Total pages in book: 54
Estimated words: 50653 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 253(@200wpm)___ 203(@250wpm)___ 169(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 50653 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 253(@200wpm)___ 203(@250wpm)___ 169(@300wpm)
My chest tightens. My stomach roils. Is this a heart attack?
“You okay? What’s going on with you two?” She jumps up and slides around the bar, her eyes focused on me. Setting two glasses on the counter, she pours us both red wine.
“Oh, great,” I grunt, turning away as Claire saunters in. A few members sit at the back of the room, giving her appreciative glances. She comes up next to us and helps herself to Kitty’s drink, her lipstick staining the glass. Twirling a finger in Kitty’s hair, she sniggers.
“You’ve always had a quirky personality.”
“Leaving so soon?” I ask sweetly.
“Actually, I’m going home to get a few things. Liam refuses to leave and asked me to stay.”
“You never stay here,” Kitty says, her jaw unhinging.
“Well, he’s my husband, so I guess if he wants me to…”
“What about Rocco?” I watch them like a tennis match, my head swiveling back and forth.
“He’s with my parents for a few days. Who knows, maybe this will become a regular thing. It’s always hard to find quality time at home with a kid.” She winks at Kitty, and it may as well have been a bullet fired. The damage was just as fatal.
Kitty shakes her head and rounds the bar, jabbing a finger over her shoulder. “Shit, I just remembered Keg has an appointment for his shots.” She turns, then shouts back without looking, “I’ll catch you later.”
Claire looks me over again, doing a complete scan from my roots to the tips of my toes. “Who’s Keg?”
“Her kitten.”
Pursing her lips, she squints down at me. “Liam said you’re a vet.”
“I recently finished school, yes.” I swig my wine while keeping eye contact. She won’t rattle me.
“Well, it’s good you were with him then, but as you can see—” She wiggles her wedding finger. A band encrusted with diamonds glints under the lights. “—he’s a married man.”
Is she for real? By the attitude, I would have sworn she knew there’s something between Cutter and Kitty, yet here she is warning me off. The audacity she had after what she did to get the ring was astounding.
I place my glass down, and it clinks against the bar. “Let me be clear, I wasn’t with him when shit went down, just in the same place at the same time. And the last insecure snake who tried to warn me off got her nose broken.”
“Are you threatening me?” Her eyes narrow.
“I don’t do threats.”
“I’m an ol’ lady, you’ll do well to watch how you speak to me.”
“I don’t give a shit who you are.” Getting to my feet, I notice Callan pass by the doorway, alone. “You’re welcome, by the way. And good job going from a club slut to an ol’ lady. That’s a game well played.” Without giving her a chance to retort, I spin around, leaving her standing there red-faced with her mouth open.
“Callan!” I run to keep up with him before he reaches his room. He leaves the door open for me to follow. Once inside, he shuts the door and pushes up the sleeves on his tee, exposing his ink. “Where have you been?” I ask, my insecurity dripping through. I want to kick myself in the ass.
“Don’t question me like you’re my ol’ lady.”
Ouch. Guess I deserve that.
“Is she going to say anything to the others?”
“She’ll do as she’s told.” He empties his pockets and rummages through his dresser.
“Are you going to tell them?” I feel small, fragile, an ant easily stepped on.
“I don’t know, Rogue. What is it I’ll be telling them?” He snaps his head in my direction.
“It doesn’t matter.” I throw up my hands, and they crash against my thighs.
“Why doesn’t it matter?” He slams the dresser drawer closed, rocking the unit with the force of his anger.
“Because you know whose cut this patch belongs to.” I pull it from my pocket. We stare at each other, an invisible storm brewing.
“It doesn’t mean they’re responsible.”
Anxiety swells within me. “Tell me, Callan.” His silence is deafening. “Please.” I exhale.
His eyes soften, and he moves toward one of the metal lockers along the back wall. With a deep breath, he opens it and pulls out a leather cut. Nerves shake the bones under my skin as I take a few steps to where he stands, my fingers stroking over the empty space where the patch should have its top rocker. My focus shifts to the name on the cut. No.
President.
CHAPTER 17
REVELATIONS
I unfold my hand, smoothing out the crease in the top rocker, and hold it up to the blank spot where it belongs. Some of the loose threads are still hanging there.
“Your dad.” I choke on the words. My mind is spinning.
“It’s his cut, yes.” There are defensive notes in his tone.
“He killed her.” My teeth clench. My thoughts scream and I feel my muscles coiling. Her image, dead with bruises up her neck, crashes over me like a tidal wave colliding with the shore, stirring up everything beneath it and dragging it out to sea.