One of which was Eddie, biting out from close, “Don’t Ally.”

“Lay down the truth, darlin’.” Duke’s gravelly voice encouraged, and my eyes went to him. He nodded. “Now’s the time.”

“It’s not the f**kin’ time,” Lee ground out, his hand going away from my belly so he could turn to Duke.

Before they could get into it, I kept at it.

I looked to Liam. “A bad guy was touching me. Your father had already been shot in both legs and slammed in the head with a tire iron but he still got him off me. He barely got a hand on me and your father dragged himself to me and pulled him off. I was drugged. I couldn’t defend myself or help him. But he kept him off me even when that ass**le stabbed him. He kept him off me until help came. Blood pouring out of him and he kept him off me.”

“Ally—” Malia whispered, her voice pained, but I kept my eyes glued to Liam.

“Look around you,” I ordered. “All these people, this,” I jerked my bloody hand in the air, “that’s your father.” I looked to Malia. “I don’t know what went down with Eddie and Lee. What I know is, if Darius makes it through this, he’s gonna stay away. From you. From his son.” I swung an arm out behind me. “From everybody.”

I took a step toward her. Liam put an arm around her waist and pulled her back just as Lee put an arm around mine and stopped me.

Time to wrap up.

So I whispered my plea, “Don’t let him, please.”

“Zano, a little help,” Lee said about two seconds before Lee released me and immediately two arms clamped around me. One at the chest. One at my belly.

Ren’s lips at my ear, he said in his sweet voice, “All right, baby, that’s out. Now come sit with me.”

I drew in a breath.

It failed to calm me.

But I’d laid it out. That was all I could do. I had nothing left in me.

“Don’t let him,” I repeated to Malia.

Before I could turn back to my seat, Malia moved forward and caught my hands.

Even them being bloody.

“I talked with Liam this morning and he wants to meet his dad,” she whispered.

Oh.

Well.

Shit.

Apparently my dramatic speech was unnecessary.

Whatever.

“Well, uh… that’s good,” I muttered.

Her head tipped to the side and a ghost of a genuine smile played at her mouth even as her hands squeezed mine. “I see you haven’t changed.”

“Nope,” I agreed, and my gaze went to Liam. “Though I’m not usually this crazy.”

Liam looked like he didn’t believe me.

“Yes, she is,” Eddie said.

I glared at Eddie.

Ren pulled me away, but I got a squeeze back to Malia before I let her go.

He took my hand and I walked stiffly back to our seats with my man.

Once I sat, I gave Duke a look.

He gave me a chin lift.

Jeez.

Even Duke did the chin lift.

Well, again, whatever.

I gave him one back and watched his face get soft.

Shirleen caught my hand.

I looked at her profile.

She didn’t look at me.

But I saw the tear slide down her cheek.

And I saw her lips trembling.

So I held my man’s hand and I held my friend’s hand.

But it was Shirleen’s shoulder I laid my head on.

And she rested hers on mine.

* * * * *

Half an hour later…

For the fiftieth time (maybe an exaggeration), I caught Vito looking at Ren. And for the fiftieth time (okay, so maybe the twenty-seventh), I saw Ren avoiding his uncle’s eyes.

So I turned to my man.

I found his ear with my lips. “Go to him.”

He shook his head and I pulled back slightly to look at him.

“Now’s not the time,” he told me.

“Now’s the perfect time,” I contradicted.

He dipped close. “Ally, baby, that’s done.”

“Part of it’s done. But the family part will never be done.”

Ren’s jaw got hard.

“Go to him,” I encouraged.

“Honey—”

I lifted a hand to his cheek. “You have a window of opportunity. It’s f**ked up why you have it, but you have it. He feels this, what’s happening right now. He wants to come to you but he’s too stubborn. So you have to take this opportunity and go to him.”

“Babe—”

Urgently, I whispered, “Life’s too short.”

His beautiful eyes moved over my face. Then he nodded, leaned in for a quick kiss and straightened out of his seat.

I watched him walk to his uncle. Angela’s face lit up with hope and Dom led Sissy closer.

Five minutes later, Vito pulled Ren in for a back pounding hug.

I looked away, and as I did I caught Hank’s eyes.

He smiled at me.

My brother had a beautiful smile.

I smiled back.

It was small, but this time it wasn’t fake.

* * * * *

An hour later…

After Lavonne and Bear, friends of Jet’s and Nancy’s, showed with five pizzas that only Roam and Sniff touched (and also Tex, Dom and Smithie)…

After Sniff’s girlfriend showed (and she was cute and way into him as he was way into her), she got close to her boyfriend, stuck there and made me nearly smile (nearly) when I caught Shirleen staring at them. She caught me staring at her and she rolled her eyes…

After four of Roam’s girlfriends showed (yes, four), that he somehow corralled and got them out of there so if there was a drama, it didn’t happen close…

After there was a slightly elevated conversation between Stella, Hugo and Pong when they evidently learned I’d been stripping and were aggrieved Stella hadn’t shared that intel with them…

After all that, a man in scrubs and a white lab coat walked through the door.

“It’s been explained to me that you’re all here for Darius Tucker,” he announced. “Is there immediate family?”

“Me,” Dorothea chimed in, but her voice sounded croaky. So she cleared her throat as she walked his way, for once not longingly staring at Liam Clark, who for some reason she didn’t approach. Then again, Malia and Liam steered clear of her, too. Her throat cleared, she repeated more strongly, “Me. I’m his mother.”

Shirleen got up and moved in behind her sister.

And Ren’s hold on me got tighter when Malia, who was standing to the side with Liam, Indy, Lee, Jet and Eddie, broke free and edged near.

I held my breath.