Total pages in book: 72
Estimated words: 70851 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 354(@200wpm)___ 283(@250wpm)___ 236(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 70851 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 354(@200wpm)___ 283(@250wpm)___ 236(@300wpm)
“You got it, Mom,” Dawn says, rolling her eyes.
“I want pictures, name and address of the man you’re meeting and where you’ll be, Dawn.”
“Jesus, we’re hooking up, I’m not marrying the motherfucker. If there’s any luck, this weekend will show Glenna that she doesn’t need a man to be happy.”
“Just get me the information, please, especially a phone and address of where you’ll be this weekend.”
“Fine, I’ll do it. Will you let it drop now?”
“For now,” Ellie mutters and I reach out and grab her hand, giving it a squeeze. She stares at our hands, and there’s something on her face that I can’t read. I wish I could fix this so Dawn could finally be happy, but there’s nothing I can do.
“What if you give me this guy’s name and date of birth? I can at least get Scorpion to run a background check on him,” I offer.
“Jesus, you two,” Dawn growls. “It’s a fucking hook up.”
“Still, it’s better to be safe rather than sorry, right?” Ellie says hopefully.
“I don’t even know his date of birth,” Dawn mumbles. “We’ll be fine.”
“Call and get it. If he’s a good man, he won’t mind that you’re taking care of you and Glenna,” I tell her, hoping she’ll see the common sense in what I’m suggesting.
“You’re both being ridiculous,” she says, but she picks up the phone and I’m rewarded with the look of happiness on Ellie’s eyes.
For some reason, I feel like I’ve won a war for her and it’s a really damn good feeling.
Ellie
“There’s no sign of her?”
I listen as Liam talks to Scorpion on the phone. It sounds like things aren’t going his way. I know he’s getting frustrated and I’m afraid this means that he’ll be forced to leave Arizona soon. I’m not sure I’m ready for that.
We’ve been playing house more or less. Living together, but not making love, ignoring the things that put the rift between us in the first place and, at least on my part, hiding from the past. I love Liam. I’ve always loved him and I know the time is fast approaching when I’m going to have to get my shit together. I’m either going back to Tennessee to try again, or let Liam know that I can’t go back.
If I stay here, will he? Heck, even if he does, can I live with the fact that he chose the club over me? Once, that was all I wanted, but I knew the club was the only family he had ever known. He loves his brothers. Is it fair to ask him to give all of that up? Has anything really changed? What happens if he finds out my secret?
All I have are questions. My head probably knows the answers, but I’m scared of those, too.
“Okay, keep me updated, man. Yeah, and thanks again, Ellie will sleep easier knowing this shit. Whatever. I’ll tell her. Later.”
I listen to the one-sided conversation, then watch as he hangs up. I’m left staring at him. I mean, it’s a great view. He’s stretched out on my bed, lying with the cover over the lower half of his body. His hair is rumpled and he’s reclined so that the headboard and pillows are at his back. He carefully tosses his phone onto the nightstand, staring at me. I feel a familiar chill of anticipation run through me, as our gazes lock. My breath quickens, while my heart stutters in my chest. Liam is back in my bed. He’s really here, after all of this time.
“Does that mean, this guy checks out?” I reply and it’s selfish, but the guy that Dawn and Glenna have found to join them in the bedroom is really the last thing I want to talk about. I’d rather concentrate on the fact that there’s a miracle going on and Liam is back in my bedroom and I have a second chance. Things can be different this time. Can’t they?
I hope I’m not fooling myself.
“Reginald “Reggie” Cleary is squeaky clean. He’s never been married, has a great credit rating and no arrest record that Scorpion can find anywhere. He’s a computer programmer and is based in Phoenix. He pays his taxes, as well as, his credit card bills. Scorpion says they all have extremely high charge limits, too. He checks out, Ice.”
“That’s something, I guess.”
“It’s a lot. What your sister is doing sucks for her, because I think she’s going to end up on the short end of the stick, but as near as my guy can tell, this Reggie is safe and it could be a lot worse. You know?”
“I know,” I murmur and I do. I’m just worried about Dawn, but at least now I’m not scared she’s going to get herself killed. “Thank you for doing this, Liam. I know you didn’t have to.”