Total pages in book: 66
Estimated words: 61042 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 305(@200wpm)___ 244(@250wpm)___ 203(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 61042 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 305(@200wpm)___ 244(@250wpm)___ 203(@300wpm)
“Sit back and relax, Veda.” Darby nudged me with her shoulder. “Things are about to get interesting.”
Violet gave Darby a confused smile. “What’s about to get interesting?”
Caleb hurried back in with four bottles of water. “Drink all that, Mom.”
“Good grief, Caleb. Stop it. I’m not drinking all that.”
Caleb gave his mother a solemn look. “Yes, you will.”
Violet looked from one of us to the other. “What? What’d I do?”
Riot walked in the room and leaned in to brush a kiss on Violet’s head. He whispered, “Those fuckin’ things are loaded with pot, baby. My advice is, when he comes calling, just let Jesus have you. He’ll send you back when the pot wears off, and me and Caleb’ll take care of you.”
Violet blinked, glancing at both guys. “I’m so fucked.”
Yeah, that got us all laughing.
I caught Darby’s grin out of the corner of my eye as Caleb knelt by his mother’s chair, unscrewing the cap on a water bottle with the solemnity of a battlefield medic. “You gotta hydrate, Mom. Riot said.”
“Riot said,” Violet echoed, shooting her man a look that promised retribution. “Riot’s sleeping on the couch tonight.”
Riot didn’t look particularly worried. “Worth it. Especially when those things hit.”
“I’m not stoned!” Violet looked equal parts exasperated and amused.
Caleb raised his eyebrows. When he spoke next, it was in a perfect imitation of Yoda. “Be you will… Be you will.”
I snorted coffee out my nose again on that one. I wasn’t alone. Sully barked out a laugh from where he sat at the monitors but facing us.
“Are you tryin’ to get your ass whooped, kid?” Riot grinned at Caleb.
Caleb, the little shit, looked down his nose at Riot. “Do, or do not. There is no try.”
More peals of laughter… until Violet almost toppled out of her chair laughing. Then we really laughed. Riot stood and scooped Violet up into his arms and sat back in the chair with her cuddled in his lap.
The banter continued while I sat in the chair next to Sully, looking at the monitors. I have no idea what I thought I’d see that he couldn’t. Honestly, I just wanted to find something else to focus on.
My gaze moved from one screen to the next. Wasn’t much to see. The outbuildings, the patch of gravel drive where the guys had parked their bikes in case they needed to back up Griffin and Knuckles. Sometimes the camera angle would stutter and flicker, lines jumping across the feed, and every time it did, my gut twisted. Each time, Sully would grunt but didn’t move. Seemed I wasn’t the only one on edge.
“How much longer?” I didn’t specify, but Sully knew what I meant.
“Honey, they’ve been gone thirty minutes. They’re gonna be a while.”
Right. I knew that. Just seemed longer.
“It’ll be OK.” Carrie must have noticed my anxiety. She stood next to me and reached out to squeeze my shoulder. “One thing I’ve learned since I’ve been here is that Knuckles takes care of everyone in the club. He’ll bring everyone home. Including your sister if she’s there.”
Sully’s phone vibrated. He didn’t move at first, just stared at the screen. The muscles of his jaw bunched. Then, without a word, he stood. The chair creaked under the loss of his weight. “That a camera glitch or some shit?” he muttered. “Watch.”
Riot kissed Violet before putting her on her feet and crossing to the monitors. On the screen, one of the outbuildings blinked to black. Just a second’s pause, like the feed had stuttered. Then it came back.
“Never known Knight’s equipment to be less than perfect.”
“Is that normal?” I asked, leaning in as another screen did the same thing. “I mean, do your security cameras do that sometimes?”
“Nope,” Sully told her, quiet but firm. He didn’t take his gaze from the screen. Neither did Riot.
Everyone quieted. Caleb placed himself at the door to the office, leaning against the door frame where he could keep an eye on the common room entrance and his mother at the same time. Everyone watched the monitors in silence.
Another monitor flickered, this time the main entrance, and then the top right of the grid froze up.
“This doesn’t feel right,” Sully muttered to himself. “Guys, get to the safe room.”
Caleb moved immediately, snagging Violet’s hand and helping her to her feet. Violet immediately pitched forward, unsteady with the sudden movement. Caleb caught her with Riot scooping her up immediately afterward.
“Holy fuck! How much shit did you guys put in those brownies?” Violet clung to Riot. “Sorry!”
“Well, you did eat quite a lot, sweetheart. Though it kinda picked a bad time to hit.” He carried her down the hall with the other women and Caleb hurrying with them.
I followed them and we all moved quickly down the corridor. But every step felt wrong. Like retreat, and I’d spent the last six months refusing to retreat from a Goddamn thing. My hands shook and I curled them into fists, digging my nails into the meat of my palms until the sting cut through the haze of adrenaline building in my blood. I had to stay focused.