Total pages in book: 70
Estimated words: 68937 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 345(@200wpm)___ 276(@250wpm)___ 230(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 68937 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 345(@200wpm)___ 276(@250wpm)___ 230(@300wpm)
“I know that Alexander Pettigrew being at Copper’s prison makes it uncomfortable for you to go…” Speaking of the devil. “But I have a package for you to pick up at the prison. Plus, in exchange for that package, I need you to drop off the bike I have on the trailer outside my house. You don’t have to go inside at all.”
I frowned, unease skirting through my veins. “What kind of package?”
“The kind that I can’t tell you about,” he said. “My contact will meet you there and come up to you. You’ll know who it is.”
Cutter and his cloak and dagger shit.
“Fine,” I said. “I’ll call the board and tell them that we’ll need to reschedule the meeting to this afternoon. Will I be back by four?”
“That should do it,” Cutter said. “Call me when you get the package.”
“Hey, baby.”
I shivered as I waited in the parking lot for whatever it was that I needed to pick up.
Normally, I would’ve never been asked to do this particular pick up, but none of my brothers were able to do it.
So here I was.
Not that I was complaining or anything. I adored being needed.
I just wished I wasn’t needed at the prison, two hours away.
Though, it did get me out of a board meeting for a bit, which I liked.
What I didn’t like were all the creepy people here to visit their imprisoned family that might as well be in prison themselves.
“Hey, do you hear me talking to you, sweet thing?” the same man asked for a second time.
If he came over here, I was going to stab him with the knife in my back pocket.
“She heard you,” I heard my brother’s deep, dark voice. “But she didn’t respond because she doesn’t want anything to fuckin’ do with you.”
I whipped my head around and…
“Copper!” I cried out.
Copper dropped his stuff onto the concrete, uncaring that some of it might’ve been breakable, and opened his arms just in time for me to throw myself into them.
I sobbed the moment my body made contact with his.
Big, hulking sobs that shook my body.
Snot was running out of my nose, tears were all over both of us, and goddammit, my brother was free!
“What are you doing here?” I wailed.
I was officially losing it.
“I’m out.” He sounded gruff. “Pardoned by the governor.”
I squeezed him tighter, likely cutting off his air supply. Though, he didn’t seem to care.
“Fuck, but it feels good to hold you without chains around me,” he growled. “I’ve missed you too much, Tequila.”
The rumble of his voice in his chest was like music to my ears.
“I’m so happy right now, Copper Clayborne.” I paused and narrowed my eyes. “But don’t ever call me that again.”
I hated, with a passion, my actual name.
Tequila.
My brothers’ names had been bad, sure. All of them cowboy names that were clearly named exactly that because of my mother’s dislike of my father. But my name?
I hated it with every beat of my heart, and would never embrace it, no matter how ‘cool’ everyone thought it was.
Not after all the crap that I’d gotten for it growing up, from both school and my dad.
“You have no idea, baby sister,” he said, not apologizing for using the name that I hated.
I pulled away from him, and he let me go.
I brought both of my hands up to his cheeks and squeezed. “Gosh, I’ve missed the hell out of you, Copper.”
His eyes were a bit wet when he responded, “I’m so happy I could fuckin’ cry.”
I grinned. “I’m guessing that bike on the back of my 4-Runner is yours.”
His eyes moved from me to where my SUV was parked. “That’s likely true.”
“Let’s go.”
The first stop was a diner about a block down the road where Copper ate everything under the sun.
Hamburger, french fries covered with bacon and cheese, baked potato soup, a salad, and followed up with eighteen Dr Peppers.
He ordered pie to go, and stuffed it into his saddlebags when we got back outside.
“Are you going home? Or do you want to go to a board meeting with me?” I asked.
“Board meeting sounds fun.” He grinned.
A gleam entered my eyes. “How do you feel about going to them permanently?”
He tilted his head. “I’ve spent the last seventeen years learning everything I could about running that empire. You know that I’m ready for it.”
I smiled. That’d been my intention all along.
Keep humping along until Copper was ready to take it over.
“I’ll get the shares transferred over tomorrow,” I offered.
“No need,” he said. “You’ll remain with the shares that you have. I’ll get my shares another way.”
My brows rose. “I feel like you aren’t telling me everything.”
He winked. “Let’s go to the meeting.”
Imagine if we’re on the roof looking at the stars and I push you off.
—Keely’s intrusive thoughts
KEELY
The meeting was rescheduled for four, and we arrived at four oh two.