Total pages in book: 27
Estimated words: 26721 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 134(@200wpm)___ 107(@250wpm)___ 89(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 26721 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 134(@200wpm)___ 107(@250wpm)___ 89(@300wpm)
Greer nodded. “She did look tired during the last interview I saw her give.”
“She’ll get some rest once she’s at the hospital. She’ll be fine,” Hack reassured them all. “Come on, let’s go have some fun. You girls have got some cupcakes to decorate, I hear.”
“Hack!” They all looked up at the cry as Betsy moved toward them, holding a large, rolled-up piece of paper in her hand. “I made you something.”
“You did?" Hack gave her a look filled with surprise as he took the rolled-up bit of paper from her. As he opened it, glitter flew out, sprinkling down around him.
“It’s a glitter picture,” Greer said. “Betsy, that’s awesome.”
“Thanks,” Betsy said with a shy smile. “Do you really think so?”
“I do,” Hack replied. “This is a great picture, Betsy. Are you sure you want me to have it?”
“Yes, I made it just for you because you love glitter.” Betsy smiled at him.
“He sure does!” Greer said. “Unless it gets in his beard. He hates glitter in his beard. Oh and in his butt. When it goes in between his butt cheeks and it itches.”
Hack sent her a look of disbelief. “I cannot believe you just said that.”
“Neither can I,” Spike said dryly. “More than I needed to know.”
Millie let out a surprised giggle, and Spike wrapped his arm around her.
“What is it?” Spike asked.
“What?” Hack asked.
“What is the picture of?” Spike asked, nodding down at the picture that Hack was still holding.
“Oh, yeah. Would you like to explain it, Betsy?” Hack said.
Yep, Hack had no idea what the picture was of. Amusement filled Spike as he moved back to open the door for Mr. Fluffy, lifting the dog down.
Mr. Fluffy took two steps and then collapsed with a loud sigh, as though that had completely tired him out.
It likely had. He was the laziest dog that Spike had ever met, which was why he had to go on a special diet with cardboard-tasting food.
Because he was putting on way too much weight.
“Oh, no, you should explain what you see,” Betsy said, bouncing on the balls of her feet. “After all, the picture is for you.”
“Yes, Hack. Tell us,” Spike said.
Hack sent Spike an unamused look and it was all Spike could do to keep the smile off his face.
Hack cleared his throat and glanced down at Greer. She was biting her lower lip, obviously trying to hold back her own smile.
“What’s going on? What are you all doing over here?”
Spike glanced over as Cash Savage walked toward them. His best friend, Ralen, was next to him. Both men were fairly new to town. Cash had returned home after years of hiding away with Dante Diaz in Mexico.
Cash wrapped his arm around his sister’s shoulders and leaned down to kiss the top of her head. Cash and Ralen weren’t part of the Iron Shadows. Spike knew that they wanted to join, or at least Cash had, but he’d already given his allegiance to Dante Diaz.
Apparently, Dante hadn’t been impressed with the idea of Cash and Ralen splitting their loyalties. But they were still invited to family things like this barbecue, because that’s what they all were, a family.
A strange, odd sort of family. With a real mix of people.
He turned and glanced over at Sunny, who was talking to a stranger.
Only he wasn’t a stranger, was he? Just because Spike had never seen this disguise didn’t mean he didn’t know who that was.
The Fox.
Part of him still found it hard to believe that they had an assassin in their mix, a man who had killed people, but who had also done a lot to help them, who had rescued more than a few of their women.
And who was now part of the family.
The Fox nodded at something Sunny said, smiling down at her. Spike was kind of glad that the Fox wasn’t as close to Millie as he was with Sunny. At the same time, he knew that Sunny was now one of the most protected people in the city of Billings.
The Fox would always make sure that.
He was also glad that the Fox had never bought Millie a pink motorbike, because he knew that she would insist on riding it. She’d probably put some sort of seat in the back for Mr. Fluffy and buckle him in with his own motorbike helmet.
Oh, God, Spike could see it now. All too easily.
Yes, he was glad that the Fox didn’t send Millie ‘gifts.’
Sunny giggled at something the Fox said as Brody and Autumn moved toward them. Brody and Autumn started talking to Sunny, and the Fox glanced around, his gaze hitting Spike’s.
The Fox nodded to him and he nodded back before turning back to find Hack had started guessing what Betsy had drawn a picture of.
To him, it looked like an alien getting beamed up into space.