Total pages in book: 110
Estimated words: 102335 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 512(@200wpm)___ 409(@250wpm)___ 341(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 102335 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 512(@200wpm)___ 409(@250wpm)___ 341(@300wpm)
“So…” Jade directs us to the other side of the bar, sitting on a swing chair hanging from the overhead pillars. She pats the spot beside her. “This is my favorite spot since being here. At least I can look out at the mountains and pretend my man isn’t a complete psychopath.”
I snicker, rolling my lips behind my teeth to stop my laugh. “I don’t know what the fuck is happening.”
“You don’t know me,” Jade says, turning her body to face me. Music is blaring off behind us, and I can hear more bikes rumbling into the entrance. “But I think I have a feeling of what is going on between you and Wicked.” I take the first sip, hissing when the tequila burns its way down my throat before settling in my belly. “You and he?”
It’s a question, and one I don’t mind answering because it’s too obvious to ignore even if I wanted to. “It has happened. Continues to happen.”
“Really…” Jade smiles proudly. “He’s so secretive and—”
“—annoying?” I add, and we both laugh. For the first time in years, with the exception of Betty, I feel my age. Like the world and life I was thrust into can fucking wait. Also knowing Papa is still alive has taken a load off my shoulders, even for just a few moments.
Jade’s laughter dies out and she looks out into the far distance. “I knew Wicked when he was younger too. I heard your little spew to your dad inside, and I feel like it may be the same place I met him.” I shift around to face her while running my fingers through my hair. It’s dark, but not as dark as Jade’s. Her black strands offset her light eyes, though, a little similar to mine. Maybe he has a fucking type.
“You knew him?” I flex my fingers, watching as the sun hits the diamond rock on my finger. It was a gift from me to me.
“Well, I knew him to an extent. I guess you could put it that way.”
I leave the words between us. I’m familiar with old skeletons and not wanting to resurrect them.
“What’s happening?” Poppy comes in with the other girl in tow. She has silver blonde hair and tattoos all over her skin. They both drop down on the sofa opposite us.
My cheeks sting as my smile widens on Poppy, watching as the sun sets in the background behind her. “I can’t believe you are alive.”
“Ditto! I thought for sure you and Wicked would have killed each other.”
“Oh…” I chuckle, taking a sip of my drink and moving my hair to the side. “Trust me, we almost did.”
Poppy’s smile widens. “You look amazing. I loved you as a blonde, but I’m digging the brunette vixen.”
Sighing, I swirl the drink around in my glass.
“That bad, huh?” Poppy adds, and my eyes slowly meet hers. It’s the first time I feel sadness creep into my bones and chill me to the core. I spent years keeping a wall in front of my emotions whenever I left my house. It was a ritual.
I nod slowly. “Yeah.”
Poppy shuffles her body forward, resting her hand on my knee. “We can talk about this later.” She leans back on her elbows, wiggling her brows. “But update me! You married?” I drift off into the distance, tracing the outlines of the high peaked mountains behind the trees where the barn is. Little do they know, the kind of ugliness that lies deep inside.
“No!” I whisper. “Not married.”
“Ahhh, but she does other things!” Val kneels down beside me.
“You’re interrupting the first kind of girl talk I have had in years.” I search his eyes. “This better be important.”
He leans into my ear. “It’s Wolf.”
I look down at the gold Rolex strapped around my wrist, pushing up from my chair. “I’ll be back!”
“You better!” Poppy calls out as I follow Val back through the front of the bar and passing the sea of leather and cigarettes. I feel eyes move with me as I find my way out through the main door. The outside air slaps me across the face like a bucket of water and I pull my phone out of my handbag. The light from the phone burns my retinas as I push call on Mama’s phone and look over my shoulder carefully to make sure no one is following me. “Val, keep an eye out.”
Val nods but looks down. I guess within three seconds of seeing Wicked he knew who Wolf’s father was. And I can’t go into the irony of his father now being a member of Wolf Pack MC.
“Mama!” Wolf’s little voice echoes through my phone and I smile widely, slowly putting distance between the chaos happening in the clubhouse and me.
“Hey! What did Nona make for dinner?” My feet continue to take me forward until I’m staring at a familiar gloss-white Harley. The same one I saw parked beside us at the lights. Closing my eyes in realization, I shake my head softly. Of course. Of fucking course it was him. “Did you eat it all up?”