Total pages in book: 102
Estimated words: 100225 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 501(@200wpm)___ 401(@250wpm)___ 334(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 100225 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 501(@200wpm)___ 401(@250wpm)___ 334(@300wpm)
Raze squeezes my ass cheek and gives me a wink. I shake my head, feeling the heat rise in my face as he sets me back down on the floor.
“She’s special, Mattie.” He responds, and he sounds like he’s joking, but the look in his eyes seems serious. My heart flips in my chest. Is he flirting with me?
“Knock it off, Raze. You try getting your dick anywhere near my sister and I’ll cut it off.”
“Mattie! Knock it off.”
“I’m serious. He’s chased more pussy than Mom’s old minivan.”
“What the hell does that mean?” Joker asks.
I let out an annoyed sigh and give Mattie an eyeroll. “When I was little, Mom had an old minivan that I swear cats used to commit suicide. They would run out in front of her all the time. One night Mattie and I counted. She literally hit and killed seven cats.”
“Seven?” Raze laughs.
“It was only a fifteen-minute trip coming home from my elementary school.”
“Holy fuck,” Jokester says.
I ignore them and look at Mattie. “You need to drop it. You know you have no say over who I date and who I don’t.” I suddenly realize what I just said, and panic hits me. “Not that I want to date you,” I mutter to Raze. “Sorry. That came out all wrong. I know you’re only trying to get a rise out of Mattie—”
He steps back into me and grins. “I don’t think I know how to date, Flame, but for you, I might learn.”
“Flame?” I snort.
“You’re one of us now. You need a club name. It fits you.”
“Raze you fuck over my sister—”
“Not going to happen.”
“Will you two knock it off? Raze if you’re doing this just on the basis of my cooking, you should know other than bar food, I suck at cooking. Home-cooked meals are over my head. I’m afraid all I have a knack for is chicken wings and dips.”
“Don’t forget your desserts,” Joker mutters. “Did you make my brownies, Flame?”
My eyes go round at the use of the new nickname. “Two extra-large pans. That way, whatever you don’t eat, you can take back with you.”
“Calling it now, Raze.”
“Huh?”
“You fuck it up, I’m moving in,” Joker mutters, his eyes never leaving mine.
“Christ, I’m going to have to kill my whole club to keep my baby sister safe,” Mattie grumbles. “You assholes keep it up and I’m canceling poker night indefinitely.”
“Get you something to drink and fill up some plates, and all of you quit being ridiculous,” I scold. “You keep it up and I’m skipping poker night altogether.”
Joker and Raze grunt but each grab a paper plate and begin putting food on it. Mattie comes over and kisses the top of my head.
“I just don’t want to see you get hurt, Thea. I love my brothers, but they’re about as far away from that doctor guy you’re dating as you can get.”
“That’s probably a good thing,” I snap with more venom than I meant to show. I know immediately that I’ve made a mistake when I feel the mood in the room shift. It feels as if the air becomes charged with negative energy and it weighs down on me, making it hard to breathe.
“Is there something you haven’t told me, Thea?”
“Let it go, Mattie. I’m not a kid anymore. I can take care of myself. I don’t need my father and big brother rushing in to defend me. I can defend myself.”
“And you had to defend yourself against that asshole?”
“It’s not important anymore. Just let it go.”
“Did he lay hands on you, Thea?”
“Mattie! I said let it go.”
“He did. That motherfucker laid hands on you. I’m going to kill him.”
“You are not. This is why I didn’t talk to you about this shit. New York is not Kentucky, and he’s not exactly a nobody. You or Dad go after him, you could ruin your lives. I won’t let that happen. He’s not worth it. I dealt with it and he’s not part of my life now.”
“I’m going to kill him,” Mattie insists again.
“You aren’t. You’re going to let it drop because we both know that if Dad knew, he’d go crazy and get his ass thrown in jail.”
“Thea—”
“Mattie, Deke’s father is a judge there. You know, as well as I do, what that means. How many times have we heard Dad and Uncle Dragon talk about blowback? Let this go. He’s a piece of shit, but he’s in the past. I’m asking you to please let it go.”
“You’re sure he’s history?”
“Positive,” I lie, as I think about his texts. I’m not about to mention those to Mattie. I need him to calm down.
“You’ll tell me if he tries anything more?”
“In case you haven’t noticed, big brother, New York and Kentucky aren’t exactly a Sunday drive.”
“Is he the reason you turned your back on modeling and moved back home?” he asks, getting all upset again.