Total pages in book: 133
Estimated words: 132332 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 662(@200wpm)___ 529(@250wpm)___ 441(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 132332 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 662(@200wpm)___ 529(@250wpm)___ 441(@300wpm)
“Didn’t think you were paying that much attention.” My lips curve. My sister may pretend to be a carefree ol’ lady when we’re around other clubs, but she’s always observing and taking in information. “The Demons too. Chaser took over for his dad. I have no intention of running the club, though.”
She grins at me. “That’s because Alexa and Grace are going to run it one day.”
Thinking about the sheer volume of dirtbags in club life brings an immediate no to my lips. “Then I’d have to kill a whole lot of bikers. And I sure as shit don’t want them hooking up with one.”
Her smile slips. “Easy on the overprotective vibes.”
“You’re dreaming if you think I and every single one of my brothers won’t look out for the girls.”
“Looking out is great.” She drops her gaze to her feet, studying her boots. “It’s the whole no-dating-until-she’s-thirty vibe that’s tired.”
“Heidi—”
“No,” she says firmly. “All that overprotective talk teaches girls that it’s okay to be controlled by the men in their lives. As long as it’s done out of ‘concern’ or ‘for their own good.’”
Without thinking through what she’s saying, I blurt, “That’s bullshit—”
“Can you really not see the difference?” she interrupts in a firm but calm voice. Obviously, she’s thought about this a lot. “Can you close your mouth and actually listen to what I’m saying?”
It rubs my ass but she has a point. I snap my mouth shut.
“It’s not ‘cute.’ I don’t want to teach my daughter to not think for herself.”
While it rubs against thirty or so years of personal beliefs, feelings, and experience, what she’s saying starts to sink in. “It’s not because I think you can’t take care of yourself or that the girls won’t be able to when they’re older. It’s because I love you and them. I worry all the time. I know what it’s like out there. A lot of men are fucking scum, and I want to protect all of you from the bad ones.”
“Then teach them about the good ones,” she insists. “Help them develop and listen to their gut instincts.” She presses her hand to her stomach. “Not to rely on a big strong uncle all the time.”
“I can do that.” I rest my hand on her shoulder and draw her closer. The corner of my mouth twitches. “But I’m still gonna fucking murder anyone who hurts my family.”
Finally, she laughs. “Fair enough, big brother. Just give us a chance to do it first.”
My sister has cracked a few skulls on her own. Saved our asses more than once. “Alexa already has a pretty badass mom.”
“It took a while to get there,” she says with the limited scope of youth.
ROCK
Relief spread through me as soon as Murphy and Heidi showed up at Marcel’s house.
They’re safe. They both seem calmer. Heidi’s willing to talk to Marcel.
I glance at Murphy. Hunched shoulders, tight posture. Leaning against the side of his truck, like he might bolt any minute.
He’s not ready to talk.
“Thickens, Pop-pop!” Alexa yells in my ear. I set her on the ground and she runs toward the hens, making them squawk and flap their wings.
“Easy,” Murphy calls out. “Don’t scare them.”
“I not!” she shouts back.
“Let’s talk.” I say to Murphy. Doesn’t seem like he’s going to say anything to me otherwise.
His hard stare doesn’t offer an ounce of forgiveness. “Do I have a choice?”
I grit my teeth and resist the urge to throttle him for the disrespect. “You always have a choice.”
He scowls, and for a second, I think he’s going to tell me to fuck off. “Did you even want me for your VP?” he asks. “Or did Z force that on you?”
Let’s get right into it, why don’t we?
Stunned by the question, I rock back on my heels and stare at him. “Of course I wanted you as VP. Z made the nomination, but he didn’t have the last word.”
“Then why didn’t you trust me enough to tell me?”
“I do trust you.” I stare at the sky, searching for the right words. “The club should’ve come first. But this threw me. I never saw it coming.”
“Yeah,” he rasps. “I can imagine.”
“This…” I gesture toward the house. “It doesn’t change anything.”
“Why lie to ourselves? It changes a lot of things.”
“You’re family. The club is our family.”
“Sure,” he says, but he doesn’t sound convinced.
“Other clubs make it work.”
He snorts. “Uh-huh. The son’s usually the VP. You want me to swap places with Teller? You know I’m shit with numbers.”
The question throws me. Is that what he thinks? “Not at all. I need you right where you are.”
He shifts his jaw from side to side.
I lift my hands and wave my fingers between us in a give-it-to-me-straight gesture. “Get it out. Let’s have the conversation you wanted to have the other day.”
“You’re not ready for that conversation.”