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After a long slow exhale, giving myself time to come to terms with what I needed to say, I closed my eyes and confessed, “I had no intention of bringing Dani here. Dante gave me paperwork proving I was Dani’s mom and a black AmEx card with no limit. I was going to disappear with her. Danny and Dante knew the names they had given us, and if they survived whatever shit they were involved in, I knew they would come find us. So, I sold my practice, then Dani and I left Oklahoma.”

Holding up his hand to stop the other men from asking more questions, King’s eyes bored into mine.

“Everything, Mellie.”

I bit my lip in apprehension. I knew once I told him everything, he would call the others back in the room.

“I don’t want to talk to him, King. He left me.”

“You know that’s not true.”

“Do I? He dropped me off at school and I never heard from him again!” I shouted, causing Dani to jump in my arms. She had never heard me yell.

“What the hell is going on?” I looked over at the man that asked, and the name on his cut said Blade. Doing a quick scan, I registered the names of the others in the room I didn’t know. Gunner’s club brothers.

Men he trusted. Men Dante trusted.

“Why did you come here, Mellie?” I closed my eyes, and when I opened my mouth to answer, King barked, “The fucking truth.”

“I’m being followed,” I confessed quietly.

“Fuck. Jack, go get them back in here.”

“King, please.”

He stood from the table and walked around until he stood in front of me. When he crouched down, he laid a hand on my knee.

“You know I can’t keep this from him.”

“He doesn’t care about me.”

“You know that’s not true. He loves you.”

I shook my head. He was wrong. You didn’t abandon the people you loved. It was why I wouldn’t leave Dani here without me.

She was mine to love.

She was mine to protect.

“Mellie, Dani needs to go to Ellie.”

“No.”

“She doesn’t need to hear this.”

“I don’t know her.”

“Danny trusts her.”

“Danny fucking left, King. So did Dante. They both left their little girl to go do who fucking knows what.”

The church doors opened, and Zach and Travis walked in.

Zach returned to his seat, and Travis sat next to me. His arm stretched out on the back of my chair.

“She can’t stay in here, Mellie.”

“Then let Amber take her. I trust Amber.”