Chapter 29: Tirone: Chapter 30

“You think I don’t know? How stupid do you think I am? If you thought for a second I bought that friends story, or that nothing happened at the mall, you’re wrong. Both of you.”

She stared at me like she was going to be sick. Then her ass hit the bed. “How long have you known?”

At least, she stopped treating me like an idiot and admitted to the truth. “I had my suspicions early on, and when you were begging for forgiveness like a guilty bitch after you returned from the mall, washing your fucking underwear first thing, I couldn’t ignore the signs anymore. I knew for sure when I found out Mark Chadwick was gay. It’s Tirone who told me that name, and that kid was his friend. He knew the kid was gay when he lied to me. It was nothing but a distraction to buy him some time so he could steal you back from me.”

She buried her face between her hands. “I didn’t know he was your son. I swear. I haven’t known until he came here.”

That part I believed. She almost passed out when she saw him, and she was begging me not to leave her alone with him. I should have seen it back then. Maybe things would have become different.

Her head lifted to me, a deep grimace on her face. “I tried to tell you yesterday and this morning, but he was always in the way.”

“I wish you’d told me right from the start. It wouldn’t have changed anything between us, but it would have helped control shit before it got out of hand.”

“How would it not have changed things between us, Laius?”

“It doesn’t matter to me if you slept with him before. I slept with your mother, and you slept with my son.”

“And that makes it even?”

“No.” My jaws clenched so hard I almost crushed my molars. “I didn’t sleep with her when we were together.”

Her eyes closed, a tear dropping down her cheek. “I’ve been so confused since I realized the reason why Tirone left me, but I didn’t sleep with him, not until last night when I thought you and I were done.” She let out a moan. “But that’s not the only reason why I did.”

Pain stabbed my heart. “You want him…”

“I did. No matter how dangerously toxic Ty and I are, part of me wants him. He owns my firsts. We share a lot. Ironically, even when I believed you and I were over, when I slept with Tirone yesterday, instead of losing myself to that part of me that craved him, I became certain I wanted you more. I loved you more.” She nodded to herself. “He said something that ended everything between me and him.”

“What did he say?”

“That he was ready to kill you.”

Bile filled my mouth as I shook my head, fury searing every fiber of me.

“It’s nothing he hasn’t said or meant before, but this time it was different,” she said. “He thought I’d be okay with it because you and I were no longer together. It was the complete opposite for me, and it ruined every chance Ty and I have ever had.” She glanced at me with wet eyes. “When I asked you at the motel if you’d kill him but you didn’t answer, I realized you and I didn’t stand a chance either. So I asked you again when I found the ring, because I’ve never wanted something more in my life than to have your ring on my finger, Laius. When you gave me your word, it was all I needed to hear to make a choice.”

“To save him! You agreed to marry me just to fucking save him!”

“NO! To save you!” She bolted to her feet. “I meant every word I said at the motel. I used to care about both of you equally, but last night changed things for me. You matter to me a lot more, Laius. I chose you last night, even when I was in the arms of another man, and I wore your ring today because that’s how much I want you.”

Trembling, she darted toward me. “But you don’t kill your blood. You don’t hurt your family. You protect them.” Suddenly, she was sobbing and whimpering out of control. She crumbled, her breathing rapid and labored.

“Jo!” I caught her before she hit the floor.

She was shaking like a leaf, swimming in her own sweat. “A father doesn’t kill his child, Laius. A father…doesn’t…”

“Hey. Hey! It’s okay, baby.” I rubbed her ice cold hands. “You’re safe, all right? You’re here with me, and you’re safe.”

“A father…doesn’t…send people over…to kill his child,” she continued as if she couldn’t hear me. “He doesn’t let them…put a gun in her hand…and tell her to…kill her mother if she wants to live.”

Motherfucker. Is that what happened to her that night? Is that what the Larvins did to her? “Jo, baby, please, nothing like that will ever happen to you again. You’re safe with me. I’m gonna fucking kill each one of them. You have my word, Jo. I’ll kill them all from what they’ve done to you.”

“I didn’t shoot! I didn’t shoot!”

“I know, baby. I know. You’re a good girl.”

“No. No. No. They killed her…because of me.” Her shudders became so violent we both fell on the floor. I protected her head before it clashed with the hardwood. Then I rested it on my thigh and held her tight. “I shouldn’t have fought,” she cried. “I should have never fought.”

“Doc!” I yelled while I tried to let the blood flow back into her fingers. “It’s okay, Jo. You did nothing wrong.” Fuck, I didn’t know what exactly happened that night, but it was torturing her. I’d never seen her like this before, and I didn’t know what to do to make it better. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. You’re safe. You’ll always be. I’ll make sure of it. Doc!”

She didn’t stop shaking or crying, and her words turned incoherent. I carried her in my arms and set her on the bed, hurried knocking on the door. I ran to unlock it. Thankfully, it was Doc outside. I rushed back to Jo. “She’s having…I don’t know…a panic attack or a seizure or something. Fucking help her.”

He checked her, asking her to breathe, but she was just crying, her chest heaving and her body quivering as if she got the chills. “Hold her still. I’ll be right back,” he said.

My arms folded around her as I whispered in her ears how much I loved her. I didn’t know how much I truly loved her, how much I was willing to overlook and forgive to be with her, until I saw her like this. No matter what she’d done or would do, no matter what happened or would happen, I couldn’t lose her. “You’ll be okay, baby. I’ll do anything to make you safe and happy again. Anything.”