Chapter Nineteen

CORA SERVED THE COUPLE at the counter of Whale's Tail Coffee Shop. Katrina sat at the corner table, waiting until her aunt had a moment to talk with her. She came to set Cora's mind at ease that she wasn't in any danger.

Jagger had mentioned that relieving Cora's fears would make it easier for Wire—because everyone knew the Havlin members carried enough stress. She tapped her fingernails against the surface of the table. It wasn't her idea. She believed her life wasn't any of her aunt's business.

Cora carried two cups of coffee and sat one in front of Katrina. "Sorry it took so long. I had to wait until Brooke got back from her break."

Katrina looked over Cora's shoulder and found Brooke glancing at them curiously. She took a sip of coffee. After her blow-up at the pool, everyone was probably wondering what was happening to her.

"Thanks for the drink." She cupped her hands around the mug. "Jagger wanted—I thought I better come over and let you know there's no reason to worry about what goes on between Jagger and me."

Cora frowned. Katrina inhaled swiftly. She probably could've phrased that better.

"Listen." She leaned forward. "I've loved Jagger my whole life. His mom raised me. There shouldn't be a problem with us being together, but apparently, my dad thinks Jagger's in the wrong for fucking me without his permission first."

Cora's brows shot up higher.

"So, things are a little tense until my dad comes back." Katrina pursed her lips. "You haven't heard from him, have you?"

Cora shook her head. "I've called him a few times since he left, but he hasn't answered my calls. He never answers, so I leave messages."

"Yeah, he's like that."

The coffee in front of Cora remained untouched. "Can I ask you something?"

"Shoot."

"Do you think Ruger has a problem with you being with Jagger because of the age difference?" Cora lowered her voice. "He is a lot older than you."

"Maybe." She shrugged. "Jagger thinks it's because he never asked permission to touch me first, but I'm not sure my dad would've given him the okay because he probably has some stuck-up view about older men being with younger girls—but shit, over half the bikers are involved with women half their age."

"Maybe it'll help if you know more about your grandparents. Your dad's parents," said Cora.

"How will that help?"

"I can see you don't know." Cora smiled, scooting out of the chair. "Hang on."

Her aunt went into the back room and returned, holding her phone. She set the cell in front of Katrina.

"Look at the pictures." Cora sat down across from her.

She glanced down. There was an older man with his arm around a blonde-haired woman in a pantsuit.

"Who are they?" she asked.

"My parents. Your grandparents." Cora pointed. "Your grandpa was eighty years old in that picture. Your grandma was sixty. But at one time, she was eighteen years old, and he was thirty two, fighting against societies weirdness about age-gap relationships, and they made it work."

A snort of laughter came out of her. That was the last thing she'd expected to hear.

Despite her vow that she didn't need an aunt in her life or need any information about the people who were blood-related to her, she studied the picture more closely. The two obviously loved each other. You could tell by the way they stood. He held her close. She leaned into him. Both of them had smiles on their faces.

"Go ahead and scroll through the pictures. I made a file of pictures I thought Ruger would like to see when I set out to find him, but I've never had a chance to show him." Cora sighed. "He always seems disinterested when I talk about my—our parents."

"Yeah, well, can't blame him. Where have they been all these years?" She glanced at her aunt. "Or are they too embarrassed to have a murderer in the family?"

She pushed the phone across the table. This was exactly why she wanted to come to Seaglass Cove. She wanted to see the person who called herself a blood relative and then forget about the relationship.

If she and her dad weren't good enough to include in their lives, then she wanted nothing to do with them, including her aunt. For her, she had a family. Mama Sue was gone now, but she claimed the Havlin bikers. None of them would ever turn their back on her because her dad served time in prison.

"That was a bitchy thing to say." Cora stood and pocketed her phone. "You're big on assuming things about people you don't even know. You're a lot like your dad. Why won't you give me a chance to get to know you?"

She blew out her breath. "Why should I?"

"Because I'm your aunt."

Katrina looked out the window and then back at Cora. "I wasn't raised like you."

"No, but from what I understand, you love the same club that my ol' man loves, and that means we should get along fine, don't you think?" Cora sat back down and motioned for Katrina to sit. "Stop being sus. I'll tell you the truth."

"Finally." Katrina sat back in the chair. "I'm tired of talking."

"My parents died almost two years ago in a car accident." Cora lifted her chin. "There was a year that I didn't have any family. No friends, no relatives, no one. Then, I met Wire."

"But you knew you had a brother," said Katrina.

Cora nodded. "I'm not making excuses for my parents. I don't agree with them letting Ruger walk away from the family and not trying to find him. But as soon as I turned eighteen, I started searching for him. Don't blame me for not being in your life. I was a child at the same time you were a child."

Shit.

Double shit.

Katrina picked up her coffee, now cold, and took a drink. Cora was younger than her by a couple of years. Of course, she couldn't have done anything to find her lost brother. Having lost Mama Sue, she could also understand the feeling of being all alone.

"Can I see the pictures on your phone again?" she asked.

Cora exhaled in relief and handed over her cell. "Does this mean you're not going to push me away?"

Katrina couldn't help but laugh at the stupid grin on Cora's face. The differences between them were right there for anyone to see. Cora was soft and sweet. Katrina was hard and temperamental.

Two blood relatives raised in two completely different lifestyles.

But they had two things in common. Katrina's dad and they both loved a Havlin Motorcycle Club member.