Page 122 of Legacy

Irritation flares in her eyes. “That’s on him.”

“So that’s it? You have no guilt? You used the father of your daughter to get paid, and you don’t care about the consequences? You don’t care what this will do to him?”

Her eyes narrow as she walks toward my cell. “You think losing you will hurt Legacy? You must think awfully high of yourself then, Reagan. He might be interested in you now, but he’ll get bored. He’s a biker. That’s what they do.”

“You don’t know him.” I grit my teeth.

“I know how men in his world operate. No matter what whims they chase.” She steps closer, seemingly amused by my naivety. “Don’t look at me like I’m the bad guy here. You’re the one who put yourself in the line of fire by getting involved with him and his club. You’re no better than me. You’re just newer to his life. Eventually, being around bikers will ruin you too.”

My stomach spins as she leans even closer.

“The best you can do now is make the most of the options you’ll be given. That’s what I did. I tried to get out, but you never really can. So don’t judge me for handing you over or blame me for hurting Legacy. I showed him mercy by giving them you. He’ll survive losing you, but he wouldn’t have survived losing the kid.”

“You meanyour daughter.” My fists clench.

“Yeah, sure.” Sera’s gaze hardens. “We all do what we need to do, Reagan. Even if it hurts a little sometimes.”

Her fingers graze over the still-healing wounds on her arms.

“You let them do that to you?”

“How else do you think I’d get Legacy to trust me again? Can’t just walk back in and pretend to give a shit about Beatrice. He’s always been so damn protective over her. I had to give him a story he’d be willing to believe. Something that would make him feel guilty enough to let me stay, no questions asked. At least, until Titan got what he wanted.”

My heart hurts.

For Jesse.

For Bea.

I can’t imagine how Sera could do something that terrible to herself in the name of survival.

It’s proof she doesn’t know Legacy at all. Because if she really did know him, she’d know she could have come to him for safety. He’d do it out of love for his daughter, no matter how he feels about her.

Instead, she cut a deal with his enemies.

“You don’t deserve them,” I whisper.

Sera’s eyes slide down, taking in my position in the cage. Assessing me for a moment. When her gaze snaps back to mine, any warmth is gone.

“Maybe you’re right. And maybe you did. But I’m the one who is still standing on this side of the bars, so I guess it doesn’t matter.”

Movement comes from the staircase, and Sera spins, scratching her arms as she walks over to a man with a baggie of pills.

That’s all it took. A handful of drugs, and she turned me over. She was willing to ruin Jesse’s life and betray her daughter for a fix. They both deserve so much better.

With a final glance, Sera disappears up the stairs, leaving me with nothing but rage toward that woman.

But the biker who paid her doesn’t follow her like I expect. He stands at the base of the stairs, scanning the room until his gaze lands on me.

I back up to the bars as he approaches, trying to get as far away from him as I can.

“I can see why Legacy liked you.” He reaches between the bars, but I shift away.

“Don’t.”

“Why not? No one has to know.”

He dives for me again, and the girl in the cell beside mine reaches through the bars of her own to intercept him. She grabs his hand, slamming his wrist into the bars and bending his finger back, threatening to break it as he groans from the pain.