Total pages in book: 78
Estimated words: 77505 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 388(@200wpm)___ 310(@250wpm)___ 258(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 77505 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 388(@200wpm)___ 310(@250wpm)___ 258(@300wpm)
“You insult her like that again and I’ll show you why Slash picked me outta the dozen or so guys who got out the same year I did,” I warned him.
“I’m an asshole,” Saint said, shrugging. “I won’t hesitate to say shit to someone’s face. And I’m not gonna apologize for it. Even if she didn’t like it.”
“She’s not dumb.”
“In all fairness, I didn’t call her dumb. I suggested she might be being dumb. There’s a difference. But you might have been too Hulked out to notice the difference. Never seen you angry like that before. Guess I see how you ended up in prison.”
“It doesn’t happen much.”
“No? Didn’t I hear a rumor in Shady Valley about you choking some fuck out?”
How the hell did he know that?
“There are specific circumstances that bring it out.”
“When someone threatens what’s yours. Or tries to take what’s yours.”
“That’s… an overly simplified way of putting it. But yeah.” I paused, exhaling hard. “But your little stunt had unexpected consequences. So I’m not gonna bash your face in for it. But don’t overstep like that again.”
“If it helps, that woman wants exactly what you do. She’s just too fucking repressed and scared to admit it. Maybe another gift basket would help,” he teased, shooting me a smirk as he walked off toward the doors as Syn and Dylan moved out of the elevator.
“Well, you don’t have flames in your eyes,” Dylan said, looking at me. “Good talk?”
“He got off with a warning.”
“I can handle him myself, you know,” Dylan said, inching a little closer when my hand went to the small of her back.
“I’ve seen it. But as much as it was about what he said to you, it was also about his lack of respect for me. He needed to be reminded it’s not his place to butt in on my life and my choices.”
“Is that what I am?” she asked, voice small, maybe even hopeful. “Your choice?”
There was something wide-eyed and hopeful on her face as I turned to look down at her.
I reached out, grabbing her chin in my hand.
“That’s exactly what you are,” I told her, fingers lingering for just a second.
“You guys can suck face later. We got a job to do,” Saint called, making Dylan roll her eyes but let out a little laugh.
“Ready?” I asked.
She gave me a nod.
Then, voice small, “Can I ride with you?”
I wasn’t sure I’d ever hear those words from her stubborn ass. But, fuck, did they make my heart squeeze.
“Fuck yeah, you can,” I said, trying to downplay just how big a moment this was.
Because I knew for a fact that, like me, she’d never ridden bitch before. It was a matter of pride to her. That she’d always been in control. It said something that she was trusting me to be.
“What are you waiting for?” she asked when we were both on the bike, the engine purring.
“For you to put your arms around me.”
“I can stay on without holding on,” she insisted.
Of course, she could. Her feet were on the passenger pegs. She could squeeze the tank with her thighs. She had the core strength to balance. And my bike had grab rails that removed the need to grab my vest or wrap her arms around me.
“Can sit here all night,” I said instead of arguing.
“You’re annoying,” she grumbled on a hard exhale, but I could practically hear the smile in her voice as she scooted just a little closer, her legs wrapping around my hips. Then her hands carefully slid around me until they cinched around my waist.
I kicked up the stand and took off.
By the time we reached the woods, I understood why she’d been so desperate to get me somewhere private and get me inside her. Because riding with her wrapped around me was unexpectedly intimate and sexy.
But that was going to have to wait.
We’d been making some progress thanks to the new cameras and some pictures and snippets of conversation we’d caught.
Since I was no longer sleeping in my hotel room, we’d turned that into a command center. The place looked like the war room in a cop movie. Papers were pinned all over with names, profiles, and maps of the grounds and the clubhouse.
We’d been studying everything as we waited for Rook to bring us more information about some of the faces we’d caught on the cameras.
We were just kind of in a holding pattern, making sure we knew all the players.
After that, well, it was up to Slash.
Maybe he’d send more of the guys out to us.
Maybe he’d trust the four of us to handle it.
It seemed like we were maybe only three or four days away from that.
To be honest, I’d spent almost no time thinking about the final battle, though. I spent all my time thinking about what came after that. When the clubhouse was back in Dylan’s hands. When her girls were away getting treatment.