Total pages in book: 90
Estimated words: 88736 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 444(@200wpm)___ 355(@250wpm)___ 296(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 88736 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 444(@200wpm)___ 355(@250wpm)___ 296(@300wpm)
I straightened against the wall as Draco’s hand wrapped around my biceps.
“Early yesterday morning, one of those interested parties made their move,” he continued. “With no assistance from the Aces, they dismantled his organization and…reorganized to their satisfaction.”
“And Granger?” I asked.
“He didn’t survive the reorganization,” he replied.
“It’s over,” Grandpa Dragon informed me. “Completely.”
I fell back against the wall in relief.
“You can let Teddy know that Granger is dead,” he said, rising to his feet. “Word has spread far and wide at this point.”
“Yeah, I will.”
“I’m goin’ home while Brenna’s still in bed,” he grumbled.
“Gross,” Draco muttered quietly next to me.
“Be glad you’ve got my genes,” our grandfather replied as he walked out of the room. I wasn’t sure how the hell he’d even heard it. “Maybe you’ll still be fuckin’ your woman when you’re my age.”
“Jesus Christ,” I groaned in disgust as Grease and Casper laughed.
“Not a fuckin’ word,” my dad ordered, pointing at them as he shoved Draco and me toward the door. “Had about all I can take.”
His hand landed on my shoulder, and he gave me a gentle shake as we grabbed our phones.
“Safe,” he told me, his eyes crinkling at the corners as he smiled. “Now, just gotta live your life.”
“That’s the plan,” I replied.
Draco slung his arm over my shoulders as we headed for our bikes. The sun was barely rising on the horizon, and the air was filled with the sound of Harley pipes as the brothers headed for home.
“Hey, Curt,” Draco said cautiously as we separated. “Got somethin’ to tell you.”
“Shit,” I mumbled, turning to look at him as I climbed onto my bike. “What?”
“Roxanne, you know?”
“My car? Yeah, I know it,” I said in exasperation.
“It was all of us.”
“What?”
“The club bought it,” he said with a small grin. “Stored it in that huge shop that Woody and Cecilia have on their property.”
“No shit?” Surprise making my voice go all high.
“Figured you might still be wonderin’ about it,” he said with a shrug. “I just wanted you to know that we’ve got you, yeah? Even when you weren’t here.”
“Already knew it,” I informed him.
“Sure, you did,” he said sarcastically, starting his bike.
We rode home side by side, and I waved at him as I pulled into the driveway. By the time I’d parked and pulled my shit out of my saddlebags, Uncle Will was coming out of the house.
“Thanks,” I said quietly.
“Pay me back by comin’ to dinner. Reb hasn’t seen you since it all went down, and she’s worried.”
“I will,” I replied. “I didn’t know if she should see the kids when they were—”
“I know. You’ve been shieldin’ her your whole life,” he said, slapping my shoulder as he passed me. “But she can handle more than you think. Come to dinner.”
Teddy was waiting for me in the doorway as I climbed the porch steps. Her hair was tousled, and her cheek had a little mark from her pillow.
“You’re home,” she said softly.
“Go inside, baby,” I whispered, crowding her back into the house. “It’s cold out here.”
“I thought you wouldn’t be home until tomorrow.”
“It is tomorrow.”
“Later tomorrow.”
“Didn’t take as long as I thought it would,” I said, leaning down to kiss her.
Her eyes searched mine.
“It’s all good, Teddy,” I told her, hoping that she could read between the lines because there were some things that I’d never be able to tell her, and this was one of them.
“All good?”
“David Granger was killed yesterday mornin’,” I said, dropping my shit on the floor so I could fit my hands against the sides of her throat, tracing the delicate skin of her jaw with my thumbs. “Some kind of dispute over his business.”
“Seriously?” she breathed.
“When he’s ready, Finn can start walkin’ down to Draco’s again,” I said, holding her stare. “All right?”
I knew the moment that she understood it. Her eyes closed, and her shoulders slumped in relief as she tipped toward me, landing against my chest.
“You got a big day ahead of you,” I said, bending so I could grip the backs of her thighs. She gave a little hop and wrapped her legs around my hips as I straightened. “Better get you back to bed.”
“Don’t think I could sleep at this point,” she murmured against my neck.
“Who said you were sleepin’?”
She laughed silently as I carried her up the stairs. When I reached the second floor, the hallway was dark except for the light filtering out from beneath Dylan’s door. He still slept with it on.
Inside our room was a little lighter with the rising sun coming in through the windows, and when I set Teddy on her feet, I was able to see the soft expression in her eyes.
“Smooth sailing,” she said, repeating the words I’d said to her on the night we met. “Now, it’s time to get started on a life.”