Total pages in book: 73
Estimated words: 71497 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 357(@200wpm)___ 286(@250wpm)___ 238(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 71497 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 357(@200wpm)___ 286(@250wpm)___ 238(@300wpm)
There was a deep inhalation, then Haggard said, “I knew you were familiar, and I couldn’t figure out why.”
Will shrugged. “I was deployed when my sister and brother-in-law died. I missed their funeral, and the first three months after it happened. It was three months before I could get home. From that point forward, I had to move to a different city to split the custody of my nieces with my other sister and parents. My sister, Nivea, made life a living hell. So I didn’t really have much time to explore anything else for a while. Then when we moved back down here… needless to say, getting in touch with y’all wasn’t really the highest thing on my priority list.”
“No,” Shine agreed. “I expect not. We didn’t know them all that well. Made us feel like shit because all we knew of him was what our dad let us know. We were in and out of the military ourselves. Members of the Crow Gypsies, but not here. When we came back, your brother-in-law was just a memory.”
Trinket sighed. “Just don’t fuck her over, man. I had to sit on my hands for a fuckin’ year wondering where she was. Then that motherfucker goes into WITSEC, and I can’t find his stupid ass. Don’t be the reason I take my aggression out, mmkay?”
I was shaking my head before Trinket, along with the other four of them, took off as if they hadn’t just ruined my date.
When they were all finally gone, leaving me alone with Will, my shoulders slumped.
“I am so, so sorry,” I groaned, pressing my hands against my face.
Will started to laugh. “It’s okay, darlin’. I honestly would’ve expected nothing less from someone that has five brothers. Especially after everything that happened to you over your lifetime. It’s quite understandable that they’re cautious.”
I split my fingers on my left hand so I could see him with one eye.
“Normally I would agree with you, but…” I hesitated. “That was just the first of many.”
His lips twitched, and then he gestured to the bike with his chin.
I dropped my hands from my face and turned more fully toward him until we were less than a foot apart, and I had to drop my head back to look him in the eyes.
“First of many in a long line of warnings is okay… as long as you’re there at the end of the day.” He tapped the tip of my nose with one large finger. “You ready to ride?”
I nodded excitedly. “Actually, I’m more than ready to ride.”
When we reached his bike, he scooped up a pink and matte black helmet and handed it to me.
My brows went up, and he had the decency to flush.
“Had a girlfriend last year that liked to ride,” he answered the unasked question. “It’s not like I’m going to throw away a three-hundred-and-fifty-dollar helmet that I bought.”
I snugly fit it onto my head, then adjusted the straps to fit.
“As long as she’s not still using it, then I’m good,” I teased him. “Don’t worry. I know that you weren’t celibate before me.”
He grinned wickedly at me. “No, I definitely wasn’t.”
I rolled my eyes. “You have to remember I grew up with five older brothers. When I say that they’re bad… that would be an understatement. I’m not actually sure how my mother and father did it with them.”
He checked the clip on my helmet to make sure that it was on well, then turned and mounted the bike before holding out a hand for me.
I took it, and only when I was situated, a little farther than I would’ve liked due to the anxiety I was trying to hide—and obviously failing to hide from his raptor-like gaze—did he put his own helmet on.
I scooted a little closer while he was doing that, until only a few inches separated us.
I’d ridden with my brothers.
But riding with my brothers, and riding with Will, were two completely different things.
“You’re gonna have to either scoot forward, and grip with your legs, or you’re gonna have to hold on for dear life to my shirt. I can tell you which one I’d prefer but…” He trailed off when I scooted forward even more, his honesty and teasing giving me the courage to do what I wanted to do anyway.
He hummed, then started the bike.
I plastered myself against his back and looped my arms around his big, broad chest, placing my head against his lower shoulder.
His hand came up and he patted mine before he really gave it some throttle and took off as if he was finally free.
I squealed in excitement, laughing because no way would my brothers ever drive like this with me on the back of their bike.
Most certainly they wouldn’t chuckle darkly at my squeal.
We rode for what felt like hours through the ever-darkening night until we arrived at what was, indeed, a hole-in-the-wall steak house.