Total pages in book: 75
Estimated words: 74122 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 371(@200wpm)___ 296(@250wpm)___ 247(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 74122 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 371(@200wpm)___ 296(@250wpm)___ 247(@300wpm)
Emma’s shiny blue eyes landed on Diesel. “You said he’s dead?”
“Yeah,” D grunted. “Lily ain’t hurt. Wasn’t in the car. Was with the girlfriend.”
“I...”
“You okay, baby girl?” Dawg pressed a kiss to the top of her head and gave her a reassuring squeeze. “Painful shit, I know, but you gotta give D’s crew permission to take Lily from the girlfriend an’ bring ‘er home. Got me?”
Dawg couldn’t imagine the girlfriend would resist. There would be no reason for the woman to want to keep Lily, especially now that the girl’s father was dead.
Em looked up at him, tears brimming in her eyes but not falling. Not yet. Her brain was still processing the information. “I... I want to go. I have a passport. I can fly to wherever they are and get her.”
“No,” Diesel said firmly with a shake of his head.
“But—”
“My crew’s there. Gonna get her home ASAP, got me? No reason to delay ‘er return so you fly all those fuckin’ hours to be there. She’ll be safe with ‘em.”
She glanced up at Dawg again, worry in her red-rimmed eyes.
“Yeah, baby girl, she’ll be safe. Promise.” He had enough confidence in D’s men to make her that guarantee.
She pressed shaky fingers to her lips. “Oh my God, she must be upset.”
D’s eyes flicked to Dawg’s, but he spoke to Emma. “Don’t know ‘bout the crash. Just that she’s comin’ home to you. Gonna leave that discussion to her mother. Got me?”
After a long pause, Emma whispered, “Yes.”
She pulled away from Dawg and walked across the room with one hand on her hip and the other pressed to her forehead, leaving a cushion of space between her and the rest of them.
Ivy gave Dawg a questioning look, and he answered her with a slight shake of his head. Emma might need the space to help her process. If she broke down, he’d let them go over and comfort her.
Emma turned on her heel and headed back in Dawg’s direction, the tears finally spilling over. “Oh Lord, I hated him for doing what he did... but I didn’t wish him dead!”
“Shit happens,” Diesel grumbled. “Ain’t your fault that the asshole don’t know how to drive in a foreign country.”
“But—”
“Ain’t your fault,” D repeated, cutting Emma off. “Get over it.”
Jewel let out a hiss. “Baby...”
D’s dark eyes landed on his ol’ lady, his face an angry mask. “Bastard stole her kid. Cheated on ‘er. Took the kid to another country with no plans on ever bringin’ her back. Fucker don’t deserve a drop of fuckin’ sympathy.” He turned his attention to Emma and raised an eyebrow. “Don’t deserve one fuckin’ tear either. Didn’t give a shit ‘bout your feelin’s. Didn’t give a shit ‘bout your daughter’s, either. Don’t you fuckin’ give a shit ‘bout ‘im. Give ‘im the same damn respect he gave you, got me?”
Emma’s gaping mouth snapped shut and she wiped a hand across her eyes, sweeping away any stray tears. Dawg could see her visibly brace herself, pull her emotions together, and give the club enforcer a sharp nod in answer.
Dawg agreed with everything D said, but Diesel could be a little cold on the delivery, even though it was truth that Emma needed to hear.
Emma shouldn’t shed one more fucking tear over her husband since he probably never shed one over her loss. And he probably didn’t care that she had shed bucket loads once her daughter was taken.
“What about the death certificate?” Dawg asked carefully, knowing once Emma had that, things were going to get a lot easier for her and Lily.
“Walker said the Embassy was notified, so that’ll be taken care of. Will make sure Kiki gets copies for the legal shit.”
“When will she be here?” Emma asked, moving back to Dawg and gripping onto his cut so tightly Dawg noticed her knuckles becoming white. He wrapped his fingers around the back of her neck and gave it a squeeze.
“Friday.”
Emma’s eyes widened. “What time? Where?”
“Will let you know when. Will have ‘em bring ‘er straight to the warehouse.”
“I’d rather be at the airport waiting!”
“No,” D grunted.
“But it’s my daughter!”
“An’ it’s my mission,” D barked. “Gonna do it my way, got me?”
Emma sucked in a breath, probably to give D hell, but Dawg squeezed her neck again, so she nodded instead. “Yes, okay. Sorry. I...”
“Nothin’ to be sorry ‘bout, Em,” Dawg assured her in a low, comforting voice. “Know you’re anxious. D knows you are, too. Right, D?”
Diesel grunted.
“He definitely knows,” Jewel spoke up. “He probably felt the same way when the fucking Warriors snatched me.”
“You have no clue,” Diamond muttered.
“He was a mental case,” Ivy agreed.
D slammed his hand on the bar again. He opened his mouth to probably bellow and deny everything the women just said, but he snapped his mouth shut, shook his head and headed toward the door with a pissed-off look on his face.