Total pages in book: 171
Estimated words: 159500 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 798(@200wpm)___ 638(@250wpm)___ 532(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 159500 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 798(@200wpm)___ 638(@250wpm)___ 532(@300wpm)
The murmurs put me on edge, but at least no one’s laughing. Even after I leave the room.
I’m surprised and even more unsettled when I spot Brigid. Clyde’s sitting on the edge of the pool table, she stands next to him in all her witchy finery, and the tight ball in my throat just got colder. Clyde notices me before she does, and I dread to think what they’ve been talking about. By now, she must know he is who I’ve been so desperate for that I asked for her to send him dreams. I’m so fucking dumb.
She’s either here to get a grip on the situation, as she likes to know everything about everyone, or telling him that if he doesn’t leave, lightning will strike him, and wolves will come to devour him by nightfall.
“Brigid,” I say, stalling halfway from the door, and she glances my way, eyes dark as the woods at night. “I see you met Clyde.”
He gives me an uncertain look over her shoulder. Boy, is he out of his depth here.
“I’ve also heard he saved your life. An unbreakable bond,” she says, not even blinking. It gives me the creeps, but if she judges Clyde favorably, it’ll help my situation, since Prophet values her opinions above anyone else’s.
“Brigid invited me for tea,” Clyde mumbles.
Fuck.
Shit.
“We accept,” I say, because there’s no way in hell I’m letting him visit her alone.
The corner of her mouth twitches in the ghost of a smirk. “And I thought you dislike tea.”
“I… just prefer coffee,” I shoot back, crossing the distance keeping me away from Clyde at last. My hand rests in the middle of Clyde’s back, out of her sight, but the glance she offers me says she did not miss our closeness.
“I see the dreams reached him. Good.”
I let out a nervous laugh as I urge Clyde off the pool table. “Must have. I’m sorry, but we have to go. We’ll arrange the tea very soon.” I wish we didn’t have to, because I feel caught in my own web of lies, but I know it’s unavoidable.
“They want to talk to me?” Clyde asks when I lead him toward the meeting room with Brigid’s eyes pinned to the bullseye between my shoulder blades.
“Yes. Don’t worry, I’ll be right next to you,” I whisper, resisting the tempting warmth of his neck, because this is not the time for tenderness. We need to secure protection for him, and nothing else matters until that happens.
He nods, and it worries me how quiet he is, but there’s no time to dig deeper. I close the door behind us, and all eyes drift to Clyde.
He crosses his arms on his chest and takes a deep breath. “I’m guessing Road filled you in on us?”
Prophet nods. “Why should we protect you? Why should we trust you? You saved Road’s life at risk of your own, and that plays in your favor, but after years of being a Butcher? Being brought up among them? No matter what Road feels, I can’t risk a traitor here.”
I itch to speak up, but I have to let Clyde fight this battle before stepping in.
“I’m not wearing Butcher colors anymore. You know they want me dead, and it’s true, I’ve got no loyalty left to them. Only way I can prove it is by spilling what I know and working with you in whatever capacity you need.” Clyde swallows and glances my way with eyes so soft I want to crawl into his arms and stay there. “My loyalty is to Road.”
Martin whistles, but Prophet shushes him with a gesture. “Okay. Go on.”
“I’m only alive because Bracer wanted to use me. He wanted me to kill my uncle and disappear. Bracer wants to take over. For the plan to work, I was supposed to pretend I’m dead and not show up again, but after I took Road to the hospital, that ship sailed. What does matter though, is that the club is divided. There’s frustration at Grizzly’s push to find Roy’s killer. I’ve got no way back, I can’t be a mole for you, so yeah, I need to either leave, or I’m begging you for protection. I’ll carry my weight, and I will be loyal. I’ve got a lot of information on all the Butchers, but nothing else. If you could escort me to my house tomorrow, I can retrieve some money.”
I exhale, itching to support him with my touch, but the guys need to see him as his own man, so I lean against the wall, fighting the sleepiness lingering in my body.
“What’ll guarantee your loyalties don’t change again? What if Road lets someone else suck his dick?” Harvey grumbles.
I send him a stare that should grind his guts into mince. “I might be weakened now, but I’ll fucking remember that.”