Total pages in book: 35
Estimated words: 32845 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 164(@200wpm)___ 131(@250wpm)___ 109(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 32845 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 164(@200wpm)___ 131(@250wpm)___ 109(@300wpm)
“Don’t cry, honey. Please. I can’t stand for you to be sad.”
“I’m not,” she said, her voice muffled by my neck. “I’m just so…”
“Relieved?”
“Yes! I didn’t think you wanted a woman. You even said so. I said it before, but I don’t want you with me out of a sense of obligation.”
“I never do anything I don’t want to do. Even taking the vice presidency of Bones. Sure, Cain forced me into it, but I’d have told him to pick someone else if I really hadn’t wanted to do it. It’s a burden sometimes, and I’m still learning, but if my dad needs me to do something, then I give it a good effort. So, I might not have chosen the situation -- with you or with Bones -- but I’m all in. With both. Though, I gotta tell you. I think I’m gonna be happier with you than I am with being vice president of Bones. And I’m pretty fuckin’ happy with being vice president.”
She sat back on my lap, swiping her eyes with the sleeve of her shirt. “So, you’ll take me on? Make me your old lady?”
“Oh yeah, honey. It’ll be rough goin’ with Trucker, but I’ll prove to him and Helen that I can be what you need. We might not love each other yet, but there is a mutual respect that will grow. And to be honest?” I waited until I had her undivided attention, her gaze focused squarely on mine. “I think I’m more than halfway in love with you all ready.”
The smile she gave me was brilliant, if still a bit tearful. But I could see she believed me. What I didn’t tell her, and what I wasn’t sure I was fully prepared to admit even to myself, was that I was already way the fuck past halfway in love with her.
We stayed the night in Waynesville, talking. Making love. How the fuck had I managed to live this long without having this kind of closeness with another person? I finally got it. Spending a night fucking a club girl wasn’t nearly as satisfying as making love with my woman.
I got Kickstand to make arrangements to have Willa’s car brought back to Bones, and Willa was finishing packing up her shit when my phone rang.
I glanced at the screen and winced. Ice. My brother as well as my president.
“You calling as Cliff or Ice?” I didn’t bother with formalities. Cliff would understand.
“Both, you dumbass. What the fuck did you do to Trucker’s daughter? And don’t tell me it ain’t none of my business because, A: I’m the president of Bones MC, and B: I’m your fuckin’ brother. Right now, from the sound of it, you’re gonna need both solidly in your corner.”
“Congratulations,” I said dryly. “You’re gonna be an uncle.”
Ice chuckled. “Yeah. Good one. Tell me what’s really going on.” When I didn’t say anything his laughter died down. “You’re serious, aren’t you.” It wasn’t a question.
“You think I’d joke about that? With Trucker’s daughter? I might be an asshole, but I’m not a stupid asshole.” Yeah. The irony wasn’t lost on me.
“So actually knocking up the daughter of a man as big as Trucker is better than joking about knocking her up. Yeah. Not stupid at all, Cyclone.” If my brother’s tone of voice was any indication he was nearly as angry with me as Trucker was.
“It is what it is, brother. She’s agreed to be my old lady, so I’m not really sure what the problem is. Ain’t sayin’ we’re in love, but we’ll get there.”
“You know he’s callin’ for your patch, right? Not only does he want you replaced as vice president, but he wants you out of Bones.” Where there had been background noise before, I heard a door close, and all the chatter died down. “He said you took advantage of her when she was drunk. That’s rape, Cyclone. Pure and simple. Not only will that cost you your patch, Trucker would have every right to fuckin’ kill you, and no one in this entire Goddamned compound would lift a fuckin’ finger to help you. Even Dad can’t get you out of that.”
“Trust me when I say he’d have every right and I wouldn’t even try to defend myself.”
“You’re Goddamned right he would! What the fuck, Dan? What the Goddamned fuck?”
“Daniel? Is everything OK?” Willa had walked in on the conversation and no doubt had heard my brother yelling at me.
“Yeah, honey. It’s all good.”
“No, it’s not.” She moved to my side. “I could hear someone all the way in the next room. Is that my dad again?”
“Nah. It’s my brother.”
“Ice? Why is he yelling?”
I sighed. I didn’t want her involved in this conversation. “It’s nothing. Let me wrap this up and we’ll get on the road.
As if I’d flipped a switch, Willa’s face hardened instantly. She held out her hand. “Give me the phone.”