Page 109 of Choices

Waving her hands around animatedly, she scoffs, “I’m right, and you know it. Is that what you’re counting on? Jericho clearing the way so you and Kitty can play happy family with my son?”

“Our son. And that’s fucking ridiculous. Who the hell do you think I am? I’m still the same man who saved your ass. Do you really think I’d let anything bad happen to you?” At the end of the day, she’s still Rocco’s mother.

“Then don’t. Stay with me. Protect this baby.” Snatching my hand, she attempts to place it on her stomach, like that will convince me. I’m seriously starting to wonder if she’s delusional.

“It doesn’t need protecting.” I snap my hand away. “And neither do you anymore.”

“This baby could have been the start of something real between us if you’d just get her out of your head. You liked it the other night when I had you in my mouth.”

“Stop. You’re embarrassing yourself.”

Her advances have been almost desperate lately, and now it makes sense. She doesn’t know I fire blanks. She was trying to get me to fuck her so she could pass the baby off as mine. I shake my head in disbelief. The deceitful cunt.

“I’m scared, Liam, and I need you.” Mistaking my silence for contemplation, she touches my face, her calculating eyes imploring.

Gripping her wrist, I pin it to her chest and force her backward. “You’re a selfish bitch who likes to play games. You insult my intelligence by thinking I’m going to go along with this. You’re fucking pregnant by fuck knows who.”

“I made a mistake.”

“It’s not just little mistakes, though, is it? It’s life-changing ones—and it’s not just your life. It’s mine. It’s Rocco’s. Did you think about him in all this?”

“Yes, that’s why I need you to stay with me. I can’t do it alone, and he needs you.” I won’t allow her to use Rocco as a tool against me. It feels like I’m actually seeing the woman I married for the first time. I never cared to get to know her before. If I had, I would have seen how emotionally manipulative she is.

“Rocco will always have me, and if this kid you’re growing needs anything, I’ll make sure it has it too. For Rocco—not for you. But you need to listen to me and hear what I’m saying.” I grip her chin hard enough to keep her in place without hurting her. “We are done. I’m going to be with Kit no matter what. Get that through your head.”

Releasing her, I stalk away.

“You’re forcing my hand,” she bellows after me.

I still, dropping my head. “Is that a threat, Claire?” For a woman who claims to fear for her life, she sure knows how to provoke a killer.

Heels thud toward my back. “If you won’t claim this baby, Liam, you’ll force me to tell the father.”

“I thought the father couldn’t know?” I grunt.

“I’ll take the risk. I gave this club my best years. If you cast me out, I’m going to need somewhere to go.” She’s acting like I’m banishing her into the wild to fend for herself as a deformed cub. “I don’t want to tell him…”

“Who is the father, Claire?” I look over my shoulder at her, my tone leaving no room for messing around.

The silence stretches out. Her eyes close.

“Who!” I roar.

“Michael Carnell.”

CHAPTER 32

CRIME WALL

KITTY

Image after image of missing young girls assault my eyes. All around the same age, the same build, and the same hair color.Harley.

Pointing to another picture pinned to Monster’s bedroom wall, Rogue says, “This is Trevor Addams. The man you met tonight.”

“He killed them?” I gasp, spinning my head to look at her for confirmation. Goosebumps rise over my flesh. I’d been so close to him and he put his rancid hands on my skin.

“No,” Monster cuts in, poking his finger at a blacked-out silhouette next to the image of Trevor. “Trevor is a sexual predator with the ambition to evolve into more. He communicates with this man on the dark web. Planned to meet with him.”

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