Total pages in book: 139
Estimated words: 132892 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 664(@200wpm)___ 532(@250wpm)___ 443(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 132892 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 664(@200wpm)___ 532(@250wpm)___ 443(@300wpm)
Fuck him.
His cock had been inside her and that made him fair game.
I even gave some serious thought to ambushing him in the parking lot after our little confrontation, but another scene wouldn’t exactly win points with Tinker. Then I’d gotten a text from Pic. There was a hangaround out at the clubhouse causing trouble, and they wanted me to be there when they put him in his place. Things would be like that for a while, I realized—crazy and random—until we got the town back under control. Thank fuck I could wear my own colors now, and my brothers had my back.
Now I just needed to find time to fix things with my woman.
• • •
When I finally got home that night, it was nearly ten p.m. Still needed to talk to Tinker, and the light was on in her living room, so I figured no time like the present. I climbed up the stairs toward the door, then caught a glimpse of something through the window—Tinker and the asswipe from the bar. Guitar Boy. They were standing next to each other and the fuckwad was just about to kiss her. Jesus, how many men did the woman have chasing after her?
Feeling rage build, I pounded on the door and they jumped apart. Then Tinker was answering it, Guitar Boy behind her.
“Cooper, what the hell?”
“The name is Gage. We need to talk,” I said coldly. Shooting a leave-or-I’ll-murder-you look at Guitar Boy, I jerked my head toward the door. “You. Get out.”
The guy hesitated, taking in my big frame, the Reapers MC cut, and the knife at my belt. Then he reached for his phone, as if checking the time.
“I should probably head out anyway,” he said quickly. “The babysitter wants me home before it gets too late.”
What a fuckin’ pussy.
Tinker had to be thinking the same thing, because the expression on her face was priceless. Startled as hell, and a little disappointed. Hell, it’d be funny if I weren’t so pissed off that the asshole had been there in the first place. He brushed past me on his way out, and I stood with Tinker in the doorway, watching as he drove off in a little Toyota Corolla.
“Nice guy,” I said slowly. “Love the way he fought for you.”
That snapped her out of her thoughts, and she turned on me.
“What are you doing here?” she asked. “I’m sorry I hurt you at the grocery store, but there’s nothing else we need to talk about. Certainly not anything this late at night.”
I backed her inside, shutting the door behind us as she kept talking.
“In fact, I think it would be a good idea if you found some other kind of living situation.”
“Sure,” I answered, catching her shoulders and pushing her gently toward the couch. “I can move in anytime you like. Although, I gotta admit, wasn’t expecting an invite this soon.”
Fire flashed in her eyes.
“You know what I meant,” she snapped. I did, but I didn’t care because it didn’t matter. No way I’d be leaving my apartment unless it was to sleep closer to her, and if she didn’t understand that yet, that’s what I was here to clarify.
“Sit down,” I said as the backs of her knees bumped against the couch. She sat, glaring as I walked over to the windows and carefully lowered the shades. No reason to give the whole town a show.
“Gage, you have to know I can’t keep you on as a handyman,” she was saying. I walked over to the sideboard and performed the same little ritual I’d done the night before. Gun out, knife off, belt coiled. Her eyes widened as I did this, and her words came faster. “I understand that you were lying for reasons that probably make sense to you, but I can’t have someone living here who—”
“Shut up, Tinker,” I said casually, turning back toward her. Her mouth dropped, and then I saw a hint of fire in her eyes.
“Excuse me?” she asked, the words slow and deliberate. If looks could kill, I’d have been gone already.
“Shut up,” I said again, grinning at her. Somewhere in the back of my head I knew pissing her off was the last thing I should be doing, but something about it was just so much fun. “First we’re gonna talk, and then we’re gonna fuck. This time I want you to really listen to what I’m saying and consider it with an open mind. Think you can do that?”
She stared at me, blinking.
“What did you say?”
“You heard me.”
“You have no right to be here,” she said, narrowing her eyes. “And I don’t owe you a damned thing.”
“Yeah, well I’ve done a hell of a lot of work for you over the past few weeks,” I pointed out reasonably. “How much is rent on that apartment? Enough to cover all those hours? I put in that time to help you, Tinker.”