The Lover's Surrender (No Exceptions) Read Online Free Page B

club.” I placed the gun back inside the package and
handed the box to Kenny.
    He shook
his head. “Keep it. It’s hers. Brian wants you to give it to her, and that’s
exactly what you’ll do…unless you want to piss him off even more than you
already have.”
    My
suspicions instantly rose. “Why would he persist? I thought he was mad about
Tiffany.”
    Kenny
shrugged. “Maybe he isn’t as mad as you thought he’d be.”
    “He was
when I left the hospital.” I narrowed my eyes. “What happened?”
    “He gave
you a gun before,” Kenny said.
    “That was
years ago. Before he found out his girlfriend kissed me.”
    “He didn’t
find out. You told him. That’s different, isn’t it?”
      It was my time to shrug. “It’s all the
same to me. I highly doubt just telling him the truth has turned him grateful.”
I paused for a moment, pondering what could have caused the gang leader to
suddenly warm up to Brooke. I couldn’t think of anything.
    “He’s
grateful. That’s the real reason?” I prompted.
    “He said he
owes you.”
    “Owes me
for what?” I met Kenny’s eyes, noticing his sudden change in mood. His eyes
were lit up, and there was a smile on his lips. It had been three hours since I
left the hospital.
    Something
must have happened in the meantime.
    I couldn’t
imagine what it was, what could have changed Brian’s stubborn frame of my mind
and his annoyance with me.
    “You’re
keeping something from me,” I said matter-of-factly. “Spill it.”
    He nodded
as if he had been waiting for this reaction all along.
    “Tiffany’s
pregnant,” Kenny said at last. ”They found out about an hour ago.”
    For a long
moment, I stared at him as the words slowly began to sink in.
    Eventually,
I leaned back, unsure how to react to the news.
    “I thought
she couldn’t conceive,” I said slowly.
    “That’s
what they thought, too.” Kenny leaned forward, his voice dropping to a whisper.
“But she got pregnant, damaged tubes and all. They call it a miracle. If we
hadn’t found her, she would have died. So Brian feels like he owes you.”
    I stared at
him.
    A child had
been Tiffany’s dream ever since she lost her first.
    It was the
source of her problems, the constant battle with depression and alcoholism.
Brian always said that if she had another child, it would give her a new
purpose, a chance to redeem herself, and the strength to stay sober and recover
from her addiction.
    “That’s….”
I trailed off, looking for words. When they failed me, I gave up. “Why didn’t
you tell me when you arrived?”
    “I’m
telling you now,” Kenny said matter-of-factly. “Besides, the look on your face
is too priceless to be missed.”
    I looked at
Brian’s package, which had remained untouched in front of me. Kenny picked up
on it and continued, “When he heard the good news, he asked me about Nate, then
told me to get the package. He wanted to give it to Brooke a long time ago, but
he never had the opportunity. Now, with you two separated and Nate out of
prison, he wants you to go after her, sort things out. You know, spend time
with her.”
    “Go after
her? Isn’t he quite the romantic?” I smiled sarcastically. “Forget roses. I’m
sure she’ll swoon over a gun. I’m sure she’ll want to make up in no time,
shooting at the stars and all.”
    Kenny
laughed, his eyes meeting mine. There was a glint in them that I couldn’t
pinpoint. “Look, he knows that Brooke wants to learn how to shoot. He thinks
that with you being good at that sort of stuff, you should teach her, spend
some time with her. It would make her feel safe from Nate, and she would have
some form of protection. Don’t you think she should carry a gun now that she is
part of the gang?”
    I stared at
him as alarm bells began to ring in my mind.
    Part of the
gang?
    When the
fuck did that happen?
    The last
thing I needed was for Brooke to carry a weapon—any weapon—and get
into even more trouble than we already were.
    I