Total pages in book: 50
Estimated words: 46461 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 232(@200wpm)___ 186(@250wpm)___ 155(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 46461 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 232(@200wpm)___ 186(@250wpm)___ 155(@300wpm)
When she started to leave, Dazz barked out, “Stop.” She froze, a little whimper escaping her. “Found her sitting next to the fence,” Dazz said. “Says the Devan she wants to talk to is a member here.” He glanced back at the girl before back to me. “If she’s tellin’ the truth, and the man she’s lookin’ for is a brother here, there’s gonna be hell to pay. Why I bothered you instead of just lettin’ her in.”
“You got a last name on your Devan, girl?”
She looked down at her feet before shaking her head slightly. “Pretty dumb, huh?”
“You sure he belongs to this club?” I wasn’t addressing her embarrassment. At least not yet.
She shrugged. “I’m just going on what he told me. He mentioned Salvation’s Bane a lot. Said he worked as a bouncer at Salvation’s Angels. I went there, but they wouldn’t let me in.” She indicated her state of dress before putting her chin up proudly. “Apparently, I’m not dressed appropriately to visit a strip club.” The girl was an enigma. She obviously lived on the streets, but she spoke like someone who had money.
“This Devan your baby daddy?”
Keeping her head high, she seemed to dig deep for every ounce of courage she possessed. “He is. So, if you’re telling me he’s not here, I’ll just be on my way.”
“Girl, do you even have anywhere to go?” I was rapidly losing my patience. The more I looked at her, the more I saw the woman underneath the guise she presented. I was certain she was homeless, and that she hadn’t been that way long. She was adjusting, but she was still trying to pretend she wasn’t homeless. And I was drawn to her so strongly it hurt my fucking heart.
“I do,” she said decisively. “I’m sorry to have disturbed you.”
“Girl,” I sighed. “Get the fuck in here. I’ll take you back to the clubhouse and get you a hot meal. Then we’ll talk.”
Her head snapped up, her eyes going wide before she cleared her throat and squared her shoulders. Was that because of the prospect of food? She had so much pride, those sparkling hazel eyes of hers so fierce while at the same time her lower lip trembled. “Um… that would be… that is, I’d appreciate it. If it’s not too much trouble, that is.” Then she quickly added, “I’ll find a way to pay you back.”
“Got a cage on the way, Ripper,” Dazz said softly. “It ain’t safe for her to ride a bike, and I don’t think she can walk that far. She’s done.”
“C-cage?” Her voice went high and she backed away from us, tripping on the uneven sidewalk. I reached out and grabbed her arm before she hit the ground, pulling her against me. “P-please,” she cried, trying to shove away from me. “D-don’t hurt me! I-I’ll just go! I’ll figure this out on my own!” She was trembling, her body breaking out in sweat, obviously terrified now. She didn’t smell bad, but it was more obvious with her in my arms that she had challenges bathing and washing her clothes. If this was all she had -- and it looked very much like it was -- she would have had a really hard time.
“Relax, girl. No one’s gonna hurt you.” I made sure she was steady on her feet before I released her completely. Even then, I stayed close to her. I didn’t want her to run off because she was afraid. She needed to be taken care of. Not running away because we were obviously not the straight and narrow kind of men.
“I don’t want to be in a cage!”
“It’s not what you think.” I looked at Dazz, raising an eyebrow. He’d started this. He could give her the fucking explanation she needed.
“A cage is just an enclosed vehicle. Most of us prefer to ride bikes. Uh, motorcycles. Got another prospect bringing a truck to take you back to the main clubhouse.” Dazz looked uncomfortable. “Shouldn’t we contact Thorn? I mean, it’s not like she’s leavin’ anytime soon. Girl’s exhausted.” Again, she whimpered. I was ready to beat the fuck outa Dazz, but it wasn’t his fault. He wasn’t a man to explain himself much. In fact, this was the most he’d spoken to me this entire week.
“My name’s Ripper,” I said to the girl. “I’ll get you settled, then we’ll find the man you’re lookin’ for.” And beat the fucking shit out of him for leaving her to fend for herself. Then a thought struck me. “He know you’re pregnant?”
“Yes,” she said, looking away. “He doesn’t want me.” She turned back to me quickly. “And I’m OK with that. But he has my purse with my identification and social security card, as well as my bank card and insurance card. I need those to get a job and to go to the doctor and to buy… stuff.” She trailed off as she finished, obviously not liking that she’d given me so much information. “I had a suitcase with me, but I left it with my purse in his truck. He said I wouldn’t need them.”