Total pages in book: 77
Estimated words: 76953 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 385(@200wpm)___ 308(@250wpm)___ 257(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 76953 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 385(@200wpm)___ 308(@250wpm)___ 257(@300wpm)
Rune, most likely. Or maybe my mom if she’d stopped by.
“Pretty girl,” Sully said, beelining for me the second I moved through the doors, his arms going gently around me. “I’m so sorry.”
“It’s not your fault,” I assured him.
“It was my job to keep you safe.”
“He snuck up on you dressed as a caterer. We all missed him. There’s nothing to be sorry about. I’m fine. How’s your head?”
“I’ll live.”
“Incoming,” Nave called, looking for Brooks.
“Who is it?” Brooks asked, striding toward the door.
“Think that’s Cian’s car,” Nave said.
“Did you have a meeting with him?” Sully asked, half stepping in front of me.
“Not that I know of. Unless he spoke to Fallon.”
“Do we let him in?” Nave asked.
“Looks like he’s alone,” Sully said, shrugging.
Spike led him up to the door for Brooks to open.
Then there he was.
“I’m so sorry about your party!” I blurted out before anyone else could say anything. “I’ll give you a refund.” It might mean missing a month or two of rent, but I could get a second job.”
Cian’s brows pinched.
“Don’t give a fuck about the party, about the money. You should have been safe in a room full of us. I’m here to apologize.”
“It wasn’t your job to protect me.”
“It’s my job to be big enough of a threat that these low-level street crews know not to step foot in my presence with an agenda. Which is why I came to tell Fallon that I handled the… questioning of Cameron’s crew.”
“You what?” Brooks asked.
“You were busy taking care of your wounded. I had time. And a message to send. Turns out, Cameron was a shit leader. Pretty much everyone sided with Perish once they realized he was still alive. Apparently, the fuck told them he was dead years ago. Anyone who was loyal, well, they’re handled. I don’t think Fallon has shit to worry about. But I can give him names and addresses if he wants to double-check my work.”
“I will let him know,” Brooks said, his voice a little tight.
“Can I do anything for you?” Cian asked, looking at me.
“Me?” I asked, brows scrunching.
“A nurse. Pain meds.”
“Oh! Oh, no, I’m fine. Really, everyone is making a bigger deal of this,” I said, waving at my face, “than they need to.”
Cian shook his head. “They’re not. If you change your mind, Fallon has my number. Get some rest.”
With that, he turned around and strode out.
“I’ll be damned,” Sully said, shaking his head.
“What?” I asked.
“He wanted to issue a warning, sure,” Brooks said. “But he also knows that what he did aligned himself with our club. And we hadn’t made a decision on that yet.”
“Oh. I’m sorry. I—”
“I don’t know what you keep apologizing for,” Sully said, rubbing my lower back. “You were innocent in all this.”
“Innocent and in some need of rest before your old man comes here and kicks our asses,” Nave said, waving toward the hallway.
I could sense they wanted to talk without me present.
“Okay. Um. Thanks, guys,” I said, giving them an awkward wave.
“Call if you need anything,” Nave said.
“You got a full-time servant right here,” Sully said, smoothing his hands down his loud pigeon-printed Hawaiian shirt.
I made my way into Perish’s room, kicking off my shoes, then went right for the bed, climbing in, rolling on my side, and breathing in the scent of him still clinging to the pillow.
It was over.
Everything with Cameron and the lockdown. It was over.
And I still got Perish?
At least, it seemed like I did.
I mean, he had my father’s approval.
But I knew his wasn’t the end-all-be-all opinion. Perish was still talking to Fallon.
If Fallon gave him an ultimatum, there was still a chance that Perish might choose the club, the money, the security. Over me.
Just the thought had a stabbing pain searing through my heart.
I pressed my palm there as if I could rub it away.
The worst part was, I couldn’t even blame him, could I? He had such a hard life. If he craved stability more than me, I couldn’t be mad. Especially because things were still so new with us.
I was saved from an endless anxiety spiral, though, by the phone call from Layna.
And the insane situation she found herself in. Which, by the sheer shock and disbelief of it all, managed to completely wipe my mind of my own worries for the next few hours.
“Anyway, how are you?” she asked when she finally ran out of rants.
“I mean, scratched all up, concussed, and not sure if I am still with Perish or not, but still somehow… better than you right now.”
“Don’t even get me started again,” she said, sighing. “How bad is the concussion?”
“I have this never-ending headache. But I also haven’t taken any medicine since they put it in my veins at Hailstorm.”
“I’ll bet at least five people have offered to get you anything you need,” Layna said.