Total pages in book: 158
Estimated words: 154037 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 770(@200wpm)___ 616(@250wpm)___ 513(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 154037 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 770(@200wpm)___ 616(@250wpm)___ 513(@300wpm)
He scrubbed a hand over his face before he was staring me down. “And did she say how long that was gonna be?”
I didn’t tell him what she’d confessed. That she was ready to move out and spread those beautiful wings.
“I’m sure she’ll talk to you about that when she’s ready.”
Footsteps thudding on the staircase stole my attention, and I shifted that way to find Charleigh coming downstairs with a big duffel bag slung over her shoulder.
Charleigh was gorgeous to the extreme. This knockout who’d let her hair go back to its natural blonde once she no longer had a reason to be hiding her identity.
Once she’d found her place. Her home and her family.
Was so fucking happy she was here, exactly where she belonged. I knew Raven felt the exact same way.
“Hey, Otto,” she said as she took the last step onto the bottom landing. Her head was cast a little lower than usual and a bit of timidity colored her voice.
Unlike with River, there was no way I was going to give this sweet girl shit. She clearly was mortified enough.
“Hey there, darlin’. How are you this morning?”
Her gaze dipped to the ground. “I’m okay.” Then she lifted her attention back to me. A concerned frown was carved into her brow. “How is Raven?”
Gorgeous.
Infuriating.
Driving me out of my mind.
Still having those damned dreams that have haunted her for her whole life.
How did they not know it? Why was she going it alone?
“She’s good.”
Charleigh set the duffel on the counter. “I thought maybe you could take some things to her. I know she must be beside herself that she doesn’t have her makeup and a change of clothes.” A tinge of lightness infiltrated her voice.
My laughter was knowing. “I’m sure she would appreciate that.”
“It should tide her over—” Charleigh clipped off, reeling back in whatever she was going to say, which I was pretty sure was going to be until she gets the rest of her stuff.
River would have lost it.
“That’s great. She needs to be at the shop at eight, so I better run so I can get this to her. Don’t want her to be late. I’ll be sure we get her car picked up after it’s finished this afternoon, too.”
“Thank you, Otto. Mean it. Would have been worried sick had she been with anyone else but you,” River said.
“You know I will always be there for her. Whatever she needs.” My throat felt itchy when I said it.
“Know it. You’ve always been. Not sure what she would have done without you.”
He just kept driving that dull knife in deeper and deeper and he didn’t even know it. Showering me with praise when the only thing I deserved was condemnation.
Knew it’d be coming…when he and the rest of the crew found out what I’d been doing. What I still had to do. But this was on me.
Clearing my throat, I tossed the duffel onto my back and tossed on a massive grin to cover the guilt clinging to my guts. “You know I’m the fun brother. She doesn’t have to deal with your grumpy ass when she’s hanging out with me.”
River scoffed. “Whatever, asshole, I’m plenty of fun.”
Charleigh looked at him like he’d grown another head.
“What?” he defended.
“You tried to give her a curfew the last time she went on a date,” Charleigh accused.
I cracked up, though part of me wanted to clap him on the back and tell him good job. Warn him about what I’d walked in on at Kane’s the weekend before last.
But Raven would hate that. Was over us treating her like a child.
I wouldn’t do that to her.
“Loads of fun,” I told him before I moved to Charleigh and pecked a kiss to her cheek. “Take care of this one, yeah?”
“Always,” she said as she sent a soft gaze toward him.
Two were fucking mad over each other. Was happy for it. Happy he’d broken free of the rule he’d made for Sanctum years ago. An oath we’d taken to never fully give ourselves to a woman.
It was too dangerous for all parties involved.
Mainly, it was to protect her from getting chained to the life.
But also, it was a liability for the club since the more people who knew what we did, the more likely someone was to divulge our secrets.
But sometimes, laws couldn’t contain hearts, and his had busted right through it.
The crew still hadn’t come to a decision on how to handle it. If that clause was being permanently redacted or if he and Charleigh got a pass.
“All right, gotta get out of here.” I started for the door when Nolan came banging down the steps at warp speed.
“Nolan, you know you’re not supposed to be running on those stairs,” River warned. “You remember the last time you took a tumble.”
“That’s right, I do. We met my mommy at the doctor’s office. Totally worth it, Daddy-O!” the kid shouted as he hopped down onto the bottom floor.