Page 207 of The Forbidden Note

Dutch’s eyes flash. “Are you really serious about her this time, Zane? Because I remember you were messing with other women even after that night you guys hooked up.”

“And you weren’t banging ChristaandParis while you were trying to get with Cadey?” I snap. “So should I assume you weren’t serious about her then?”

A muscle in his jaw bunches.

Finn’s eyes slice through me and then Dutch. “Enough. We shouldn’t be turning on each other.”

“No, let them…”

Before Sol can get the rest of his words out, Finn gives him an evil eye.

One corner of Sol’s lips arches higher than the other, but he shuts his mouth.

“Something has to give. I’m not saying we don’t help Miss Jamieson out if she calls on us,” Finn assures me. “And I’m not saying we won’t be there for her. She’s important to you, so she’s important to us. It is what it is. But we can’t go any further with her. Diving headfirst into something she hasn’t been able to solve in six years is not the best use of our resources.”

“We had adeal,” I whirl on Finn. Nose to nose, I confront him. “We promised we’d help her.”

“No, we promised we’d get those boxes for her. And we did.” Sol gestures to the living room.

I flip him off. “Shut up, Sol.”

“Am I the only one who cares that Hall jumped us and broke. Your. Freaking. Wrist?Thatshould be the priority right now. Not this crap.”

“Sol is right,” Dutch says, his tone firm. “We’ve got other priorities. Besides, we’ve paid our price. She’s the one who needs to pay hers.” I open my mouth but Dutch cuts me off when he says, “Cadey took a pregnancy test this morning.”

The world stops spinning for a second.

My throat closes up. “Did it… is she…”

He shakes his head. “She thought she was. Apparently, she took one after our wedding too.”

Sol glances away, his focus on anything but Dutch.

“Shewasthrowing up that day,” Finn mutters.

I remember that day like it’s imprinted in my mind. My twin was getting married. How the hell could I forget? And Cadey looked pale as hell thrown over the toilet like that.

Dutch explains, “We went to the hospital. Asked why we’re having trouble. The doctor says it could be stress.”

My heart jumps to my throat.

“All this crap with dad and Miss Jamieson and The Grateful Project, it’s not good for her. We need calm. We need stability.”

Two things we’ve never been afforded.

Money? Fame? Girls throwing their panties at us? We’ve got a whole lot of that.

But life being incident-less?

Not so much.

I hear what my twin isn’t saying.

Cadey comes first.

She always has.

Always will.

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