Total pages in book: 50
Estimated words: 46500 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 233(@200wpm)___ 186(@250wpm)___ 155(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 46500 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 233(@200wpm)___ 186(@250wpm)___ 155(@300wpm)
Joey nodded and grinned at Antonio when he clapped his hands together, opening his mouth for more. “More than okay, Ink,” he assured me. “Elaina . . . shit is complicated. I know that. But I want her happy.” He frowned. “I destroyed one woman before,” he said, referring to Adelaide, whom I knew he still loved, “and I won’t do the same to Elaina. And I hate seeing the longing in her eyes for Alejandro, but not for the reason you may think.”
“You want her to have everything.”
Joey nodded. “And if Alejandro is part of that everything, then so be it. She’ll have him, too.”
“That’s pretty fucked up,” I confessed. My skin crawled and rage bubbled up in my gut at the mere thought of ever sharing Jessie with someone else.
Joey laughed. “Don’t I fucking know it, especially with their fucking history, but he’s good for her despite all of that. Sure, he’s a twisted mother fucker, and he did some unforgivable shit, but his heart’s always been in the right place with her. I’m hoping that over time, we can learn to balance each other out because I know I can sometimes be too hard on her.”
“And he isn’t.”
Joey nodded, looking over at me in surprise. “You get it.”
I shrugged. “I’ve seen you and River interact with Adelaide. Her heart is solely set on him; I know that. But it doesn’t stop him from allowing you two to love each other in your own fucked up ways. So, you doing this with Alejandro isn’t all that shocking.”
Joey sighed. “Fuck, it feels good to get that off my chest and for someone to understand.”
I grinned. “There was always Whiler.”
Joey cut me a dark look. “Then his fucking ass would want to join in, and I’d have to punch him in his jaw.”
I barked out a laugh. Jessie emerged from the back hallway and strode over to me, a nervous look in her eyes. I instantly stood up, meeting her halfway across the room.
“Talk to me,” I urged.
“I want to take a nap,” she said softly. “I just didn’t know if you needed to be with the club or—” she was rambling.
I placed my finger over her lips, silencing her. “We can take a nap.” I grabbed her hand in mine and led her back down the hall. Alejandro emerged from Joey’s room, quietly shutting the door behind him. I arched a single eyebrow at him. Without a word, he walked down the hall, and I heard him say something to Antonio that made the little boy squeal.
“She asked for you before she fell asleep,” I heard Alejandro tell Joey. “Think you need to reassure her some more that this is okay. The woman is stubborn as all hell.”
I slipped into the room with Jessie. She crawled onto the bed, and I quickly slipped under the covers after her, tugging her into my arms. I pressed my lips to the back of her head.
“Is my brother okay?” she asked quietly.
“He’s fine, my girl.” I gently squeezed my arm around her. “He and Alejandro have an agreement. Don’t worry about them.”
She nodded, yawning. “Mkay,” she mumbled, snuggling further back against me.
I rested my chin on the top of her head. “Sleep, baby girl.”
“Bro, what the fuck?” Whiler snapped, throwing his cards on the table. “It’s a wonder I’m not goddamn broke.”
I snorted. “You have shitty luck,” I told him, highly amused by his irritation.
“Fuck you,” he grumbled. “I’m going to get a beer.”
Joey laughed. “Grab me one while you’re at it,” he told Whiler.
Whiler rolled his eyes. “Get your own.” With that, he walked off to the bar, nodding once at one of the bunnies.
“He’s in a sour mood,” I commented, setting my cards down.
Joey laughed. “He’s been losing every night while y’all have been gone. I’d be in a sour fucking mood, too.”
“Shit got so boring you resorted to playing fucking cards?” I asked in disbelief.
Joey rolled his eyes. “Not all of us had our women to pass the time with, brother,” he reminded me.
I grinned at the disgruntled look on his face. “Sure was fucking nice to be away from the world like that with a warm, soft woman—” I laughed when Joey threw his cards at me.
“I agree with Whiler,” he told me, but there was amusement in his eyes as he spoke, “you can go fuck yourself.” I couldn’t contain my laughter.
Jessie walked over to the table, holding an old shoe box in her hand. She flipped her hair over her shoulder. “No need for him to fuck himself when I can do it for him.”
I laughed again as Joey’s face twisted in disgust. “You’re my fucking sister, Jessie.”
She shrugged. “And I have to listen to Elaina screaming your name just about every night, so I don’t want to hear shit.”