Page 73 of Southpaw Slots
Leo walks in the house as Wyatt and I wait for Arianna to come in for dinner. Wyatt’s shoulders jut up to his ears, like he notices something off. When I look at Leo’s face, I do the same.
“What happened?”
With four words, my world fucking crumbles. “Mr. Donovan, she’s gone.”
Pain surges through my chest as my hand reaches for my gun, but as soon as I draw it, I realize I have no target. Wyatt’s done the same, already heading upstairs, likely for the shotguns or automatics. He stops when we see headlights approaching the garage.
Sprinting out the front door, I spot Cass’s truck pulling in, and even before it stops, I’m throwing open the passenger door, and snatching my wife out of the front, in my arms. She curls into my body and probably says something, but the blood pounding in my earsmakes me unable to hear it. Narrowing my eyes at my former best friend, I spit out, “What the actualfuckare you doing here?”
“He came and got me, king! He saved me,” Arianna says as Cass’s mouth opens wide to protest.
I think I could kill him, but I need to get my pregnant wife to safety. That’s my only thought. Spinning, I carry her inside where Wyatt takes her from me. Then I march back to Cass, who is almost to the front door. Like he’s still welcome.
“What does she mean, Cass? You tell me what thefuckhappened.” My chest bumps his as he looks down. His eyes won’t meet mine.
“She said one of Strauss’s people caught her in an alley. She lost Leo, he’d already left.”
“So why didn’t she callmeor Wyatt?”
His throat constricts as he swallows, and when his dark eyes finally lift to mine, they have tears on the rims. “Ace, man…if I tell you something, will youlistento me?”
A pit forms in my belly like a rotten fruit of betrayal. “Did you sleep with my wife, Cass? Did you? All the other bitches…all the fucking sluts we fucked… I actuallylovemy wife. And you fucked her, didn’t you? Did youfuckher, Cass?” The vision in front of me grows blurry as rage takes over. My breaths pant out in staccato stutters.
Tilting his head to the side, he shakes it. “No, man. I’dnever. Listen to me…” He glances behind me for a moment, and I think about taking the opportunity to swing. “Wyatt’s not your friend, and I think your wife is afraid of him.”
Oh! So he’sstillupset about my boyfriend. “Get the fuck off my property.” Cass doesn’t know him. Not likeIdo. He’s just running on blind hatred of something he doesn’t understand.
When I turn away from him and reach the front door, Cass yells, “Then tell your wife to stop calling me!”
Clenching my jaw, I march inside and straight to Wyatt, who’s strapped with an automatic across his back and two handguns on his belt. His arm is tossed around Arianna and they both look up at my entrance with fear in their eyes.
Wyatt jumps up and grabs my arms, then presses his forehead to mine. His voice lowers to a murmur as he tells me, “She said she was held in an open room by one of Strauss’s women. She doesn’t know who, but says she had a bull brand on her shoulder. Says the woman just wanted to threaten her pregnancy and warn her that Strauss is watching us and may be aware of the gun trade. Iknewhe’d try something. I’m going to the place where she was, and I’ll see if I can find clues. Take care of our wife.” His lips latch onto mine, but it’s more of a goodbye embrace than anything of affection. When he breaks away, his thumb strokes my cheek, and I lean past him to see Arianna staring at his back with narrowed eyes.
Her expression makes me wonder…was Cass telling the truth? Is she afraid of our boyfriend?
“Yeah, good idea.”
When he leaves, I jet to my wife’s side and scan her over, lifting her arms, placing my hands on her belly. “Did she hurt you? What happened?”
Standing, she goes to the window and watches as Wyatt motors away on his bike. The sound of the roaring engine dulls as she speaks to the glass.
“I was taken by a tall woman, very tall, who had blonde hair and a red dress. She had a bull brand on her left shoulder. She held a gun to my back and made me walk into an empty building three down from the store I went into and showed me a video on her phone. She said she was there towarnme and that I’m inextremedanger. Also, that I’m alone.”
Moving to her side, I touch her arm. I won’t be able to not touch her. The fear of almost losing her makes me insane. One thought won’t stay in my mind as they all jumble together. Rage, terror, and relief war inside me all at once. “And then what happened? What was on the phone?”
Her brown eyes flash to mine, and she purses her lips, hesitant to say. Snagging her around the waist, I pull her close to me.
“Please, empress. Tell me.” Was it me at a strip club? Or some other dumb shit I did in the past? Is it Max?
“Wyatt. He was in a dark cave-like place and therewas a man in a tuxedo there. The man called himBarrington. He-he acted like he knew the guy there, um,Johnwas his name. And then asked something about rifles.”
My shoulders relax as a small chuckle escapes my lips. “Oh, yeah. Well, I mean, we know he runs guns for your brother. Was she, like, threatening to harm him because of it? Or your brother?”
Arianna’s hands reach to caress my cheeks, and she forces me to bend closer to her. I’ve never heard her voice so sound and serious. “Listen, Asa. She told me not to tell anyone, except you, because you’re part of me. We’re one. So you’re the only one I’m telling.” She swallows and whispers, “I think Wyatt isn’t who he says he is.”
I take a step back, shaking my head. Maybe the pregnancy hormones have gotten to her. Is she just paranoid?
“I don’t get that at all. Sounds like Strauss is trying to fuck with you, make you think the manyou’ve been in love withis someone he says he’s not. Maybe he’s trying to split us up.” Spinning in a circle, her accusation makes the anger surge to the tip of my emotions more than the others. Holding up a finger to her, I say, “I’m more concerned with why you calledCassinstead of your husband or boyfriend to pick you up! I can’t eventellyou how betrayed I feel by that. Why, Arianna?”