Page 122 of Secrets That We Keep (Forbidden Descendants 2)

“What?” I sputtered, shaking my head in total confusion. “Why? What did you just figure out?”

He shook his head too. “I’ll tell you later. I swear. Now have a little faith in me, and please, just do what I say.”

“What the hell is going on?” I demanded, starting to grow alarmed. “What do you know?”

“Hell, I’ll even follow you to your house, make you some hot chocolate, pop some popcorn, and we’ll talk. Okay? If you want, we can invite Fox over after he’s finished with his session, and we can all just talk this out. What do you say?”

Trepidation crawled over my skin in eerie waves. I shuddered through it and shook my head distrustingly. “No. You’re freaking me out, bubba. So whatever you have to say, just tell me now.”

But he refused. “Not here. Please, I just—I need a moment to—”

Darting a glance toward the entrance of the gym, he broke off, paling to a sheet white. “Shit.”

I whipped my attention around and heaved out a breath when I saw Fox emerge, wearing jogging shorts and a T-shirt with running shoes. A hefty sports bag was draped over one shoulder as he grinned over at the woman leaving the building with him and laughed at something she said.

My heart stopped dead in my chest, and my vision wavered.

Dad had been right; she was beautiful. Perky blond ponytail, killer body, engaging smile. Even as she struggled a bit to lug her oversized bag on her shoulder, she looked absolutely perfect. She was just like—

Wait.

I blinked and tipped my head to the side. She wasn’t just like Yellow Nicksen at all. Because she was Yellow Nicksen.

In the flesh.

And yet, my brain still tried to deny it. Pointing at her, I looked over at Gracen. “Is that—?”

His expression swirled with guilt.

“No,” I whispered, shaking my head as pain and betrayal spiked through me. “And you knew?”

He lifted his hands to free himself of all culpability. “I just figured it out thirty seconds ago, I swear.”

Well, thirty seconds was too long a wait for him not to share with me, in my opinion.

“You rat bastard,” I seethed, reaching for the door handle and shoving. “I can’t believe you didn’t warn me.”

“Hey!” He slammed the door closed again before I could barely get it open. “What do you think you’re doing?”

“I’m killing the bitch, once and for all,” I growled, pushing back and trying to open the door again, but my backstabbing brother put all his weight against it, forbidding me from exiting the vehicle. “Get out of my way, Gracen.”

“No!” he boomed. “You are not thinking clearly. She’s just his client; he’s not cheating on you. I promise. Just go home, Bella.”

“As if!” There was no way I was going home until I rendered that skank bald. “He might not be cheating. But that doesn’t mean she’s not trying. I mean, why the hell would she pick my boyfriend to be her life coach? She’s trying to steal another one; I know it.”

And she wasn’t going to succeed. She was never going to hurt me again. I was done being her target of destruction.

Gracen leaned down, putting his face directly in front of mine. “I’m begging you; do not do this.”

I hissed at him, unable to believe that he couldn’t understand the agony inside me right now, and I immediately let go of the driver’s side door handle to dive across the interior of the car to the passenger side.

“Bella!” he shouted, racing around the front hood. “No! Wait. Just—”

But he was too late. I flung the car door open, right into him.

“Motherfucker,” he groaned, crumbling to the ground and clutching his arm to his stomach.

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