Total pages in book: 80
Estimated words: 76381 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 382(@200wpm)___ 306(@250wpm)___ 255(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 76381 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 382(@200wpm)___ 306(@250wpm)___ 255(@300wpm)
Apparently, one of my eyes was just infinitesimally higher than the other. Not enough that anyone ever would have really noticed if not for the stupid app. And I found myself constantly scrutinizing my reflection ever since.
I didn’t even have that damn app on my phone and it was giving me a complex.
“What color are his eyes?” Callow asked, since the sketch was just in pencil.
“He was further away. I think they were a dark blue, though,” Daphne said, reaching for her soda and taking a sip. “What were you guys talking about?” she asked.
I just barely managed not to look at Callow, showing my guilt in front of the whole club. Because we’d mostly not been talking.
“We were discussing how to stay safe from now on,” I told her.
“What conclusion did you come to?” another voice asked, making me turn to find a man approaching. He was tall and handsome with an equally good-looking man with dark skin at his side as he got closer.
“Fallon, Brooks,” Callow said. “Sabrina. You met Daph.”
“Sorry you’re wrapped up in this, babe,” Fallon said, nodding at me.
“It is what it is,” I said, shrugging, not wanting to condemn my daughter’s behavior in front of mixed company like I had privately with Callow. “My only concern is staying safe moving forward.
“If it’s cool with Daph, I’m gonna be their guard at their place. Unless shit gets stickier and they need to come here,” Callow explained.
“That’s a great idea,” Daphne said, brightening.
“Tone it down,” I whispered to her as I pressed a kiss to the top of her head.
Turning her head up at me, she shot me a mischievous little smirk.
“This way, our lives don’t have to be too… disrupted,” Daphne added, making me almost roll my eyes at how thick she was laying it on.
Oblivious to her ulterior motivations, or just trying to ignore them, Callow nodded. “That’s the plan.”
“What about work and school?” Brooks asked.
“That’s where you behaving yourself comes in,” I told her.
“Teasing aside, your mom is right,” Callow agreed. “No sneaking around. No cutting class. Know where you’re supposed to be and be there. Your school is pretty safe. If you are in it.”
“Okay, Dad,” Daphne griped. But almost the second the word was out of her mouth, she seemed to realize what she’d said. As did Callow. Both of them looked both shocked and a little, I don’t know, hopeful?
Or maybe that was me projecting.
“I’m serious, though,” Callow said, recovering first. “We will have someone at the school, but they can’t be inside of it. Also, I’d like to get you a smart watch or one of those GPS tags to put in your shoe or something. In case shit goes down, we have a way to track you. But shit isn’t going to go down if—“
“I am in school where I’m supposed to be,” Daphne finished for him with an epic freaking eye roll.
“And Sabrina’s work?” Fallon asked, looking at me.
“I’ll cover that,” Callow said automatically, making my stomach swoop in a really delicious way. “And same thing with something GPS on you. Just as a precaution.”
“Yeah, I’m not complaining. I’m always where I’m supposed to be,” I teased Daphne, giving her hair a little tug.
“Hey, these cookies are banging,” another voice said, coming out of the kitchen with the whole plate in his hand, his other heavily tattooed hand bringing one to his lips.
“Dezi, for fuck’s sake. Those aren’t for you,” Callow called, making a few of the others chuckle.
“It’s in the kitchen, it’s fair game,” Dezi said, shrugging.
“Those were for Callow,” Daphne informed the stranger. “My mom made them for him,” she added.
“She bakes for you?” Dezi asked, looking at me, then at Callow. “Why isn’t there a ring on that finger yet?” he asked, making the color rush to my cheeks. “These are ‘marry me’ type cookies.”
“I’m gonna have to trust you on that if you don’t stop fucking eating them all,” Callow grumbled.
“Mom will make you more,” Daphne assured him. “She makes the best oatmeal and snickerdoodle too.”
“I do love me some oatmeal and snickerdoodles,” Callow said, nodding.
“I’ll buy some,” Dezi offered.
“How are you not three-thousand pounds?” Croft shot back at him. “Never seen anyone eat as many sweets as you do.”
“All the fighting keeps ‘em fit,” Fallon said in a way that suggested the fighting was both a problem and somewhat humorous to him.
“Alright. How’s that?” Croft asked, pulling Daphne’s attention back to him.
She looked at it for a long moment before nodding.
“Yeah, that’s him.”
Croft turned, showing the image to Fallon and Brooks.
“Well,” Fallon said, “at least he’s not so generic-looking. Might be easier to track him down.”
With that, he took a picture of it, then started texting the picture out to, I assumed, the bikers who weren’t present.
“Alright. So guard duty,” Brooks said as Fallon was distracted. “I think the twins would be good for the school,” he said, getting a nod from the brothers. “They’re the closest to school age we got. Won’t be as suspicious. If that’s alright with you,” he added, looking at me and Daphne.