An Unyielding Desire (After The End Book 2) Read Online Free Page B

wasn’t missing you the way you missed her.” His voice broke, indicating he was upset. “It sinks in that you were just a fun fuck for her and nothing more.”
    Mina felt a bit of sympathy, even though she didn’t condone cheating. Who hadn’t been in a position where they felt more for someone than the other person did? She could easily recall the boyfriend she’d had as a sophomore. She’d been sure she and Billy would get married. Less than a month after she’d given him her virginity, he’d dumped her for someone else. It had taken her weeks to get over the heartbreak. Tentatively, she touched his forearm. “I’m sorry you were hurt.”
    His expression softened. “I knew you’d be a sweet little thing.” Shane let out a long sigh. “So you go on each day, trying to forget about everything you had with her. You even try really hard to hope she’ll be happy with your friend.”
    She gave him a small smile. “That must be hard.” Maybe he just wanted some sympathy, or someone to talk to, and she seemed like the only option, having seen him with Lia.
    “Then, one afternoon, you’re working when your friend comes up to you with his baby. You hadn’t paid much attention to it before, because it hurt s to think she’d had a kid with someone else.” His voice surged. “But you hold the baby when he’s offered, and you realize almost immediately that he has your eyes, your nose, and your crooked second toes.”
    Mina slapped her hand to her mouth to hold in the gasp of dismay. She wanted to refute his assertion, but she knew exactly what he meant. Her sweet little nephew had second toes that bent in at a slightly odd angle compared to the rest of his straight digits. “Oh no,” she whispered.
    He nodded, his eyes blazing with fury. “When you confront the bitch, she tells you her husband is the boy’s father. ” In his anger, he dropped the pretense of telling a story. “It doesn’t matter who gave him DNA, because Tony’s name is on the birth certificate, and with the world the way it is, I’ll never be able to do anything about getting rights or establishing paternity. When I tried to convince her I deserved to know my son, your bitch sister slapped me and threatened to have me thrown off the farm if I didn’t leave them all alone.”
    Mina ’s stomach churned with nausea. How could Lia have gotten herself into such a situation? Much as she hated to, she had pity for the man beside her. Though he had brought a good deal of it on himself by sleeping with a married woman and betraying his own friend, it had to be heartbreaking to know he’d lost Lia and any right to his son. “If you wanted my advice on how to proceed, I have nothing to offer, Lieutenant West. I’m sorry for your situation, but I don’t see any good outcome from trying to claim Tyler.”
    He surprised her by nodding. “You’re right. I hate having to concede defeat, but I don’t have a chance in hell of getting Ty or Lia.”
    She frowned. “Then what did you want my opinion for?”
    He propped his hip against the nesting box, effectively blocking her in completely. “I just wondered if you thought a man could be happy if he had the baby sister of the whore who broke his heart and stole his son?” He stood up completely, looming over her. “Do you think he’d no longer feel the urge to plunge his knife into the whore’s chest if he fucked her little sister? If he fucked that sweet young thing until she gave him a child, do you think that would satisfy the need for vengeance and give him what he wanted?”
    As the meaning of his words sank in, Mina tried to dart past him. Shane blocked her exit, so she recoiled backward, squeezing herself behind the nesting boxes and into the corner. The wall pressed into her back, and she cursed that her dad had built the structure to last. There was no way she could kick out the wall in just a few seconds.
    He regarded her with calm eyes. “Well, what do you think, baby girl? Can