Page 22 of The Secrets We Keep

He nods his head once. “I need time.”

My eyes widen as he walks through the bedroom door. I hear the door to the apartment close and then let my tears fall unabashed as I crumble to the bed.

17

GRAYSON

I’m numb as I leave the suite and walk through the clubhouse, oblivious to everything and everyone around me.

I go straight to the bar, reaching over the wooden surface and pulling a bottle of whiskey from behind. I pop the top off and press the bottle to my lips, letting the warm amber liquid pour down my throat. The burn from the whiskey draws me back to reality, at least partially. The sound from the bar filters in, my eyes see people again.

A few of the members are giving me wary looks. I can’t blame them after the shit that just went down.Hell, I’m worried about myself.I would have never guessed that today would have ended up like this.

I have a son.I have a son with Sophie; a son I didn’t know about. My anger spikes and I take another swig of whiskey before plopping my ass in one of the barstools. Two people sit down beside me, and I don’t even have to look to know that it’s Rowan and Axel.

Rowan’s hand clamps over my shoulder giving it a gentle squeeze. “So, it’s true?”

I take a deep breath and nod. “It’s true.”

“Damn,” Rowan groans. “Are you okay?”

“I really don’t know right now,” I tell him honestly.

“That’s fair,” Axel murmurs. “It’s a lot to take in.”

I think back on Sophie’s words, contemplating if John could really do something like she said he did. I know that John could be a piece of shit when he wanted to get his way. What was stopping him from doing that to his own daughter?

“She said that John told her to leave town, that he threatened her, the baby, and me,” I tell the guys as I sit back in my seat. Both of their eyes flare in surprise for a moment and then they share a look. “What was that look?”

Rowan grimaces. “It’s just that you sometimes had rose colored glasses when it came to John.”

“What? No, I didn’t,” I bark.

“You did,” Axel says. “Not before Sophie left, but after. I think her leaving fucked you up more than you wanted to admit, and John hated her. He was eager to trash talk her when she left. He manipulated you, brother.”

I take another pull of whiskey as I think about his words. John was right there when I found out that Sophie left town. He was the first one to talk about itwith me. He was happy to tell me how awful Sophie was and that it would end up being what’s best for me.

“Well, fuck,” I mutter.

Axel slaps me on the back. “It’ll all work itself out.”

“After this bottle,” I grumble.

The guys just laugh and grab a bottle for themselves.

****

I’m fucking drunk.

My fingers are tingling, and my face is numb. The worst part is none of this helped me get over what I found out. None of it changes the situation.

I push myself from the barstool and grab hold of the bar top to gain my balance. When the room stops swirling so much, I stagger out of the main area and toward my suite, desperate to see Sophie.

I’m almost on the stairs when an arm wraps around me, helping to hold me up. I smile at the feminine arm thinking that Sophie came to find me, but when I look up and find Candy smiling at me, the smile falls off my face.

“Let me help you to your room,” she murmurs as she turns me toward the guest room I’ve been staying in.

“No,” I grumble, unable to put up much of a fightsince I’m so drunk. “My room.”

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