Total pages in book: 123
Estimated words: 114819 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 574(@200wpm)___ 459(@250wpm)___ 383(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 114819 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 574(@200wpm)___ 459(@250wpm)___ 383(@300wpm)
“You’re not a motherfucker. Not at all. You’re a good man that’s been put in a bad situation,” Cash said evenly, calmly. “I felt the same way about you from that first day. You became the only part of this whole thing that mattered to me. For me, it was from the first handshake we had when you made me hold the heavy end of the sofa on the stairs when I moved in.”
“Yeah, me too,” Dev said, his heart calming. Tingles raced across his skin at the devotion he gave and got in return. “So stay here in Dallas with me. Don’t leave when the case is over. I love you. The girls are crazy about you. Let’s figure shit out.”
“Okay,” Cash said, barely moving or showing any outward signs of the huge commitment he just agreed to.
Fuck, the guy made such a pretty picture and was so goddam functional.
“Thank you,” Dev said, full of appreciation for the effort Cash made to keep them together. “I don’t know if you’ll believe this or not, but I’ve never told another adult that I love ’em. Not even Tena.”
“I believe you,” Cash said, the edge of his lip twitching as if he fought the smile trying to form. “You’re a terrible liar. When you make it believable, I know it’s the truth. Go get this over with so we can talk without the local, state, and federal authorities watching every move we make and Joe recording it all. You’ve made me wait an intolerable amount of time to hear what you just said, and now I have to wait again.”
His inner deviant was proud of the loving aggravation in his guy’s tone.
Dev turned away only to do a full circle, coming back to Cash. He stepped in, lifting a hand. Cash didn’t catch his move fast enough before he ruffled Cash’s styled hair, bringing a few front pieces down on his forehead.
Cash instantly lifted a hand to push the strands back off his face. Dev knocked his love’s arm away. “Leave it. I like it like that. I can barely take my eyes off you, and it’ll help me get through the next couple of hours to see you so pretty and knowing how badly you’d like to have your hair pushed back in place.”
Cash left his hair alone and nodded.
“Oh hell, fuck it.” Dev stepped in, his body going flush against Cash for the world to see. He captured Cash’s lips, giving him a chaste but heated kiss. “Tell me again. You agree, right?”
“Oh yeah,” Cash murmured, looking at his lips. Dev gave a confirming nod and pivoted back around. He couldn’t help the fucking smile. No matter what he did, he couldn’t suppress it.
As Dev stalked back to the front of the line, he lifted a hand, spinning his finger in the air and whistled, gaining every brothers’ full attention. “Ride out.”
Keyes gave Dev a purposeful look. What it meant, who knew, but his brother mounted his bike. Diesel had no problem giving Keyes his spot, moving everyone back a position.
Dev mounted his Harley, dropped his sunglasses in place, and looked back at Keyes. They’d dreamed of this day. A moment that neither really wanted anymore, but it still meant something. Dev started his engine and took off, Keyes close behind in formation. On a day that should be filled with sorrow, his heart was happy. For the first time, the hell of his life lifted. The future looked bright.
Chapter 36
The long week was getting the best of Cash. A yawn he’d fought for the last hour or so finally worked its way free, giving him no choice but to let it go. Another followed. This one turned into a drawn-out deal as he followed the long line of the Disciples riding back through the streets of Dallas that had literally shut down under the worry of what they might do.
It was a valid worry. Per their undercover agents that filtered through various clubs, the low-level buzz at the funeral was gathering and building vengeance. They’d have tonight, maybe through the BBQ this weekend, but not too much longer before Dev had to give some sort of reasonable explanation about his father’s death.
How was Dev going to handle reciting the statement his superiors had created for him? That was a dumb worry. The only constant in this entire operation was Dev doing whatever he thought was best, regardless of what he’d agreed to do.
Cash redirected his thoughts to the rituals of a biker’s grieving process and it differed vastly from any he’d seen before. From what he’d been told, the party at the clubhouse would likely last day and night through the official BBQ reception planned for Saturday night.
Maybe if he stayed at the clubhouse tonight, he wouldn’t have to go on Saturday, except he’d worried for Dev’s safety.