Total pages in book: 28
Estimated words: 26738 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 134(@200wpm)___ 107(@250wpm)___ 89(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 26738 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 134(@200wpm)___ 107(@250wpm)___ 89(@300wpm)
“You didn’t fuck up with your woman.”
“Wrong, I did fuck up with my woman, which is why I have no choice but to make up for it now. It’s why I will be spending Christmas here, and I’ll even be happy about it.”
“Good.” Smokey wasn’t too pleased to have the mafia man.
“But a little warning, there is a chance Sebastian Drago might also be joining us, but again, I will add him as our plus-one.”
“This is not a fucking hotel.”
“I know, trust me, this would be the last place I’d pick, but this is Raven’s home, and she does love it here.” Carlos shook his head. “My woman is a fucking queen, and she wants to stay here.”
“Again, she could stay without you.”
“Not happening. Where my woman goes, I go. It’s as simple as that.”
One of the babies started to make some noise, a little gurgling sound, and Smokey smiled. He adored Winter and Summer. Raven’s daughters were so incredibly sweet.
“They are the best part about you,” Smokey said.
“At least something we could agree on.” Carlos nodded at him and then left.
It wasn’t long before Hunter arrived in his office. “Slow day. Slow week. Anything you have for me?” He took a seat opposite him.
“Yeah, I need you to arrange to have all of this stuff delivered to the clubhouse within the next week.”
Hunter reached out, taking the list. “Wreathes, tinsel, baubles, twinkle lights. Seriously, Smokey, is this some kind of joke?”
“I’m going to keep Ava away from the clubhouse for the next couple of weeks. I want the clubhouse decorated, and the only way to do that is to buy the stuff.”
“Then get one of the sluts to do it.”
“No!” Smokey slammed his hand down on the desk. “I want you and the guys to do it. Not the bitches who don’t give a shit about my woman.” He wanted this to be a surprise for his woman, not for her to get involved or to think there was something else going on at the club.
“I’m sorry, man. You’re right, and I’ll get to this right away. Do you have any preference?”
“Shit has to be festive. That’s all I know.”
“Have you thought about asking Ava? She would know what she’d like more than us.”
“I want it to be a surprise.” He ran his fingers through his hair. “For her, she deserves to have a Christmas to remember, and for this place to stop being the horror show it is.” He had thought about burning the place down to the ground and building it back up, but that was a lot of fucking work.
What he needed to do was have new memories. Not old ones.
Ava needed to love this place.
Hunter nodded and then got up. “I’ll get this arranged.”
“Could you reach out to Harlow?” Smokey asked.
“How would I be able to reach out to Harlow? She’s not my kid sister. I have nothing to do with her. Not a thing, other than when I see her at the shop,” Hunter said.
“Then would you send Big Dick in?” Smokey asked.
“Yeah, that I can do.”
Smokey sighed. Hunter was a good VP, but at times, he was a pain in the ass. He was good at what he did, and that was the main thing.
Big Dick arrived at his door five minutes later. “Hunter said you wanted me.”
“Yeah, I want you to call your sister and ask her to come and meet me.”
“Sure, no problem. You do know her number is on speed dial on your phone, right?”
Smokey frowned. “Why is it?”
“I, er, I added it to all of the brothers’ phones. With her working for Ava, it kind of puts her at risk, and seeing as she’d been hurt before, I want the club to know that she’s an important person to take care of. She’s my kid sister.”
Smokey pulled out his cell phone, and sure enough, there was Harlow’s name. “Right.”
“Also, there’s something else I wanted to ask about,” Big Dick said.
“Ask away.”
“Harlow being a vegan, it kind of puts a little … tension at home. I know she hates going home, and I was wondering, could she be my plus-one here? I can handle all the vegan-alternative shit. She’s my sister, and I know it can be tough going home. Our parents mean well—”
“Invite her. Ava loves her, and I want Ava to have the best Christmas.”
“Awesome. Thanks, Prez.”
****
“I think Ugly Beast is scared,” Abriana said.
Ava smiled across the table at her friend.
Harlow snorted, and she shot her other friend a quick warning look. “Sorry, my bad. Why is Ugly Beast scared?”
“It’s Christmas. I’ve asked him if he wants me to organize the food, and he has told me not to worry. He’ll figure everything out.”
“You cooked a turkey before?” Harlow asked.
“Define cooked,” Abriana said, wincing. “It looked cooked, and I didn’t think there was any blood coming from it, but it, er, I had used one of those frozen turkeys and I didn’t realize you had to defrost it.”