Strutting into my bedroom he dumps me on the mattress. Lifting his leg, he kicks the door shut and locks it. “Not leaving this room till you catch on to what’s going down. Got something I can tell you now after all these years.”
“What’s that?”
“Shit that Ruthie was holding over my head all these years. It’s over.”
“Ruthie?” I sit up. He has my attention.
“Yeah.” He sits on the edge of the bed and hangs his head. “I should’ve fucking killed her. Put a stop to her bullshit years ago. Fuck.”
“What did she do?”
“She always knew about us. Was blackmailing me. The night I took care of Lion...after Rochelle died, Ruthie threatened you. Both of us. Bitch claimed she had evidence. Our fingerprints, a video...the axe I used in a secure location. If she turned that shit over to the FEDS like she was claiming to do unless I gave her another child...Wylla Mae woulda grown up without a mother. We’d both gone to prison.”
My breath hitches in my throat. I can’t even process this information. “Why would she do that?”
“Fuck if I know. Jealousy. She blamed us both for Rochelle’s death. Said she took one look at Wylla Mae and knew she was mine. Thought I had it under control. But she kept having miscarriages. Loss after fucking loss. I didn’t want them babies, but I still felt that shit.”
“I’m sorry you went through that, but what changed?”
“Knew she hired those dumbfucks who hurt you. Told her I’d let her live if she gave me what she had on you.”
“Jesus.” My stomach does a somersault.
“I did what I thought I had to for you and our girl.”
“What did she have?”
“The axe.” He lets out a sinister laugh from deep within his gut. “Bitch played me. Once she was gone, I had the damn thing checked for my fingerprints. But better than that it wasn’t even the same one. She knew the weapon and too many details though. Someone inside the club fed her information on me.”
“Who would have done that?”
“Maybe Nickel. Can’t ask him now being he’s dead.” He scrubs a hand over his head.
“Thank you for telling me.”
“But?” he stares at me with those dark eyes that have tortured me for years.
“It doesn’t change anything between us. Too much has happened, James.”
He grabs my hand. “Baby, I’ve been in hell all these years. Unable to touch you whenever I want
ed. Unable to raise my daughter. You think I’m just gonna give up after all we been through. I prayed you’d find a better man. I thought that man was gonna be East, so I stepped aside and tried to make peace with the fact that I was gonna be stuck with Ruthie till the day I took my last breath.”
“Let’s not talk about East.” I make a sour expression at him.
“Heard you was pretty rough on him and Wylla Mae.”
“I was. I could see our daughter going down the same path as me, but East is nothing like you. I didn’t want the Old Lady life for her, but she’s happy.”
“Thank God for that.” His lips twitch into a wide smile.
“Yeah. So now I know about Ruthie.”
“You trying to kick me out?”
“What’d you think would happen? That you’d show up and tell me about her betrayal and I’d be relieved? Throw myself at you?”
James shrugs. “A man can hope.”