The Reclamation (The Club Trilogy Book 2) by Lauren Rowe Read Free Book Online Page B

that stupid book.”
    Josh can’t help but laugh at that.
    “She means some people are, you know, normal ,” Jonas continues. He sits down on the couch next to me and puts his arm around me. I guess that’s his way of apologizing for jerking away a moment ago. If so, I accept his apology.
    “What the fuck does that even mean?” Josh finally says. “ Normal? ”
    Jonas doesn’t answer.
    “Okay, fine, let’s say there are normal people out there. Why the fuck would any normal person join The Club?” He seems genuinely confounded.
    “To find love,” Jonas says quietly. “That’s what normal people want. That’s what The Club promises to the normal ones. And it’s a scam.”
    Hearing Jonas adopt exactly what I’ve said to him, whether he believes it or not (I’m not completely sure he does) makes me tingle all over. He’s telling me he’s got my back along with the rest of my body parts.
    Josh laughs derisively.
    “It’s true,” I say, defending Jonas. Defending myself. Defending love, faith, hope, optimism—I don’t know what the hell I’m defending. Maybe I’m still hung up on seeing my little software engineer’s elated face when Stacy lied and said she only watched college basketball, just like him. Maybe I need to believe that love, and not just sex, is what truly what makes the world go around. Maybe I need to believe there’s someone for everyone, no matter how fucked up or depraved. Maybe I just need to believe there are men out there who are absolutely nothing like my father.
    Jonas grabs my hand and squeezes it. And with that simple gesture, he’s telling me it’s Jonas and me against the whole world. Screw anyone else who doesn’t believe in true love. We know it’s real.
    Josh looks incredulous. “Seriously?” There’s a beat as he studies Jonas. “Did you join The Club looking for love?’”
    Jonas blanches. He looks at me, not sure how to respond. But Jonas doesn’t need my permission to tell the truth. I know exactly why he joined The Club. And I don’t care.
    I nod, encouraging him.
    Jonas brings the back of my hand to his lips and lays a soft kiss on my skin, his eyes burning with intensity. “No, I didn’t.”
    “Well, neither did I. I can’t imagine anyone ever would. That’s pretty far-fetched—even if someone’s normal .” He winces at me. “Sorry, Sarah.”
    I nod. It’s okay.
    “I’m pretty sure I joined The Club because I was having some kind of mental breakdown,” Jonas says softly, almost inaudibly. “Again.”
    Josh looks absolutely shocked.
    “Though I didn’t realize it at the time, of course.” He looks at me pointedly. “I joined The Club because I didn’t understand what was really going on with me, what I really wanted—or what I needed.” He squeezes my hand. “I was spiraling, man.”
    My heart is thumping out of my chest.
    Jonas’ eyes are boring holes into mine. He’s giving me that “I’m going to swallow you whole” look—and, holy hell, I want him to swallow me whole.
    Josh clearly doesn’t know what the hell to say.
    The silence is deafening.
    “Well, all righty, then,” Kat finally says.
    Josh exhales. “Holy shit, Jonas.” He rubs his hands over his face, clearly at a loss as to how to handle his ever-complicated brother. “I’m all in when it comes to protecting Sarah and Kat, okay? Whatever it takes—you know that, right?”
    “I know.” Jonas exhales. “Thanks.”
    “I just think maybe you’re overreacting about—”
    “Fuck, Josh!” Jonas leaps to a stand and glowers over Josh on the couch. “These motherfuckers threatened my girl and her best friend. Do you understand? They crossed the fucking line!”
    Josh stands and opens his mouth to speak, but Jonas cuts him off.
    “I’m not letting them near her.”
    He pulls me up off the couch and into him like he’s defending me from Josh—which is, I must say, a certifiably crazy thing to imply.
    “I’m gonna protect her—which means decimating the