Series: Silver Spoon MC Series by Nichole Rose
Total pages in book: 43
Estimated words: 38632 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 193(@200wpm)___ 155(@250wpm)___ 129(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 38632 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 193(@200wpm)___ 155(@250wpm)___ 129(@300wpm)
Not for the first time today, I find myself awestruck by her. She gave up everything without hesitation to be here for Scout. She's holding it together admirably when anyone else would be broken on the floor.
"Were you and your sister close?" I ask, wanting to understand her. Needing to understand her on levels I'm not sure I can put into words.
She freezes for a moment and then slowly relaxes, stroking her hand over Scout's head again. "We were. Once." She sighs. "Siobhan left home my junior year of high school. We kept in touch regularly for the first couple of years, and then things changed. After our mom died, she grew more distant."
"Your mom died?"
She bobs her head in a tired nod. "Three years ago, " she says, her voice soft. "She had too much to drink and decided to get behind the wheel of her car anyway."
I frown, leaning back against the glass wall. "Was this a common occurrence?"
"Common enough."
Jesus.
"Our mom died instantly," she continues after a moment. "Siobhan came home for the funeral. That was the last time I saw her. I tried to convince her to move back after that, but she seemed happy." She huffs out a sad breath. "I should have tried harder."
"Hey." I push away from the wall and cross toward her before gently turning her to face me. "No one can predict the future, angel. Don't force yourself to carry guilt that doesn't belong to you. You didn't know."
"Did she?" she whispers, staring up at me with wide, worried eyes. "I keep asking myself that question, Tate. How long was Danny involved with this club? How long was she involved? I have so many damn questions."
"Then we'll find the answers," I say, pulling her into my arms. Surprisingly, she doesn't fight me. She lets me comfort her. "But I won't allow you to feel guilt that doesn't belong to you. It belongs to the club who did this to her."
"I hate them," she whispers.
"I know." I dig my thumbs into the back of her neck, massaging the tendons. "But not all MCs are the same."
"How do you know?"
Tell her, a little voice whispers. You have to tell her.
"Because I'm not," I murmur. "Because my brothers aren't."
She goes rigid in my arms and then pulls back. Her confused gaze meets mine. "What do you mean, you're not?" she asks. "Are you saying that you're in an–?"
"Yes."
Fear trickles into her gold eyes, stopping my heart. Fuck. Seeing it there burns like corrosive acid. The last thing I want is for this incredible woman to fear me or my brothers.
"We're not them, Samara," I say, my voice soft, emphatic.
I'm not sure if she believes me or not. Scout's night nurse bustles in, interrupting us before she can respond.
"Hey, Dr. Grimes. Good evening, Miss Lansing," she says, smiling between us. "It's time for Miss Scout's meds."
Samara stares at me for a long, silent moment and then spins away, her expression indecipherable.
Fuck. I should have stuck to the plan.
Chapter Four
Samara
"I'm killing your husband," I inform Troian, pacing back and forth in front of the window overlooking Rice University. This late, the University looks more like a park than an institute of higher learning. Aside from a few handfuls of students, the various courtyards are all but empty.
"You can't," Troian says. "I'm not raising his boys alone. They're too much like him."
"He could have warned me that Tate is in a freaking motorcycle gang!"
She laughs quietly. "It's not a gang, Samara."
I grunt, not so sure I agree with her. Whether they call it a club or a gang or something else, it checks the same boxes. Maybe they aren't selling drugs or prostituting women, I don't know. I feel like an idiot for what I said this morning though. He's been nothing but kind to me, and I insulted him and his friends! He probably thinks I'm a bitch. I'm not entirely convinced he's wrong. I'm not entirely convinced he's right either. As soon as he told me the truth, my heart stopped beating.
For the first time since I met him this morning, I felt genuine fear. I know he saw it. I hate that he saw it. I hate that it hurt his feelings, and I know it did. But the emotion was instinctive, there before I could call it back. I'm not afraid of him, not exactly. But I'd be lying if I said I weren't afraid.
He says his club is different. I want to believe him. I just…. Did Siobhan want to believe the same thing when Danny introduced her to his club? Did she think they were just a bunch of guys who enjoyed riding together? I don't know. I'm not my sister, and Tate isn't Danny, but trust has never come easy for me, especially when it comes to men.