Total pages in book: 38
Estimated words: 35194 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 176(@200wpm)___ 141(@250wpm)___ 117(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 35194 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 176(@200wpm)___ 141(@250wpm)___ 117(@300wpm)
A tissue was dangled in front of my face and I took it, blowing my nose. I still had my face against Ringo’s chest, unable to put distance between us. I had no idea why. Sure, Ringo had been nice. He’d been the one to sort out who I was and take me to my father. But I had no reason to latch on to him the way I had. Especially knowing my father wasn’t pleased. The last thing I wanted to do was to get on Dom’s bad side. I needed him if I was going to survive.
“I’m sorry,” I croaked, trying to push away from Ringo, but his hold on me didn’t ease up.
“Just relax,” he murmured. “You’re not ready to get up yet.” He spoke softly to me, cupping my head to his chest.
“I don’t want to c-cause problems.”
“You ain’t causin’ problems, baby girl.”
“Don’t call her that, you bastard.” Dom smacked Ringo on the back of the head.
“Jesus, Dom,” Lemon drawled. “Why don’t you just piss on her and mark your territory?”
“Lemon…” Dom growled at our vice president but as I looked his way, I saw his gaze shift from Lemon to Rocket. Rocket moved closer to Lemon, draping his arm around her shoulders, standing in solidarity with his vice president and raising an eyebrow. Dom’s frustration was more than obvious. “Come on, Rocket! This is my daughter we’re talkin’ about here! Ringo has no right to touch her. At all, but especially now. She’s upset and doesn’t know what she’s doing.”
* * *
Ringo
“That’s true,” Lemon agreed. “But it doesn’t look to me like Calista objects to him touching her right now. In fact, she’s clinging to him as hard as he’s holdin’ her. She’s over eighteen. Yes?”
It took everything in my being not to smirk at my SAA. I’d never go against a man when it came to his daughter, but I loved yanking Dom’s chain. Besides, Lemon was right. Calista still clung to me. I didn’t want to take away her security just yet. It didn’t feel right.
What did feel right was having her in my arms and being able to comfort her after whatever she’d just gone through. Which, once I found out what it was, I intended to take care of. Permanently.
Dom sighed, looking no less frustrated or angry. “Yeah. So?”
“Then she has the right to sit with who she wants. If she knees him in the balls like she did Redwood, you can do your worst.”
Byte had obviously alerted Rocket and Lemon to the full situation at hand. Which made sense. Lemon liked to sleep in, and she was showing her displeasure at being up at stupid o’clock with snark.
“How has Rocket not smothered you in your sleep, woman?” Dom’s muttered response was met with a thunderous look from Rocket.
“Now, now, Dom.” Lemon clicked her tongue, tsking like Dom was a naughty child. “That’s no way to talk about your VP. Rocket wouldn’t even think about smothering me in my sleep because he knows I’m irreplaceable.” Then she gave Rocket a lascivious grin. “Besides, we have too much fun at night to sleep much.”
Not for the first time, I found myself in awe of the young vice president of Grim Road. Lemon had better insight than any person I’d ever met and could read people better than most of the men in the compound.
While I have no doubt Lemon meant every word she’d said, her comments served two purposes. First, it snapped Rocket out of what was about to be a permanent retirement of his sergeant at arms. Second, she let Dom and Calista know in no uncertain terms Lemon was on Calista’s side over anyone else. Including Dom’s or mine.
“All right.” Dom exhaled sharply, as if reaching a resolution within himself. “But this ain’t over, Ringo. We’re gonna have a long talk later, me and you.”
I just grunted, continuing to rub my hand up and down Calista’s back.
She shifted in my arms so she could see Dom. “I’m sorry. I didn’t want to cause you problems. Mom just told me that if I ever got into trouble, I needed to come find you. Then there was the trouble with Peckerwood at the gate and Ringo helped me.”
“You listen to me, honey,” Dom kneeled down and reached out to brush a lock of hair that had escaped Calista’s bun off her cheek. “You did exactly what you should have done. It was why I gave your mother the location of our compound in the first place. I helped her draw that fuckin’ map, baby. So you could find me if you ever needed me.” He stroked her cheek tenderly. “You could never cause me problems by coming to me. These guys are just givin’ me shit ‘cause I’m a protective bastard.” He grinned. “And Redwood is gonna wish he’d never laid a hand on you.”