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)
“It’s not all gone yet, is it?”
He looks like he wants to deny it, but then shakes his head. “Nah, it isn’t, but it’s not there all the time like it used to be. It’s still fresh for you, and right now you have a whole lot of shit to distract you. Doesn’t mean you didn’t love her.”
“Logically I know you’re right, but it’s hard.”
“It’s been what? Three days? Give yourself a break. You’re doing your best and you have a kid to think about that doesn’t understand what any of this means. Maybe you don’t see it, but every time he gets nervous, he looks to you to see how he’s supposed to react. He needs to see that it’s okay to be sad, but it’s okay to not let it destroy you.” Stiff presses a soft kiss to my forehead. “And maybe he doesn’t need to see it, but it’s okay to let us be part of what distracts you.”
I can feel the smile pulling at the corners of my mouth. “How would you distract me?”
He runs his fingers through his beard, thinking, then gets close to whisper in my ear. “I’d get Logan a babysitter, bring you back to the club and fuck you until your throat’s raw from screaming our names.”
“Our?” The word comes out in a ragged squeak.
“So long as I get to watch, remember?” His breath skirts over my ear, a pulse of heat that travels a lot farther than it should.
“I can’t believe you just said that. I’m pretty sure a lot of people would say that is definitely not the right way.” I feel terrible for laughing, but it feels good too.
“Landlubber, are ye there? Still two more chances to score my booty! Yarr!!” The number of chances comes out in a completely different voice from the pirate, like it was recorded separately by an entirely different person.
It doesn’t matter how serious this conversation got, there’s no way either of us keeps a straight face through that.
Stiff folds, his forehead hitting my shoulder as his back shakes with laughter. “You had to pick this one.”
“It has the best booty in the room. We should probably finish playing before it yells at us again.”
He kisses me quickly before I turn back around to pretend I’m playing pinball while he does all the work. Things feel easier between us, and while he stays close and it’s a little flirty, he doesn’t push. And when Logan and the others come over to find us, we find a stool for Lo to stand on so Stiff can teach him how to play, too.
16
LASH
“Hey, Hector, you ever seen this girl before?”
The Burnout’s a lot quieter on Mondays, but still busy. Most of the clientele doesn’t exactly work a nine to five, so the concept of weekends gets a little hazy. Hector pulls a beer for some guy from another club, then comes over. He squints, pulls a pair of glasses out of his pocket, and picks up my phone to get a better look.
“It’s definitely my place,” he mutters, zooming in. “What’s her name?”
“Georgia.” I lean in. “She’s standing with Ice, if you remember him.”
The look I get in return is deeply insulted. “Of course I remember Ice, God rest his black motherfucking soul. We went way back. You think just because those fuckers took him down, I forgot him? Now shut up while I try to think.”
Right. Got it. My bad. Both Stiff and Jackal glance my way, smirking. Assholes.
“Peaches. Yeah.” Hector looks up, nodding. He taps the screen. “If she went by Georgia, too, I dunno. When I knew her she was Peaches. Five years ago, probably? She needed work. Sweet but not very reliable. I let her pick up shifts when she was around and I was shorthanded. The boys loved her and she was good behind the bar when she was sober, but easily distracted. The picture makes sense ‘cause I think she and Ice had a thing for a while.”
“Know what happened to her?” Jackal asks.
“Nah. Like I said, she only worked when it was convenient for both of us, and at some point I figured she moved on because she stopped coming in.”
“Ice didn’t say anything?”
If I paid attention every time a girl showed up or vanished, I’d go fucking crazy. Maybe she got tired of the life and went back to suburbia, maybe she got arrested, maybe she just found a better job.” Hector fixes me with a look that’s hard to take seriously with the glasses making him look like Professor Mr. Clean. “We didn’t exactly have deep conversations about his love life, and if you remember, that was back when the Vipers were starting to get their fangs in you. Ice had other things to worry about.” Someone calls him from down the bar, and he walks off to help them.