Total pages in book: 77
Estimated words: 76022 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 380(@200wpm)___ 304(@250wpm)___ 253(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 76022 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 380(@200wpm)___ 304(@250wpm)___ 253(@300wpm)
“You didn’t actually tell me. Though, I do have to replace their door.”
“Why?”
“Broke it down when I thought they’d taken you again. Might’ve held them at gunpoint for a few minutes.”
“You didn’t.”
“They handled it pretty well, considering.”
“I get the feeling that guns and violence are a pretty common part of their life.” I paused, reaching over to touch his hand. “Seems like maybe it’s a part of yours too.”
“I won’t deny that,” he admitted. “But it’s not an everyday thing. And it’s only to protect the club and our loved ones.”
“I’m not judging. I’m glad for that willingness to get your hands dirty. I’d probably still be in that basement right now.”
“Don’t sell yourself short. You’d gotten your ankles free. You’d have gotten your wrists too. Then probably snuck up and knocked the fucker out.”
“That was the plan. Or find the access point to the exterior doors.”
“Exactly. You would have gotten out sooner or later. I’m just glad we managed it sooner.”
“Me too.”
There was a soft knock at the door.
“Yeah?” Saul called.
The door inched open, and in walked Colter. With a giant basket in his arms.
“I’m just going to drop this right here,” he said, placing the basket on the record cabinet.
“You took Trix to the vet, right?” I asked.
“That was me.”
“Thank you. Really.”
“It was nothing. Don’t tell your mom about the hamburgers we got on the way home, okay, girl?” he asked my dog, shot a wink at me, then was gone again.
“That’s Colter’s thing. Gift baskets. But I want you to eat before we go through it. If you’re not too queasy.”
“That passed. I’m starving.”
“Good. Detroit and Saint both worked on breakfast, so it should be banging,” he told me as he went to grab the tray. “How is your head? Lungs?”
“I’m sore,” I admitted, immediately reaching for a piece of perfectly crispy bacon. “But my headache seems to be mostly better. I’m going to be fine,” I assured him.
“And you’re not gonna need to worry about your old coach again.”
“Was he arrested?”
“No, honey, he wasn’t arrested.”
Oh.
Oh.
That was, what, three murders I was connected to in two days? That was insane. But I had to admit that their deaths were of their own making.
Don’t steal from Russian mobsters.
Don’t kidnap and imprison women who are dating outlaw bikers.
Maybe I would feel more guilt when all the pain and shock subsided. Even if I didn’t, though, I was going to give myself grace.
I’d been living the past ten-plus years of my life in fight-or-flight. I wasn’t going to beat myself up about not being sad that my stalker was dead.
“What happens now?” I asked as we were halfway through our giant breakfast.
“Whatever you want.”
“What do you want?” I asked as he moved the tray away.
“Easy,” he said, reaching to pull me close. “You.”
EPILOGUE
Coach - 3 days
We barely got out of bed for three full days.
That sounded a lot sexier than it was. And, hey, that was a part of it. But mostly, we were just being close, talking, and opening up. In between that, Este was doing a lot of resting. Like she had ten years to catch up on. I guess she did.
On that fourth day, though, when I got up, Este and Trix were already gone.
I rushed out of bed, not even bothering to put on a shirt, only to find the two of them sitting outside in the pre-dawn hours.
“What are you doing out here?” I asked, noting the moonless sky. It had to be pitch black out once the floodlight went off.
“Learning to stop being afraid of the shadows,” she said, reaching for my hands, pulling me toward the side of the picnic table.
Her legs parted so I could step between.
“How’s it going?”
“Pretty good. I mean, I have scary dog privilege here. And, you know, a bunch of big, scary bikers within screaming distance.”
“Are you just up early, or were you having trouble sleeping?” I asked, tucking her hair behind her ears.
“I slept a lot the past few days. I think my battery is fully charged now.”
“Glad to hear it. How does your face and chest feel?”
“Mostly better. I only had a twinge when Trix lunged at what she thought was a squirrel.”
“What was it?”
“A snack bag of chips rolling around.”
“Also very terrifying,” I agreed, looking over at the dog who huffed and rested her head on her paws.
Este’s hands slid up and down my sides, her fingers slipping under the material to press against my bare skin.
My forehead pressed to hers for a second, but it wasn’t long before our lips met before her legs hooked around my back and her hips were rocked against me as I grew hard.
“I need to get you inside,” I said, breath coming in desperate pants, my body almost trembling with the need to be inside her.
“No,” she moaned against my lips as her hands slipped into my pants and wrapped around my cock.