Total pages in book: 74
Estimated words: 74022 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 370(@200wpm)___ 296(@250wpm)___ 247(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 74022 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 370(@200wpm)___ 296(@250wpm)___ 247(@300wpm)
She laughs, but it’s broken. “We both know that’s not true, Boston. Most of the time, what happens is legal, I get that. But you and I both know, the rest of the time you’re messing with illegal things. Eventually, those things catch up on you. It’s dangerous, at some point, it’s going to explode. Always. Even if it is only every few years. And lives get destroyed because of that. My child ... I don’t want him or her to have to look at me with broken eyes, when Maverick doesn’t come home.”
She makes a point. Not gonna lie about that, but she fails to remember life is dangerous. Hell, it’s fucking deadly on the best of days. Yeah, we occasionally have to mess with things we don’t want to, to protect ourselves and our turf, but we’re smart about it. We try and stay out of the crossfire.
“Know you’re scared, and when this is over, you can talk to Maverick about that. But right now, I promised to keep you safe.”
“I don’t want to talk to him about it after the fact, Boston,” she cries. “I want him out of it now, before he gets into trouble, before he hurts himself, before he doesn’t come home. I want him out now!”
“Listen to me ...”
“No,” she cries. “No, I won’t listen. He’s not safe. Nobody is. I don’t want this life. He’ll leave for me, if I ask him to. He will. You just need to let me go to him.”
“Can’t do that.”
Her eyes well with tears, and I hate it. I hate that I’m holding her back, but there is nothing I can do.
I made a promise to Maverick to keep her safe, no matter what.
And that’s what I’m going to do.
No matter what.
“Yo.”
I flinch, and the memory flitters from my mind.
I used to think about it ten, twenty, hell even thirty times a day.
It isn’t as bad now. But it’s still there, always fucking there, lingering, haunting me. Reminding me that I failed. That I let a brother down. That I ruined his life.
And sure, he has a good woman now, and he’s happy, and things are semi-normal.
But there is still hatred in his depths. There is still disappointment in his eyes when he looks at me.
Because I’m the reason his lady and his child are dead.
I took that from him.
And I have to live with that, every day.
I glance at Malakai, trying to push the fucking thoughts from my mind, and bring myself back to now.
But things are fucked right now, everything is fucking hard. Complicated. Confusing.
And I don’t like it.
Not one fucking bit.
“What’s goin’ down?” I ask him, standing and crossing my arms. “Any further word on where Ashton might be?”
Malakai shakes his head. “No, but we’ll find him.”
“Seems like it never fuckin’ ends,” I mutter. “All the shit.”
“Sometimes that’s club life, brother.”
“Yeah,” I mutter, staring at nothing in particular. “It’s why a lot of people don’t choose this life.”
“You thinkin’ about Nerissa again, aren’t you?”
I look to the President of the club, and overall, my best friend. Malakai has pulled me from some serious shit, and I don’t know where I’d be without him. The club, saved my fucking life. Hell, he saved my fucking life. When Maverick left after Nerissa died, he had my back, a hundred and ten percent. He never blamed me. He always made sure my place in the club was there. Owe him a fucking lot for that.
“Can see why she was so scared, sometimes. This life, it feels like it never fuckin’ ends.”
“I know what you’re sayin’,” Malakai nods, pulling out a cigarette and offering me one. I take it, light it, and inhale deeply. “Goes through rough patches. Can have years of good, and years of bad, and then years of good again. The life we signed up to live. It’s what we do.”
“Yeah.” I nod. “Yeah, and I wouldn’t change it, but fuck, feels like right now we’re livin’ in a constant state of fuckin’ turmoil. Drugs, and people, and angry fuckers wantin’ to take us down. Fuck knows what we’re about to step into with Slater, just a never endin’ circle.”
“Feel you.” Malakai nods. “But we got back up when it comes to Slater. And Ashton is fuck all, Boston. We’ll take him down without blinkin’. Shit’s comin’ good. Gotta know that.”
He’s right.
It is.
I’m being a fucking dramatic little fuck.
“Not all that’s wrong, though, is it?”
“What is this?” I ask him, smirking. “Therapy session. Thought we were bikers. We don’t do feelings, Malakai.”
He snorts. “Just askin’ you to fill me in, not cry about it.”
I chuckle. “Wasn’t plannin’ on cryin’ about it.”
“So, you goin’ to fill me in? Guessin’ it’s got to do with two very pretty, very different ladies.”
He can say that again.
“You’d be right,” I mutter.