Total pages in book: 96
Estimated words: 94313 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 472(@200wpm)___ 377(@250wpm)___ 314(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 94313 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 472(@200wpm)___ 377(@250wpm)___ 314(@300wpm)
Everyone was already at my parents’ house when I got there and I barely escaped getting head-butted in the nuts when my nephew ran at me the minute I walked through the door.
“Hey, Racing Rhett.” I lifted him off the floor and flipped him upside down, making him squeal. “What are you doin’ here?”
“Havin’ dinner!” he replied through his giggles.
“Nah, Grandma made this dinner just for me,” I argued, walking through the house while I dangled him above the floor by his ankles. “What are you gonna eat?”
“She made dinner for me!”
“No way, man.” I lifted him and got one arm wrapped around his chest so I could flip him right side up again, knocking into one of the picture frames on the wall in the process. “Whoops.”
“I’m tellin’,” he said, laughing as I slung him over my shoulder. “No dinner for you!”
“Snitches get stitches,” I replied, straightening the frame.
“Please don’t teach my son that,” Emilia said in exasperation, scooting around me. “I’m trying to keep him from being a hooligan like the rest of you.”
“Think you’re too late,” I said, chuckling as Rhett tried to get me back by punching me in the lower back.
“Rhett Hawthorne,” Emilia scolded. “Knock it off.”
“Uncle started it,” he whined, kicking his legs a little so I’d let him down.
“I’m ending it,” Emilia said firmly as I put Rhett back on his feet. “Go wash your hands.”
“They’re clean!”
“Go.” She gave him the mom stare and he hurried toward the bathroom.
“You’re such a mom,” I joked, bumping into her deliberately as I passed her.
“You’re such an uncle,” she replied, shoving me a little from behind.
“Emilia Hawthorne,” I scolded in the exact same tone she’d used on Rhett. “Hands to ourselves, please.”
She laughed. “Ass.”
As we got to the kitchen, I saw Titus across the room. He must’ve been waiting for me because he was looking right at us. Emilia moved toward the cupboards to help my mom set the table and Titus jerked his chin toward the back door so I’d follow him. I said my hellos to everyone and then acted like I was going outside to grab a beer out of the fridge on the porch.
“Smooth,” I said dryly as I closed the door behind me.
“Fuck off.” He watched as I grabbed myself a beer. Might as well get one while I was out there. “So, I talked to Esther’s little sister today.”
“You what?” I barked, spinning to face him.
“Do you want everyone to know you fucked Esther Allen?” he hissed, looking at the door behind me. “Jesus!”
“Why the fuck would you think it was a good idea to talk to her sister?” I ground out. Visions of Titus getting caught up in the bullshit if we found out that Esther’s church had stolen the guns made me feel like I was going to have a heart attack. He was kept out of club business and had absolutely no idea what was going on. I’d been his age when I’d killed Emilia’s attacker and not only would I not wish that on any seventeen-year-old, but Titus was a younger seventeen than I’d been. He was practically a goddamn baby.
“We’re friends.”
“You’re friends?” I asked incredulously. “With Esther’s sister?”
“Okay, maybe not friends,” he conceded. “But we talk sometimes. We’re both in the same woodshop class and we were partners on a project.”
“Jesus Christ,” I muttered, looking up at the roof.
“She said her sister got into trouble and was sent away,” Titus said in one breath, the words practically tumbling over each other.
“You asked about Esther?” My voice was flat. Fuck, he was such an idiot.
“I wasn’t obvious about it.” He glared at me. “Did you hear what I said? Esther was sent away.”
“Yeah, I heard you. What the fuck is that supposed to mean?”
“I don’t know. She just said that one day she was there and then the day after Thanksgiving she left.”
“The day after Thanksgiving?” Shit. It was already January. She’d been gone for months. Why the fuck hadn’t I followed up with her sooner?
“Noel was pretty upset about it. Once she started talking about it she didn’t stop for like five minutes.”
“Well, what else did she say?” I snapped, keeping my voice down.
“Nothing really.” Titus shrugged. “That she missed her and she wasn’t sure when she was coming back. She said her parents won’t even talk about it.”
“Fuck,” I breathed.
“Do you think—” He swallowed hard. “Do you think it’s because of you and her?”
My heart was beating like a fucking drum in my chest but I shook my head. “We hooked up in September. Your friend said she didn’t even get in trouble until two months later. It must’ve been something else.”
“What the hell else could it be?” Titus replied, frowning. “I mean, it’s Esther.”
“Maybe I wasn’t the only guy she hooked up with,” I said, knowing in my gut that it wasn’t true. “Maybe she got caught doin’ something else later.”