Total pages in book: 91
Estimated words: 84471 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 422(@200wpm)___ 338(@250wpm)___ 282(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 84471 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 422(@200wpm)___ 338(@250wpm)___ 282(@300wpm)
Jeez, has it really only been a few weeks? So much has happened. And here I thought the timeline for my book was unrealistic.
I tap the keys, adding a sentence, deleting it, adding it again, just a little different. Is it better? I have no idea. I've reached the point where nothing looks right. Pushing away from my desk, I grab my room-temperature coffee and sip it quietly while looking out over the yard. It's still only partially finished. Now that I know more about Tanner and the fact that it was his dog I found, I can understand why they wanted to search around here a little more, just in case.
I chuckle. If they think they can get out of finishing my garden just because I know why they were really back there, they’ve got another think coming.
“Willow?” a voice yells up from downstairs. It’s Sinner, assigned to keep an eye on me. They’ve been rotating through guards since Tanner realized he’d been found out. Nobody knows if he recognized me, but better safe than sorry.
“Yeah?” I yell back.
“I’m going next door. Paige and Jessica are here. Call me over when they leave.”
“Okay!” I head downstairs and meet them on the porch.
“Your house is so cute!” Paige says with a big smile. “I can’t wait until we’re all neighbors. For real, not up the hill ones.”
The thought makes me smile. “Same. I was really worried about what the club’s plans were, but now that I know people are actually going to be living down here again, I’m really glad I didn’t sell. Come on in.”
They come inside, looking around curiously.
“Can I ask you guys some questions? It's about bikers. Well, three of them in particular, I guess.” Just saying that out loud feels weird, but at the same time, I know there's not going to be any judgment.
“Of course.” Paige sits on the couch with a yawn. “Sorry. I’m so freakin’ tired all the time.”
Jessica nods. “I think I know where this is going.”
“That obvious, huh?”
Paige shrugs. “We’ve both been there. When you know the signs, it’s not exactly hard to connect the dots.”
“What are you worried about?” Jessica asks. “Maybe it’s easier to start there.”
“They’re bossy. They outnumber me. Their first loyalty will be to the club.” I tick things off on my fingers. “The danger. I feel like I’m either wrapped in bubble wrap or about to get killed… or about to have the wildest night of my life. Sometimes all on the same day.”
Jessica laughs so hard she hiccups. When she finally manages to breathe, she nods. “That’s a very good way of describing it. I can’t cut my finger without a full body check that always seems to leave everybody naked…” She trails off dreamily.
“You're right,” Paige agrees, “They really are always needing to check everywhere. They're very thorough.”
“Don't you worry that they’ll get hurt?” I blurt out. “I know I haven't been around long, but I'm already so… so attached to them. And then something will happen where I realize that if they just go a little bit wrong, one—or even all three of them—might not come home. How do you deal with that?”
“Alcohol,” Paige says deadpan.
Jessica nods. “Definitely alcohol. And girls' nights. We keep each other company while they're out. I'm not going to lie about that. It's a dangerous life.” She looks at Paige. “Crap, I just remembered you’re pregnant. We might need better coping mechanisms.”
Paige laughs. “They live hard, they fight hard, and they… well, they do everything hard. It's part of the excitement, but also part of the danger. Bonnie helps a lot, too. She’s had the worst happen and she’s still there to tell us to ‘get the fuck on with it’, Paige imitates Bonnie’s grouchy tone. “She and General were happy together, and then he was just torn away from her. She's a tough woman—”
“Boss bitch,” Jessica interrupts with a smile.
“Yep, boss bitch, tough as nails, but what I was going to say was that I still sometimes see her when she thinks we're not looking, staring at all those pictures of him, touching his old patches or jacket, and it's obvious exactly how much she misses him. It can definitely go very, very wrong.” Paige shudders a moment, probably imagining herself in Bonnie's place.
Jessica nods. “Definitely. When I came here, it was recent enough that she was still a little raw. She took care of me and Anne before things settled, and I think it was good for her to have something to take her mind off it. Bonnie never had kids of her own, but Anne needed a mother and Bonnie has stepped up. In a lot of ways, she’s ended up with three girls.”
Well, that's not exactly the encouragement that I was looking for. Am I making a mistake wanting to be with Skyhigh, Dragon and Blackout?