Total pages in book: 13
Estimated words: 12781 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 64(@200wpm)___ 51(@250wpm)___ 43(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 12781 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 64(@200wpm)___ 51(@250wpm)___ 43(@300wpm)
5
Keeper
Present Day – Two Years Later
When Sniper told me last week that Lilly was coming home, I about lost my shit. I don’t know what she’s been up to. For all I know she could be married or pregnant. The thought has me bent over double behind the bar.
There’s a party going on. It’s a welcome back party and all the brothers and their ol’ ladies are here to celebrate.
Harper walks up to the bar. She’s Smoky’s ol’ lady and she’s actually become like a little sister to me. “Hey, Keep, what’s up?”
I smile at her, but it doesn’t quite reach my eyes.
“Are you okay?” she asks me.
I shrug my shoulders and pour a beer, sliding it over to her. She almost lifts it to her mouth and stops. “You know what? I’ll take a water.”
I look at her knowingly and set a water down in front of her.
She takes a swig.
I look up and she turns in her seat to look behind her.
Lilly is looking at the two of us, and a blush fills her face as she jerks her eyes away. Harper gasps and whips back around to face me.
“It’s her. She’s the one that got away,” she says excitedly, bouncing in her seat.
I can’t stop the pain. “Don’t, Harper. It’s not like that. Just let it be.”
“But, Keeper, I don’t understand,” she insists.
“Let it go,” I say in a husky voice.
I can tell she doesn’t want to give it up. She’s practically vibrating in the seat. She finally calms down and just nods her head at me. “Okay. I’m here if you want to talk.”
I smirk at that. “I’m a badass biker, Harper. I don’t talk about my feelings.”
She laughs but not for long. Smoky comes over and loops his arms around her. I try to keep the jealousy off my face, but I don’t know how successful I am. I don’t want Harper, or anything like that. But I want what they have. I never dreamed I could have it until I met a certain redhead two years ago. My eyes flick from Smoky and Harper over to Lilly. She’s glued to her seat, surrounded by people, but she seems completely alone. She’s watching me and I can’t take my eyes off her as she gets up, leans over and whispers something to Sniper and then walks my way.
I can feel Sniper’s gaze on me, but I don’t care.
She sits down at the bar and I lean against it with my arms outstretched in front of me. “Welcome back, Lilly.”
She cuts straight to the chase. “Have you been avoiding me since I got here earlier?”
I shrug and wipe down the counter in front of her.
“Do you want a water?” I ask her.
“No, I’ll take a beer,” she replies, brushing her long hair off her shoulder.
I chuckle. She’s still up to her old tricks. “In two months, I’ll serve you a beer.”
She looks taken aback that I would remember her birthday, but what she doesn’t know is that I remember everything about her. Everything.
* * *
Lilly
It may have been two years since I saw him last, but it might as well as been two days. Feelings that I hoped had died away came to the surface fast the first second I looked at him.
“How long are you here for?” he asks me, concentrating on wiping off the same spot on the counter he’s been working on since I sat down.
I roll my eyes at him. “Already trying to get rid of me?”
He doesn’t answer me but with his intense gaze, I know he’s fighting it. I just shake my head at him. “You don’t have to worry, Keeper. I don’t plan on throwing myself at you this time. You’re safe.”
He shakes his head at me, but I can’t read his face. “I’m not worried about that. Just wondering when you go back to school.”
My forehead creases in confusion. “Sniper didn’t tell you?”
He shakes his head side to side.
“I’m not going back. I’m moving back here. He’s going to let me work at one of the businesses. Maybe a few of them,” I tell him. “Teasers, Guardians Wrecker, I’m not sure where else.”
His face tenses when I mention the topless bar owned by Smoky and the Exiled Guardians. “There’s no way that Sniper will let you work at Teasers!”
I huff, offended. He probably thinks that I wouldn’t be able to make any money dancing, but I put the thought to the back of my head. “I’ll be working in the office.”
His features soften, but only slightly. “So you’re here to stay.” His face is still void of all emotion and his voice is deadpan.
“Yeah, I’m staying… but don’t get all excited.”
He starts to reply but Sniper walks up and sits next to me. “Hey, Keeper, I’m busy tomorrow. Can you take Lilly around to a few of the businesses in town and introduce her? Leave a warning too.”