Total pages in book: 31
Estimated words: 29782 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 149(@200wpm)___ 119(@250wpm)___ 99(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 29782 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 149(@200wpm)___ 119(@250wpm)___ 99(@300wpm)
“Do you know what you want to eat? I can make you a plate,” I offered, watching her lips as she took a sip of beer. Her throat bobbed gracefully as she swallowed. I licked my lips, imagining kissing that delicate looking skin.
“I’ll come with you,” she said happily. She did seem happy, I realized. A lot calmer since Penny got the green light from her doctor. Thank the good lord for that, I thought with relief.
Selfishly it was good for me, because I could have her all to myself again a couple of nights a week, but I’d also come to care for her little family. The kids were all great, funny, sweet, and smart in their own ways. Even little Jessie, who was a wild one if I ever saw one.
Goddamn if I wasn’t excited to be a part of the family. If only she would accept me. All of me. But if I told her the truth, she’d run for the hills.
And I wouldn’t blame her one bit.
“Everybody listen up.”
The voice wasn’t particularly loud, but everyone was immediately paying attention. The air of quiet authority was thick in the air. We all turned towards the house.
Cain was speaking.
“I’m not big on speeches, but I have to say something. We’ve all been waiting a damned long time for this day. I have been waiting a long time for this day.”
Cain turned and looked at me.
“Today, our brother Jaken becomes one of us. Once and for all.”
Everyone started clapping. Someone shoved me forward, none too gently I might add. Smiling faces were all around. Suddenly I was standing right beside Cain, and Mason was handing me a leather jacket with the Untouchables MC insignia emblazoned on the back. I slipped it on.
It felt good. It all felt good.
I caught Colleen’s eye as the guys surrounded me, bear hugging me, slapping my back, and generally roughhousing. I felt immediate relief. She wasn’t freaked out. In fact, she looked happy for me, though I knew she had no idea what the hell was happening.
I had just been inducted into one of the biggest, and most exclusive, formerly outlaw motorcycle clubs in the country.
I was an anomaly, that much was certain. It took years to earn a patch. All I’d had to do was hang around, serve drinks, fix a couple of bikes, and help cover up a killing or two.
Necessary killings. Putting down that psycho had been a sacred duty, as Connor called it. But that made us blood brothers.
It just didn’t happen to be our blood.
I let them give me a beer, but just one, since I was driving. I didn’t expect them to douse me with it. But I was laughing the whole time, all the same.
When I looked up through the suds, Colleen was gone.
Chapter Twenty-One
Colleen
“Sit with us, honey.”
I sat on the bench that lined the deck out back, overlooking the woods. It was beautiful out here. Peaceful. It felt safe.
Even though I was pretty sure there were bears around.
“Do you know what just happened?” Michelle asked gently.
“No… not exactly,” I admitted.
“Jaken is one of us now, officially.”
“One of… what?”
“An Untouchable,” Cass said. “Even though my husband doesn’t have the patch, he is one of them too.”
“He’ll take the patch,” Kelly predicted.
“Maybe,” Cass said thoughtfully. “But not until he retires.” She smiled wickedly. “I have mentioned that I thought he would look hot in leather.”
“What’s an Untouchable?”
“Oh honey,” Parker said with concern. “You really don’t know?”
“They’re bikers. Not criminals, like some,” Claire added quickly.
“They ride motorcycles,” I said, thinking that was the end of it.
“Yes, but they never call them that,” Michelle said with a twinkling laugh.
“What do they call them?” I asked curiously.
“Rides, pet names, the make and model… anything but motorcycles,” Claire laughed.
“I heard Connor calling his ‘baby’ and got so jealous. I thought he was talking to some girl on the phone!” Cassandra said, and everyone started laughing.
“If my big brother dared to look at another woman, you would tear his head off,” Kelly said. “Hell, I’d hold his shoulders for you!”
“He would never,” Parker said, rolling her eyes. “None of them would.”
“That’s so sweet,” I sighed. “It’s romantic.”
“Well, Jaken is like that, too. He doesn’t mess around. And lords knows he gets offers,” Michelle said.
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, that man gets hit on non-stop at the Jar. And I have never seen or heard about him showing the slightest bit of interest in anyone. Until you,” she said with a meaningful look.
“Oh,” I said, feeling unaccountably pleased. “But it was just dumb luck that we bumped into each other.”
“Sure, it was,” Kelly said. “If luck involves snooping and finding out what park someone goes to so you can bump into them.”
“Kelly…” Michelle said in a warning tone.
“Whatever, she likes him,” Kelly said, sticking out her tongue.