Total pages in book: 212
Estimated words: 207966 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1040(@200wpm)___ 832(@250wpm)___ 693(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 207966 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1040(@200wpm)___ 832(@250wpm)___ 693(@300wpm)
“Wish you’d have told me the whole story.”
“I want to forget. I’ve been trying to forget for almost four years, Jesse. It haunts me. And I don’t wanna think about it. Don’t wanna think about the day every year that I did it, but I do. Don’t want to think about the date that baby would’ve been born, but every year I do. It kills me. I beat myself up sometimes thinking I should’ve had it and let someone adopt it. I told myself I should’ve kept it myself and I’d finally have someone to love. But I couldn’t be connected to him.”
“Of course not.”
“And I couldn’t let a child be born out of something ugly like that and take any chances I’d feel… bitter toward it. I grew up with a mom who didn’t want me, who looked at me like she hated me. I… just wanted to forget. But Kailey fucking told him, so…” She threw her hand out.
I sighed.
“And now other people know and I’m just… I’m so humiliated.” She covered her face.
I pulled her into my arms.
“He should be the humiliated one, not you.”
“My word against his. Sweet butt versus patched club member. He said I was all over him that night, insinuated more than once that he wanted me again, that he dreamt about fucking me. He has this fixation on me and honestly, something’s not right in his head.”
“I’m gonna teach him a lesson tomorrow. And I’m gonna bring forward a motion in church that we vote him off the fuckin’ island.”
Her head came up and her eyes were horrified. “No. Don’t do that.”
“What?”
“Let it go, Jesse.”
“I’ve already called him into the ring, G.”
“I mean let it go after that.”
“Nope. Knowing what he’s been doin’ to you? It hasn’t been easy for me to fuckin’ swallow it but he seemed like he stayed away when I told him to, and my hands were tied because of club protocol. What he pulled tonight? Me finding out the rest of it? My hands are no longer tied. My fists are fuckin’ clenched and I’m gonna be unloading months of anger on that fucker. He doesn’t deserve to be in this club. He’s why his wife treated you like shit. He earned that, not you. He’s no better than the Wyld fuckin’ Jackals date-raping you and threatening you repeatedly? Givin’ his woman sex diseases, fucking another member’s woman behind his back while harassing my woman?”
“What? Who?”
“He was the nail in the coffin for Deanna and Scott. Gave her an STD that she brought home to him.”
Her eyes widened.
“So, no. I’m not lettin’ anything else go where he’s concerned. Especially not now. He’s cornering you tryin’ to get you to leave me for him? He’s a goddamn tool. He’s a tool and a rapist, and I want him out of this club. He might have ten years where I’ve only got one, but-”
“Listen to me…” She put her hands to my face. “I’m already having enough of a time being here. I’m here because I want you. I’m here because you’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me. You wanna beat him up, fine. Do it. But don’t put it up for a vote that he gets kicked out of the club. That’ll mess with the club’s whole bros before hos thing, and I already feel like most of the boys would find life easier if I wasn’t –”
“That is not this club’s mantra, woman.”
“The Valentine boys specifically look at me like they wish I wasn’t here.”
“Those boys have been absolutely supportive. Of course they’re worried their women are jealous but that’s not on you, it’s not on me. It’s obviously workin’ itself out. And those girls have taken you into their crew, haven’t they?”
“Yeah, but…”
“You think Deacon would pick anyone of us over Ella? You think, looking at the way Fork and Jojo look at one another that they’d let someone get in the middle of that? You’re not a ho. They’re not with hos. The brothers I consider my brothers believe in family first. The club is family, but that doesn’t trump their relationship with their girlfriends. And as for me and you, you’re important to me. I love you. I love my club, but they’re not ahead of you on my priority list. We’re still kinda new, G, but you’re my priority. The thing we’re building. And this club needs to be the kind of club I believe in for me to want to continue to be a member. I haven’t inked them into my skin yet, I was plannin’ on doing it after a year. I’m at that year mark now. If this is the kind of club that would continue to let a piece of shit like Skip Ford be responsible for our safety as road captain? No. Fuck that. I won’t take their ink if they’re the sort of club that puts a fuckhead like Skip ahead of me in this situation. I called him into the ring. After that, I’m calling for kangaroo court, too.”