Total pages in book: 143
Estimated words: 141464 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 707(@200wpm)___ 566(@250wpm)___ 472(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 141464 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 707(@200wpm)___ 566(@250wpm)___ 472(@300wpm)
They meet halfway and something shifts.
Cain wraps his arms around her like he’s afraid if he lets go, she’ll vanish again.
Jezzie clings just as hard, her face pressed against his shoulder, silent but shaking.
Feeling like an intruder, I back away, leaning against my truck. Margot steps beside me, sliding her hand into mine without a word.
Finally they part. Cain scrubs a hand over the back of his neck, his gaze flicking everywhere—me, the pavement, the sky—before finally landing on Margot.
“This the girlfriend you stay with all the time?” he asks, still with that weirdness around the question.
“Yes.” I keep my voice steady. Now’s not the time for my inner asshole to come out and play. “This is Margot.”
“She’s good people,” Jezzie chimes in, her voice warm and sure. “Best decision our brother’s ever made,” she adds in a lower voice.
Our brother. Damn, that feels weird.
I don’t hate it, though.
Cain rubs the back of his neck again. “You, uh... want to come inside?”
“Yeah, sure.”
We follow him all the way to the top floor.
I haven’t been to the apartment since before I left for Vegas. And I’m pleased he’s keeping the place clean. Teller might’ve said he wasn’t worried about any damage, but I still don’t want my brother to trash the place.
Jezzie steps in tentatively, eyeing the kitchen. She throws me a teasing stink eye. “This is bigger than my place.” She wanders further inside. “And it’s a two bedroom?”
“Club only had this one available, smart-ass.”
Cain swings his arms in wide, jittery arcs, like he’s got too much energy and nowhere to put it. “So, uh… when can I meet your club? I wanna thank your friend for letting me stay here.”
“Some of my brothers will be at the track.” I swallow hard, not sure this is a great memory to bring up for Cain. “You remember my friend Logan? The one who…”
Cain nods quickly, sparing me from finishing that sentence. The one who showed up and helped kick you out of your home.
“Yeah, he’ll be there. Dex too—he’s the one who usually manages Crystal Ball.”
His cheeks redden at the mention of the strip club.
“Are Heidi and Murphy coming?” Jezzie asks. “Heidi said she’d let me do a lap in her Hellcat.”
“Get out of here,” I laugh. “You want to get behind the wheel of that beast?”
She smirks and shrugs. “She offered. Aunt Angela would die if she saw me driving that.”
Cain frowns. “Who’s that?”
“Oh.” Jezzie freezes. “Our mom’s sister…I lived with her after…”
Cain nods slowly. “We have some catching up to do, I guess.”
“We do,” Jezzie agrees.
Cain perks up, lifting his chin at me. “Remy said one of his friends has a Mustang?”
Jezzie’s gaze snaps to him. “How do you know Remy?”
Margot coughs into her hand, failing to hide her laugh.
“He comes into the gym I work at all the time,” Cain says, like it’s been the highlight of working at Strike Back. “Been teaching me some stuff.”
He shifts into a fighting stance—feet planted, hands up, balanced like he’s done this more than once. Not just street brawling. More controlled. More trained.
“Cute,” Jezzie says. “So how do you like it here? Jensen said you were living in…New Mexico?” She lowers her voice. “I’m sorry about your mom.”
“Thanks.” He stares at his sneakers, scuffs one against the carpet. “It’s a lot colder, that’s for sure. Otherwise, I don’t know.”
“You’re going to stay, though… right?” Jezzie asks gently, but she doesn’t hide the hope in her voice.
He’s quiet for a beat, then lifts his head and looks straight at me. “I dunno. If you guys want me to.”
“Yeah.” I shrug, unnerved by the questions in his eyes. “Thought you wanted to go to school here?”
He shrugs, still holding my gaze. “I can do that anywhere.”
I already told the kid I’d help him with school and pretty much whatever else he needs.
It’s not money he’s looking for. Not the logistics of getting an education.
It’s family.
I chose my club as my family a long time ago. Built a life on that choice. No regrets.
But now that I’ve found my little brother again...
Maybe I’ll choose him, too.
CHAPTER FORTY
Margot
“You think they stayed up all night, catching up?” I ask Jigsaw as I finish slipping a rainbow-striped cardigan over my black T-shirt with a picture of a cute, fluffy kitten licking blood off its paws. Underneath the kitten, Feminine Rage is written in a loopy, cursive font.
Jigsaw’s mouth quirks as I walk into the living room. “If that isn’t the most perfect shirt for my little lady death.”
“Isn’t it cute?” I tip my head down and smile.
He steps closer, eyes dropping to my chest. “Sexiest threat I’ve ever seen—stretched across the most perfect breasts.”
“Oh, you’re just full of compliments tonight, aren’t you?”
“Yup.” He holds out a small white box. “I saw this today and thought of you.”
“Really?” I squeal, not even caring what’s inside. I pry the lid off and find a glossy red enamel pin—heart-shaped lollipop, devil horns, smug little face, tail curled sweetly around the stick like it’s not planning to stab anyone. A ribbon banner across the middle reads: Sweet as Hell.