Page 17 of Devil's Own: Roughneck

“They keep me around to help with whatever, whenever. My official title is hanger. I want to prospect—”

“You never told me that.”

“Because I didn’t want to worry you.”

“So you’d rather me be pissed off instead? Now I have to kill my brother.”

He shakes his head. “Nope. He doesn’t want me around.”

I instantaneously morph from pissed at my son to indignant at my brother and his attitude toward my boy. “Why the hell not? You’re strong. You’re smart. He’d be lucky to have you.”

The women chuckle. I’d momentarily forgotten them. Waite shakes his head and pulls me in for a hug. “I don’t know why he won’t let me prospect. I’ve told him I’m interested. Damien is too, but he won’t join without me.”

Damien? Ugh. The punk who thinks I’m a MILF.

“Then why are you here?” I ask, genuinely wanting to know.

“The other brothers all want me to prospect. They asked me to help with protection.”

If something happened to him, like that poor guy with the Brimstone Lords, I don’t—no, scratch that—IknowI wouldn’t survive it. But he’s an adult who could just as easily join the military and be sent overseas to some warzone. My stomach churns even thinking about it. They never discussed this in theWhat to Expect When You’re Expectingbook. I never once read a chapter on how to parent an adult child. And he is an adult. I don’t want to give him shit about this decision in front of women who are clearly connected to the club. I don’t think that’d go over too well.

Sighing, I give him shit about the only thing I can at the moment. “And making out with a hot chick in a chair is how you choose to protect us?”

The women laugh even harder.

“This is amazing. Where have you two been all my life?” Dusty asks.

“You could take this show on the road,” Aja finishes what from the look Dusty gives her is something pretty close to what she was going to say. They must be good friends.

“It’s been just the two of us practically his whole life. I met a man when I was pregnant who gave us both a name, as it turned out, he was already married. Funny how he never mentioned a wife and family when he first asked me out or asked me to marry him. So yeah… just Waite and me from that point on.”

“Ow—that’s harsh,” Dusty says. Yeah. It’s harsh, all right. Considering he married me when I was underage and he went back to his wife for a time, but I heard through the grapevine that he left her for another underage girl. They don’t need to know about that, though.

“So anyway, we have this schtick down.”

“Vlad has you here because of Waite, then?” Dusty asks. She clearly knows that Waite is Daniel’s, or Vlad’s—I don’t think I’ll ever get used to calling him that—nephew. “He’s not a club member. You and Vlad do look similar, but no one knows you. I don’t see how anyone would make a connection. We’re glad to have you here. I just feel bad that you’re stuck for a while.” She sighs. “Better safe than sorry.”

“Uh, well… I’m actually here, now, because of Rough.”

“Roughneck?” Aja asks. “Ooh… do tell.”

“He and I are… Well, I don’t know what we are. He wants me to stay with him for the time being.”

“What do you want?” Dusty asks, then she takes a sip of what looks like cola. I wasn’t going to ask because it’s rude to ask a woman if she’s pregnant, but between the bump and the cola, I don’t have to ask. I’d know the signs anywhere.

I shrug. “I’d be stupid to not want to stay with him. And you don’t know me, but I’m not stupid. He’s a good man.”

“He is a good man,” Aja says. “A good man who’s been jonesing for a relationship deeper than sex with a good woman for a long time now.”

So it has nothing to do with this magical connection I thought we had between us. Take out Gia and insert any woman who doesn’t hang around the club. That hurts more than I wish it would.

Though what chance did I legitimately have with him? My track record with men is abysmal. At least I know it now. It’ll make it easier not to let myself fall victim to the dreaded love.

Aja yawns. “It’s been nice meeting you, Gia, but baby girl and I have to get to bed. We have work in a few hours.”

“It’s good meeting you, too,” I respond.

“I have work too, seeing as she”—Dusty points to Aja—“works at my office. Seems both babies needed a drink.” She pats her tummy, the ultimate confirmation.

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