Page 42 of Screamer
“He couldn’t before,” she insists.
“Well,” Crow chimes in, coming to stand next to me. “Now that that’s settled, I think we all need to talk about the situation with Roxie’s ex.”
“Nothing is settled,” Roxie gripes.
Shuffle opens his mouth to argue, but Addison comes running into the common area with her cell up to her ear.
“Hey, sorry to interrupt, but I’ve got one of my detectives on the phone,” she says. “They want to know if you want them to notify Rae about Saint, or if you’d prefer to do it.”
“That’s an option?” Shuffle asks.
“Of course,” Addison says matter-of-factly. “I know how clubs work. And I also know that it will probably be easier for her to hear the news from someone she knows.”
“I’ll tell her,” Roxie says.
“Are you sure?” I ask, worried about how that conversation will affect her.
Roxie nods. “Yeah.”
“Do you want me to go with you?” Addison asks.
Roxie seems to think about it for a minute before replaying. “That’d be great, thanks.”
Addison walks away to relay the message to her detective, and Crow and Shuffle face each other again.
“How ‘bout we head into our meeting room?” Crow asks. “We can discuss how to proceed with your sister’s ex.”
Shuffle looks to his VP, Bear, who nods. “Yeah, okay.”
My brothers, and the LTMC members move through the common area toward the meeting room. I remain behind to talk to Roxie for a minute.
“Are you sure you’ll be okay talking to Rae?” I ask again.
“No,” she whispers. “But it’s not about me, is it?”
Heaving a sigh, I lean in and kiss her forehead. “Come back here after?”
“Okay.”
“Call me if you need me.”
“I will.”
With that, she walks out of the clubhouse. A few minutes later, Addison joins her, and I hear Addison’s car start.
Heart cracked, and body aching, I trudge to the meeting room. It’s time to put my game face on.
CHAPTER 21
ROXIE
Make me feel something good.
“Fuck, that was rough.”
I stare out the passenger window of Addison’s vehicle. We just left Rae at the LTMC clubhouse with her mom and sister. When I told her about Saint, she broke down, begging me to tell her I was lying. Of course, I couldn’t do that. What I could do was hold her while she cried, so I did. My borrowed hoodie is wet, and my heart is in pieces.
“Yeah,” I agree quietly.
