Total pages in book: 157
Estimated words: 145088 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 725(@200wpm)___ 580(@250wpm)___ 484(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 145088 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 725(@200wpm)___ 580(@250wpm)___ 484(@300wpm)
The door to the storeroom opened and Wasp stepped in. “Everything okay in here?”
Dex ripped his arm out of Hammer’s grip. “It’s fine. Daddy Hammer was just giving me life advice.” He laughed and stuck his tongue out at Hammer, but his eyes held no humor as he left.
The older biker’s mouth stretched into a smile, but before he could have said anything, Hammer pushed past him. “Not now.” With that, he hurried down the corridor, toward the doors that still swung from the push Dex had given them.
He needed to fucking break something and hated how visceral the need was. He’d grown out of being a hot head and had caged his violent impulses back in his twenties, yet the mixed signals from Dex were like electroshocks coming out of nowhere every time he replayed the conversation in his head.
When Hammer entered the main room, Dex had already picked up some nails and was hammering them into the side of the bar alongside Finn. And he seemed set on pretending Hammer wasn’t there.
That would not do.
“Do you need any help?” Hammer asked, flinching as loud music barked out of the large speaker installed on the wall above him.
Dex took a deep breath, but wouldn’t look at him, glancing past Hammer, to Torcher who left the corridor with the door to the office and restrooms. “You can measure the shelves at the back, since you’re so meticulous.”
Finn chuckled. “I mean, he’s good with the hammer too.”
“You two are already covering that,” Hammer said begrudgingly and picked up the tape measure left on the new counter made from raw wood. He was about to approach the wall when Lion stepped out of his office and settled his gaze on Hammer.
“Can we talk?”
Damn it. Then again, it wasn’t like Hammer and Dex could have a serious conversation with others around, so he left the tape measure and followed Lion past the door. His heart skipped a beat when he spotted Dex glancing his way, but the boy averted his gaze as soon as he realized he’d been caught.
Lion closed the door as they entered the dingy office filled with cabinets from the floor to the ceiling. “Is it just me, or are you acting a bit strange around Grinder?”
Not this. Did everyone really have to be knuckle-deep in his business? He looked the prez straight in the eye, because whatever this was about, he would not budge.
“Define ‘strange’?” Hammer asked, settling in the office chair in front of the desk. Its seat felt like a limp tire in dire need of air, but Hammer never spent enough time on the ancient piece of furniture to question why it hadn’t been replaced or reupholstered.
Lion sighed and rubbed his bald head, sitting down too. “Let’s say… jealous? Maybe? Someone told me it seems to come off that way. Is there something I should know about?”
Torcher. Fucking Torcher. He must have planted that idea in Lion’s head, and he must have been leaving the office when Hammer spotted him earlier.
“Was that anonymous someone the red mop?” Hammer asked, swaying in the chair left and right as fury rose deep inside. “Has he also mentioned he was trying to get a BJ out of our prospect?”
Lion’s frown looked as if his face was about to fold in on itself. “What? What is with these guys? Grinder’s been around for a week, and I’ve already had Finn ask me, ‘hypothetically’, if I thought it was gay to share a cigarette with a gay guy. Maybe I should get male strippers for your party if everyone’s gotten so curious all of a sudden!”
Hammer’s chest felt heavy as he squeezed both armrests. “What are you trying to say?”
Lion met his gaze. “Are you fucking him, Hammer? Simple question.”
Hammer’s feet grew into the never-vacuumed carpet, which was now gray despite being a nice cream shade years ago. “Are you fucking him?” he asked without missing a beat. “Is this what we’re doing now, just because the prospect’s gay?”
Lion massaged the sides of his head with a deep inhale. “Okay. You’re protective. I get it. Case closed. Let’s get to the more important matters of the day, and this, you’ll be excited to hear about.”
Hammer relaxed now that the magnifying glass of Lion’s attention was off his case, though his mind remained on the fucking snitch, who walked somewhere out there, with a nose that remained straight and unbroken. “Go on.”
“Ryker’s been spotted back in town. He’s dyed his hair and drives a steel-gray Chevrolet Malibu, but my informant swore it’s him. I don’t know what he’s doing back in the state, let alone back here, but my brother’s never been all that smart. Do you want to try again, or would you rather I take over the job?”
Hammer’s focus became razor-sharp, and he leaned forward, ready to punish Ryker for every single thing he’d done, and some that he had not. “Any idea where I could find him?”