Page 98 of Make or Break

“I’ll do everything I can,” I said, rubbing my nose to see if it was bleeding. It wasn’t…yet.

He stared at me. “Don’t keep her from comin’ home at Christmas.”

“That was all her. I told her yesterday, family is everything, so we’ll be there.”

“See to your lip,” Gamble said, tipping his head toward the clubhouse.

Chapter 23

All Your Fault

Mickayla

My phone rang as I drove along I-10. The display showed it was my sister, Mabel.

“Hey, Mabel. What’s up?”

“I wanted to ask you that. I called Killian last night, and he sounded really preoccupied. When I pressed him about it, he said there’s a problem but you’re the one at the center of it.”

I pursed my lips. It bugged me that Killian had mentioned anything to her, but at the same time I couldn’t blame him. He always had to get things off his chest, and seeing as we hadn’t told Ryan yet…that left him with either Mom or Mabel.

“I wouldn’t call it a problem,” I hedged while I veered off for the exit onto Chaffee Road.

“It’s unlike you to fuck up with your brothers,” she said in a snotty tone.

“They’re your brothers, too. And seriously, what’s with the tone, Mabel?”

“What tone?”

I rolled my eyes while I waited for the light to change. “You’re almost twenty, but you’re talking to me with a snotty tone like you’re twelve.”

She sighed. “Sorry. Killian told me I need to cut back on that.”

“Really?” I asked.

“Yes.”

I wanted to ask what brought that on, but something told me not to push.

The crossing arms began to lower and I heard the clanging of the railroad signal when I was a hundred yards from the railroad tracks.

“Dammit,” I hissed.

“What’s wrong?”

“There’s a train coming.”

“Look at the bright side, you can focus on our conversation. What’s the problem Killian mentioned?”

I gave her a quick run-down of what was happening at the clubhouse.

“And Dad’s there, too?” Mabel asked.

“Yeah, not what we’d expected by any means. And I’m really worried about Ryan’s reaction and how that might change things in the family. If Ryan will still see me as family.”

My sister was so quiet, I wondered if she was still on the line.

“Are you there?”