Total pages in book: 62
Estimated words: 57099 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 285(@200wpm)___ 228(@250wpm)___ 190(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 57099 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 285(@200wpm)___ 228(@250wpm)___ 190(@300wpm)
I followed her gaze to the steel cable that ran between the upper floors of two warehouses. “Yeah. Fire escape, technically.” I shrugged. “At least that’s what Caleb said when he convinced Riot to put it up. Pretty sure he always intended it to be exactly what it is, but now that he has Riot to blame shit on, the kid gets away with murder. But he’s also a barrel of fun and we like making fun of Riot when he takes the fall for Caleb’s mischief.”
For a fraction of a second, Brynn’s face lit with excitement before she remembered she was supposed to be unimpressed. She shrugged. “Whatever.”
Across the compound, the clubhouse door swung open, and Knuckles emerged with Hannah at his side, his large body dwarfing her slender one. He spotted us and changed course, heading our way with purpose. She said something to the big man that made him throw back his head and laugh.
“That’s Knuckles,” I explained to Lavender and Brynn. “President of Kiss of Death. And Hannah, his Old Lady. They were at the hospital but didn’t want to overwhelm you. Just wanted to be there as backup in case we needed an extra set of hands for anything.”
“The club president is coming to meet us?” Lavender asked, her voice tight with anxiety.
I shifted the duffel bags to one hand and placed the other gently on her lower back. “Yeah. Don’t worry. He’s a good guy. Takes care of all of us.”
Lavender straightened, squaring her shoulders like she was preparing for battle. The gesture was so familiar, it made my throat tight. Always so brave, my Lavender. Brynn moved closer to her mother, her posture mirroring Lavender’s. I wondered if she even realized she’d stepped into a protective position. Looking at them standing together, their chins raised, ready to face whatever came… Fuck, they were beautiful. And they were mine to protect now.
“Let’s get inside,” I said, clearing the sudden roughness from my throat. “Give you both a chance to settle in before meeting the whole club.”
I led them toward the entrance, aware of curious eyes following our progress across the compound. Brothers nodded respectfully as we passed, some raising hands in greeting but giving them space until they settled. I had no doubt most of the old ladies would be over with all kinds of food and desserts. It’s who the women were.
“This isn’t what I expected,” Brynn admitted quietly, almost to herself.
“What did you expect?” I asked, holding the door open.
She considered this for a moment, then looked at me directly, those piercing blue eyes looking straight through bullshit. “Something more… I don’t know. Criminal.”
I couldn’t help the laugh that escaped. “Oh, there’s plenty of that too, kid. We just keep it tidy.”
For the briefest moment, the corner of her mouth twitched up. Not quite a smile, but closer than I’d seen since the day we played games in her hospital room. It felt like winning the fucking lottery.
I led them up to the lift, shutting the gate behind them and taking us to the second floor. Someone had hung artwork in the back of the lift to give it a less industrial feel, but it didn’t really work considering it was a painting of a warehouse. I didn’t know who’d put it there, but experience told me the likely culprit would be Riot, at the encouragement of Caleb. I caught Brynn grinning as she looked at the painting before she scowled and looked away.
We exited the lift and started down the hall. Brynn trudged behind us, dragging her feet with each step like she was walking to her execution instead of her new home. The second-floor hallway stretched before us, the concrete floor softened by a long runner of carpet, walls painted warm beige instead of institutional gray. I stopped at the apartment door across from mine and nodded to her door. “It’s like a hotel lock. Swipe your card and it flashes green, then lets you in.” I pointed to the camera tucked discreetly in the corner of the hallway ceiling. “Security’s tight here. Entire compound is under surveillance. Each apartment has its own alarm system, but there are no cameras inside other than at the door which faces toward the hall. You’ll have your privacy.”
Lavender nodded, her eyes lingering on the camera. “That’s… reassuring, actually.”
I gestured toward the door and she swiped her card, unlocked it, and pushed it open. They entered first and I followed. “Welcome home,” I said, the words feeling strange on my tongue. “For as long as you want it.”
The apartment was unrecognizable from the bare space it had been just a few days ago. Pippa and Tillie had worked fucking miracles. The open-plan living area gleamed with cleanliness, furniture arranged to create a cozy seating area facing the windows that overlooked the compound. Fresh flowers sat in a mason jar on the kitchen table. The refrigerator hummed quietly and should be stocked with food I’d requested based on Brynn’s renal diet requirements and the few preferences I’d managed to learn during our hospital stay.