Craving Constellations by Nicole Jacquelyn Read Free Book Online

was pissed, and I knew she was disappointed, but I wasn’t willing to explain myself. For one, Trix was right there with me, and she had no idea what was going on. And two, I knew I was going to be interrogated by Slider later. There wouldn’t be any evading it, and I was going to have to answer every humiliating question. I only wanted to do it once.
    Trix was the baby elephant in the room, and she had no clue. She never noticed that only Pop spoke to me. Both Slider and Vera reserved all of their smiles for her.
    Pop and Slider spoke about club business as usual, and listening to them made me wonder if Trix’s vocabulary was going to double by the end of the night. She had never heard so many different variations of swear words before. It didn’t bother me too much though. She would’ve learned far worse things if I had stayed with my husband. This was definitely a lesser evil.
    I tried to picture my name-brand baby growing up in the life, and I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t imagine her in ratty jeans or band T-shirts, playing in the hose next to the compound, all dirty. I wondered if this would change her entire personality. I started to imagine my innocent Trix with tattoos and facial piercings, and I had to stop a giggle in my throat. The tension at the table was killing me, and I was getting so anxious that it began bordering on hysteria. When I started to seriously wonder if I was going to have to buy some non-toxic soap in order to wash Trix’s mouth out, Slider finally stood up from the table.
    “Vera, why don’t you and Trix see if you can find a movie to watch? Poet, Brenna, and I are going into the office for a bit.” He looked at Trix. “See if you can find a good one, yeah? Then, maybe you can have some ice cream or somethin’.”
    Trix looked to me for permission, and even though I didn’t want to, I smiled and gave it to her. Dammit. Once Trix and Vera left the room, I followed Pop and Slider into his office. It was a medium-sized room that should have been a bedroom, but Slider had converted it into his cave. A walk-in closet was transformed into a large safe, and the windows were covered in dark curtains. Growing up, I had always wondered what he kept in that massive safe until I realized the business he was in. Then, I’d avoided it at all costs.
    “Take a seat, Brenna. I think we have some things to discuss.”
    I took a deep breath as I sat on a black leather chair facing his massive desk. Pop walked around and stood at Slider’s shoulder, and my stomach clenched even though I knew that he was standing in his designated place. He always stood at Slider’s left during business meetings. It still hurt like a bitch that he wasn’t standing by me though. He was making a point. His allegiance was to Slider.
    That was when I knew I was going to like this conversation even less than I had envisioned.
    Slider didn’t hesitate before he started speaking. “You fucked up, Brenna. You fucked up in so many ways I’m not even going to list them all because we would be here all fucking night. Let’s just discuss the biggest transgressions, shall we?”
    This was not the man I had known all my life. This was a stranger. He had never before talked to me in this tone of voice, and I knew that just as with Vera earlier, I was finally seeing the man that everyone was afraid of. I was suddenly more scared than I had ever been in my entire life, ironically, while I was in the same room with the men I’d thought would protect me. My throat clogged with tears, but I raised my chin. Never let them see you sweat. Predators fed on the weak.
    “You left your pop, my vice president, with no notice and no backward glance. You showed no respect for this club and the family that raised you. You fucked a member, putting his life in jeopardy. You lied to that same member about who you are and who your father is.”
    At this point, I tried to speak. “I didn’t—”
    But he quickly stopped me by slamming his hand