Page 94 of The Rowdy Ones

Sure there is. Wild already called it. Incest. Neither of us says that word.

“In the books, they call it fated mates. You’re my fated mate, Rowdy.”

I like that a whole helluva lot better.

“I’m glad you’re learning stuff,” I tell her as I stroke her hair. “You’re so much happier. It makes me happier.”

But what happens when someone finds out about us? Do we get exiled from town? Will Uncle Atticus and Aunt Eve disown us? Would we get hauled off to jail?

I don’t like the idea of anyone trying to arrest Destiny. When they held her for questioning, I nearly lost my mind. There’s no way in hell I would let them take her and lock her away in a cell. I’ve killed for her before. I would do it again.

The clinic comes into view and my chest squeezes tight. I wish I could go inside with her and hang out all day. She’d hate that, though. I want to be there for her but not smother her. It’s a fine line when you’re fucking obsessed like I am.

Rather than pulling up front, I park at the back of the lot. As soon as I shut off the vehicle, I unbuckle her and haul her into my lap. Her arms wrap around my neck and she smiles at me. Her blond hair is messily piled up on top of her head and her cloudy blue eyes bore into me as if she can actually see.

“You’re beautiful,” I murmur. “I could look at you all day.”

Her hands slide to my cheeks and she touches every inch of my face. “You’re beautiful too.”

“How can you tell?”

“I just can.” She smiles. “I love you, Rowdy.”

“Love you too, sweet Dez.”

Our mouths meet for a tender kiss that quickly turns ravenous. We’d probably make out all morning in the truck if it weren’t for Scout’s annoyed sighing. Destiny breaks away, panting.

“What am I going to do all day without you?” I ask, frowning.

“We need to find you a hobby.”

“My hobby is you,” I growl.

She laughs like it’s a joke. It’s no joke.

It will literally eat me alive waiting for her today.

“Am I walking all the way by myself?” she asks, arching a brow.

Resigned to letting her go for a few hours, I fling open the truck door and climb out with her in my arms. After I set her to her feet and grab her cane, I call for Scout to come with us. Hand in hand, I walk my sister to the building.

And near the door, when no people are around, I steal a quick kiss before letting her go.

Isqueeze the squishy ball in my hand, unable to tune out the person speaking. Her voice claws its way inside my brain and plants vivid reminders of what happened to me front and center.

This girl was taken advantage of by her stepfather over and over again.

The way her voice cracks as she spills her deepest, darkest secrets springs tears in my eyes. I’m forced to think about the terror I felt when those people took me and my family. The despair I felt as we were dragged deeper and farther into the wilderness with them. And each night when Jace would take and take and take.

I wanted to die.

There were times I wished for my heart to stop beating right there and then so I didn’t have to feel his violation inside of me. Not just my body. He was inside my head and poisoning my soul. And two of my older siblings, who were stronger and smarter than me, were also captives to those monsters. If they couldn’t escape, who was I to think I could?

But then I heard it one night.

Ripping fabric. Heavy, furious breathing of a man turned beast. Gurgling as Jace choked on his own blood.

Rowdy came for me that night. He saved me from the demon consuming me and carried me off into the night. I wasn’t just broken, though. Jace left a piece of himself inside me and it took root. A baby. Innocent and pure. Despite having his DNA, it was still mine. I wanted to birth something good from something awful.