Total pages in book: 38
Estimated words: 34926 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 175(@200wpm)___ 140(@250wpm)___ 116(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 34926 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 175(@200wpm)___ 140(@250wpm)___ 116(@300wpm)
We were interrupted when a Bronco pulled up and Clutch stepped out. “Told you had some baggage that needed handling.” The newly patched member grinned. “I got a nice cushy floorboard just waiting.”
“Do you know who I am? You’ll all pay for this!”
Scout calmly spun the guy around and cold-cocked him, knocking the guy out. “I told you. One more word.”
“All right. Get the bastard to the basement.” Bohannon started his bike back up. I wanted to take a turn out here, but knew Bohannon was right. We needed to do this someplace a little more private. “Chase, go get your woman, then come back to the clubhouse. We won’t start without you.”
I nodded, surprised at how relieved I felt to be going back to Cotton. Cain had put me in charge of the bar to give me something to focus on, but maybe Cotton was exactly what I needed to pull myself above all the bad shit I’d done. Maybe protecting her was my atonement.
Back at the Boneyard, I found Cotton inside with the other women. They’d formed a protective circle around her and were currently showering her with attention and reassurances.
“Don’t worry, Cotton.” Suzie, Cain’s adopted daughter and wife to Stunner, had an arm around my woman, trying to soothe her. “The guys’ll find the one responsible for this and crush his nuts.” That got a peal of giggles all around.
Cotton gave a sheepish grin. “That’s not going away. Is it?”
“It will be legendary,” Angel said through her soft laughter. “A lesson to anyone looking to mess with the women of Bones.” All the women raised their glasses in a toast, shouting, “To the women of Bones!”
The whole bar raised their glasses with cheers. I just shook my head, proud of the women in my club. They’d recognized one of their own and did everything in their power to include Cotton in their circle of friendship. As far as I knew, none of them knew her past, but I had a feeling these women would celebrate what she’d done rather than look down on her for it.
“You guys have no idea how much this means to me,” Cotton said with a smile. One tear slipped from her eye, but she brushed it away with a casual swipe of her finger. “It’s been so long since I’ve had friends I’m sure I’ll bungle this, but know that I appreciate all of you guys.”
Suzie wrapped both her arms around Cotton and embraced her tightly. “We protect our own, Cotton. You’ve been one of us since you started working here. I’m just sorry we didn’t make time to get to know you.”
“I didn’t want to get to know anyone, Suzie. I was just trying to keep my head down and get through life. What I should have been doing is living it. I have all of you and Chase to thank for making me see that.”
“You ladies got room for a guy at the table?” It was time to claim my woman. And to get her away from everyone and have her to myself. I still needed to look her over. If there was even one scratch on her I wanted to know about it. And kiss it better.
“Nope,” Angel said. “Pretty sure all the chairs are taken.” She spoiled the remark by grinning. “What you can do is take your woman out of here. Pretty sure she sent you hunting because she knew you needed it. Not because she actually wanted rid of you.”
My gaze zeroed in on Cotton. Sure enough, she looked more than a little guilty. “I believe that’s the first time I’ve ever seen you lie, Cotton.” I rubbed a hand over my short beard. “Now that I think about it, you were shit at it.”
She lifted her chin, getting a stubborn look on her face like she wasn’t one bit sorry for what she’d done. “Got you to do what you needed to do, didn’t it? Just because I don’t lie doesn’t mean I’m not capable of it. Also, I need to take care of you as much as you need to take care of me. And you needed to be in the action.”
I grinned. “That’s my woman,” I said proudly. “Don’t mean I ain’t spankin’ your ass for it later, though.”
“Don’t threaten me with a good time.” Her cheeky response got whoops from all the women at the table. Suzie nearly sprayed water all over the place but managed to get a hand over her mouth before she did. Angel and Darcy helped clean up the mess with nearby napkins. Everyone laughed.
Cotton took my hand and stepped into my embrace. She wrapped her arms around my neck tightly. I could feel the slight trembling in her body and rubbed my hand up and down her back.