Total pages in book: 95
Estimated words: 92067 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 460(@200wpm)___ 368(@250wpm)___ 307(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 92067 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 460(@200wpm)___ 368(@250wpm)___ 307(@300wpm)
“He is, but if you tell him I said that I’ll deny everything.”
“You’re safe,” I respond once he cuts the laughter and sits down on the table, looking down at me.
“Going to tell me the real reason you’re here?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I mutter. “I can leave if you don’t want me here.”
“Don’t be an asshole. I’d give my left nut to see your ass in a Savage MC cut—even if it is the wrong chapter.”
“For fuck’s sake, never talk to me about your nuts.”
Dragon flips me off and shakes his head. “I can’t pretend I understand,” he says with a sigh after a few moments of silence.
“What do you mean?”
“Somehow, all three of my boys seem to have been drawn to Gabby. I don’t get it. She’s pretty, but what kind of power does that woman have that draws men to her?”
Immediately, my body tightens. “Shut up, Dragon. You don’t know what the fuck you’re talking about.”
“Tell me you’re not staying around to talk to her.”
“Can’t. That’d be a lie.”
“Then explain this to me.”
“Did I miss the part of the program where I owed you any explanation about what I do with my time?” I snap and the bastard just shrugs.
“I’m genuinely interested,” he asks, and for some reason, I find myself wanting to talk to him.
“She’s been through hell at a time when my world wasn’t exactly roses. We understand one another. I’ll tell you right now, who she became after everything went down with the Feral Kings is not the same person who was with T and Dom. Regardless of what she’s done in her past, the woman needs a little grace right now.”
“Got to tell you, King. It’s weird as fuck knowing you sound just like my old lady, knowing she might not be your mother but wishing with everything in me she would have been.”
“Whatever,” I laugh, although there’s no humor in that laugh.
“I mean it. I’m not the only one who wishes that, by the way. Or do you think it’s a coincidence that Nicole busts her ass to send you care packages to whatever address you seem to be at these days?”
I frown. It’s true, Nicole has sent me about three packages. They’re full of homemade treats, sometimes a T-shirt, sometimes gift cards for takeout. Why she thinks she needs to do it is beyond me. I always text her thank you, and she’ll text back. It’s cordial. I’ve started looking forward to it, to be honest. There are things I don’t tell her. Like the fact I look forward to her handwritten letter over anything she sends. There’s never a lot in the letter. She talks about the grandkids or Kayden, Dom, or T. She goes on about Dragon. I enjoy it—to the point I ignore when she refers to Dragon as your father. Then again, that might be a lie. Nicole makes these peanut butter, chocolate, and caramel bars that are the shit. I might share some of the stuff with whatever brother I’m with at the time, but those bars? Fuck, no. Those I keep for myself.
“Gabby is pregnant,” I respond.
“I know. Pretty sure everyone but her family knows that.”
“If she hasn’t told them, it’s because they don’t deserve to know,” I half growl.
“Not arguing with you there. I’m going to have to go knock some sense into Skull’s head. He’s dealing with so much grief, he’s letting it drown him. It’s blinding him to the fact he’s putting his own guilt on his daughter’s head.”
“Come again?” I ask, confused.
“He’s laying his son’s death on Gabby being kidnapped. It’s bullshit. That motherfucker has always been by my side with his nose in my business from day one. Even if his daughter wasn’t involved, he would have been right there. He’s blaming himself because he volunteered his two boys to do shit and one of those boys is no longer breathing. Instead of dealing with that, he’s carrying a weight so big that it’s sliding over to his daughter’s shoulders. I’ve given him time. I’ll give him a little more, but if he doesn’t figure it out by the time Gabby heads to Denver, I’m going to knock sense into him.”
“Gabby’s moving to Denver?” I ask. The question bitter on my tongue because a pregnant woman shouldn’t be moving cross country alone. “Is that where the father lives?”
“The father?” Dragon asks, shock clear on his face.
“Yeah, she’s pregnant, though not showing a lot. Is it someone here?” I don’t know why it upsets me that Gabby is pregnant. It’s good she didn’t let what happened to her scar her too deeply. It does bother me, though. I don’t understand it, but it’s the truth. Maybe it’s because a huge part of me feels she’s pushing herself too soon. I still remember the broken woman who cried in my arms until the sunlight began filtering through the window. It just seems too soon for her to be in a relationship. I shake myself from my thoughts, realizing that Dragon hadn’t responded to my question. “What?” I ask, when he just continues to stare at me.