Total pages in book: 143
Estimated words: 141464 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 707(@200wpm)___ 566(@250wpm)___ 472(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 141464 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 707(@200wpm)___ 566(@250wpm)___ 472(@300wpm)
“Uh, I know Upstate set a high standard but readjust your expectations. Downstate’s a lot less pretty.”
She reaches over and pats my thigh. “I have no expectations. I’m just happy to finally see your home club. And spend time with your friends again.”
Damn, that does something to my insides. I’ll have to start being less of a prick to my brothers to thank them for making Margot feel welcome.
When I roll up to our gate, it’s standing wide open. A prospect standing guard.
I roll down my window. “What’s up, Fiddle?”
“Hey, Jigsaw. I didn’t realize that was you.” The kid slowly walks over to my window. His short, curly mop of hair flopping in his eyes. “Grinder says he wants the gate closed in an hour.”
“You and Stitch monitoring it after that?”
“Yes, sir.”
I reach over and rest my hand on Margot’s arm. “Fiddle, this is my ol’ lady, Margot.”
He leans in the window but doesn’t smile or look all that welcoming. “Evening, ma’am.”
Margot waves and murmurs hello.
“Eyes open, Fiddle,” I say.
“You know it.” He taps his fist over his heart and steps back.
“So, he’s a not a full member, right?” Margot asks, once I’ve rolled my window up again.
“Not yet. Normally we just refer to them as ‘prospect,’ but I wanted you to know his name, just in case.”
“Is he even allowed inside the clubhouse?” she teases.
“Not without a good reason.” I laugh. “Yeah, someone will relieve him of gate duty later, let him come in and enjoy the party for a minute.”
“Sounds like code for ‘give him enough time to receive a blow job.’”
Margot’s so adept at reading between the lines. “When you put it that way, it sounds so seedy.”
She chuckles but sits forward in her seat. “Oh, there’s Rooster! Shelby must already be here too, then, right?”
Warmth spreads through my chest, pleased they seem to like each other. “Yes.”
A group of guys from Upstate are standing in a loose circle in our parking lot in front of the clubhouse entrance. I back into a spot on the far side of the parking lot near Rooster’s truck and help Margot out of the 4Runner.
“I feel bad you didn’t get to ride with everyone,” she whispers to me, casting a nervous glance toward the guys.
“It’s not a big deal.” I jerk my chin toward Rooster’s truck. “Rooster didn’t ride either.” Farther out in the parking lot, I spot Rock’s big blacked-out Yukon. “Rock didn’t either.”
“Oh.” She blows out a relieved breath.
Rooster breaks away from the pack and jogs over to me. “Hey, was wondering when you’d get here.” He pulls me in for a quick hug, slapping my back like we haven’t seen each other in months instead of a week.
“Miss me, motherclucker?” I squeeze his face between my hands and tap my forehead to his.
He laughs and pulls away. “Not that much.” He glances down at Margot and smiles wider. “Welcome to Downstate.”
“Hi, Rooster.”
“Where’s your little songbird?” I ask Rooster.
“Inside with Hope, Serena, Trinity, and Emily.” He wags his hand in front of his face. “Doing makeup.”
As we cross the parking lot to join the group, several of the guys glance in our direction.
“Look who it is!” Ravage shouts. “Our favorite collector of fingers and his adorable collector of creepy objects.”
My lips curl into a snarl but Margot bursts into laughter and lifts her arm in an enthusiastic wave. Her heels click faster over the pavement, like she’s eager to join the circle.
Guess Rav gets to live another day.
I nod to or shake hands with each brother in the wide circle. “What’re you all doing hanging around outside?”
Grinder cocks his head toward the gate. “Keeping an eye on fuckwad over there.”
“Fiddle,” Suds corrects.
“I said what I said,” Grinder grumbles.
Margot suppresses a snort-laugh, her body quivering.
“Waiting for you,” Rooster answers, waving a hand at Rav, Dex, Butcher, Hustler, and the other guys. “Not sure what these other chucklefucks are up to.”
“Awww, you two are so adorable.” Hustler makes obnoxious kissy-face noises. “Margot, I hope you’re aware that Rooster is Jiggy’s number one love.”
She flicks an amused glance at Rooster, then Hustler. “I can understand why.” She presses her hand to her chest and lays on the drama in a breathless Marilyn Monroe voice. “I’ve learned to accept it.”
Everyone—even Grinder—bursts into laughter.
Butcher steps up and slaps Dex’s shoulder. “So, your brother here was just telling us how he met his ol’ lady because he was stalking her.”
“What?” I laugh.
“That’s not what I said.” Dex throws a punch at Butcher’s boulder-sized bicep.
Ravage leers in Margot’s direction.
“Margot, you’ve never told us exactly how you and Jigsaw hooked up.” He ambles over to us, grinning like a kid in a candy story with a credit card and no adult supervision. “Did he ask you out?” Rav wiggles his fingers in my face, and I slap his hand away. “And you looked at his junkyard dog face and thought to yourself, ‘yeah, this seems like a smart life choice?’”