Total pages in book: 82
Estimated words: 76425 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 382(@200wpm)___ 306(@250wpm)___ 255(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 76425 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 382(@200wpm)___ 306(@250wpm)___ 255(@300wpm)
"Arty is crashing on the couch," Huck declared, coming into the kitchen, making my hand fall from Sass's face as she jerked away from me. Like we'd been doing something wrong. "I think it's all that food you shoveled into him," he added, looking at Sass.
"I'm glad he's sleeping."
"Yeah, he needed it. He was getting to the slightly crazy stage of sleeplessness," Huck agreed, pouring a cup of coffee, then turning to face Saskia.
"I understand that he needs to prioritize your case," she told him before he could say it. "I don't mind just crashing here. If you don't mind having me."
"It's fine. Harm likes you," he added. She might not have known it, but that was the highest compliment coming from Huck.
"Your wife is sweet. I mean... a little psychotic, but sweet."
"It's the hormones. I hope. She had a dream last night that I threw out her favorite headphones. It was a dream. But she real slapped me for it," he said, smiling.
"I mean, she was probably just looking for any reason to slap you," Sass teased. "Which, oddly, I get," she added, getting a chuckle out of Huck.
"I like your balls, babe," he said, shaking his head. "I don't remember the last time someone outside of this club teased me."
"Get used to it. This is the kind of relationship my brother and I had," she went on. "It's the only way I know how to be with, sort of, family."
"You got a brother, huh? He want to be a biker?" Huck asked, sighing. He wore it well, but sometimes the mantle of leadership was heavy.
"I've never asked," Sass said. "I could, though," she added. "I have to warn you that he's a little crazy and cocky and is mostly interested in having a good time."
"So he'll fit right in," Huck said, smirking. "Seeley is going to talk to some of his contacts," he added, looking at me. "And if you know anyone, put some feelers out. We need to scale up. I've been putting it off for too long already."
"You should check out the racing scene," Sass suggested. "I think any of the guys like us that have sort of aged out of it, but still like that adrenaline rush might be interested. And likely looking for steady work. Especially if they've gotten records for racing."
"Look at you, pulling your weight around here," Huck said, giving her a nod. "Once shit is handled, you two should check it out."
Us two.
I shouldn't have liked the sound of that, but there was no denying I did.
I blamed Huck and Harmon.
While I'd always known that I wanted a wife and kids, all that traditional shit that had always been important to my mother and, by extension, to me, it hadn't been on my radar. Things had just been too busy with setting up the club. And we were still working on getting a repair shop going again since the last one blew up. There was just so much going on.
But then Harmon moved next door, and Huck had fallen hard. And with a baby on the way, to those of us who were interested in having our own, it was impossible not to start thinking about your own, about building a life and not just a career.
"It would be nice to see what is going on with that whole scene," Saskia said, nodding. "I haven't been back in a while. Have you?" she asked, looking at me, pulling me out of my swirling thoughts.
"No. We've been really busy. I used to go every once in a while. But it's been so long that I don't even have any connections anymore to see where the meet-ups are," I admitted, wondering when people had stopped texting me about them. I didn't even remember the last time someone had reached out.
It was interesting how much life could change in such a relatively small period of time. Something that had once meant a fuck of a lot to me was barely even on my radar anymore.
"If I ever get a good car again," she said, smirking at me, "I am going to race your ass and win," she told me, some of the boastfulness of her youth seeping into her words.
"You think so, huh?" I asked, smiling.
"It sounds like I've had a lot more practice than you lately," she declared. "I bet I could wipe the floor with you now."
"Oh, shit, man. I'd pay to see that," Huck declared, going into the fridge to grab a glass of milk he was probably going to try to force Harmon to drink while lecturing her about calcium and vitamin D.
"It's a date then," Sass said. "As soon as both our problems are handled, we are going to race."
"You two should get some sleep. Arty is probably going to wake up in a couple hours, and need to be driven home."