Total pages in book: 79
Estimated words: 75047 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 375(@200wpm)___ 300(@250wpm)___ 250(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 75047 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 375(@200wpm)___ 300(@250wpm)___ 250(@300wpm)
“Sorry, babe. You’re not getting rid of me that easily.”
“I certainly hope not.” She started over to me as she asked, “Where ya headed?”
“Going to check on a camera that’s on the fritz. You wanna tag along?”
“Sure, I’d love to.”
We both climbed in, and I eased out of the barn. After entering the coordinates Braylon had sent me, we were on our way. We hadn’t been riding long when Kiersten gave me a little nudge. “Whatcha thinking about over there?”
“Nothing much. Just how this place reminds me a little of my grandparents’ farm.” I continued to follow the GPS as I told her, “I spent a lot of time out there when I was a kid. Always loved it.”
“Are they still alive?”
“My grandmother is. She’s quite a handful. You might’ve seen her. She lives out at the storage lot with Ada.”
Kiersten smiled. “Yeah, I might’ve watched her and Ada a time or two. They’re quite a pair. I had no idea she was your grandmother.”
“Well, she is, and you’re right, those two are quite the pair.” I told her all about Gladys and Crockett’s, the bar she and my grandfather had bought after they’d gotten married. I told her how Gladys had kept it going long after my grandfather had died but eventually decided it was time to retire and sold the place. I didn’t share the fact that Marlowe’s crazy sister’s boyfriend had bought it as a way to get his revenge on the club, but that Gladys had decided to move in with Ada after the sale and that the two had quickly become friends. “I go over and see them when I can, and they never fail to have dinner waiting for me.”
“That’s really sweet. It must be nice to have grandparents like that.”
“You don’t have grandparents?”
“No. Apparently they died before I was born.” She shrugged. “It’s always just been my dad and me.”
“So, no brothers or sisters?”
“Nope, not even a distant cousin. At least, none that I’m aware of.”
“Must’ve been hard, especially when your mother passed.”
“It was. I had my friends from school and my father, but there were times when I wished I had more.”
“Yeah, I get that.”
When we found the camera's location, I got out and checked to see what was going on with it. Thankfully, it wasn’t anything other than a loose wire, which was easily adjusted. Once I was done, I got back inside the side-by-side with Kiersten and said, “Looks like we’re all set. You ready to head back?”
“Not yet.” She looked over to me with a somber expression. “Would you mind if we ride for a bit?”
“You got it.”
I backed up, then followed the edge of the ravine to an open area with a large cattle pond. I eased up to the water’s edge and parked. With all the trees and tall grasses, it was quite a sight to see and not surprising why Kiersten liked it there so much. It was getting cool, so I took off my jacket and slipped it around Kiersten’s shoulders. As she looked down at the Ruthless Sinners’ patch, she said, “You know, you never told me why you joined the Sinners.”
“You never asked.”
“Well, I’m asking now.” She gave me a teasing nudge. “Unless you don’t want to tell me.”
“Got no problem telling ya, babe, but there’s not a lot to say.” I leaned back in the seat as I started, “I was helping Gran out at the bar when Viper and several of the brothers came in for the first time. I won’t lie, I was pretty fucking terrified. I was just eighteen or so at the time, and they were intimidating as hell.”
“Oh, I know the feeling quite well.”
“Yeah, I reckon you do.” I chuckled. “Well, they kept coming around, more and more, and it wasn’t long before my fear turned into something else. I watched them, saw how they interacted, and got sucked in by the sense of brotherhood and power. It practically radiated off of them, and I was drawn to it. So, when Viper invited me to come out and see the clubhouse, I jumped at the chance. As soon as I stepped through those doors, I was hooked. I later discovered that while I was watching Viper and the brothers while I was watching Viper and the brothers, they’d been watching me. They saw something in me, still don’t know exactly what, but they asked me to prospect for the club. A year later, I was patched in, and I’ve been a Sinner ever since.”
“Wow, that’s some story. You really seem happy with them.”
“I am. Along with Gran and my folks, they’re my family. Nothing I wouldn’t do for them.”
“So, you’re still close with your folks?”
“Yeah, but I don’t get to see them as often I used to. They bought a condo and moved to Florida when my dad retired. They’ve gotten older now and don’t get around to visit as much as they used to.”