* * *
“What the fuck are you doing?”
“You weren’t here, asshole.” I wake to the sound of raised voices. I keep still when I realize it’s Gage and Bishop.
“You fucking told her about the videos, didn’t you?” My stomach drops, Bishop knew about them as well. Shame washes over me at the thought of him seeing what his father did to me.
“She had a fucking right to know. You can’t keep this shit from her, Bishop.”
“Don’t tell me what I can and can’t fucking do with her!”
“Yes, I can!”
“You’re pushing me, Gage”
“What’re you going to do, shoot me?”
“I fucking should!”
“You won’t because even the great Bishop Murdoch couldn’t kill his own bastard brother.”Holy shit!Gage is related to Bishop! Oh my God, what the fuck is wrong with me? I slept with Bishop’s brother and I didn’t even fucking know. No wonder he was so angry when he found out.
“She’s my best friend, Bish, I won’t leave her. You can break my other hand if you want to but I’ll always come back for her.” I hear Bishop sigh behind me. I’m still tucked against Gage’s chest and I have no desire to turn around and face Bishop. I don’t want to see the disgust in his eyes. I didn’t even fucking know that sick fuck recorded what he did to me. I feel sick all over again thinking about Bishop watching it.
“Your best friend that you’re in love with, you mean?” I feel Gage tense beneath me. I stop breathing for a minute as I wait for him to deny Bishop’s claim.
“What do you want me to say. You knew from the moment you found her with me how I felt.”
“But you slept with her anyway, even though I toldyouwho she was to me!” I fight the flinch that flows through my body at the bitterness in Bishop’s tone.
“She needed me, Bishop. She needed to know she wasn’t broken or damaged. You didn’t fucking see her! She broke, Bish. She fucking broke apart right in front of me and I couldn’t stand the look in her eyes after she told me what happened. I would do it again and again, even if it meant I ended up here with her… loving you.” My heart breaks inside my chest. I had no idea Gage felt this way about me. After we slept together, I told him that I loved him but not in that way and he said he felt the same. I feel like such a bitch for not seeing how he felt sooner. I should have known he was lying but I was too caught up with getting the fuck out of this place and running to Alaska to even notice I broke my best friend’s heart.
“She’s mine, Gage. I’ll never let her go again.” I remain still as Gage strokes my hair. I make sure to keep my eyes closed and still so he doesn’t know I’m awake. I hear Bishop growl behind us, not liking the way Gage is touching me.
“She’s loved you for years. She never outright said it but every time she spoke of the twins or Car, she would always mention you and how safe you made her feel. I wanted to tell her so many times that you were watching over her, even the day she got the news about her scholarship.” Gage chuckles. “I don’t know how someone so smart thought that they didn’t have to apply for a scholarship and then suddenly one shows up for them. I wanted to tell her that she didn’t have to worry about the costs of the dorms. She worried for weeks until you sent the other letter. She doesn’t come from a life like you or the others. She fought tooth and fucking nail to get away from the life her mother wanted for her.”
“Then why the fuck did you teach her to fight?”
“Because she needed to know how to defend herself. She was always scared of her own fucking shadow and it pissed me off, so I told her if she was to stay with me, she had to learn to fight or find somewhere else to stay.”
“Why did you put her up to fight at the shack? You fucking know all the families go there to bet and meet. They could have recognized her… taken her to use against me.” What the fuck, why would other mafia families know about me?
“I kept her face hidden behind face paint and I stayed with her the whole time. They would never have gotten a chance to get near her, Bishop. I would have killed them all if they tried. They may know her by name as your fiancée, but they don’t know her by face.” Oh my God, Bishop wasn’t lying. I was promised to him years ago and I had no fucking idea. Now, some of the things Tony would say to me made sense.
I’ll ruin you for that boy.
Why does he get the good pussy.
I’ll wreck you before my son even gets to taste you.
A shudder rolls through me and I know Gage felt it, no point in faking anymore. I slowly blink my eyes open and cringe when I feel how puffy and crusty they are from all my tears. I have no idea how long I was out but Gage kept his word, he stayed with me the whole time and held me.
“Hey, doll.” I smile up at him. “There is a really ugly guy standing behind you.” Leave it to Gage to make me laugh even though I feel like shit. I hear Bishop step forward but I cling to Gage tighter. He eyes me for a beat before looking to Bishop and shaking his head. I hear him sigh behind me and I hate that I hurt him but I just can’t face him right now. Not after knowing he saw me at my weakest point in my life. I know it wasn’t my fault and I was just a child but never the less, shame still swells inside me.
Chapter19
Bishop
Isit on the edge of Car’s bed and watch as she clings to my brother. I’m slowly coming to terms with the fact that Tony had another son that we didn’t even know about until I found Kiara. Out of all the places in New York she could have wound up, she just so happened upon our father’s bastard son. I’ve known about Gage for years but never had a reason to meet him. Tony told me he just ran the fight club and that was it. I needed to know more about the guy and where he came from, so I punched him in the face and used the blood from that to run a sample. Low and behold, I have another brother. Gage continues to stroke her hair and it takes everything inside me not to rip her off him and break his fucking nose for touching my girl.