Total pages in book: 37
Estimated words: 34282 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 171(@200wpm)___ 137(@250wpm)___ 114(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 34282 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 171(@200wpm)___ 137(@250wpm)___ 114(@300wpm)
“It’s not just you, Sting.” Warlock entered the room, a woman with him. He held her hand firmly in his. She was little more than a girl, but the way she clung to Warlock left no doubt she was with him. It was one more shock to set my teeth on edge. Also, one more failure in a long line of them on my part in the few minutes I’d been here. El Diablo knew he was getting under my skin, and he thought he knew I disapproved of Warlock’s new position within the club and now, also the woman he was with. He’d have been wrong, but I knew it had to look that way. “Come with me.”
I probably shouldn’t have obeyed him, but it was ingrained in me to do what he said, both as his son and as his vice president in Iron Tzars. I was hopeful El Diablo thought it was respect rather than reflex that had me following my father down the hall to El Diablo’s office.
Once inside and with the door closed, Warlock gave me a hard look. He wasn’t angry or disapproving. No. This was the look he often got when he was trying to keep his emotions under control.
“It’s good to see you, Sting.” He lifted his chin, schooling his features.
Yeah. My dad was holding himself back. He probably thought I didn’t like his position in this place or the decisions he’d made. Nothing could be further from the truth. I was shocked.
With a sigh, I stepped close to my dad and put my arms around him, clapping him on the back several times. “It’s good to see you too, Dad.” Warlock hugged me back, holding me tightly for several long seconds. When he pulled back, he blinked rapidly before assuming a blank expression once again.
He cleared his throat, reaching for the woman beside him and putting his arm around her slim shoulders. “Sting, this is my woman. Hope.”
“We’ve met.” I held out a hand to the young woman. “Seems things turned out differently than I was afraid they would.”
“I know this must be a surprise,” she said softly. “It wasn’t Warlock’s idea.” She sounded as if she were trying to defend Warlock. Like she expected me to look down on both of them, but most especially Warlock.
“Might not have been my idea, but it was the best decision I ever had forced on me, sweetheart.” He bent to kiss Hope’s temple. She blushed and turned into his chest, her arms going around his waist as she shielded her face. Timid little thing.
“Forced on you. Never known anyone to force you to do anything, Warlock. Even Bev couldn’t make you do something you didn’t want to do.” I sneered at my father, wanting to hurt him in the only way I knew I ever could. Not because El Diablo had taken the option away from me. Because I knew, no matter how much me or the rest of the Iron Tzars thought he deserved it, there was no way I could physically hurt my father. “How’d this little thing manage to force you into something? And I’m assuming you mean the fact that she’s still here with you and not on her way back to Indiana.”
Warlock’s gaze snapped to mine. Where before he’d welcomed me, now he looked like he wanted to teach me a lesson I’d never forget. Couldn’t blame him. If he’d really taken this girl on as his woman, he should have beaten me to within an inch of my life for the disrespect I’d shown them both.
“Max.” Hope patted his chest before rubbing her face against him. “Let it go. You knew he’d have trouble with this. Can you blame him?”
His hold on her tightened, and he put the other arm around her, kissing the top of her head. “Hope’s not Bev, Sting. And it wasn’t Hope who forced me into marriage with her. It was my mother.”
“Huh.” It didn’t surprise me. “How’d she accomplish that?”
“She married us without my knowledge. It’s all legal. Seems she had no qualms about breaking the law when it suited her.” Surprisingly, there was a wistful smile on Warlock’s lips. “I’m glad she learned.”
I shook my head with a sigh. “So, Hope’s my new step-mom.”
“She is. And I caution you to really think about your next words, Sting.”
I raised my hands, backing up a step. “Nothing to say. It’s clear she makes you happy. I can tell by your expression when you look at her.”
“Good. Now that’s settled. You came to see me. Why?”
That was Warlock. President of Iron Tzars MC. It was comforting to see this side of him again. I was afraid Bev had broken his spirit, especially after he’d had to kill her.
“I need… advice.”
He gestured to the couch for me to sit. He sat on the chair and pulled Hope onto his lap. “If you’re talking about the club, I’m not sure it’s a good idea for you to get advice from me. I fucked things up pretty bad there.”