Total pages in book: 78
Estimated words: 73680 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 368(@200wpm)___ 295(@250wpm)___ 246(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 73680 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 368(@200wpm)___ 295(@250wpm)___ 246(@300wpm)
“Um, yeah. Sure.” I let him lead me away.
Alpha leans in. “Everything good? Anything you want to tell us about?”
Are they mad that I was with Blade? I have a moment of panic. I thought they wanted to share? “Um, Blade and I… Well—”
“Yeah, we know, and about fucking time,” Ripper says. “He’s too stubborn sometimes. This makes it a lot less fucking complicated.”
Less complicated?
The door to Dad’s loft slams, and he’s charging down followed by an eager Jupiter and a woman I recognize from the times I’ve talked to Dad over the past couple years. Miriam. “Take the kids and get out, ladies. Club business.”
Emily and Alessa throw each other concerned looks, but quickly gather the kids and leave. As soon as they’re out, the entire mood of the place changes. Gone are the cuddly biker dads, and in their place are a crew of deadly serious men, their focus completely on my father.
King nods. “What’s up?”
Dad slams his phone down on the table and immediately I get chills. It’s Crow. Standing just next to him and a bit to the back is Shovelhead, a man I hoped I’d never have to look at again. The ugly grin on his face makes it very clear that we’re not going to like this.
“Everyone there?” Crow says in his oily, condescending voice. “I’d hate for anyone to fucking miss anything.”
“We’re here,” growls Dad in a tone that I don’t think I’ve ever heard. It has the promise of death in it. “Say your piece, but you don’t have shit on me now.”
“Not you. Not this time.” Crow laughs, an ugly, hoarse sound. “This is for your little brat.”
“Just say it,” I snap.
I want to rip Crow apart for what he’s done. Alpha comes up behind to wrap his arms around me. Dad raises an eyebrow, but doesn’t say anything.
“C’mon girl, why don’t you say a message to your bestie?” Crow takes a step to one side, while Shovelhead takes a step to the other.
Tied to a chair in front of a nondescript, gray wall, my best friend, the girl who sees the best in everyone, is being held hostage.
24
FAITH
“Faith, don’t let them mess with you. I’ll be okay!” Nicky might be trying to sound brave, but I hear the terror in her voice through the tinny phone speaker. We’ve been friends for way too long for her to hide that. “I’ll be—” Shovelhead backhands her so hard the chair nearly tips over.
“Nicky!” I recoil in horror at her scream of pain.
“Shut the fuck up,” says Crow. “They get the fucking point.”
“Motherfucker,” Ripper growls, and it’s echoed by the other men like we’re in a bear cave and someone just threw in a great big piece of meat.
My heart drops into my stomach. A few minutes ago I was thinking about how nice all this was, and at that same time, Nicky was going through who knows what.
“So here’s the deal.” Crow’s tone is laced with self-satisfied venom. He knows he’s got us bent over a barrel. “As fucking delightful and dainty your girl’s fingers and toes are, I’m going to start taking them.”
I can’t hold in my sharp gasp. Not Nicky. “Let her go! She doesn’t have anything to do with this.”
He laughs cruelly. “The look on your face says she does. What? You didn’t think I’d do whatever it fucking takes to get what I want?”
“Your dad deserved what he got,” Dad snarls like an animal. “He used pussy tactics like this shit to get what he wanted because the only ones he had the balls to hurt were women and children. My only fucking mistake was that I took pity on you because you were young.”
“Dad! Don’t make it worse” I don’t care how much of an animal he is. If he makes Crow hurt Nicky, I don’t know if I could forgive him.
“You motherfucker—” Crow cuts himself off. “Yeah, Daddy, don’t make it worse. Have you seen what he can do, bitch? I bet you thought it had been so long that we wouldn’t give a fuck about the old deal, but so long as I’m in charge, we don’t forgive or forget. I fucking loved my dad and you took him away. So if your daughter doesn’t come to me, bringing the fucking videotape with her, then I’m going to take pieces of her friend right here, one at a time until there’s nothing left, and I’ll mail you every single one of them separately. Her end will be as long and painful as I can fucking make it. Understand me?” In the background, Nicky whimpers.
“Don’t hurt her!” I yell over the cursing and outrage of the bikers around me. “I’ll come!”
“No, you fucking won’t,” snaps Dad, his face twisted in rage. “I’m not fucking giving you to this creep.”