Page 6 of Bonita Brynne

“Bitch, you better handle my wife with care. She’s pregnant!” Raul struggled to get free. “Anything happens to her, I will—”

“You’ll what?” the woman sneered. “Go ahead. Threaten me and see what happens.”

“Raul, please. I’m okay,” I hollered from inside the car. “I’m okay!”

The woman officer slammed the door shut in my face. I swear I could scratch her eyes out at that moment. I might seem quiet and delicate. Sometimes I was, no thanks to the abuse I had endured at the hands of Bruno. But no one would ever come between my family and me. If this chick wasn’t careful, she’d find out I could hold my own.

Dorian would also pay for the mess he’d caused. I didn’t know how or when, but I would face my past one day and do what I should’ve had the courage to do a decade ago—kill Bruno and Dorian.

3

Track

Brynne zoned out while seated on a plastic folding chair, a sour expression on her beautiful face. She hadn’t said a word since we arrived at the shack, but I could tell a lot was happening in her head.

I had the distinct feeling she was pissed at me. Couldn’t say I blamed her. I hadn’t foreseen any of this shit going down. Not sure I could’ve done anything to prevent the blowback with Dorian.

Goddamn it, I was worried about my little brother and sister…ourbrother and sister.

At least we were safe deep in the forest for the time being, away from the compound. Although, the wooden structure we were in would become claustrophobic if we were forced to be there more than a night or two.

Granted, Bone had done well setting up the place for a temporary stay. There was a twin bed in one corner, a woodstove in another, and a closet full of MREs, water, and ammunition. The Meal, Ready-to-Eat had been Easton’s idea when he and his brother were at the compound. He’d said they weren’t bad but weren’t great either. When it came to survival, the creature comforts that we were used to went out the door—tasty food being first on the list.

We were lucky Bone owned the whole fucking mountain. Well, not him alone. The North Dakota chapter had fronted the money. Ben Knight and his sons had been on a mission to own territories in every northern state on the western side of the country. Storm should consider taking over the eastern side so KLMC could rule the north up to the Canadian border. I’d mention my thoughts to Storm when things quieted down.

“Here, drink some water. I don’t want you getting dehydrated.” I handed bottled water to Brynne, but she didn’t take it. “Bonita, the baby needs water.”

“I need to pee.” She scanned the space. It was smaller than some people’s walk-in closets. “Where’s the bathroom?”

I held back a chuckle. “Baby, this place wasn’t made for women. Dudes just piss in the trees.”

“Do I look like a dude?”

I kneeled and wedged myself between her knees. “Not at all. You got the wrong plumbing.” I gripped her thighs and leaned in for a kiss. Even in dire straits, I wanted her more than I needed my next breath.

“Now isn’t the time for joking.” She put her hand firmly against my chest. “Or anything else.”

Shit, a quick fuck would do us good. We needed to release some stress and regroup before we went to war with Dorian. “Are you mad at me?”

She released an exasperated sigh. “I don’t know what I feel. The past week has been hell, Joseph. I went from being madly in love with you to learning my mom is alive to hating you for betraying me. Then I find out I’m pregnant by mystepbrother, and the man I call uncle wants me, and he’s framing you for murder.” Words shout out of her mouth at lightning speed. “It’s a lot to process.”

“Baby, I know. It’s all messed up.” What else could I say? The whole situation was insane. It was a miracle she could even speak after I had turned her world on its ass. Brynne was a strong woman, but everyone had their breaking point. I needed to make sure she never hit hers.

“What’s going to happen to us? What about Raymond? My mom? Your dad?” She blinked back tears and sagged in my arms, doing her best to hold herself together.

“Shh, Bonita. It’s going to be okay.” God, I hoped it would. I inhaled her scent into my lungs and wrapped my arms around her. Admitting she hated me for betraying her stung. It didn’t matter if it had been short-lived. It made me feel like shit, even though I deserved her disdain.

I never wanted to hear her say she hated me again. The very thought slashed my heart to pieces. I loved Brynne more than I ever thought I could love anyone. If she ever left and cut me out of her life, I might as well be dead. I couldn’t live without her and our baby.

“How will it be okay?” she whimpered against my chest. “When can we go back?”

“I have no idea. All I know is we’re together, which is the most important thing to me.”

“How can you think about us when everyone at the house is being taken in for questioning? Dorian could hurt our brother.” She hiccuped. “Ourbrother.” She shivered as if disgusted.

“My club will rescue Raymond.” I tried not to react badly, but her shaking in my arms like maggots were crawling on her hurt me. “My prez, Storm, will stop at nothing to get Raymond back if Dorian really has him.”

My precious Bonita. Her emotions were all over the place, and her pregnancy hormones weren’t helping. She needed time to process so she could accept our situation. I’d had months to deal with the weirdness and guilt of loving my stepsister, but despite who our parents were, Brynne and I weren’t blood-related. We weren’t brother and sister. We hadn’t known each other before a few months ago, and I would hold onto those truths with a death grip.

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