Page 78 of Wild Side

“Don’t give a fuck,” I mumble. “Get. The. Fuck. Out.”

“We can take you out,” Ivy says.

And he means it in every way. I’m ready to put this fucker out of his misery and be done with it already. Alexander takes another step backward, then he turns toward his car door. He reaches for the handle, but before he tugs it open, his eyes find mine.

“You don’t understand,” Alexander mutters. “You just don’t understand. My wife…”

This white-collar motherfucker is scared shitless. I kind of feel bad for him. But at the same time, I don’t give much of a fuck. He tried to fuck with our business. He tried to fuck with me. He gets whatever his wife dishes out to him.

“I don’t give a fuck,” I say, but my tone doesn’t come out as harsh as I expect it to.

Instead, I sound almost sad. I am sad. I feel bad for the asshole, but not that bad. He’s got to fucking go. He needs to get the fuck out of here and head straight the fuck home. Like a whipped fucking dog, he sinks down into the driver’s seat of the car, starts it, shifts intoReverse, and takes off. He sends gravel and dirt flying around, but we don’t even flinch.

“You wanna follow his sketchy ass out of town?” Ivy asks.

“Damn fucking straight,” I say.

ZADIE

As I sit in the waiting room, my leg shakes while I think about what’s going to happen to me in that back room. I don’t know what I’m thinking about, because I have no idea what they’re going to do. I’m panicking; that is what I’m doing. Maybe I should reschedule. There’s no reason for me to go in there yet, right?

“Calm,” Goose murmurs beside me.

I feel his fingers curl around my bouncing knee. Lifting my chin slightly, I look up at him. He doesn’t even look in my direction. He’s staring straight ahead. He isn’t even looking down at me. As I stare at his profile, I can’t help but smile.

“I can’t be calm,” I whisper.

“Yeah,” he grunts, shifting his gaze to mine. “You can.”

“I’m scared,” I whisper.

His lips twitch into a smirk as his eyes search mine. “Don’t be, babe. That’s a Fairfax kid in there, strong as fuck. Nothing to worry about.”

His words make me feel better.

I’m not sure if they should, but they do. I reach out and wrap my fingers around his wrist.

“Thank you,” I whisper. “Thank you for being here.”

He doesn’t respond, but he doesn’t need to. I’m not sure what else can be done at this point. I just need to wait. I know I should want Chase to be here, but I’m glad it is Goose.

“Miss Rowan,” a nurse calls out.

I look up at her but don’t move immediately. Goose’s fingers flex around my knee before he releases it. “Go ahead,” he murmurs.

I stand but can’t move. I’m not sure why, but I can’t walk back there alone. It’s weird. I’ve always done everything in my life alone, mostly anyway—except when Sable was at my side.

As irritated as I am with her, she was always there, even if it was for her own benefit. And it usually was self-serving, but isn’t that the way all humans are? We’re all selfish; it’s in our nature.

I look down at Goose, and I know it’s the wrong thing to ask, but I ask it anyway. “Come with me?”

His eyes widen, but without hesitation, he stands. He turns his head, his eyes focused on mine. “I’ll go, but the minute the septum comes out, I’m fucking gone.”

I grin at him. “Okay,” I say, trying to hold in my laughter.

And together, my man’s twin brother and I, we walk into the ob-gyn’s office. What a freaking pair we are. I hope this means we’re bonded. I want this to work, and it won’t work without Goose.

“Trent,” he says as we approach the nurse together.