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)
“I’ve been out on the road.” He meets my eyes. “You know that.”
I acknowledge it with a chin lift.
“Well, I’ve been picking up some extra cash moving product for some of their other charters in the south.”
“Where in the south?” Rooster asks slowly.
“Nowhere near your Deadbranch charter or your National headquarters.”
“Jesus, Merlin, you serious?” Rock shakes his head. “Wolf Knights always stayed away from hard drugs.”
“Yeah, well, it ain’t like Ulfric set us up with a retirement plan, either. A man’s gotta make a living.”
“You’re a fucking nomad. How many expenses you got?” Wrath sneers.
“Enough.”
“All right.” Rock circles his hand in the air in a get-to-the-point gesture. “How did we get here?”
There Merlin goes, scrubbing his hand over his head again. “You got lice or something, Merlin?” I ask. “Stop stalling.”
He shoots a glare at me. “I knocked up the president’s daughter last time I was in town. He ain’t real thrilled about it.”
You gotta be fucking kidding me. Charlotte and I can’t get pregnant but this ancient motherfucker’s knocking up some meth head MC princess?
The room’s silent as we all stare at him, waiting for more information.
“And?” Rock prompts.
“I’m out on the road. Wasn’t planning on a kid.”
“So, you ditched your responsibilities?” Grinder snarls.
“It ain’t like that. I’m sending her money. Covering her doctor’s bills and whatnot. I just ain’t got time for that shit. I barely know her, and we don’t have a whole lot in common.”
“How old is she?” Z asks.
“She’s legal,” Merlin snaps, shifting his gaze away from the table.
Sure she is.
I catch Grinder’s eye, and he frowns at me. I respond with a quick shake of my head. No, I’m not comparing his situation to Merlin’s. Not even a little.
Merlin’s explanation doesn’t ring true.
“So, they risked kidnapping Carter and mutilated him just to get you to call your baby mama?” I raise my eyebrows to punctuate how stupid that sounds. “That doesn’t make sense.”
“Eh, the president and his son Sticks have it in their heads that a few shipments I delivered were light.” He presses an imaginary pipe to his lips and fake inhales. “They’re using too much of their own product.”
“Are they?” Rock raises an eyebrow. “Or did you think you could pull a fast one on some tweakers?”
Merlin covers up his annoyance with a smirk. “They ain’t the brightest.”
Neither are you.
“What do they want?” Rock asks.
“Money.” Merlin shrugs. “Shotgun wedding. Ain’t got the former and ain’t doing the latter, so I’ve been avoiding their calls.”
Jiggy sits forward. “Did you get fucked in the ear with a stupid stick while you’ve been out on the road?”
Z presses his fist to his mouth and coughs.
“What happened to you, bro?” Bricks asks in a slow, shocked way that makes it clear how far Merlin’s fallen in his eyes.
Merlin’s blank expression says he’s got no answers, but he’s saved from digging for some by his phone ringing.
He jerks an old cell out of his pocket and flips it open. “What?” he snaps.
We watch as he gives clipped answers to whoever’s on the other end. Merlin’s gaze flicks to me. “No, don’t do that. I can get what you need. Although, I should take off some since you cut up my nephew.”
This fucking asshole. I jump out of my chair and am about to leap over the fucking table. Murphy tackles me, leaving me clawing for Merlin like a kid being dragged out of a candy store.
“Yeah, yeah, I got it. You’re sure that’s all you want?” He wiggles his fingers at Wrath for a pen. Wrath quietly slides a pen and notepad over. Merlin scribbles a few things down, then turns the pad toward me.
$100K. 7 P.M.
He lifts an eyebrow.
“Yes,” I hiss. What’s there to talk about? “Tell them yes.”
“Yeah. Yeah,” Merlin says into his phone. “Yeah, I’ll see June too.” He rolls his eyes. “I’ll see if we can make that work.”
He takes down a few more notes, then hangs up.
“You could’ve asked to speak to Carter,” Wrath points out.
“Gee, sorry. I’m not up on kidnapping protocol.” Merlin meets my eyes. “You really got that kind of cash, Teller?”
“Not your business.”
“You sure Carter’s worth it?”
“Yes,” Rock snaps. “He’s club family.”
“He ain’t related to you.” Merlin’s gaze slides to Wrath. “Or you.”
“He works for me,” Rock says. “And he’s going to be my son’s brother-in-law.”
Merlin frowns but doesn’t ask any obvious follow-up questions.
“He’s working for a friend of the club, too,” Z adds.
“What the fuck work is he doing for your club that’s so damn important?” Merlin snaps.
Grinder rolls up one of his sleeves, showing off the newest Carter original inked into his forearm. An owl with the chain of a pocket watch wrapped around its feet. Carter had been really excited when he came up with the design. Looking at it now tightens my chest. We have to find him.