Total pages in book: 30
Estimated words: 28300 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 142(@200wpm)___ 113(@250wpm)___ 94(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 28300 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 142(@200wpm)___ 113(@250wpm)___ 94(@300wpm)
“I think it’s a good thing. Whenever he’s around, it doesn’t always end well, and it’s Christmas. None of us need that kind of bullshit right now.”
She stared down at his chest and couldn’t help that sick feeling that swirled in her gut. “Do you ever miss it?”
“Miss what?”
“Being on the road.”
“I’m always on the road.”
“Working for Ned.”
“No, I don’t.” Lash didn’t hesitate.
“This is the life you grew up with, Lash. You’re sure you don’t miss it?”
“My parents died because of this life. I’ve lost a lot. All of the guys, and all of you ladies, we’ve all lost a lot. So no, I don’t miss any of that. I’m not into thrill-chasing, Angel. Do you know why?”
She shook her head.
“Because you’re my thrill.”
“That’s corny.”
He took hold of her hand and placed it over his heart. “You feel that?” She felt his beating heart. “I get a thrill out of seeing you. Out of watching you every single day. Knowing I’m coming home to you, that is what I love, it’s what I enjoy. Not being on my bike. Not riding with the risk of being killed. Besides, we both know what I do is still dangerous. Only this time, the law is on my side.”
Tears filled her eyes.
“I’m not good with words. I didn’t mean to make you cry.”
“You didn’t make me cry, Lash, and we both know you’re perfect at what you do and what you say.”
Chapter Seven
Lash stood in his office doorway and listened. He couldn’t make out a single distinctive conversation, but there was noise. Even the music that Angel insisted should be playing all the time, he couldn’t hear it. Not a single Christmas note.
He was tense, waiting for some testosterone to say the wrong thing. Chaos Bleeds had been at his clubhouse for twenty-four hours. So far, nothing had been broken or smashed, and no one had been injured.
This was a plus.
Folding his arms across his chest, he waited and spotted his son. Anthony stood with Daisy. He watched the two and wondered what they were fighting about, or if they were even arguing. With Angel, he’d never been so reserved in his feelings.
Daisy and Anthony. He had to watch them to see that they were in fact together. His son had always been so secretive.
“It’s hard to see them grow up, isn’t it?” Devil asked, coming to stand beside him.
“Do you feel that way about Simon?”
“I feel that way when little babies are calling me Grandpa.”
Lash laughed.
“Don’t start with me.”
“Where’s Tiny?” Lash asked.
“Shopping. Something wasn’t on Angel’s grocery list, and he and Eva made their escape.”
“And you haven’t?”
“Like you, I’m waiting to see which of my assholes kick off first.”
Lash turned to Devil. “You’re worried?”
“Always. Our men are like children. We have to keep them entertained, otherwise, shit hits the fan.”
Lash chuckled. “Pretty much said the same thing to Angel, but she told me to stop worrying.”
“That’s because she has everything organized. As for us men, we just…”
Lash looked out across the main clubhouse. It was full, but the noise wasn’t that of arguing, it seemed jovial. Whizz and Lacey sat with Lola and Sinner. He saw Whizz and Lola looking at a cell phone and were clearly talking all things tech while Sinner and Lacey pretended to have a clue about what they were talking about.
Tabitha and Simon were with Sally and Steven, Darcy and Ink. Slash, Spider, and Dick stood with Nash, Murphy, and Killer.
Conversations were being had. Some of the women were huddled together chatting.
It was family.
“I don’t think we’re needed,” Lash said.
“We’re always going to be needed.” Devil cleared his throat.
Lash snorted. “You didn’t want to come, did you?”
“I, er, I wanted to thank you, actually.”
This made Lash turn to Devil. It was rare for the man to say anything like that. Thanking him, being happy to be at Fort Wills. They were two strong, independent clubs that had been thrown together through all of their troubles. They were family, but it was a complicated family. One full of love but also with the knowledge that there was a hell of a lot of shit under the bridge.
“Why?”
“Lexie, she wanted a full family get-together, and after all the treatments and stuff…”
“She’s still clear, right?” Angel hadn’t told him if Lexie had gotten cancer again. She beat it once.
“Yeah, she is all clear. We keep up-to-date with all of her check-ups and stuff, but I worry. It is so easy for her to just do everything for everyone else.” Devil stopped and cleared his throat. “You know what it is like to have a woman who is better than you. Lexie is better than me. I know deep down she deserved a lot better than me.”
Lash watched him and saw him looking at Simon.
Simon wasn’t Lexie’s son. The whole of Simon’s life, up until he was eighteen, he had thought Lexie was his mother. Devil had been with Lexie’s half-sister first, Kayla. Trying to escape Chaos Bleeds, Kayla had stolen a bunch of money and had given the child she’d been carrying that was Devil’s to Lexie. From what Lash knew, Lexie ended up stripping to try to keep him to be able to survive.