Total pages in book: 50
Estimated words: 47579 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 238(@200wpm)___ 190(@250wpm)___ 159(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 47579 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 238(@200wpm)___ 190(@250wpm)___ 159(@300wpm)
“I’m a total wimp.”
Wraith poured the shot into a glass and added something from a dispenser behind the bar. “Sip on that.” With his eyes on her, he loaded the order onto a tray as the women cheered him on.
“Wraith’s yours?” a flashy blonde demanded.
Without hesitating, Caroline answered, “Yes. I’m in my bad boy era.” As she suspected, that was the perfect way to change the more than slightly intoxicated celebrators’ attitudes.
“Hell, yeah! I need to dive into my own bad boy,” a brunette chimed in.
“Or have him dive into you,” the bride suggested, drawing peals of laughter and hoots from the women.
To Caroline’s relief, they dashed to the dance floor when a popular song filled the bar. She glanced back at Wraith, who hummed the bad boy jingle under his breath as he worked on the next order.
“What was I supposed to say?” Caroline raised her shoulders and shrugged.
“I liked your answer, Little girl.”
Oh! She’d claimed him. “We suck at one-night stands,” she pointed out lightly.
“We do. I’m good with that.” Wraith told her.
“It’s a boy!” rang through the PA system.
“Did someone just have a baby? Here?” Caroline asked.
“Belinda.” A server with Amy on her nametag appeared next to her. “Her water broke behind the bar. Razor drove her to the hospital while Wraith and Toxin jumped in to clean before taking her spot.”
“She worked until her water broke?” Caroline said in amazement. That was tough.
“Yeah. She wanted all her maternity leave with her baby,” Amy answered as she maneuvered the tray of drinks onto her shoulder.
“Introduce me, Wraith,” a raspy voice demanded.
“Lucien, this is my girl, Caroline. Caroline, this is the President of the Devil Daddies MC, Inferno’s owner, and my boss.” Wraith easily listed off his positions.
“Hi. It’s nice to meet you,” Caroline said politely to the hard-looking man with a ton of tattoos. Did that cross mean Lucien had been in prison or maybe he’d killed someone? She hoped she didn’t move when a shiver ran down her spine. He looked lethal.
“That’s the first time anyone has called me nice,” Lucien said with a skeptical expression. He stared at Caroline, frightening her.
“Mine, Lucien. She meant nothing by it.” Wraith stood up for her as he continued to pour drinks. He didn’t seem bothered by Lucien’s attitude.
“Got it. Enjoy your time at Inferno, Caroline.”
She slumped with relief when the scary man walked away. Okay, she was wrong. They couldn’t all be Daddies.
“Lucien is a shrewd businessman, Caroline,” Wraith said before changing the subject. “Tell me what you did today.”
“I got a lot done at work,” she answered. For some reason, she hesitated to tell him she was an author. Caroline didn’t want him to think she was hanging around to gather information.
A small voice in the back of her mind reminded her that was exactly what she was doing. Caroline pushed that from her thoughts and concentrated on Wraith.
“How long have you been a bartender? I thought you manned the door.”
“The club members pitch in here when they want to. This is our MC’s hangout place. Lucien opens it up to the public as a community outreach. Many people come here because it feels thrilling.”
Caroline nodded. She could understand that. She controlled her expression as she dared to ask, “What’s your MC position? Vice-President?”
“I’m the Enforcer.”
“That sounds mean. You’re the one who beats people up?” she asked, appalled.
“Only when they deserve it,” Wraith answered as if it were a joke. “I need to run to the back for some vodka. Stay there for me, okay?”
Caroline struggled to find something to say, so she nodded. No one in her life used physical violence to solve problems. Suddenly, she didn’t think she could do this. They were from two entirely different worlds.
When Wraith’s broad shoulders disappeared through a swinging door, Caroline scrambled off the stool.
“Hey, Caroline, isn’t it? Wraith will be right back. He wants you to stay there,” the other bartender reminded her.
Frantically, she came up with an excuse. “I... I’m just going to the bathroom.”
“I’ll keep your seat available.” Immediately, a man tried to claim it as Caroline stepped away, and the other bartender interjected. “Hey, that seat’s taken. Go sit somewhere else.”
“She got up,” the man argued.
“That’s Wraith’s girl. Do you want to mess with him?”
The color leached out of the would-be chair thief’s face. He faded into the crowd.
Quickly, Caroline executed her own disappearing act. When she neared the door, she saw Scythe answer his phone. Sure that Wraith knew what she was doing, Caroline turned to dart down a hallway. She didn’t really understand why this felt so wrong suddenly. How could she explain it to Wraith? Reaching a door at the end, she rattled the doorknob. Locked.
“Caroline?”
Slowly, she turned to see the leader of the MC and panicked inside. “Lucien. I was going to get a breath of fresh air.”