Total pages in book: 86
Estimated words: 81245 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 406(@200wpm)___ 325(@250wpm)___ 271(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 81245 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 406(@200wpm)___ 325(@250wpm)___ 271(@300wpm)
Jackal puts the puzzle book down and narrows his eyes at me once we’re alone.
“What?” I ask.
“What crawled up your ass and died?”
“Oh, fuck off.”
He stares at me, waiting.
I sigh. “It’s not a big deal. I got a call from my little brother. Eric’s getting married.”
“And that’s a bad thing because…?”
“For the last however many years we’ve been doing our best to ignore each other, but now that they’re getting hitched, his fiancée’s decided he should reach out to his family and I’m the best he has left.” I gesture at myself, head tattoos and all. “We grew up like feral rats in a meth lab and now he’s a fucking accountant. What am I supposed to do? Turn up in a rental suit and say ‘How do you do?’ “
Jackal grins. “Shit, I’d pay good money to see that. Can I be your plus one?”
“Oh, man.” I put my hand on his knee and look him deep in the eyes. “I’m so sorry if I’ve been giving you the wrong signals, but you’re not my fucking type.”
He shoves my hand away with a laugh. “I’ll try to contain my disappointment.”
I’ve got no reason to be defensive about my life. I live how I want, in a place that appreciates me for who I am. Booze, women, bikes, no punching a clock or sitting at a desk. The Outlaw Sons gave me a home and a place to belong and figure my shit out when I wasn’t sure it was worth it to keep going. It’s been so long since I’ve seen my brother. If he’s looking for normal, I’m fucked, because I don’t even know how to pretend to live in his world anymore.
“Seriously, Lash. It’s not like the world is ending and it’s your last chance to see your fucking brother. Weddings are just costume parties people throw to celebrate signing a piece of paper. Make an excuse if you don’t want to deal with it, or take one of the sluts with you and get drunk off your asses on his dime.”
“Maybe…”
Stiff returns, swinging the thermos. “Who’s getting drunk? Is it too late to get in on it?” He stops and looks out the gate towards the intersection, brows furrowing.
The two of us stand up to check out whatever caught his attention. Down the block, on the other side of the street, Bonnie’s girl, Anne is crouched down looking into an alley. There’s a teenage boy next to her, looking about her age, standing just a little close if you ask me.
She looks anxious, her movements unsure. When she stands, the boy tugs at her arm, but she shakes her head and looks our way. When she sees she has our attention, she raises her hand and waves for us to come over.
Shit. “Let’s go check it out.”
The Outlaw Sons aren't exactly the neighborhood watch. We follow our own code, but for the right price, we’re willing to do a lot of shit that would horrify most upstanding citizens. Usually we're the ones someone needs a rescue from. Still, this is our territory and anything that happens around here is our business.
“Hey.” Jackal waves at Savage, one of our VPs, who’s walking across the courtyard with one of the prospects. “Keep an eye on the gates for a sec?”
Savage cocks his head. “Trouble?”
I hesitate. Anne looks worried but she’s not freaking out. “Probably nothing.”
He nods. “Go on. Bones and I can hold down the fort.”
We jog towards Anne, and I can see the exact moment her little friend notices and decides the three of us are way more than he’s ready to deal with. He hightails it the other way before we get to them.
“Coward,” Stiff says with a low chuckle.
Anne rolls her eyes. “Don’t be mean. I thought it was going to be better at the public school, but all the boys only think it’s cool that I live here until they realize that I’m actually, like, surrounded by bikers. I’m never going to get a boyfriend at this rate.”
I put my hand on her shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze. “You don’t need a boyfriend. You’re a baby.”
She glares at me. “I’m almost fifteen! What were you doing when you were fifteen?”
“I was—” Fuck. I was doing the sort of shit we’d skin that kid alive for trying with Anne. Jackal doesn’t even try to hide his laugh. “Doesn’t matter. What were you looking at over here?”
She glances back into the alley. “I… I thought I heard something. It sounded like someone was hurt.”
My brain flips through all sorts of possibilities, most of them not great. “Okay, get behind the walls. Savage is on the gate.”
Anne nods. With her wavy blonde hair and pretty face, it’s easy to see why a fifteen year old would be willing to risk life and limb to walk her home, but she’s seen too much shit in her short life to be a typical clueless teenager. She knows when it’s safe to push, and when to obey an order.