Total pages in book: 39
Estimated words: 36070 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 180(@200wpm)___ 144(@250wpm)___ 120(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 36070 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 180(@200wpm)___ 144(@250wpm)___ 120(@300wpm)
I nodded once in understanding, though the thought of war made me sick to my stomach. It would be a fucking miracle if all of us made it out of this alive.
Johnston leaned forward. “Gun practice and self-defense training happen every fucking day, even if you’re so sick, you can barely drag your ass out of bed. We only have each other to rely on when shit gets ugly. Remember that. Don’t let your brothers down, got me?”
We all showed our acknowledgment. Scorpion slammed his gavel on the table, concluding church. I finished the rest of my coffee and left the room, taking my cup to the kitchen. When I walked in, Sophia was helping Jessica make breakfast. I tugged her to me and lowered my head, kissing her, tonguing her mouth for a moment before I released her, leaving her panting.
“I’m going back to bed,” I grunted.
She pressed a kiss to my cheek, an adorable smile on her lips. “Sleep well.”
Unable to resist, I kissed her again before I slipped out of the room and headed back up the stairs. I passed out as soon as I sprawled across the bed, not even bothering to kick my boots back off, take my cut off, or pull the blanket over me.
19
Chase
I watched from my perch against the back wall of the bookstore as Sophia organized books on the shelf in front of her, looking completely in her element. Seeing her surrounded by the things she loved most in this world just made my heart expand in my chest. After too long of her looking miserable, she was finally finding peace.
I’d been irritating her by trying to help and breathe down her neck, so she was keeping me occupied with coffee. And I sure as hell couldn’t complain about that, especially when she was making them especially for me.
Gidget was with us today—the guys were doing a cycle, of sorts—and he was camped out in the back room, watching cameras and occasionally taking a break to walk the bookstore and outside, keeping an eye on the general area. We wouldn’t take the chance that the Ghosts of Chaos would try attacking her again. They said lightning didn’t strike in the same place twice, but I’d seen too much shit happen when it wasn’t supposed to happen again for me to have much belief in that bullshit saying.
Logan had come in and installed his most expensive security system, and I was paying for it so Sophia wouldn’t have to. It had zero blind spots—even kept a look on the roof. The alarms were silent inside the store, and if someone didn’t know what they were looking for, they’d think this place had zero security.
But it linked directly to an office Logan had recently opened nearby, and his team would be notified immediately and here within a couple of minutes, which was a lot faster than any of us could be here.
Even with the new security system though, the guys and I agreed we still weren’t comfortable with leaving a woman attached to the club unguarded. And Sophia, the fucking champion that she was, was rolling with the flow. I was pretty sure she was nervous to be alone outside of the safety net of the clubhouse, which was understandable. No one would ever make her feel bad for that. Especially not after what she’d endured.
She’d gone through something horrific. No one went through something like that and had zero fears afterward.
Sophia winced and rolled her neck around. Pushing off the wall, I strode toward her. “Break time, cupcake,” I ordered, plucking the book from her hand before she could stop me. I set it on the cart she was working from.
She sighed and planted her hands on her curvy hips. “Chase, I need to get these put up.”
I pressed my hand to her lower back, leading her toward her office. “And you will. Just as soon as you sit down, take some Tylenol, and rest for a damn minute,” I assured her. I pushed open her office door, leading her inside before shutting it behind us. Her other employee, Heather, would be able to handle the store for a little while. She was more than capable of doing so. “Sit,” I commanded once the door was shut.
Sophia sighed and sank into her desk chair, reaching for her bottle of water and the bottle of Tylenol. I watched as she swallowed a couple of pills before she leaned back in her chair, shutting her eyes. I ran my hand over her hair, frowning at her. “You’re pushing yourself too hard, cupcake.” I knew she felt she needed to after being closed for so long, but the world wouldn’t end if she slowed down a bit and paced herself better.
She opened her eyes, looking up at me with a frown pulling at her sweet mouth. “I don’t know how not to,” she confessed.