Total pages in book: 124
Estimated words: 121578 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 608(@200wpm)___ 486(@250wpm)___ 405(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 121578 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 608(@200wpm)___ 486(@250wpm)___ 405(@300wpm)
Finally, I open the blade and wave it in front of me.
“It’s okay, Shelby.” I look Dee-Dee right in her heavily made-up eyes. “Did you have something else you wanted to say to me?”
Dee-Dee shifts her gaze from Shelby to me and her eyes widen. She stumbles back a step. “Are you threatening me with a knife just for telling you I sucked your man’s dick?”
I gag but keep the knife in front of me. “You actually hadn’t said that part out loud yet.”
She lifts her chin in defiance. Her shiny red lips part.
“Girrrl, I’d quit while you’re ahead,” Shelby drawls. “Margot ain’t playin’.”
Dee-Dee snaps her mouth shut.
“My man warned me one of you…bunnies might give me a history lesson,” I say, proud that my voice isn’t shaking. “And then tonight, he gave me this pretty, shiny new knife as a present. I wonder if the two things are related?” I cock my head and stare at Shelby.
“I’m thinking, yeah. They sure are.” Shelby crosses her arms over her chest and nods.
“You see,” I lift my gaze, meeting Dee-Dee’s shocked eyes and give her a slightly unhinged smile. “I handle dead bodies all the time. So Jigsaw knows nothing scares me.”
Dee-Dee blinks rapidly, then turns and flees, sneakers slapping and sliding over the floor. “You’re both crazy!” she screams as she hits the door so hard, she leaves it swinging violently in her wake.
Shelby hoots and slaps her hands against her thighs. “Dang, you’re fearless.”
With the confrontation over, all my bravery drops into my boots. I click the knife closed with trembling hands. “Maybe it was a bad idea to threaten her.”
What if the guys get mad and ban me for shoving a knife in someone’s face?
“Don’t start none, won’t be none.” Shelby dips her chin dramatically. “You didn’t start it, but you sure did finish it.” She wraps her hand around my arm. “I swear that doesn’t happen all the time around here. Most of the girls are nice.”
“Jigsaw did warn me.” I shrug. “I thought Bonnie would be it, though.”
Shelby’s gaze shifts sideways. “Well, I wasn’t kidding. Girls get banned from coming to the clubhouse if they antagonize the ol’ ladies.”
“I don’t want to be responsible for that.”
“Like I said, if she didn’t start trouble, she wouldn’t be in it. That’s on her.” She frowns and stares at the door. “To be honest, I thought Dee-Dee had already been banned.”
The door squeaks open. What now? Someone else stopping by to tell me they’ve slept with my boyfriend?
“Ladies, everything okay?” Rooster’s rumbling voice asks.
“We’re good. Be out in a sec,” Shelby calls out. She turns and touches my arm. “You okay?” Her lips quirk with amusement. “You’re a flock-star.”
Her flamingo pun is a welcome bit of comedic relief. I let out a chuckle. “Guess I ruffled a few feathers tonight, huh?”
Shelby snorts, shaking her head. “Oh, big time.” She grins, eyes shining with approval. “Proud of you, girl.”
“I never really stuck up for myself when I got bullied in school.” I shrug apologetically, feeling kind of silly sharing this with a woman I barely know. “I’ll be dammed if I’m going to put up with it as an adult.”
“I hear that.”
My nose wrinkles. “Is what she said even true?”
Does Jigsaw really like bitchy women with bad haircuts?
Shelby takes a deep breath. “To be honest, I don’t know. I try not to pay attention to who the guys hang out with, unless it looks like it’s gonna be real, ya know?”
“I guess.”
“I can tell you, I ain’t seen Jiggy with anyone for quite a while.” She waves her hand through the air. “Like, way before he even came clean with me and Rooster that he was seein’ ya.”
“Oh.” My lips form a shaky smile. “That’s good, I guess.”
“And now that we’re friends, I’ll surely kick his behind if I ever catch him with anyone else.”
She’s so tiny, the mental image of her trying to kick Jigsaw’s ass would almost be funny—if it didn’t sting so much.
If I ever catch him with anyone else.
She said it so casually, like she expects it to happen eventually.
Like I should prepare myself for the inevitable.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Jigsaw
“Let’s just go in and get them.” I grab Rooster’s arm, pulling him toward the ladies’ room.
He jerks out of my hold. “Fucking relax. Shelby said they’re fine.” He glances over his shoulder. “Dee-Dee’s gone. Pretty sure she’s not coming back.” He laughs. “Ever.”
“She shouldn’t have been up here anyway,” I growl.
His casual shrug pisses me off.
“She better not have tried to tell Margot the same lies about me that she told Shelby about you,” I grumble.
He scowls as that memory sinks in. “Who brought her up here again?”
“That’s what I’m asking you, VP.”
He shrugs like he’s completely blameless in the situation. “Serena must’ve told Grinder she was cool.”
“Don’t blame Serena.” Hell, why am I taking this out on Rooster? It’s my own damn fault. I should’ve gotten off my ass and walked the girls to the clubhouse sooner.