Total pages in book: 212
Estimated words: 207966 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1040(@200wpm)___ 832(@250wpm)___ 693(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 207966 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1040(@200wpm)___ 832(@250wpm)___ 693(@300wpm)
“What’s that mean?”
“That means one of us stays and one of us goes. Or we both go.”
She said nothing while I undressed and got into bed.
And then I pulled her close and dotted kisses along her forehead.
“Do you think I did the right thing?” she asked.
“The abortion, you mean?”
“Yeah. I wasn’t sure I believed in it until I was faced with that pregnancy test and the way the whole thing happened. I still don’t know if I did the right thing. I hate thinking about it.”
“You did what you needed to do at the time. That makes it the right thing.”
She snuggled into my chest. “I wanna have babies someday.”
“Good. I’ll do my best to give ‘em to you.”
She held tighter. “I love you.”
“Love you, baby.”
“Sorry I didn’t tell you.”
“I get it,” I said and caressed the back of her head.
“I’m so humiliated.”
“Don’t be. Skip’s the asshole and he’s shown more of his true colors lately. He’s diggin’ his own grave.”
***
I was in the garage early, before Deacon or Rider. I hadn’t slept much. Neither did my girl. She was fidgety as fuck all night. Though even if she wasn’t, I’m sure I still wouldn’t have slept well. I was writing up some paperwork when Deke popped his head in.
“Mornin’ Jesse.”
“Prez.”
“Got five?” he asked. “My office in The Roadhouse?”
“Need you to wait until Deacon or Ride comes in. There are customers here.”
“All right. Come see me as soon as one of them’s in.”
“Will do.”
Ten minutes later, Deacon strolled in, asking me how I was doing.
“Lookin’ forward to tonight,” was my answer, knowing his woman would’ve filled him in.
The grunt and exchange of looks told me he understood my position and supported it.
I asked Deacon to man the fort for a few minutes and went to Deke’s office.
He had his #1 Dad mug to his lips when I stepped in. He put it down.
“Want a coffee?”
“Nah, all juiced up already. What’s up?”
“Grab a seat.”
I sat.
“Heard about last night,” he said. And then he flexed his jaw, looking pissed off.
“Yeah,” I said.
“Brady and the prospects are setting the ring up for nine tonight.”
“Good,” I replied.
“Heard Skip gave your girl a date rape drug a few years ago, got her pregnant, she got rid, and he’s been harassing her ever since.”
“Pretty much.”
“Why didn’t you call him into the ring sooner?”
“Been close a few times but didn’t realize those details until I overheard them last night.”
He gave his head a shake, looking pissed.
“It’s not gonna end at the ring, Prez. I want kangaroo court after that. I know I’m not gonna be all right workin’ with him. If you don’t want it goin’ that far, I’ll-”
He raised his hand. “It’s within your rights to call kangaroo court, Jesse. I’m callin’ him in this afternoon when he’s back from work. He’s getting’ stripped of his road captain patch. That’s all I’ve got authority to do without bringin’ it to the table. So I’m doin’ that for starters. I’ve already called Rudy suggesting he fire him from Dominion Moving and Storage. He thinks since the guy just lost his wife it’d be a bad call to take everything from him. I disagree. But if you weren’t already plannin’ on calling him into the ring and then doin’ the kangaroo court, I’d bring it to the table to vote on kickin’ him out tonight. Told Rudy that and he said if it comes to that he’d prefer a transfer back to the falls with probation. Dunno I agree with that, to be honest. Still processing.”
I breathed out a breath I hadn’t realized I was holding. Deke Valentine is the man I thought he was. And that was a relief.
“I’d like to punch his teeth in myself,” he snarled. “And I know Rudy feels the same. But he’s a stickler for doing everything possible to help a member keep their patch. Talked about the fact that Skip earned it and maybe the brotherhood could steer him to a better path. I disagree with him on that front. We’re all here in this club because we all want dominion over our own lives, yeah, but when a brother thinks he’s got the right to abuse women, I take personal offense. That’s not the kinda club we are. At least not this chapter. If your girl had come to me when he date raped her I like to think I would’ve tackled it then. Maybe I wouldn’t have believed her. Don’t know now. It’s true a lotta the brothers don’t take the bunnies seriously. And some chapter presidents prefer not to wade in to love life drama, but fuck… if that girl hadn’t come to us despite bein’ banned from our clubhouses last year, my daughter would’ve gotten taken by the Jackals.”
“Yep,” I agreed.
“Fuckin’ sickens me to think that if Gia were a different sort of girl, she might not have bothered to tell us that after the way she was treated by our club.”