Page 68 of The Senator's Secret

“Where is Grace?”

Chapter 21

Abandon ship—all is lost

Jake

My head is pounding.

My head is pounding, and I stink. My stomach flips and flops. I’m probably going to puke soon, but it’s no less than I deserve.

A heavy knock sounds on the front door, but I don’t bother to answer it. I don’t want to see anyone at all. Not since Grace walked out of my life and didn’t come back. She didn’t forgive me, wouldn’t listen to the truth.

I hear the front door open and someone key in the code for the alarm. This is unfortunate for a multitude of reasons, but the one at the top of my list is that I don’t want to see anyone, and I definitely don’t want anyone to see me like this.

Or maybe this is my new normal, and everyone else can get bent. Who knows?

“What the fuck?” Lee calls out.

“Fuck off.”

“Brother, did you sleep on the couch?” Wes asks me.

“Yes.”

“Why?” he follows up. He knows. I know he knows, because he’s married now, but at one point in time, he was where I am now. Not to say that he blackmailed his wife into a relationship anonymously, but he did break up with her when she was only eighteen when he realized he couldn’t move her to San Diego only to be deployed all the fucking time—which we definitely were back in the day.

“You don’t want to know.” I eye him suspiciously.

“Oh, I think we do,” Rick chimes in, the fucking fuck. Seriously, I think I hate him.

“I can’t sleep in the bed without Grace,” I admit.

“There it is!” Wes cheers. “What do we have for our winner?”

“Heartache.” Lee laughs.

“Like you’re one to talk,” I mutter rudely. I’m mad and I’m hurt, and if I’m being totally honest, I’m a little drunk still, so I’m lashing out at anyone who reminds me of what a total fuckup I am.

“This is true,” Wes says with a smile. He’s clearly enjoying Lee dangling on a line like he is.

“Is the sexy medical examiner still not talking to you?” Rick asks.

“Oh, she’s not only not talking to him,” Wes adds. “She’s knocked up.”

“Is it yours?” I ask.

“No,” Lee growls. “But who the fuck cares? If she gave me even the tiniest bit of hope, I’d be there for her and raise that baby like it was my own fucking blood.”

“I’m sorry, brother,” I reply quietly. He doesn’t deserve my shit. “Punch Wes again. That’ll make us both feel better.”

“Hey!” Wes shouts. “That is uncalled for.”

“He’s the one fucking your sister,” I add with a boy-scout smile. “I never fucked your sister. Scout’s honor.”

“Neither did I,” Rick says with an evil smirk.

“Stop talking about fucking my sister, you assholes, or I’ll punch every one of you,” Lee growls.