Total pages in book: 77
Estimated words: 75405 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 377(@200wpm)___ 302(@250wpm)___ 251(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 75405 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 377(@200wpm)___ 302(@250wpm)___ 251(@300wpm)
“Some people at your school noticed you hanging around some guy, a couple knew where you would meet him. They said he was on a bike when he picked you up.”
“You interrogated people I go to school with?”
“You had to know I wouldn’t stop until I found who hurt you,” he grumbles. “Anyway, one of your friends mentioned the guy looked at home on a bike and wore a cut like mine one day, but stored it in his saddlebags before coming up to get you. They couldn’t tell me who, or what the cut looked like, but since you had mentioned Kentucky it gave me a place to start.”
“I can’t believe you!”
“Butterfly—”
“And you look so proud of yourself!”
“It wasn’t just me. King had some connections and information on clubs in Kentucky. That was a dead end, unfortunately. There are too many men and someone wouldn’t give me a description or a name.”
“I did that for a reason. So, how did you find him?”
“That was pure luck. King was in Kentucky working on something else and happened to see Gabby having lunch one day. He had to do a double-take and mentioned it in passing. So, I figured, the chick eats there once, she’d probably eat there again. I put the joint under a stakeout.”
“Oh my God. You’re deranged.”
“The point is, he hurt you and he has to pay. I just needed to make sure I had the right kid,” he answers. “Letting him meet with you was the only way I could do that.”
“You can’t make him pay, and I still don’t see why it matters if you know who the father of my child is,” I argue. Swallowing down the hurt I feel toward him. I doubt he’s aware of how much pain I felt just having to be face to face with Thomas right now.
“I didn’t want to murder an innocent man.” He sounds so matter of fact about it that it’s almost as if he’s discussing the weather.
“Murder?” I squeak. “Daddy, you can’t kill Thomas.”
“Yeah, I can and I’m going to enjoy it, Butterfly.”
“You can’t kill the father of my child. I forbid it.”
I watch as a smile twitches on his lips.
Shit. Fuck. Damn.
I know my father. When he gets like this, there’s no talking to him. Which means I’m out of luck. I’m going to have to decide if I want to save Thomas’s life or let him die. At one time, that wouldn’t have even been a question. I loved Thomas with all my heart, I’d have given my life for his without even blinking. Now? If it’s possible to love and hate someone at the same time, then I suppose that’s where I’m at.
“You need to stop thinking about it. You never have to speak to that damn kid again.”
“Actually, I really do need to see him again, Daddy,” I mumble, feeling doors close in on me.
“Nah, I don’t think you do, Butterfly.”
“Daddy!”
“I forbid it.”
“You can’t do that. I’m old enough to make up my own mind about things, and the club may be your life, but this is my life.” I argue, my heart kicking up in speed when I feel a surge of panic.
“I can do anything I want,” he says with a wink.
I love my father, but right now I want to choke him.
“Daddy, I still love him,” I respond, looking him in the eye. Dad stares at me and I can tell he’s upset, but he believes me and that might buy me a few days to figure out how to avoid a club war.
I try to never lie to my Dad. We’ve always had an upfront relationship. Lately, I seem to be doing it often—like right now. I’m totally lying. I don’t love Thomas. I hate him.
And now, I hate him even more for forcing me to save him—and I am going to do that. I sigh as what I’m going to do lands on me like a ton of bricks.
I’m going to claim Thomas West as my old man and pray that does the trick. It’s more or less a marriage, at least in club life, and hopefully that will be enough. I might be able to whisper a small lie to my father, but I don’t want to lie to God and make vows that will be impossible for me to keep.
I really do hate him…
I keep saying it, but it’s becoming so intense that if I don’t repeat it often, I just might explode.
Chapter 4
Thomas
“I take it the meeting didn’t go that great.”
I look up to see my old man standing in the doorway of the hotel room. He’s tense, but not as bad as he was earlier today when he couldn’t go with me and had to trust Grunt to have my back. We haven’t really spoken much about how bad I’ve fucked up. I know he’s not happy with me. When Dad’s not happy, the world knows. Still, he hasn’t said much about it, just that we’ll handle it. Mom is upset. Well, I’m not sure that’s the exact word. I think she’s disappointed, which feels worse. You would think at my age, I’d stop worrying about what my parents thought of me, but that’s not the case. I’ve always wanted what my parents have. They are completely devoted to one another. There’s not much that comes before the club with Dad, but Mom does, and I think everyone knows that. Luckily, Mom has always wanted what was best for the club, so it works out. If she didn’t, maybe Dad wouldn’t love her as much as he does. She’s his entire world, though, and it’s the same with her. That’s what I always envisioned having.