Total pages in book: 69
Estimated words: 66497 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 332(@200wpm)___ 266(@250wpm)___ 222(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 66497 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 332(@200wpm)___ 266(@250wpm)___ 222(@300wpm)
“It’s real Sopranos-type stuff,” I said, exchanging a look with Suzanna. “But it’s real.”
“They aren’t what you would expect, though,” Kirsten said with a smile. “They are… good men.”
“Dangerous but honorable,” Janet added. Suzanna looked at me again, and I nodded reassuringly.
“Dev is on good terms with them. The whole club is.”
“We don’t mess with them and they don’t mess with us,” Janet added.
“But here’s the thing about them. They don’t like it when anyone, even their guys, hurts women. Sal had… friends. People in Vegas and around here who would have killed me. Lucky too. Maybe all the guys. But they squashed it. They knew I killed one of their guys and they didn’t do anything.” She smiled tremulously. “They even sent a wedding gift.”
“Scared the hell out of you.”
“Yeah, they knew where we were. I wasn’t expecting that. But the food was really good.”
She looked around the room at us.
“Here’s the thing. I feel safer in this world knowing the Margarellis are out there. Our guys too. They are not traditional men, but they are good men.”
“The best men,” Janet said firmly.
“The best,” I echoed. One by one, we all said it. Suzanna looked at us, her heart in her eyes. We had reached her. She understood now. She was ready.
“Oh, God, I think I made a terrible mistake.”
Chapter 39
Becky
“Did you text Cal?”
Molly nodded. Janet and Kaylie were talking to Suzanna by the front window. Angel was checking on the kids upstairs.
“He said something is up. Mac is trying to come here.”
“Oh, lord,” I said. I was very familiar with drunken late-night visits. Whiskey and Cal had shown up on my lawn more than once. “Can’t they hold him back?”
“I think they are coming,” she said with a horrified laugh. “We might not be able to stop them.”
“Kaylie,” I said loudly. “Incoming.”
Her eyes were wide as she hurried over to us.
“What? Now?”
“Soon,” Molly said, chewing her lip. “Cal said Mac doesn’t believe him. He wants to see her.”
“And he’s wasted,” I added helpfully. Kaylie looked alarmed. Hell, I was alarmed too.
“It’s not even midnight,” she said.
“Apparently, he started drinking when she left and hasn’t stopped. Everyone is giving him a wide berth.”
“Cal said he’s volatile.”
“Well, we have to keep him away then. He could blow it all.”
“Keep who away?”
We turned to see Suzanna standing there with her mug of whiskey. We exchanged glances and shrugged.
“Mac is shitfaced and he’s coming here.”
“He’s drunk?”
“He never gets drunk. He’s beside himself.”
“Don’t worry, somebody is driving him.”
“He is not himself right now. He thinks he really lost you.”
“Well, he didn’t,” Suzanna said firmly. “I’ll just tell him that. Then he can sleep it off.”
“I hope so. I’ve never seen Mac belligerent. Cal said he’s picking fights with everyone. Even Moose.”
My jaw dropped.
“Does he have a death wish?”
“Who is Moose?”
“He’s only as big as Jack and Whiskey. Nice guy, but he’s no one to mess with.”
“He’s even wider than Jack and Whiskey.”
“Oh, no.” Suzanna looked terrified. “This is all my fault. Is Mac okay?”
“Yeah. He’s okay. Cal would have told me.”
“Then maybe it’s good they are getting him out of there.”
“Well, when you put it that way…” My sentence trailed off as we heard bikes outside. Lots of them. A couple of cars too.
“Tell them to be quiet!” Kirsten was hurrying down the stairs, looking more amused than annoyed. “Kids are sleeping.”
“On it,” Janet said, stalking outside. A moment later, we heard Mac bellowing for Suzanna followed by what sounded like Janet hissing and a couple of stifled laughs. He was loud. The man was never loud.
“Tell them to take it to the dock!”
“I guess we are all going down to the dock,” I said with a conspiratorial smile. We grabbed Suzanna, each taking an arm, and all of us tromped down the pathway to the dock by the water. There was a small sandy beach there. Lucky had even added white sand to make it soft and pretty for his ladies, as he called Kirsten and Jayce. He was definitely a changed man.
Now it was Mac’s turn.
The dock and beach were full of guys. My eyes went to Whiskey first. He gave me a sweet smile. Devlin, Jack, Donahue, Callaway, Lucky, Drake, Nick, and Kyle were all there too. And in the center of them all stood Mac.
He turned and looked at us, the look in his eyes touching me deep inside. He looked terrified and hopeful all at once. His heart belonged to Suzanna. That much was obvious.
I just hoped she wouldn’t crush it.
My hands dropped as she walked forward, not stopping until she was standing right in front of him. In the moonlight, with the circle of people around them, it looked like something out of a movie.
“Suzanna.” He reached for her and took her hands. “I am so sorry.”
“Shh,” she whispered, pressing a kiss to the back of his hand. “It’s okay. Everything is okay.”