Total pages in book: 138
Estimated words: 134654 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 673(@200wpm)___ 539(@250wpm)___ 449(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 134654 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 673(@200wpm)___ 539(@250wpm)___ 449(@300wpm)
My ears rang with their masculine deepness, revealing innermost secrets and tales of Pure Corruption.
I wasn’t a patched in member. Prospects weren’t allowed and definitely not women.
I wasn’t even Arthur’s officially.
I shouldn’t be here.
Inching toward the door, I pressed on the handle and cracked it open.
No one paused in their river of conversation, and I prepared to slip silently through.
“Where the hell do you think you’re going?” Arthur asked, planting his palms on the table. Even from here the color of his eyes was muddy and pain-riddled.
I shrugged. I thought it was obvious and what was expected of me. After all, I owned a vagina, not a penis. “Um, giving you guys time to talk.”
Men laughed as if I’d quipped the funniest joke in history.
Mo came into the room, striding past me with a smirk. His blond shaggy hair was windswept and sunshine compared to Arthur’s brooding darkness. “You’re too cute.”
I scowled. “Cute? Why am I cute?”
Mo laughed. “Because you’re still hung up on old Club rules. Haven’t you learned anything these past few weeks?”
No, because Arthur refuses to share anything!
Arthur crooked his finger. “There’s a seat over there. Take it.”
“But I thought you’re going to discuss Club—”
“Business—exactly.” Arthur pursed his lips. “You have as much right to contribute as every other member here.”
My eyes popped wide. “Even though I’m a girl?”
Grasshopper laughed. “After everything you’ve seen of Pure Corruption and the weirdo that runs it, you still believe meetings are just for guys?” Looking around, he added, “That’s a point, where are those two-bit hussies?”
“Don’t you fucking talk trash about my old lady, man.” A biker curled his fist, waving it dramatically at Hopper. He laughed, showing a grill of gold teeth and softening his threat to a joke. “Wait till you have your own ball and chain—then you’ll watch your fucking mouth.”
“Can’t tie me down, boys.” Grasshopper chuckled.
What on earth is going on here?
The joking between these men was so refreshing—so different to the anger and hierarchy of Dagger Rose.
“They’ve been dealing with the books. Melanie’s also been working on befriending more reporters for when Kill decides to make the final move,” a biker with a bald head and long beard said, looking at his wristwatch. “I reckon they’re only minutes away.”
“Oh, and Jane’s been typing up that report you asked for, Kill. On the leaked files you handed to the local gossip column last month,” another middle-aged biker said.
“Did it get traction?” Arthur asked.
The biker nodded. “Turns out, it did pretty good. Might be a good avenue. Enlighten the housewives first and they can badger their husbands. Then when they hear it mainstream—least the seed’s already been planted, if ya know what I mean.”
I have no idea what you mean.
My concussion headache had disappeared but listening to this code brought it right back.
When the bikers spoke of these unknown women—working side by side in Club business—my blood blistered with pride. However, my mind couldn’t comprehend this fundamental change. What had Arthur created here? Equality for men and women? A true family rather than women simpering to every whim of their men?
“That’s a good angle.” Arthur nodded. “Let’s do more of that. Mo, whatever else we have low-key, leak it to one of the cheap rags. Let’s see what sort of unrest we can begin by low-balling it. If we can unseat the current democrat, all the better.”
What on earth is he up to?
I’d expected conversations about war and massacres but here they were talking about media, housewives, and God knew what else.
I looked with fresh eyes at the Club. I’d been brought up in a lifestyle that held no bearing to this new existence. I was lost … but also strangely liberated.
Arthur’s eyes landed on mine. He smiled softly. “You’re jumping in when we’ve been juggling these things forever. You’ll catch on.”
I shook my head in amazement. “What are you doing here?”
“Making the world a better fucking place, that’s what,” a biker with a topknot replied.
Arthur grinned. “That’s about the gist of it.” His eyes were bright and reminiscent of the intelligence I was so used to. “I learned everything of what not to do in a Club, thanks to our upbringing. I fashioned Pure Corruption on things that didn’t work in theirs. And made it my oath to create something unbreakable.” He waved once again at the vacant chair. “Sit. Take your place. Time to get to know your new family and learn all our secrets.”
Chapter Sixteen
Kill
I wished I was lucky enough to have a father like Thorn Price.
He’d taken me to get my exam results. He’d sat outside the school without any argument, then taken me out for a beer to celebrate earning the highest scores the school had ever seen.
He didn’t pry about my fresh bruises. He didn’t tease me about how I felt about his daughter.