Page 47 of Wilder
“Because… he said he was sorry. He was so heartbroken and sick over it. Or so I thought. We were okay for a while.” She goes quiet for a few seconds, but then she eases from me, dropping the thawing lima beans on the table. Sucking in a wet breath, she finishes, looking me square in the eye. “But then, six months ago, we started having problems again. He claimed he didn’t want me anymore. And it started again. Because he also didn’t want anyone else to have me.”
“You can leave, Riv. I keep trying to get you to leave.”
“But you don’t understand. I can’t. Because I’m pregnant again. I found out, and he lost his shit.” Her lashes are spiky with moisture, and a tear leaks from her swollen eye. “Brian is a possessive sick fuck, and he will follow me to the ends of the earth if I try to run. He doesn’t want me. But this baby is his.” Her face crumples. “I wish I’d never told him.”
I stare at my sister, trying to take in everything she’s told me. “You’re… having a baby?” My mouth snaps shut. My sister has always been tall and thin, but now that she’s said it, the T-shirt she’s wearing is huge on her, and I would imagine it hides a lot. And no wonder she keeps tucking her arm between us when I hold her. It hadn’t registered until now what she was doing. “Is it— Are you—?” All the words get stuck in my throat.
She looks down, putting a protective hand to her stomach. “Yes. And… I think she’s okay. I think.” Her teeth trap her lip, and I see the worry there, plain as day.
Echo tilts her head to the side, eyeing the small bulge under the T-shirt that none of us had noticed until now. “Do you think maybe we should get you to your OB? Make sure? Babies are pretty safe inside you, but—” She bites her lip. As if on cue, a shrill toddler shriek carries to us from somewhere upstairs, and then a fit of giggles. “That’s my little boy, Chase.”
The surprise on River’s face is evident, and her eyes dart to mine, the question hanging there.
A strained laugh huffs from my lips. “He’s not mine. I just met Echo a couple weeks ago. He’s Royal’s. I love the little man, though.”
River smiles despite the split lip. “Nice. I didn’t know you were getting your practice in now, Uncle Wilder.”
“Oh.” Everyone turns to find Kara staring wide-eyed as she digests the fact that there’s a woman with a black eye in her kitchen. “I’m so sorry, I was on my way down the stairs and heard voices… and maybe some of what was said, too.”
The women make introductions, but my mind isn’t on the social niceties being exchanged as it twists and curls darkly. I run my hand over my face. My heart is thumping in my chest like mad at the idea someone would hurt any of my people… and what I’d do if they did.
I blink, trying to pull myself out of the place my head has taken me. I watch Kara fill tall glasses with iced tea. How did I miss when she got the pitcher from the refrigerator… or fail to hear her ask if anyone wanted something to drink in the first place? I’m fucking losing it. I exhale hard several times in a row as I try to get my head screwed back on straight.
Echo sidles up to me, placing her hand on my back. “Hey, are you okay?” Her touch brings me back to myself like nothing else can.
I nod, even though I’m seriously not fucking okay, and manage to grit out, “Yeah.” I’m ready to charge off in search of my sister’s douchebag husband and end him. I think Echo might understand because she doesn’t leave my side.
While I skid toward my breaking point, I can tell Kara is assessing the entire situation, and I’m almost positive from the twist of her lips and the intense expression on her face that she’s going to tell us she’s had enough of all of us in her home.
Almost as if she senses my thoughts, Kara glances up, meeting my gaze. “Wilder, she’ll be safer here than if she goesback home, right?” Before I can answer, her eyes drift back to River as she hands her a glass of tea. “I’m sick over what you’ve been through. You can stay as long as you need to.”
“Really?” My sister’s lip trembles, but she takes a sip of the drink to hide it, then glances down at her stomach and softly says, “Thank you. And thanks for the tea. She moves around a lot after I have something sweet, so she’s definitely going to like this.”
My heart slams around in my chest, and I lift my hands to my head. That’s my niece that sadistic brute could have harmed. My sister he viciously attacked for no fucking reason except that she caught him at whatever twisted game he’s playing with her. “I’m gonna kill him,” I rasp.
A shuddering breath passes between River’s lips as she shakes her head and tugs me close. Her words punch me in the gut as they rush forth in a frantic whisper. “You got away with the first. I’m scared you won’t get away with a second.”
TWENTY-ONE
ROYAL
The stench of blood,sweat, and greed fills the warehouse tonight. It’s fuckin’ unsettling. I glance down at Echo, who is looking around with curious eyes. No doubt this is a different experience for her than it was the first time when she’d had the surprise of her life to discover she was my cage girl. I’d been so out of my head with the idea she was the root of all my problems that I’d been a real dick to her. Funny how life can change on a dime. I reach for her hand, determined to keep her near me. This place is a fuckin’ zoo tonight. I trust no one.
I figure I’ll make sure I don’t see anything out of the ordinary since Beckham volunteered to stay back with Wilder in his dressing room before the fight. Our fighter is desperately trying to get his head straight. If there’s one thing I’m sure of, it’s that going into the ring with Bear without a clear mind and plan of attack could turn into a huge disaster. I feel for Wilder because while we’d all been fucking thrown off this afternoon—by Megan’s disappearance from prison, by my slim escape from becoming roadkill, and by River’s appearance on our doorstep—Wilder is the only one who has to truly be “on” tonight. The rest of us simply have to keep our eyes open and give him the support he needs.
This storm we’ve found ourselves at the center of is calm for the moment. I’d ask what else could possibly go fucking wrong, but that seems like daring the squall to fucking rage at us; to spew its wrath in the form of who knows what sort of torture or misery. I grit my teeth, glancing around the packed warehouse. I’m fully aware that coming here tonight could be a big mistake, but to withdraw from fight night is a pretty fucking big deal. I eye the OG Bastards of Bainbridge Hall—two of them, anyway. Derek Pierce and Tristan Valentine are sketchy at best, but I don’t think I’m crazy to think they have their hands in every dirty pot in this town. Illegal gambling, obviously. Drugs? Likely. And who knows what else. I wouldn’t put anything past them. At that thought, my hold on Echo’s hand tightens.
She glances up at me, a curious frown on her face. “Something wrong?” she whispers. “I’m just glad to not have to get my boobs out for this audience. Did you notice all the SIN guys are here tonight? They’re acting like animals over there.”
I huff out a laugh. “No. I’m good, even if someone did try to kill me today. It’d make me less anxious if you’d stay close to me, though.” She nods, stealthily shifting her eyes to check out the entire area around us without letting on that she’s doing so. Smart girl.
Thank fuck Echo’s not our cage girl. That job’s for some random chick. The people in charge of setting up fights assign them to the fighters, and they must have sourced Wilder’s from another sorority since TZE is still grieving the loss of Freya and chose not to send anyone tonight. I respect that. And we sure as fuck didn’t need this apeshit crowd ogling Echo, so that wasn’t ever an option. She’s our girl, not for anyone else’s eyes but Beckham’s, Wilder’s, and my own.
Echo’s presence certainly didn’t stop this Madison girl from openly trying to cozy up to Wilder. The look on her face when he gave her the brush-off had been amusing. She’d been miffedabout it, so very clearly having it in her head that she was going to sink her teeth into some Wilder meat tonight. I hate to tell her, but there are three people in line in front of her. An amused smirk pulls at my lips, remembering some of the highlights of the night he and I spent together. Nope, Man-Hungry Madison never stood a chance, but it remains to be seen whether she’ll try to cause trouble because of Wilder’s lack of interest in her or if she’ll simply flaunt her stuff for the crowd to reel in some other guy and forget about getting with Wild Man Emory.
Choosing to ignore our scantily-clad cage girl so she doesn’t get any ideas, I scan the crowd for anyone who seems out of place while rotating my shoulder in its socket, checking it again. At a jab of pain, I suck in air between clenched teeth. My brief stint as a dive-rolling stuntman this afternoon comes back to haunt me. I had no other choice, and I’m going to be really fucking sore tomorrow. But it’s fine. I’m alive.
From the side of my mouth, I murmur, “Wilder’s on edge and ragey. I think that’ll probably help him tonight. As long as he can focus on keeping his face out of Bear’s reach.”
