Total pages in book: 87
Estimated words: 82930 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 415(@200wpm)___ 332(@250wpm)___ 276(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 82930 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 415(@200wpm)___ 332(@250wpm)___ 276(@300wpm)
“He’s so lovely, Petal,” Rosalie said.
Petal welcomed him back as Rosalie placed him in her arms, and she put him in the car seat. She made sure he was secure before turning back to her friend. All the while she was aware of Dirty watching her.
She refused to look in his general direction. It was easy considering they had kept their relationship secret. At first she thought this would be unbearable, no one knowing exactly what happened. Going through this pain without anyone quite understanding, or perhaps even getting fed up with her for taking so long to deal with her pain. Now she was grateful for the secret relationship. The last thing she wanted was pity from anyone.
Before she could say anything, Rosalie pulled her in for a hug.
“We’re gathering stuff for the party tonight. Remember, Kim wants you to be there.”
“The party?”
“Yeah, remember, Kim wouldn’t accept anything but a yes for an answer, and pretty much got you to agree to go.”
She pressed her lips together and smiled. The memory was there, she just didn’t realize it was that close.
“I’ll try to make it, otherwise, will you let Kim know that something came up?”
“She won’t like it,” Dirty said.
Petal tried not to tense up.
“It doesn’t matter if she likes it or not. I’m not being rude, but family comes first.”
“You might like to know that when Kim doesn’t get what she wants, she goes and finds out why. I’m sure your parents would be thrilled to meet the fierce and loyal Kim Cox.”
He knew about her family. He knew about her responsibilities, and he also knew she didn’t want anyone else to find out what she did for her parents. It was embarrassing.
Looking at Rosalie, she offered a smile. “I’ll try.”
There was no trying about it. She would arrive at the party if she liked it or not.
****
Petal’s parents were not bad people. Dirty knew that. They were actually very nice people, just a little neglectful at times, and Petal’s mom had come to rely on her too often.
Dirty didn’t like how much time she devoted to her family. Even when they were sneaking around, she always had some event to deal with for a brother or sister. If one of them was in trouble, they’d call Petal, not their parents. It was like she had become the mom.
He did some snooping into Petal’s life. Her parents had been together since they were teenagers. In fact, they were childhood boyfriend and girlfriend. The classic friends-to-lovers tale for the two of them.
Her father worked hard at one of the local factories. He’d made his way up to managing one of the sections, and it dealt with food. Dirty didn’t delve too deeply into what he did, all he needed to know was that the job was legit, which it was. The mother didn’t work, but she took care of the kids, kind of. She had the help of the siblings, and he knew she was part of everything. She was just a little sloppy in the cleaning, and relied on Petal a lot, which he didn’t like.
Not that he’d taken the time to get to know her parents. Or truly met them, or could form a true opinion.
In fact, when her parents arrived at the hospital, he made sure they left without causing Petal more trouble. No one knew they arrived, but he’d seen them and had only recognized them from the photos he got about who each of them were.
Sitting at the bar, he nursed his glass of scotch and waited.
He had a feeling Petal was not going to turn up. If she did, he’d be surprised. There was no doubt in his mind that Kim would go hunting for Petal. Kim was worried about her, as was he. Not that he could show anything, as people would start asking questions.
He didn’t care. This thing with him and Petal was over. He got free and so had she, before they got a “prison sentence” together with a kid.
“Fuck me, Kim knows how to throw a party or what?” Myth said, coming to sit beside him, taking a long drink from his beer bottle.
The other brother was usually on her protection detail, so he spent a lot of time having to be sober. With Kim at the club with all the brothers, as well as her husband, Myth was in the clear for a good time.
Dirty wondered if this was why Kim had thrown the party in the first place. She was a tough woman—strong, fierce—but she loved them all deeply and in her own way. She never wanted any of them to go without.
Is that why she insisted on Petal coming to the club? Did she know about their secret relationship? He highly doubted it. Kim didn’t need to go sneaking around asking questions about him. He’d been careful after her last warning to him, and the fact Colt wanted him to get the job done. His part was done.