Total pages in book: 26
Estimated words: 24870 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 124(@200wpm)___ 99(@250wpm)___ 83(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 24870 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 124(@200wpm)___ 99(@250wpm)___ 83(@300wpm)
She lifts her chin in defiance. “And what? I’ll be your booty call? I won’t be a club cherry.”
I laugh because what she’s saying is ridiculous. “Honey, do you know what club cherries are?”
She looks almost disgusted. “I’m guessing they sleep with you guys when you want them to… I really don’t know what they do, but I’m not interested in sleeping with your club.”
There’s no hiding the possessiveness from my voice. “Princess, first of all, I’m not sharing you with anyone. Second of all, the cherries are part of the club. Yeah, they take care of some of the guys because they want to. They’re not forced to be there.”
She crosses her arms over her chest. “Okay, so what is this then?”
Hell, I’m not ready to put a name on it. Maybe it’s because if I do, I’m afraid she’s going to realize that she doesn’t want me because the truth is she can do way better than what I have to offer her.
To buy some time, I pull her flush against my body, locking my hands at her waist. “Do me this favor. Go with me to the club, meet a few people, and if you decide it’s not what you want—that I’m not what you want—then I’ll take you to your dorm and let you walk away.”
I’m lying to her. I can’t let her go, not now, but she’s not the type of woman to appreciate me telling her what she can and can’t do.
She seems to think about it and shrugs. “Okay.”
“Okay? That’s it? You’re okay with going to meet the president of the Exiled Guardians? You’re not scared?”
She laughs this time. “Why would I be scared?” She puts her hand at my waist. “I mean, you’re going with me, right?”
I nod, and she shrugs again. “Well, I’ll be fine, then. Should we go? I have class in the morning.”
As I get ready, I think about what Gunner said earlier. Maybe Lexi can handle herself with the cherries.
10
LEXI
Maybe I should be more nervous than I am. I kept waiting for the nerves to set in on the way over to the clubhouse, but after the last few hours with Ben, I’m completely focused on that and not what’s about to happen.
“You okay?” Ben asks. He glances at me sideways, and I’m curious at the gentle way he keeps handling me. I loved riding on the back of his bike with him, but I’m happy that he decided to drive his truck tonight. This way we can talk at least.
“Why wouldn’t I be?” I turn in my seat to face him. “You seem worried about this. You think I’m going to embarrass you?”
He’s grim. “No, I’m not worried about that at all.”
I almost ask him what he is worried about, but I already know he’s not going to tell me. Instead, I try to find out what I can about the Exiled Guardians and if the rumors are true. “Tell me about your club.”
His hands tighten on the steering wheel, and he looks straight ahead. “What do you want to know?”
“I’m assuming there are things you can’t tell me about it.”
He nods. “Yeah, there’s some things I won’t be able to talk to you about.”
I blow out a breath. “Okay, tell me this. Do you do illegal things?”
When he doesn’t answer right away, I feel a knot form in my stomach. I want to be with Ben more than anything, but can I overlook what he and his club do? “Ben, I’m going to need you to tell me something good about the Exiled Guardians because I’m freaking out a little bit. I’ve heard rumors, but I don’t know what to believe and what not to believe.”
He pulls to the side of the road and puts the truck into park. “What have you heard?”
I lean the side of my head against the seat and look at him. “Well, I’ve heard that y’all help Walker and his mercenaries.”
He nods. “We do.”
“I’ve heard that you have saved women and children that were kidnapped and threatened.”
“We do.”
I start to breathe easier. “I heard you do drugs.”
He points at himself. “I don’t. I don’t know what all the other guys do, but we don’t sell drugs, if that’s what you mean.”
I nod. “Okay, and what about the rumor about your run-in with the Mafia? You killed—”
He cuts me off. “Princess, like I said, there are things I can’t talk about. One of them is the fact that we do things that are illegal. Do we kill people for fun? Absolutely not. Do we kill people to save other people? Yes, sometimes that’s exactly what we have to do. These guys are my family, and I want you to go in there with an open mind and just, I don’t know, trust me.”