Total pages in book: 43
Estimated words: 39540 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 198(@200wpm)___ 158(@250wpm)___ 132(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 39540 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 198(@200wpm)___ 158(@250wpm)___ 132(@300wpm)
“I confirmed that myself. I got in to get Pippa by posing as a buyer. Bastards ain’t real smart. They didn’t even make me put down a deposit or pay in full before seeing the merchandise.”
“Did you leave any of them alive?” Ice gave me a hard look, and I wasn’t really sure what the correct answer was.
I was my own man, especially after the time I’d spent in prison. But Ice was still my big brother. And Cain was still my father. Lying wasn’t even an option. “Not inside or in the immediate vicinity of the compound. Anyone left alive in that club wasn’t home.”
“Were you careful?” That came from Cyclone. Ice gave him a hard look too, but Cyclone didn’t back down.
I wasn’t going to lie, especially to myself. This hurt. Horribly. “You don’t want us here.” It was an accusation, pure and simple, without even a hint of a question. I’d told them the situation when I realized I’d have to get Pippa seen to before making the trek to Nashville. It hurt like a motherfucker knowing they didn’t care enough about me now to offer us their protection for more than a few hours, but I got it. Didn’t mean I liked the idea of my own brothers kicking me and my woman out to save the club. Of course, I hadn’t really claimed her as my woman in front of others. Also, Pippa needed to know the score, too. Once she was sober.
“Dawn and Willa are both pregnant again.” Cyclone was talking to Ice. Not me.
“And we don’t turn away defenseless women. Or family. What the fuck’s the matter with you?” I don’t think I’d ever seen Cliff or Daniel seriously argue. They were always on the same page. Obviously more than a few things had changed since those two took over as president and vice president.
“We didn’t even know you were out of prison until you called to tell us you were rolling in!” He turned back to his brother. “You can’t tell me you’re completely comfortable with this. We’ve got more than just us and our family to worry about, Cliff. We’ve got the whole fuckin’ club and all their families to worry about, too. If he’s brought trouble back with him and someone gets hurt…”
“Then you deal with it.” Mama appeared from the shadows and moved to me and Pippa. As she passed Ice, she smacked him in the back of the head none too gently. “You don’t abandon family, boy,” she snapped. “Your father taught you better than that.”
“The fuck, Mama!”
“The fuck indeed,” she muttered as she ran her hands over Pippa. “I can’t believe you’d even entertain the thought of turning your brother and his woman away.” She shone a light in Pippa’s eyes, pulling up her eyelid as she did.
Pippa cried out and turned her face into my chest, ducking her head. I held her tighter, which seemed to be what she needed. She settled, then turned her head and met Mama’s gaze.
“I’m sorry, child,” Mama soothed. “I’m a doctor. I only want to make sure you’re OK.” Mama smiled kindly at Pippa before looking up at me. “Bring her to my clinic, Gunnar.” She looked back at Cyclone. “You can stay here, young man. And if you think that just because I love you like a grandson I won’t make sure you’re stripped of your rank in this club, try pulling a stunt like this again.” She gave Cyclone a derisive sniff before turning and heading back to the clubhouse.
I didn’t look at my brothers. I wasn’t sure I could. Not right now. Instead, I followed Mama and carried Pippa inside, shifting her around so her front was to my chest as I held her close. This wasn’t the homecoming I’d envisioned.
“Lay her here.” Mama put the head up on the stretcher and put a pillow under Pippa’s knees for comfort as well as one behind her head when I did as Mama asked. Pippa whimpered and clung to me when I tried to back away from her. “Don’t worry, sweetheart.” Mama brushed her fingers over the bruise on Pippa’s cheek. “Your man’s not going anywhere without you.”
Pippa whimpered again, but nodded her head slightly, then took a deep breath. “I’m sorry,” she whispered as she let me go.
I took her hand in mine and brought her fingers to my lips. It was an instinctive move on my part, an attempt to soothe her when I didn’t really know how. I’d not been in female company for fifteen years. I’d love to say I went out and got laid my first day out of prison, but I had a job to do and I was determined to do it as safely and quickly as I could. Which didn’t leave time for learning to be around women. Giving comfort was something I forgot how to do a long fucking time ago.