Page 57 of Traitor

Within a couple of seconds, her eyelids fluttered open and she gave a weak groan. “Mike? Why am I on the floor?” She struggled to sit up, but I held her down.

“You just fainted. Apparently, you don’t want to get to know me better.” Lauren winced and I could see her heart pounding steadily against her chest. She was terrified. “Baby, take a deep breath. There is no way you’re going to meet my old man. I won’t allow it.”

She nodded slowly. “Um, why is my shirt unbuttoned?”

I tried to keep the need out of my voice as I answered, “It was too tight.”

Instead of being upset, she looked amused. “Well, thank the lord that you were here to keep my clothing from killing me when I passed out.”

“You joke, but it’s a real issue. I was just following protocol.”

There was a soft knock at the door before Gloria called out, “Lauren? Is everything okay?”

Lauren closed her eyes. “Well—”

The door opened before she could finish her statement as Gloria rushed in and knelt beside her. “What has happened?”

“She fainted, Gloria. She just needs to lay like this for about ten more minutes and then we can get her up and moving.”

Her eyes widened and she covered her mouth. “Does this mean that a few weeks ago was a fluke? Are you—estás embarazada?”

Lauren shook her head vigorously, while narrowing her eyes at her grandmother. “Abuelita, could you please get me a glass of water and never speak of that again?”

Was she what?

Why didn’t I speak Spanish?

Realization hit a second later.

This time it was my face that paled.

Gloria nodded, “I’ll get a shot of tequila too. It will help.”

I resisted telling Gloria that I was going to need a whole bottle before helping her to her feet and ushering her from the room. Once she was gone, I turned back to Lauren and sank down to the mattress near where her feet were resting. “What happened a few weeks ago? Are you pregnant?”

Lauren closed her eyes again and shook her head. “I was nine days late, but I got my period, so we don’t even have to have this discussion.”

I pinched the bridge of my nose and leaned down, feeling incredibly disappointed. Over what, I didn’t quite know. It wasn’t like I’d had something and lost it. She’d never even been pregnant in the first place.

When I brought my head up, she was watching me curiously. “Are you okay?”

I nodded and then shook my head. “I’m disappointed—does that make any fucking sense to you?”

Her lower lip began trembling and she nodded. “Complete sense. What are we doing, Mike?”

I briefly wondered if Gloria had gone in search of a blue agave plant because that tequila shot was taking a long fucking time. I obviously needed it more than Lauren.

I ran my thumb along my jawline. “I don’t know, Darlin’. I need you though—wrong…right…whatever. I just need you.”

I didn’t give a shit if Jimmy heard me. It had to be said. Maybe that was what was holding her back—maybe she just needed to hear me say it. I’d climb up on the fucking roof and shout it for the entire neighborhood.

“I can’t keep doing this back and forth—we’re fighting…we’re not fighting. It’s too much.” Her hand came up to rest against her forehead.

“So, stop fighting me. Let’s get together and make it work this time around. You want to know what my life was like? I’ll tell you. We’ll work together to find out who killed Monica—like a team.” It wasn’t the greatest of offers.

Listen to my shitty childhood and in return I’ll drag you into a biker war?

Jesus, where were my great speeches when I needed them?

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