Total pages in book: 114
Estimated words: 110721 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 554(@200wpm)___ 443(@250wpm)___ 369(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 110721 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 554(@200wpm)___ 443(@250wpm)___ 369(@300wpm)
He glanced over at her, not bothering to hide his surprise. “You care what I think?”
She jerked up a shoulder in a half-assed shrug. “Sure. Why not?”
Damn. She trusted his opinion.
He sliced his eyes back to the road and didn’t smother his grin this time. “Think it’s a great fuckin’ idea. Puts more scratch in your pocket and more in the club coffers. Sounds like a win-fuckin’-win to me.”
If it kept her ass at The Castle instead of going to those damn personal chef bookings where he couldn’t keep an eye on her, even better. Once Vic the Dick was dealt with, she could go back to doing all the shit she was doing before.
Or she could keep finding alternate ways to line her pockets. He wouldn’t give a fuck either way, as long as she was safe.
“I appreciate you helping me pivot my business.”
“Got a deal, remember? I keep you and Baby Bird safe, you take care of me and my mini-monster.” For Stone, that “taking care of” part needed more sex, though. However, he wasn’t going to bring that up in an enclosed space. An escape plan was always needed when bringing up any topic that might piss off a woman.
He wasn’t fucking stupid.
Depending on who was asked.
“’Til I tell you different, this is how it’s gonna go. You drop the kids off at school on the way to The Castle. Do your thing. When I can’t get the kids from school, will get someone else to pick them up and drop them off there. Once you’re done for the day, then you bring them home with you.”
She hmm’d. “I know I just told you not to boss me around, but I can live with this plan.”
He huffed, “Thank fuck for that. But even if you couldn’t, you ain’t got a choice.”
“I always have a choice.”
“Not when it comes to your safety. Remember, I’m in charge of that.”
Luckily, whatever response she was about to spew evaporated due to him pulling up to the curb outside of the school. Of course, her kid was sitting on the curb, reading a book like a civilized nut nugget, while his was shooting daggers at the Honda with her narrowed eyes.
Most likely at the occupants, too.
As soon as the Honda rolled to a stop, the rear driver-side door was flung open and his girl climbed in with a very audible huff followed by a loud announcement of, “You’re late.” Like her old man couldn’t tell fucking time.
“Better late than never,” he muttered, his eyes locked on Taryn’s ass as she climbed out of the cage to help her kid get in.
“Never would mean I’d go into foster care. Maybe my new family would let me have my phone.”
“Doubt it.”
“Should we test that theory?”
Why did he get served generous helpings of shit from his spawn while Taryn got hugs from hers? Maybe he needed to trade in his decade-old model for a new one. “Sure. You wanna go into foster care? Live with some strangers that got a shitload of other nut nuggets? Gonna hafta share a room. Wear hand-me-downs. Will get no fuckin’ allowance and loads of fuckin’ rules. Gonna learn quickly that poutin’ won’t get you what you want.”
“I don’t get what I want now.”
He glanced at his mouthy daughter in the rearview mirror as she strapped in without being told, unlike her old man. “Yeah? What shit don’t you got? Ain’t sufferin’ for nothin’.”
“I don’t have my phone.”
“Then get a fuckin’ job and buy one.”
“You get a job!” Sunny snapped back just as Taryn finished getting Wren settled in his booster seat.
Some days he regretted sticking his dick in Sheena more than others. Today was one of those days. “Baby Bird don’t got a phone.”
“Because he’s a baby!”
Stone winced at her high-pitched shriek. Good thing Taryn had her door open as she climbed back in, otherwise his eardrums might have ruptured.
“I’m not a baby!” Wren yelled back.
For fuck’s sake. Who the fuck became a parent willingly and chose to deal with this kind of shit?
He should have gotten neutered the second he was capable of getting a hard-on.
Sunny rolled her brown eyes. “If you’re not a baby, then why did you cry at lunch?”
What the fuck?
Both he and Taryn spun in their seats. “You cried at lunch? Why?”
Wren lowered his eyes, pulled in a big breath and pushed out his bottom lip.
When he didn’t answer his mother right away, Stone repeated the question. He wanted some damn answers. “Why’d you cry at lunch, Baby Bird?”
“A kid took my lunchbox.”
He expected Taryn to get bent out of shape about Wren answering Stone instead of her, but then she shouted, “What?”
“What the fuck?” Stone barked. “Which kid?”
“Dunno his name.” Wren held up a hand over his head. “Big kid. Much bigger than me.”