Total pages in book: 36
Estimated words: 32646 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 163(@200wpm)___ 131(@250wpm)___ 109(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 32646 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 163(@200wpm)___ 131(@250wpm)___ 109(@300wpm)
I shrugged and closed the fridge. Wasn’t anything I wanted here anyway. I could get another coffee and maybe a cookie from the coffee shop. “Sure,” I told her. I looked at Ace as I walked out of the kitchen, who seemed to be working on a new tattoo design for Shaw. “I’m bringing my little brother with me.”
“Oh?” she asked, surprise tinging her voice. Hell, if I were her, I’d have been surprised, too. But I didn’t need to be alone, and Ace, despite him being a cocky little brat who liked to push my buttons more often than not, he’d also have my back. Always. “Okay. I’ll find us a table when I get there. See you in a bit, Cameron.”
I ended the call and looked at Ace, who was watching me. “Want to get something to eat? We’re meeting Abbie and her partner, Trent, at the coffee shop.”
He shrugged. “Lunch with a cop.” He snorted. “Sounds like some elementary school shit.” He locked his tablet and hopped down from his bar stool. “Sure. I’m in, so long as you’re paying.”
I sighed. “Bro, doesn’t Shaw pay you well for your art?”
He shrugged. “So? You invite me, you pay.”
I rolled my eyes. “Christ,” I muttered, pulling my truck keys from my pocket. “Let’s go.”
When I pulled up outside the coffee shop, Abbie was outside, standing under the awning. Trent was already inside, a coffee in front of him at a four-seater table. I got out, Ace following, and walked up to her, pressing a kiss to her lips. “Come on.”
Pressing my hand to her lower back, I led her inside, holding the door open for Ace before following her to the counter. Once we’d ordered our food, Ace went to sit down, introducing himself to Trent. Trent looked a little offended when Ace wouldn’t shake his hand, making me snicker.
“He doesn’t like being touched?” Abbie asked.
I shook my head. “Nope. He hates it.”
She frowned. “Can I ask why?”
I shook my head again. “Nope.” That wasn’t her business, and it wasn’t my business to tell anyway, even if I did want her to know—which I didn’t. Ace’s history was his, and no one needed to know unless he wanted them to know.
Besides… not even us—his own damn brothers—knew what had made him so afraid of being touched. He was close-lipped about it.
She eyed me for a moment. “You’re in a particularly bad mood, Cameron,” she noted.
“I’m always like this,” I said evasively, wishing she’d just drop whatever she was doing. She didn’t want to fuck with me today. I wasn’t in the damn mood.
She huffed, turning to face me. “You’re always so closed off, but today, you’re just being fucking rude about it. You were short on the phone and hung up without even giving me a proper goodbye, and now, you’re literally popping the P on your words like an obnoxious child.”
I scoffed, narrowing my eyes at her. “Like an obnoxious child? You’re the one picking a fight in the middle of a goddamn coffee shop, Abbie.”
“Well, maybe I’m tired of being treated like shit,” she sneered. “You sweet talk me enough to get in my pants, and then you’re a douchebag the rest of the time. You’re always hot and cold, and I can’t keep up. Seriously, Cameron, it’s been a month. You could thaw just a little.”
And I just… I fucking lost it. I was tired. I was aggravated. And I was just done.
“I could thaw a little?” A cruel laugh spilled past my lips that made the blood rush from her face. “You want me to fucking thaw, Abbie?” I sneered. Ace immediately got up from the table, heading my way, but it didn’t matter. I was on a goddamn roll. “The only reason I decided to fuck with a pig like yourself is because I overheard you and your little fuck head friend talking about taking down my family, starting with Jax—my goddamn brother.”
Her face paled even more—so much so, she looked like she might fall over at any second. Ace shook his head at me, warning me to back off now, but I was so over her holier-than-thou shit. “I’ve been playing you this entire fucking time, Abbie. Distracting you to keep you away from my family. Fucking you so good, all you can think about is the next time my dick gets to be inside your tight little body.” Her face turned red, anger and hurt burning in her eyes. “So, take your opinions of me and shove them right up your perky little ass, little devil, because I didn’t start this shit—you did. All I did was protect my family from asshole cops like you,” a cruel smirk tilted my lips, “while you were ready to rip apart lives, rip apart my family, just so you could earn two more dollars on your pissy-ass paycheck.”