Sorrows and Lace by Bonnie R. Paulson, Brilee Editing Read Free Book Online

then you can’t drink anymore. At all. You’ll never get pregnant that way and the baby will suffer through the gestational period from any alcohol you consume.”
    She stood, pacing around the large kitchen. “A baby? You’re talking like we have one on the way. I can’t… You’re serious? You want to get married next week? And have children? Or a child? What the hell is wrong with this?” She stopped and pointed toward his chest. “I can’t have children. Okay? The last doctor told me my uterus was too damaged. He said, I’d be lucky to have normal hormone balance the rest of my life.” She wiped a tear from her cheek, anger and sadness mixing for a cocktail of emotions she couldn’t handle without a damn drink!
    Stopping beside the sink, she leaned her hands on the granite surface of the counter. She spoke to herself, maybe loud enough he could hear, maybe not. “I have nothing. I am nothing. My ex-husband wants me dead – searches for me, actually – I owe more money than I’m worth. I’m a damn Native American. An Indian. Isn’t that what your parents called me? Told you to stop playing cowboys and Indians and grow up?” For the longest time after that she’d tried lightening her skin with buttermilk applications – which didn’t work. She’d tried bleaching her hair, but it only turned orange. She’d wanted so badly not to be the Indian. S he couldn’t be happy with herself.
    She’d married the first white bastard to show interest.
    Every time Sonny had beaten her, she’d remembered the way Ronan’s parents had talked about her, like she was dirty and beneath them. Beneath anyone else.
    She’d never forgotten that.
    Because of her skin and where she came from, she couldn’t be with Ronan who she swore to always love. And who swore to always love her.
    Yeah, look how far his promises of forever had gotten her.

Chapter 7
     
    Ronan winced, then gritted his teeth. Pondering his next move, he decided to continue with his honestly-only policy with Kelsey. She’d always been straightforward with him. She deserved his honesty.
    He relaxed his jaw so he could speak without sounding pissed. “I’m sorry for that. I regret a lot of things from my past, but letting you leave is one of the biggest.”
    Her plump bottom lip pressed tight to the top, thinning its curvaceous lines. Ronan had always had a thing for her damn lips. He pushed forward. “Do you think marrying me is something you’d be interested in? Something you could do?”
    She studied her brightly painted nails, then lifted her gaze to his. “I think you need to hear me out before you go any further with wedding plans, R.J.”
    He waited for the bomb she was preparing herself to drop.
    Kelsey heaved a sigh, then dragged in a long exasperated breath. “Okay, so here’s the thing, I’m not divorced.” She watched him , her lip pulled between her teeth as she worked at the soft skin.
    For some reason, her admission punched him in the gut, but he refused to react or judge the situation until he had all the facts. Plus, he was still married for hell’s sake. “Go on.”
    Raising both hands, she worked the bulk of her thick, dark hair back into the makings of a ponytail. “I didn’t tell you, my husband’s name is Sonny Caracus. He’s with the Caracus gang. His brother is the leader. He…” She spoke with a nervous twang at the end of each word with an “n” in it. Wrapping a rubber band around the mass at her crown, she swallowed. “He’s not nice which is a ‘better term than an honest and factual one like a ‘cruel prick’ would be.” She dropped her arms, fidgeting with her fingers in her lap.
    Holy shit. Her husband probably had something to do with Amelia’s abduction. Another stick to add to the fire of hate raging inside him toward the gang. He spoke calmly, in case she spooked easily. “Caracus? I didn’t realize Devlyn had a brother. Having recent experience with the leader, I can only imagine what it was