Total pages in book: 77
Estimated words: 72647 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 363(@200wpm)___ 291(@250wpm)___ 242(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 72647 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 363(@200wpm)___ 291(@250wpm)___ 242(@300wpm)
“He’s going to stop now,” Carys promised. “And we’re going to have a long talk with Tristan if he ever fucking comes home again.”
Carys had enough on her plate. “I’m sorry. I don’t mean to cause trouble between the two of you. Aidan, you should know I had already decided to find a new club. You won’t have to worry about watching me make any mistakes.”
“Daisy, please don’t.” Aidan slumped down onto the chair across from her. “I was trying to please Da. You know how much he adores you, and he’s never been able to see beyond you being the five-year-old girl who wanted nothing more than to be with her father. Can you forgive me? I will talk to every Dom at the club and explain I was wrong.”
“Maybe we should play on different nights.” It still hurt, but it was easy to see her brother loved her. She wasn’t so sure about her da, who seemed to be figuring out she wasn’t a little girl. Daisy wasn’t sure he would be able to love the woman she’d become.
“Nate and I will work that out,” Aidan promised. “Car, do you want to talk?”
Carys sighed and moved around the conference table, sitting next to her fiancé. “Not really. If Daisy is willing to accept your apology, then I say we sit here and have our first double date.” She reached for his hand. “Life is too short to be mad.”
“Thank you.” Aidan leaned over and kissed her and then looked to Daisy. “And I’m so sorry, Dais. I love you. I want you to be happy, and if your version of happiness means you’ve got a three-hundred-pound Australian tree on top of you most of the time, then I’m glad for you. I will talk to Da.”
“I’m not three hundred pounds,” Nate said with a frown. “I’m barely two sixty.”
“And it’s all muscle,” Carys said with a wink.
“Hello, fiancé right here.” Aidan frowned Carys’s way.
“Well, I can look, and I’m going to high-five Dais when you two aren’t looking. Now, is there a ham and brown bread? I’m starving, and I have to get back to the hospital for afternoon rounds soon.” Carys took the sandwich Daisy gave her.
Aidan stood again. “And I will go get us some sodas since Nate only remembers what Daisy drinks.”
“Mate, I didn’t even know you were here.” Nate had a big smile on his face.
“Well, you should know I’ll be anywhere my sister needs me,” Aidan vowed. “And I’ll check and make sure Da is still breathing.”
When the door closed behind him, Carys leaned over. “Thank you for not being too rough on him. The wedding is…well, is coming up way too fast, and it’s settling in that Tristan isn’t going to be there.”
In some ways she understood. Daisy forced a smile on her face. “It’s okay. I don’t need revenge or anything.”
“So I shouldn’t have texted the twins and asked them what’s going on?” Nate opened his own soda casually, like he hadn’t dropped a bomb that was going to explode in her brother’s face.
“You did what?” Carys asked, her jaw dropping slightly.
“Oh, I just figured if anyone would be able to tell me if I was right about what was going on, it’s the twins.” Nate was a gorgeous bastard, and she kind of wanted to jump him right there. “I mean they are in the information business. Kala said she would handle it. I don’t know what she means by that.”
Carys stood. “I have to go warn Aidan. Are they back? How long do we have?”
She rushed out the door, and Daisy was left alone with the most gorgeous man she’d ever met. The one who would probably break her heart.
“Hey, I didn’t actually text the twins. I’m not trying to get your brother killed,” Nate explained. “Just uncomfortable.”
She grabbed a sandwich and forced herself to relax. “Well, if my brother thinks the twins are coming after him, he might move. Far away. Though they might think about recruiting him because I swear the twins know everything. Big brother did a great job hiding it.”
But it was all out in the open now, and she would have to deal with the ramifications.
* * * *
Nate made sure the security system was on and then sent Avery a text letting her know they were safely locked in for the night.
He’d promised his mum’s best friend he would protect her daughter with everything he had.
What he didn’t tell her was he intended to protect her soul, too.
Something was up with Daisy. Oh, she was smiling and polite, and she’d been incredibly patient. But he saw right through her. Something had happened the night before, something that had shifted his universe into place, and he had zero intention of allowing those stars to unalign.