Total pages in book: 101
Estimated words: 96287 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 481(@200wpm)___ 385(@250wpm)___ 321(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 96287 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 481(@200wpm)___ 385(@250wpm)___ 321(@300wpm)
It meant he was pissed off with Big Dick right now. Out of all the women that came to the fucking club, why did he have to stick his dick inside Larissa? There were plenty of willing women.
He’d told Jonah she’d be okay. He fucking vowed she would be, and instead it made him look like a liar, like he had no control over his men, or at least one man.
“He’s got some shit he needs to deal with.”
Hunter nodded. “You’re going to punish him forever.”
“He shouldn’t have touched her, Hunter. What more do you want me to fucking say?”
“We shouldn’t be getting involved with what was going on,” Hunter said. “Our main focus has to be the club’s safety.”
“My wife has no one right now.”
“Harlow is pitching in when she can.”
“But she’s pregnant and can only do so much. Larissa was amazing, okay? She helped my wife, and she could be trusted. I can’t just pull anyone off the streets and demand they help my wife.” Smokey ran a hand down his face. “I fucking failed her.”
He hated to admit it, once again. Ava deserved everything good. He’d put her through the fucking worst thing a man could put his wife through. She’d not been his wife when he had her tortured, because he had thought her as a traitor. It had been the biggest mistake of his life—one he would never forget, and it killed him.
Now, he’d vowed to always be there for her, to help her, and because Big Dick and fucking Carlos couldn’t be civilized and not make fucking bets, they’d lost Larissa. It pissed him off, which is why he wasn’t interested in whatever the fuck Big Dick was doing. He’d ordered him to stay the fuck away from Larissa and Jonah.
Jonah had shocked him, the way he’d torn off his collar and came to punish Big Dick. There had always been more to Jonah than met the eye, he just didn’t realize how much. He should have known, because over the years, that man had not shown a single ounce of emotion, no fear when it came to the club. Most men were terrified.
“You didn’t fail her, man,” Hunter said.
“I don’t know what we’re going to do. She wants to go to Larissa, but I don’t know if it is too soon. I’m thinking of putting out an advertisement, but again, am I reacting too soon? What if Larissa wants her job back?” He blew out a breath.
“You know, you could just go and talk to Larissa,” Hunter said.
“I’m sure she doesn’t want to see me.”
“You won’t know if you don’t try.”
****
Larissa was shocked to get Smokey’s call. She was tempted to tell him to leave her alone, or just ignore it. However, she was not going to be rude to the man that had helped her in the past. He’d given her a job when it was next to impossible to find another one.
Arriving at the diner, she glanced around at the tables, then spotted Smokey in the back. She stepped toward him and made her way across the room, sliding in.
“Hi, Smokey,” she said.
“Hey, sweetheart.” Smokey sighed. “How are you doing?”
“I’m okay. You?”
“I feel like fucking shit, to be honest.”
Larissa looked up from the menu to stare across the table at him. “What?”
“I had no idea what was going on, or what was happening. If I did, I would have stopped it,” Smokey said.
“I know.”
“Do you want me to kick his ass? Kick him out of the club? Kick his ass again?”
Larissa closed the menu and frowned. “Did he do something that breaks the rules of the club?” she asked.
Smokey gritted his teeth. “No, he didn’t.”
“I don’t want, nor do I need special treatment. I should have known better.”
“You’re ... different, Larissa. He should have known better.”
“And so should I have. I don’t want him to lose his position at the club just because you don’t like how things happened. It was a bet, a little fun between friends, and I was the punch line.” She shrugged.
It was like a strike to the chest, a deep, piercing pain that would not go away. She had fallen in love with a man who was just playing her.
The waitress came over. This was a new woman that Larissa didn’t recognize. “What can I get you two?”
“Just a chocolate milkshake for me,” Larissa said.
“Coffee for me,” Smokey said.
The waitress wrote down their order and left.
“You haven’t forgiven him, have you?” Smokey asked.
“I’m not going to keep hating him if that is what you’re worried about. I’m just not going to ... I’m not going to care about him.” It hurt. Even saying his name hurt. Her father had told her that with time it would heal.
“Look, I wish I could take back what he did. I wish I had known and could knock some fucking sense into him, but I wasn’t there. I know you quit and you don’t want anything to do with the club. I will accept your answer if it’s no, but I really need your help. Ava needs your help.”