Total pages in book: 46
Estimated words: 44562 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 223(@200wpm)___ 178(@250wpm)___ 149(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 44562 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 223(@200wpm)___ 178(@250wpm)___ 149(@300wpm)
She walked around until she found a lonely bench. One side had bird shit splattered on it, and the other looked okay. She took her seat and pulled out her bag of sandwiches. Plain old peanut butter. These sandwiches meant she didn’t have to splurge on expensive food. Taking a bite, she pretended it was the best sandwich she’d eaten all day.
It wasn’t.
In fact, she was sure she was getting sick of peanut butter. She’d been eating the same sandwich for nearly a year and a half.
Yeah, she needed to change it up.
Callie was halfway through the second sandwich when she saw him. The way the sun shone on him made him look like an angel or something. Brick wore a shirt this time, but it was pulled tight across his chest and arms, which were all heavily muscled, and the ink, damn, he turned her on.
“Hello, princess,” he said.
Her entire body lit up like Christmas.
“Hey,” she said. Her heart raced as she looked at him. Dropping her half-eaten sandwich to the ground, she stood up.
He bent down and wrinkled his nose. “This is what you call a lunch?”
“Er, yeah, I think so.” Why was she tongue-tied right now?
“Nah, it’s your lucky day. I’m taking you out to lunch.”
“You are?”
“Stopped by your workplace. No one knew where you were. Said you went out to lunch. Figured we could enjoy some food together.”
“You always seem intent on feeding me.”
He chuckled. “It seems the only time I can get you alone.”
He’d stepped closer, or had she imagined that?
Tilting her head back, she looked up at him. She hadn’t realized how much taller he was than her. “I’d like to go to lunch with you.” She grabbed her bag and stuffed the sandwich inside just in case she needed it later.
She put the strap on her shoulder and held her breath as he offered her a hand.
No hesitation.
She took his hand, and the moment his closed around hers, she felt whole. His grip tightened around hers, and an electrical current zipped up her arm. So wonderful. She tucked some hair behind her ear and ignored the occasional stare.
She didn’t care who looked.
Brick had entered her world, and she really hoped this was all real and she wasn’t having some kind of cruel dream. As much as she hated to admit it to herself, she’d been hoping for someone to finally see her. Not her past family. Not the poor fat girl. Just to see her, and with Brick, he didn’t look through her, nor did he sneer.
He saw her, and it was the headiest thing she’d experienced.
Chapter Three
They’d been dating for weeks. Brick was fucked. All he could think about was Callie. He’d been the perfect gentleman, not even making a move—no kissing, no touching, nothing. He didn’t even recognize himself.
She was sweet innocence, and he was addicted.
“Skull Nation are rebuilding,” Reaper said.
They’d been in church for the past hour, and Brick was itching to call Callie. Every night, they’d talk for hours, sometimes about nothing at all. She soothed him, made him feel alive for the first time in forever.
“We burned their club to the ground,” Lord said. “They’re persistent fuckers.”
“They have no senior members left,” said Brick. “We took them all out. Who the fuck do they think they are?”
“Boss, they’re a joke. Nothing to worry about,” said Reaper.
“I’m not worried, but I also don’t plan to sit back pretending they can’t become a real pain in the ass at some point.” Lord scrubbed a hand down his face. “Keep eyes and ears open. I want to know when they wipe their fucking asses. Understand?”
Everyone agreed before they started to head out. He checked his watch as he stood up.
“Brick, stay behind,” Lord said.
Fuck.
He had a feeling Lord was on to him. His intuition was legendary. Callie was Brick’s dirty little secret, a separate life away from the club. He didn’t want to tarnish her innocence with the truth of what he really was. It was safer that way, too.
“You find out anything about our rat?” asked Lord. He stayed seated, but there was something in his eyes.
Brick paced, not wanting to share his secret but also not wanting his prez to think he was betraying the club. The brothers strayed all the time, fucking anything that walked in and out of the club. There weren’t any rules that said he could only enjoy club pussy, so why was he so damn nervous?
“Still working on it,” he said.
Lord was silent. Brick wanted him to say something, accuse him, anything.
“And the Skull Nation, they’re a bunch of pussies. Say the word, and we can finish them off together, like the good old days.”
His prez only nodded. Slowly. “Keep an eye out for the rat.”
Once Brick was out of the room, he closed his eyes and took a breath. He felt like a traitor and didn’t want Lord thinking he was. Brick was one hundred percent loyal to the Straight to Hell MC and always would be. The club was his life.