Sarah right along with me as we cheer. Josy's in second but is quickly gaining on her opponent.

Spinning underwater, she kicks her feet against the pool wall. She pushes off quickly, gaining momentum and ending up only a few strokes ahead. Sarah and I shout louder as we jump up and down. My little sister takes first place!

She climbs out of the pool with the biggest grin. I blow her a kiss, and she returns it as her team floods her with hugs. I laugh as they all fall in the pool, celebrating her win.

Sarah wraps her arm around my shoulders while we watch the team celebrate as the opposing team starts arguing about who will take the next member of Josy's team, making me snort.

Guess they should have realized how good Huntersville's swim team really was.

"You said you love him, right?" Sarah whispers, and I turn and look at her. Her eyes show determination, and I swallow hard but nod, confirming her words. She nods back. "Then we need to make sure you don't lose him. I know your scared, and that your heart is hurting, but honestly, the pain will only get worse the longer you are away from him; believe me, I know." She squeezes my shoulders, then looks at my sister muttering, "I'm not going to let you lose him or give up the man you love, all because his mother is being a bitch for reasons no one knows except her—and fuck Nina! He doesn't want her, Brook, he wants you, and the sooner you figure that out, the better."

I blink, trying to control the urge to cry.

I want to speak to him to see if we can figure things out, but I just don't know how things will work, not with his mother against us.

I don't want to be the reason he loses his mother.

Yet my heart cries out for her other half.

11

Tech

I smile and lean against the arch frame, crossing my arms over my chest.

It's been a long fucking day; a morning going over the club's finances, ensuring we have enough to invest in another strip club four towns over without brothers losing their monthly money, then the afternoon tracking Prue.

I'm now 100% sure she was never fucking pregnant. I cannot find any records of her anywhere in the state. Now, she’s claimed to have 'lost' the baby, a baby whose gender she couldn’t even stick to gender when she messaged Doc to express their so-called loss. It has made it easier to confirm our suspicions, because she would have had to have given birth to it, and yet, I can’t find anything, no death certificate, no burial records—fucking nothing.

If she had been pregnant, Doc was adamant he wouldn't have been the father; they fucked once, and he wore a condom. She claims she poked holes in the condom, but that didn't mean jack shit.

Doc revealed she was fucking half his colleagues to get his attention, but it didn't work.

Now, we need to figure out who she stayed with every time she went out of town. We find that person, then we potentially find the flash drive with video proof of Kennedy burying a body to protect Doc, who killed the fucker after he tried to rape her.; I'm positive Prue has it hidden with someone none of us will suspect.

I can't find the footage anywhere else; her phone is clean, and a flash drive is the only thing I can think she has.

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