Page 172
Story: Princes of Legacy
Justice kicks his feet happily when Pace tickles them, his eyes lighting up.
Loath as I am to break it up, I relay, “My mother wants you to call her immediately.”
His eyebrow lifts and he rises, checking his phone. “She called three times.” He presses the button, lifting it to his ear. “Hey, it’s Pace. Everything okay?” He’s quiet for a beat, and then, “Yeah, we won.” My mother talks, her voice unintelligible as she speaks quickly. His forehead creases, but is otherwise blank as he nods. “Okay. Right. I appreciate it. Yeah.” He grimaces, glancing at me. “Well, guess it’s like a Band-Aid, huh? Time to rip that fu—” I glare at him. “Fuuudger off.”
He hangs up, tucking the phone into his pocket.
Wick and I stare at him, until Lex asks, “What was that about?”
“Adeline called.” He takes the carrier from Lex’s grip, a nervous energy buzzing around him. “She found Odette.”
Pace fidgets,circling the room like a caged animal. I took J.J. out of his arms five minutes ago, tucking him into the car seat where he’s napping, which probably made it worse. Holding his son usually calms him down, but in this case, I don’t think anything will help.
He’s nervous about meeting his mother, and he’s not the only one.
I don’t mean me.
“I’ve been off hard drugs for a decade,” Pauly admits, looking out of place among the pink and lavender decor of the Gilded Rose, “but if someone offered me a hit of Scratch right now, I’d probably take it.”
“No, you wouldn’t.” Mama reaches out, taking Pauly’s hand in hers. “You’re going to be fine. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen Odette, but I know her, and she’s not blaming you.”
“Yeah?” he asks, eyebrow raising. My mother gives him a warm, supportive smile.
Wait.
I look between the two, their hands, their expressions…
What the fuck—heck—is going on?
Before I can ask, Adeline, who’s been peering impatiently out the window, drops the curtain to announce, “She’s here.”
I cross the room and take Pace’s hand, feeling his fingers curl tight around mine as we wait for her knock.
And wait.
And wait.
Pace is frozen, dark eyes fixed on the door. “Did she leave?” he asks, his voice barely a whisper.
“No,” Adeline says, peeking again. She releases a deflating sigh. “She’s at the bottom step. She looks really nervous.”
Join the club.
I squeeze Pace’s fingers, turning to look up into his anxious eyes. “Maybe you should go out there.”
His eyebrows twist into a frown. “Maybe she’s having second thoughts?” I can see—feel—the insecurities rushing back.
“Think about it,” I say carefully, keeping my voice low, private. “Can you imagine having to face J.J. after something like this? Explaining Rufus to him? All the horrible things you went through? The abuse and neglect?” I swallow, hating how every word is another wound. “Think about how you reacted to Pauly at first. Maybe she’s scared you’re angry.”
He releases a measured, calming breath, and nods. “That’s a good point.” Meeting my gaze, he dips down to push a lingering kiss to my forehead, inhaling me. “You’re so smart, you know that?”
“Well, some of us weren’t raised in East End, where the average emotional intelligence falls somewhere around narcissists and megalomaniacs.”
He squeezes my hand and grabs his coat, shrugging it on as he walks out the door.
I exhale, but it does nothing to quell my own anxiety, and now I’m the one who’s pacing. Adeline gives me a warm smile. “He’s right. You are smart.”
I’m alsonosy, so I dart to the window and discreetly pull back the curtain.
Table of Contents
- Page 1
- Page 2
- Page 3
- Page 4
- Page 5
- Page 6
- Page 7
- Page 8
- Page 9
- Page 10
- Page 11
- Page 12
- Page 13
- Page 14
- Page 15
- Page 16
- Page 17
- Page 18
- Page 19
- Page 20
- Page 21
- Page 22
- Page 23
- Page 24
- Page 25
- Page 26
- Page 27
- Page 28
- Page 29
- Page 30
- Page 31
- Page 32
- Page 33
- Page 34
- Page 35
- Page 36
- Page 37
- Page 38
- Page 39
- Page 40
- Page 41
- Page 42
- Page 43
- Page 44
- Page 45
- Page 46
- Page 47
- Page 48
- Page 49
- Page 50
- Page 51
- Page 52
- Page 53
- Page 54
- Page 55
- Page 56
- Page 57
- Page 58
- Page 59
- Page 60
- Page 61
- Page 62
- Page 63
- Page 64
- Page 65
- Page 66
- Page 67
- Page 68
- Page 69
- Page 70
- Page 71
- Page 72
- Page 73
- Page 74
- Page 75
- Page 76
- Page 77
- Page 78
- Page 79
- Page 80
- Page 81
- Page 82
- Page 83
- Page 84
- Page 85
- Page 86
- Page 87
- Page 88
- Page 89
- Page 90
- Page 91
- Page 92
- Page 93
- Page 94
- Page 95
- Page 96
- Page 97
- Page 98
- Page 99
- Page 100
- Page 101
- Page 102
- Page 103
- Page 104
- Page 105
- Page 106
- Page 107
- Page 108
- Page 109
- Page 110
- Page 111
- Page 112
- Page 113
- Page 114
- Page 115
- Page 116
- Page 117
- Page 118
- Page 119
- Page 120
- Page 121
- Page 122
- Page 123
- Page 124
- Page 125
- Page 126
- Page 127
- Page 128
- Page 129
- Page 130
- Page 131
- Page 132
- Page 133
- Page 134
- Page 135
- Page 136
- Page 137
- Page 138
- Page 139
- Page 140
- Page 141
- Page 142
- Page 143
- Page 144
- Page 145
- Page 146
- Page 147
- Page 148
- Page 149
- Page 150
- Page 151
- Page 152
- Page 153
- Page 154
- Page 155
- Page 156
- Page 157
- Page 158
- Page 159
- Page 160
- Page 161
- Page 162
- Page 163
- Page 164
- Page 165
- Page 166
- Page 167
- Page 168
- Page 169
- Page 170
- Page 171
- Page 172
- Page 173
- Page 174
- Page 175
- Page 176
- Page 177
- Page 178
- Page 179
- Page 180
- Page 181
- Page 182