Read Online OtherSide Of Fear (Outside The Ropes #3) by Ashley Claudy - Free Book Online Page A

closely.” She set the glass down. “I was so happy when he won the title, I thought maybe…” She shook her head. “That club, how did he come about owning that? Does he have silent partners?”
    My stomach twisted, knowing what she was questioning. “I don’t think it’s my place to tell you anything about him.”
    She quickly spoke up. “I’m sorry, you’re right. I can only imagine what he’s told you about me.” She put her hand up, keeping me from speaking. “But it’s probably all true. I…made a lot of mistakes. I’m trying to fix them now, but he’s not ready to accept that. But really, I just want him to be happy.” She paused to take a sip, and I did too. “You must hate me. Does he talk about me any?”
    I choked down my sip and met her eyes. “I don’t hold anything against you, but I’m not going to talk to you about him. It’s up to him what you know.” I also didn’t trust her just yet. She was supposed to be clean, but she had been drinking all day, and I wonder how much that affected her boldness right now.
    She ran her finger up and down the stem of her glass. “You’re right. I’m glad he has you.”
    It only made me sink deeper. “I think I’m going to go—”
    “No, please, stay and talk. It won’t be about him. I’d love to get to know my new daughter a little better.”
    I stilled in the chair. Daughter. It sounded strange.
    She took a sip and giggled dryly. “You know, Hun, I don’t know anything about you really, except what I read in the news. But,” she shook her head, eyes narrowing, “did you grow up in Maryland?”
    “Yeah, in Baltimore mostly.”
    “Me too. You know, I don’t even know what your name was before you became a Lawson.”
    “Sommers. Regan Sommers.”
    “Sommers?” she questioned, a frown pulling on her lips. Finishing off her glass, she reached for the wine bottle to refill it. “You’re not related to Angela Sommers, are you?”
    The air was vacuumed out of the room, along with all heat, and I nodded.
    “Really? I use to work with her at Indigo’s. We were servers together, good friends, too.” She smiled with the memory, then shook her head. “Shame what happened. How are you two related?”
    I finished off my glass, pushing down the lump in my throat. “She was my m-mother.”
    Her lips formed a silent O as her eyes widened. “No shit?” Then she slapped her hand across her lips, sealing in her response. She snapped her other fingers a couple of times and then dropped the hand from her mouth. “I should have realized. You look like her, I just didn’t— I didn’t think to put two and two together. Well, huh, that explains how you got involved with my son.” She sat back in her seat, still stunned. “Damn. Just, damn. So…did you—” she put her hand up. “I’m sorry if this comes out rude but, who raised you?” She was already pouring more wine into her glass and I didn’t stop her from topping mine, I couldn’t do anything. “It wasn’t Nikolai, I know that. But Jared maybe?”
    “Jared?” I jumped to the new name.
    “Well yeah, that was…” She trailed off as she finally looked at me. “Are you all right, hun?”
    I shook off her question. “Who’s Jared?”
    She looked around the room, possibly for escape, before chugging half her glass. “That was some guy your mother was dating when I first met her.” She waved her hand dismissively with a little laugh. “I thought maybe he was your father, but obviously if you haven’t heard of him, I was wrong.” She put the glass back to her lips and finished it off.
    “What was his last name?” I twisted my fingers in my lap, sure they would shake otherwise, but my voice was even and calm.
    She licked her red stained lips, setting her glass back on the table with wobbly hands. “Oh, I don’t remember.” Rubbing one hand over her temple in a circle, she cringed. “I think the wines getting to me. Don’t mind me, I’m just running my mouth about