Total pages in book: 84
Estimated words: 80302 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 402(@200wpm)___ 321(@250wpm)___ 268(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 80302 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 402(@200wpm)___ 321(@250wpm)___ 268(@300wpm)
I’m snapped out of a fantasy threatening to take root when he texts again.
Drake: Send me a picture of you.
I shake my head as if the man can see my refusal and feel like an idiot for it.
Instead of closing out the texting app, I snap a picture of just my hand, my middle finger extended.
It doesn’t take long for him to respond, but once again, I’m shocked at his response.
Drake: That may be the sexiest hand I’ve ever seen. I can’t help but hope it’s an offer.
Me: Enough.
Telling him to stop seems like the right thing, but it doesn’t keep me from smiling as I leave my room.
The living area is already filling up with people because we have a meeting scheduled later today. There have been a lot of impromptu gatherings since Aro was hurt in Costa Rica. It’s as if there’s an unspoken need to come together after such a tragedy. I’ve noticed since becoming a member that bonding by proximity seems like Cerberus’s thing.
I grab a cup of coffee, heading back out into the living room instead of taking a seat at one of the tables in the kitchen. If someone is going to bring up the news Aro or Slick spread about me, they’re going to have to track me down. I won’t allow myself to be an easy target for the impending conversations.
I hover around for the better part of an hour before Aro shouts to get everyone’s attention at the front of the room.
My skin grows cold, my hands so clammy I have to wipe them down the front of my jeans. What’s coming doesn’t carry the same sort of fear I suffered after my brother walked in on me that day, but my nerves are still on edge.
I hold my head high as he begins to speak, my insides a mess my outside demeanor doesn’t betray.
“I want to thank everyone for the visits, calls, and prayers after I got hurt,” Aro begins. “It’s been a hard battle both physically and emotionally, and I know I wouldn’t have made it through without you.”
A murmur of understanding circulates through the crowd.
“During the time I spent in Albuquerque, I got really close to another member of the club, and it was impossible not to fall completely in love with them.”
“You said it was a secret!” Ugly yells from the other side of the room.
A roar of laughter goes up, and I find myself smiling as well. I honestly think it’s because Aro isn’t pointing fingers at me and spreading the news I’m so unwilling to share myself.
Aro shakes his head at his friend, a small smile playing on his face. The look in his eyes transforms into something softer, more intimate when he looks at Slick.
“You have to say it!” Gigi, one of Kincaid’s daughters, yells. “A look isn’t good enough!”
Another round of laughter fills the room.
“Slick and I are together,” Aro announces, despite no one in the room being confused after the way he just swept his eyes down the front of her. “And completely in love.”
I can tell by the rise and fall of Slick’s chest that she was possibly as nervous for this announcement as I was, thinking they were going to be discussing what I did with Drake last night.
A raucous cheer makes a wave through the clubhouse, and I use everyone’s distraction as an opportunity to sneak out. I’ll congratulate Aro and Slick at a later time.
The open road is calling, but I know I only have an hour or so to myself before the scheduled meeting. I head toward the garage, praying everyone else stays inside.
I consider it a win when my phone buzzes in my pocket, and I resist the urge to pull it out.
Chapter 10
Drake
Many holidays are celebrated in the United States around the hard-earned freedom we have as a country.
The Fourth of July just happens to be my favorite.
The heat of the summer has a firm grip on the day by the time I climb out of my truck, close to the center of town.
The excitement is palpable by everyone I pass, considering I had to park almost a half a mile away. Many others in town have the same idea as I do, as we slowly walk toward the park.
The event is sponsored by Cerberus. They normally hold their summer event at the clubhouse, but I’ve never been to one. Their clubhouse is undergoing some renovations right now, so they’ve opted to make their event even more public this year.
This is my first Fourth of July off since I started working at Jake’s, and it took begging Rochelle for more than a week for her to take my shift. When I made the schedule for the month weeks ago, I didn’t consider that I’d want to go so badly.