Total pages in book: 68
Estimated words: 63970 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 320(@200wpm)___ 256(@250wpm)___ 213(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 63970 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 320(@200wpm)___ 256(@250wpm)___ 213(@300wpm)
Big Tag picked up a box cutter that had been left on the table and cut through the tape holding the box closed.
“I know she’s alone. Both of her parents died. Her mom before her dad.”
“Her mom died when Sarah was in her teens. Ovarian cancer,” Big Tag said. “Her father died a few years ago. He had a heart attack. She didn’t have any siblings and her blood family was spread out across the country. So she found her club family. That works most of the time, but I suspect holidays are rough on her. We can invite her, but she needs a place of her own. I think we’ll always be extended family to her and that’s great. But she needs a family of her own however she can get it.”
He wanted to be her family, but it made sense that she would be afraid she could lose the only one she had. Was that why she was going on this trip? Was she trying to figure out how to be alone? “I would never keep her from Kori and Kai.”
“No, but you’re blood and she’s not, and blood is a tricky thing.” Tag opened the box and pulled out a bunch of black T-shirts with purple lettering. “Personally, I think we put too much emphasis on it. Alex is as much my brother as Sean, Case, and Theo. I would do anything for him, and these kids we’re all raising, well, they’re my family, too. Sarah needs to understand she’s a part of this. She has been for years. She hides behind that Disney princess thing she’s got going. She’s afraid if she decides on what she wants, the evil queen will show up and take it away from her. After all, it’s already happened once.”
“There was an evil queen? Who? She never mentioned a woman trying to hurt her.”
Tag shook his head. “We’re lucky you’re so pretty, man. It’s a metaphor. Cancer is the evil queen, and she rears her head at the worst of times. Sarah was a perfectly happy teenager, from what I can tell, and then she was a daughter mourning her mom. Men don’t deal with things the way women do. I would bet her father distanced after her mother died and she felt like she was alone in the world. Not that I think about it a lot. Those are just surface opinions.”
Yeah, he wasn’t that dumb. Big Tag thought about his people all the time. He treated the members of his club like family, and the fact that Sarah didn’t have any blood relations would make him more protective of her. She’d been a sub at Sanctum for a very long time, had been one of the first to join who wasn’t a McKay-Taggart employee. Big Tag cared about her and that meant Jared should listen. “You think I should tell her I’m the man she spent last night with?”
“I think you should tread carefully because something’s going on with her, something serious. If you care about her, you’ll be careful with her.”
“I love her.” He’d known for a long time, but it felt good to say it out loud.
“I did not need to know that, man.” Big Tag swallowed like he was containing his vomit. “Just think about it.”
“I can’t not think about it. I wonder if I’m being selfish. I didn’t take her with me when things were good. Now that they’re shitty, here I am trying to coax her to my side.”
“Or you could view it as you went out, got your money, and now you’re going to ditch the crappy stuff and have an awesome life with your lady. Do you worry about paparazzi anymore? Does it bother you that photographers don’t chase after you constantly?”
He shuddered. “That was cool for five minutes. I feel for my friend Josh. They’re all over him and Kay constantly. I didn’t want that for Sarah. She’s gorgeous, but I’ve seen those tabloids take down even the most confident of women.”
“Now you don’t have to worry about it.”
“But I do have to worry about other things. I’ve traded the paparazzi for trolls.”
One big shoulder shrugged. “She can handle it if she wants you. If she doesn’t, it’s a great excuse. What the fuck?”
He held up the T-shirt and frowned.
SANTCUM
Yeah, even he knew that wasn’t spelled right.
Big Tag pulled his shirt off and tugged the new one on before turning to where Julian Lodge stood. “You think I won’t wear this, Lodge? Because this is a damn badge of honor, asshole!”
Everyone stopped, looking their way.
“Ian, children!” Charlotte jogged up to them.
Big Tag turned to his wife. “Yeah, baby, this is where they come from.”
He pointed to his shirt and Charlotte slapped a hand over her mouth.
Julian Lodge strode up, two big men on either side of him. Twins. “Something is wrong with your shirts, Taggart. Did you have trouble spelling the name of your club correctly?”