Lethal Temptations (Tempted #5)(103)

Tomorrow I’m scheduled to meet with my lawyer so he can tell me all about the deal he’s been trying to iron out with the district attorney. According to him, there is no way around doing time, and I should take the deal since the kid still hasn’t woken up and the doctors are trying to convince his parents to pull the plug.

I got nothing.

No remorse whatsoever.

Which makes me wonder about the type of person I am. When I found out those two kids’ died I felt something. I felt a shit ton of grief and regret. I sat in the back of the funeral home and wished I could give each one of those mother’s back their sons.

This was different, there was foul play, and it was on Lacey.

Kid deserved what he got.

If it makes me a heartless motherf*cker so be it.

And the father’s just as much of a dick because he threw his son into the line of fire trying to save his own ass.

Don’t have kids if you aren’t willing to lay it all on the line. Don’t bring another life into the world if you’re not willing to trade yours for theirs. I’m no one’s father, so what do I know? But give me a kid, give me a precious life, one I helped create, and tell me to protect that kid—you better believe I’m giving that kid everything I am and everything I ever wanted to be.

I think that’s the biggest rewrite a person gets in life.

Making a new life and making good on all the wrongs you did in life by giving your kid all the chances you never got.

Kids.

Never thought much about them, been too wrapped up in wanting nothing to dream about having everything.

But having a little girl call me daddy, who looked like Lacey and maybe a little bit like me, was one of the things that made me hope Brandon woke up from the coma I put him in.

The dream was ripped from me when I heard the cell door squeak open and the C.O. step inside.

“Got yourself a cell mate Petra,” he crooned, crossing his arms against his chest as he looked over his shoulder. “Try to play nice, will you?” He added, before stepping outside the cell and allowing the man about to invade my small space step inside.

My eyes narrowed as Stryker walked into the cell, holding his linens under his arm.

“Good luck,” muttered the C.O. before he slammed the bars close and strut his ass down the cell block. I stood from my cot, walked over to the bars and looked out to see where the guards were before turning around and narrowing my eyes at him.

“What the hell are you doing here?”

Stryker threw his linens on the top bunk before turning around and facing me.

“I heard the bologna was top notch,” he said sarcastically before glancing around the cell. “This blows, huh?” He shook his head and diverted his eyes back to mine. “Do you snore?”

“Stryker,” I seethed, clenching my fists as I took one step, making us almost nose to nose. “What are you doing here?”

“Drug charge, nothing crazy just possession,” he stated.

“And it’s a coincidence that you’re my cellmate?” I questioned.

“Nope, not a coincidence at all. I come bearing news and instructions,” he said, pointedly. “But I should warn you, none of it is good.”

“Christ,” I hissed, running my fingers roughly through my hair before I lifted my eyes to his. “Lacey?”

“She’s fine,” he paused, cocking his head to the side as he peered at me. “You f*cked the Bulldog with that one.”

“Yeah, well, he needs to get over it. It’s not like I don’t have good intentions when it comes to her but, he wouldn’t know that because he’s too busy being a bitch.”

“He’s too busy fighting a war to even consider what kind of man you’ll be to his daughter,” he argued. “But he’s decided that your life matters, whether it’s to him or her, I don’t know but that’s one reason I’m here,” he paused, ran his hand over his head before continuing. “The Dragons came after us,” he informed me.

“How bad?”

He blew out a breath, rolling up his sleeves and glanced down at the ink that covered his arms before he lifted his eyes back to mine.

“Stryker, how f*cking bad?”

“We lost Bones,” he muttered.

I stared at him in shock as I dropped onto my cot and processed his words. It’s been a long time since we’ve had a fallen brother. You start to think your club is invincible and nothing will ever get you down. Then something like this happens, you lose one of your own, and you realize everybody bleeds. We all die and none of us are ever safe.

“They attacked us at the compound, got us good, Pipe was expecting a shipment of automotive parts and when the truck pulled into the gates we thought it was the delivery. They opened fire, Riggs’s baby mama was there…”

“Oh God,” I groaned.

“She was hit and would’ve been again but Bones stepped in front of the second shooter and took the bullet for her,” Stryker continued. “Bones didn’t make it out of surgery, they delivered the baby, kid was born three pounds and was put a respirator.”

“And Lauren?”

“Took her awhile to come back to the land of the living but she finally got to meet her boy,” he said, taking a seat on the john across from the bunk.

“Jesus,” I muttered. “How did Riggs not lose his f*cking mind?”