Lucky's Choice(63)

Willa’s hand kept stroking the dog despite the shock of the bomb Lucky had just thrown at her.

The children would be taken from her. She had known deep down their relative would be located sooner or later, but she had hoped it would be after the kids were grown and in college. She had told herself not to become attached, yet each day that passed had made her love them more.

“When will he be here?”

Lucky looked down at his watch. “In forty-five minutes.”

“He won’t just take them, will he? Chrissy and Caroline will be frightened. Charlie and Leanne will be, too. They’ll pretend they’re not, but they will be.”

“The transition will be gradual. Travis has taken off two months so the children can become comfortable with him. Knox has checked him out, and the state will, too, before they give him custody.”

“What about Sissy?” Willa hadn’t seen the girl since she had gone to live with Knox and Diamond.

“Sissy turns eighteen in a few months, but I assume she’ll want to go to Tyler, Texas with her sister and cousins. If she doesn’t decide to live with them, she may decide to live nearby.”

“Tyler, Texas?”

Lucky nodded his head.

“Texas will be good for Sissy.” Willa bit her lip, deciding she would wait until tonight to cry. “There isn’t a reason for our engagement to continue. You must be relieved.”

“Let me know how much the dress you bought yesterday cost, and I’ll give you back your money.”

“It wasn’t expensive. I don’t need you to pay for the dress.”

“If that’s what you want.”

Willa could tell he wanted to keep arguing about the dress, but he had decided not to press her into accepting his money.

After Willa took the diamond ring off, handing it to Lucky, he placed it in his suit pocket. It seemed almost business-like the way he was talking to her, while her heart was being shredded by the second.

Willa wished he would leave. It would be easier to put up a front in front of Knox and Travis Russell.

“Willa, despite our engagement ending, I feel there’s something I need to tell you.”

What more was there to explain beyond the fact that she was losing the children and Lucky? Was he going to throw in her face again that he knew she was secretly in love with him and he didn’t return her feelings? Willa didn’t think she was strong enough to maintain her composure if he showed her any pity. Then another fear of hers struck.#p#分页标题#e#

“Did Knox find Ria’s owner?” Was she going to lose the only thing she had left to love?

“No, I wasn’t talking about the dog.” His lips firmed. “I want to tell you the truth about the night Sissy ran away.”

She stared at him in surprise. “The truth?”

“She made it to Rosey’s, but Mick didn’t find her in his car. He found her hiding in one of the back rooms. Jenna had let her in the back door and served her beer. Mick’s a friend, and we didn’t want him to lose his license.”

The bar’s owner attended the church, and Willa had sat with him several times. Mick was a nice man. She couldn’t imagine he would deliberately serve a minor.

“I won’t say anything. I like Mick.”

“It’s not you I’m worried about talking; it’s Sissy.”

Willa frowned. “If she’s not said anything before now, why would she?”

“To hurt you. She’s not going to open her mouth to the authorities about the liquor, but she hates you.”

Willa winced. “She’s told me several times, but how can she hurt me now? I don’t have custody of her any longer.”

“By telling you what Jenna told her and what she overheard the brothers talking about that night.” Lucky started to touch her hand but pulled back, shoving his hands into his jacket pockets. “Willa, The Last Riders allow women to become members.”

“Lily, Beth, Winter, Evie, Jewell, Bliss, and the other women are all members, I know.”

“Do you know how they become members?”

“No. Is there a process?”

“Yes, there is. Our club is different. There are eight original members of The Last Riders who formed the club and decided to let the women join. We use votes to make our decision if they will fit into the club, and there are three different ways to gain votes.” Lucky paused, his expression cautious as he waited for her reaction. “The women have sex with six out of the eight to become members. Each of the six counts as a vote. They don’t have to have sex. If the men come from watching them having sex, that counts as a vote. The third way is to earn markers from the original members. Each marker counts as a vote.”