Total pages in book: 77
Estimated words: 74554 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 373(@200wpm)___ 298(@250wpm)___ 249(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 74554 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 373(@200wpm)___ 298(@250wpm)___ 249(@300wpm)
Mentally, the image of these women all parked around the pool as the men took turns putting on shirtless shows popped into my head, entertaining me until my grandmother was back, a giant cleaning cart in her arms.
“It won’t fit inside?” I asked.
“They don’t want us stealing them,” my grandmother said. “But the girls and I can create a wall with our bodies as your gentleman here gets the body inside and some laundry on top. Then, we will take it from there. You need to tell your friends to meet us with a wheelbarrow out the side door. From there, they can take the path straight back to the garden shed and circle around to the other side of the fence. The cameras can’t see over there.”
Kylo shot me a shocked look, but nodded at my grandmother. “Great plan. Let me just relay that to my club.”
With that, he walked down the hall to the bathroom, emerging a few moments later.
“Let’s do this.”
Then I sat, too stunned to do anything but watch as the women removed their smocks and gloves, placing them in the sink with hot water and bleach, then moving out into the hall to stand around and “talk” while Kylo grabbed Marco’s body, wrapped in blankets (I think to keep me from having to look at it), then dumped it into the laundry cart.
“Ladies, can you take it down to the laundry?”
“That’s the plan,” my grandmother agreed.
“After that, I am going to need all of you to go back to your apartments and pack an overnight bag. After that, as a group, exit the building. Dixon and Caymen will be waiting for you on the path. Come with them across the street for the night.”
The women all shared delighted looks before taking the cart and heading down to the elevator bank.
Alone, Kylo closed the door and let out a deep breath.
“What the fuck just happened?” he asked.
“Right?” I asked, slapping the table. “You were playing it so cool. I thought this was normal for you.”
“An elderly group of killers and crime scene cleaners? No, darlin’, that’s new for me too. Jesus.”
He raked a hand down his face, then extended that same hand to me. “We can process later,” he said, pulling me out of my seat, then wrapping his arms around me and pulling me close. “Right now, let’s just breathe.”
I nestled into his neck and did just that.
Eventually, my grandmother came back to pack her bag.
Then Kylo and I headed out.
We barely made it across the street before the Cider brothers were leading a chatty, giggling group of older ladies across the dark street as well.
Huck was waiting just inside the door, shaking his head at us as we all moved inside.
As the women fawned over the men, Kylo walked with me toward the kitchen, where a squeal escaped me.
“Traeger!”
He was leaning against the counter beside Eddie, who was making something that smelled heavily of garlic.
My stomach grumbled.
“Funny story. A couple of attractive men showed up at the shop, told me I was in danger and that you needed me, and brought me here.”
“That’s not even the top three strangest things that happened tonight,” I told him, gesturing out toward the living room.
“Is that your grandmother? And her book club?”
“It’s a long, long story,” I told him.
And I wasn’t even sure how much of it I could tell my friend.
“I’m making fettuccine Alfredo,” Eddie said. “Nights like this call for comfort food.”
How was this my life?
A break-in? Hiding to save my life? A dramatic rescue? Hot sex? Running to save my grandmother, only to learn she was capable of saving herself (and cleaning up the evidence)? Coming back to the clubhouse with the same old ladies and my best friend? To… eat fettuccine Alfredo?
“I think you all owe me an apology,” Huck said as he walked away from the chatty older ladies and into the kitchen.
“For what?” Kylo asked.
“For thinking it was insane to suspect an old lady was capable of running an export empire. I think those women out there just proved that ageist shit don’t fly.”
That was fair enough.
“Thank you for getting my friend,” I said, gesturing toward an oddly calm Traeger.
Sure, the guy was always laid-back. But who was as unfazed as he was in the face of all this insanity?
Did he run some super-secret side life that I knew nothing about as well?
“We want to keep you all safe while we figure out how shit is going to shake out now.”
“So… sleepover?” Traeger said.
“Is there enough room here for everyone to sleep?” I asked, thinking of all the older ladies and their delicate backs and knees and, well, whatever other bits might be achy at their ages.
“The guys will give up their beds for guests,” Huck said. “Between Che and me, we have several air beds and cots for everyone else.”