Total pages in book: 86
Estimated words: 83244 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 416(@200wpm)___ 333(@250wpm)___ 277(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 83244 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 416(@200wpm)___ 333(@250wpm)___ 277(@300wpm)
Brooke sat on the swing next to us, watching with a smile on her face. After a while, she leaned back and started to swing along with Anslee. That’s when she decided to say, "So, tell me more about Satan’s Fury."
“What do you want to know?”
“Everything. What are they like? What made you decide to join a club like that?”
“It wasn’t really one thing.” I continued to push Anslee as I told her, “Seven, one of the brothers, came into the garage. Something about him caught my attention. He left, and I asked Cyrus about him. Next thing I knew, I was at one of their cookouts at the clubhouse.”
“I bet that was something.”
“It was, but not in the way you might think. It wasn’t some big rager with kegs and half-naked girls. Don’t get me wrong. It was a party, but more like a family gathering with booze and a bonfire that was about five feet too tall.”
I went on to tell her that Preacher had come up to me and asked if I was interested in prospecting. And how excited and nervous I was when I told him yes. She seemed surprised when I answered so quickly. “It wasn’t like I had anybody waiting for me when I got off work… Nowhere I really belonged, so I decided to give it a chance.”
She didn’t respond.
She just kept swinging, slow and easy, as she listed to me babble on. “I spent years thinking you had to earn everything from food on the table to a friendship that truly meant something. These men… these crazy, fierce men became my brothers. They’ll never replace Aiden. It isn’t about that, but…”
“I get it.”
“They’ve made me feel like I belong, and the motorcycles are just a bonus.”
“I’m glad you found them.” Her brows furrowed. “Can I ask you one more thing?”
“You can ask me anything.”
“Is it safe?”
“Depends on what you mean.”
“Would I need to worry every time you leave?”
It was a loaded question. One that ol’ ladies asked at one time or another, but she wasn’t my ol’ lady. Made me wonder if she would be someday.
Like I said before. I had hope.
I had enough of it for both of us.
That being said, I’d never lied to Brooke, and I wasn’t going to start now. “There are always risks. But we don’t go looking for trouble. Most days it's just work, riding, helping each other out, and giving one another hell.”
“But the news…”
“They only tell one side of it.” Her expression softened as I told her, “They don’t talk about the brothers who’d drive three states in the middle of the night if one of us needed them. They don’t talk about the guys who’ll rebuild your home after a storm, sit by your side while a parent dies, or make sure your kids have Christmas when you’re down on your luck.”
“No, they don’t.”
“I left home thinking I’d never have a family again, but Fury proved me wrong.”
When I looked back at Brooke, there was something different in her eyes. The fear was gone and had been replaced with understanding. That meant a lot, because, without them, I wasn’t sure if I would’ve ever found my way back to her. “I’m glad you found them.”
“Me too.” I knew it was a long shot, but that didn’t stop me from saying, “I hope you meet them someday.”
“I would like that."
After that, we gathered up Anslee and headed back to her place. And over the next few days, Brooke and I fell into an easy rhythm. It was different than before, but just as easy. We’d talk while Anslee played, laughed about nothing, and every now and then, we’d stare at each other in a way that left no question that old chemistry between us was still there.
It wasn’t rushed. It wasn’t complicated.
It was just us finding our way, and somewhere between the shared dinners and bedtime stories, I realized I wasn’t just getting to know my daughter. I was finding my way back to her—the woman who still owned my heart.
After a long afternoon of watching Disney movies and building towers upon towers, I grabbed my cut from the chair and started putting it on as I told her, “I’m gonna head out.”
“So soon?”
“It’s getting late, and you have work tomorrow…”
“I’m not ready for you to go just yet.”
“You sure?” She nodded, and I returned my cut to the hook. “Okay. I can stay for a bit.”
“Okay, good. Give me just a second.”
She slipped into the kitchen, and a few seconds later, she returned with a glass of wine and a cold beer. She offered me the beer, and together, we walked into the living room and settled on opposite ends of the couch.
For a few minutes, neither of us said a word. We just sat there in silence, and it wasn’t awkward or uncomfortable. It was just familiar, and it felt good sitting there alone with her.