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)
Chapter Eleven
Lash sipped at his hot chocolate. He probably should have had a hard whiskey, but Angel had presented him with her famous hot chocolate, and he wasn’t going to deny himself the treat.
This was what he loved about Christmas. Angel didn’t need a sad moment to bring out her hot chocolate. It was pretty much a given during the festive season.
The kids were in bed. The candy rampage they had been on had brought them all crashing down very early. Angel had been able to get some dinner inside them, and after a carefully organized shower and pajamas, a Christmas movie had been played. Half of the kids had fallen asleep and had to be carried to bed.
It had been a good day.
He looked across the room and saw his son. Threatening his son on Christmas Eve wasn’t what he wanted, but he also knew Anthony was stubborn.
The boy was a law unto himself, and Lash needed to make sure he kept him on the right path. Lash knew all too well how easy it was to fall down that rabbit hole of revenge. It never ended well. There were always consequences. His time at The Skulls had taught him that.
He watched as Daisy moved toward Anthony. She placed a hand on his back, and the two left the room. He refused to worry about that. Daisy was responsible. She was levelheaded, and she often made the right decisions when it came to Anthony.
Finishing his hot chocolate, he walked to the kitchen. It was empty, but the kitchen counters were full of preparation for tomorrow. He washed his cup, knowing someone would be pissed at him for not doing it. The women had certainly found a way to keep their men in line. He couldn’t help but smile when he looked around at everything.
There were potatoes soaking in large bowls full of water. He saw the stuffing already prepared and waiting to go in the oven.
He couldn’t resist taking a little look inside the fridge, and sure enough, an abundance of food greeted him, just as he knew it would.
His wife had everything under control. Like always.
This Christmas was going to be a good one. He felt it.
Lash looked outside to see snow falling once again. He couldn’t resist as he took a moment to step outside. As soon as he did, he was on high alert, which quickly evaporated as he saw it was Lucius having a smoke.
“I didn’t want to be rude, smoking indoors,” Lucius said.
“Some of the guys still do it. Just not when the kids are around.”
“That’s what I figured.” Lucius placed the cigarette to his lips and took a deep inhale. “I always promise myself that I’ll quit, but then I figure, what the hell. I’m going to die someday. Might as well enjoy it.”
Lucius’s chuckle was forced, and it didn’t sound particularly happy.
“It was good to see you come,” Lash said.
“I don’t know why I did. My life isn’t part of any of this anymore. It’s not with the Nomads, either.”
“You’re breaking away?”
“I’ve been away on my own for so long now. The road is the only salvation I’ve got.”
“Dude, this is not what your … friend would want.”
“Roxy.” Lucius laughed. “She’s not here to tell me how to live, so I’m going to keep on doing what I do.”
Lash looked at him. “You know, this is guilt talking. Abandoning your club because you don’t feel part of it. Riding away. Not hearing a word from you. The way you only truly talk to Natalie. What did you do?”
Lucius dropped his cigarette into the snow and pressed his foot into the ground before he turned to Lash. “You’d do anything and everything for your woman, right?”
“Yes,” Lash said without any hesitation.
“Exactly. You’d do whatever she wanted. Even if she begged. Even if she pleaded. Even if her days were numbered but she was crying because the pain was getting to be way too much that she couldn’t stand it. That she’d beg you repeatedly and even tell you that they wouldn’t keep a dog alive in this much pain.”
Lash knew. “Roxy begged you to end her life.”
Lucius stared at him, and everything fell into place. On the day Roxy died, Lucius was the last person with her. He spent the day with her, if Lash’s memory served him well. This was a long time ago, and looking at the man now, it made a whole lot of sense.
“You did what she begged,” Lash said.
“Doesn’t make it right. I killed my best friend, and that kind of shit, you don’t come back from. Ever. I don’t deserve to be in the club.”
“And you think this is what Roxy would want?” Lash asked. “Do you think she would have wanted you to disappear after asking you to do that?”