Total pages in book: 83
Estimated words: 81285 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 406(@200wpm)___ 325(@250wpm)___ 271(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 81285 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 406(@200wpm)___ 325(@250wpm)___ 271(@300wpm)
But watching her sit there, talking about colors and layouts like she had a stake in it did something to me. Memphis inched over to me and leaned in close as he asked, “You really going to let her redesign the whole house?”
“She’s not redesigning it.”
“Yeah, yeah. You can say that all you want. We know what’s going on.”
The room filled with laughter, and I took that as my cue to make my way into the living room. Presley looked up at me with bright eyes and a smile. “How’s it going in there?”
“It’s going.”
“It’d be going a lot better if you were in here helping,” Skid complained from the kitchen.
“I’m coming. I just have to check in with the drill sergeant first.”
“Hey, now,” Presley fussed. “Don’t go putting your slacking off on me.”
She was teasing, but I caught the flicker of uncertainty in her eyes. She was checking herself, wondering if she was overstepping. I didn’t want her second-guessing, so I crouched down in front of her and smiled. “Not slacking. Just making sure you two are good in here.”
“I think so.” Her eyes dropped down to the swatches as she muttered, “I just don’t want you to think I’m trying to take over. This is your place, and you have to tell me when you don’t like something.”
“Yeah, I know, and I will.”
“You promise?”
“Absolutely. Just do your best to keep me out of debt.”
The words had just left my mouth when there was a crash loud enough to rattle the windows. “Too late.”
“Damnit.” I stood and started back into the kitchen. “What did you do now?”
“It’s fine,” Seven answered. “We’re just giving the place a little character.”
“A hole in the floor is not what I consider character, brother.”
Presley and Tallie laughed, and I couldn’t help but join in, too. And as I stood there in that room with my brothers and her, I felt complete in a way I never had before.
I wasn’t stupid.
I knew Presley had a big part to play in that.
We got back to work, and I was just about to take the stove and toss it on the back porch when Presley and Tallie came in the kitchen. “We’re going to the paint store. Do you guys need anything?”
“We’re good,” I assured her.
“Great.” She stepped over to me and kissed me quickly before starting for the door. “We won’t be long.”
“I’ve heard that before,” I scoffed. “You two will come back here with seventeen different shades of white and batteries for a remote that’s been broken for a year.”
“You could go instead.”
“Not a chance,” I chuckled.
“That’s what I thought.”
Presley rolled her eyes, but she was practically beaming as she and Tallie headed out the door. Once her car pulled out of the driveway, Memphis leaned against the soon-to-be-demolished counter and asked, “You serious about this girl?”
“Yeah.”
“Serious-serious?”
“As serious as it gets.”
He kept his eyes trained on mine as he asked, “So, you trust her?”
And there it was.
No accusation. No judgement. No telling me I was wrong or right. It was just my brother making sure I was being careful. I folded my arms across my chest. “I won’t lie. I struggled a bit after all the shit with Davis. You know I did, but he fucked them over. Can’t say I would do any different if I were in her shoes.”
“That could’ve gone sideways real fast.”
“It could have, but it didn’t.” I could feel myself getting defensive, but I maintained a calm tone as I told him, “And she came clean and admitted everything. She owned it.”
“That’s good. That’s what I wanted to hear.” He gave me a nod. “And I mean that. I’ve built half my life on bad decisions.”
“You and me both.”
“Any word from Davis?”
“Hell, no. I don’t expect to hear from him.”
“You think he’s gone for good?”
“He’s been warned. He knows better than to circle back.”
“He’d be stupid to try it,” Rusty grumbled as he dumped more broken tiles into the wheelbarrow. “Seems we’ve dealt with a lot of stupid the past few weeks.”
“That we have.”
I knew they weren’t just referring to Davis. They were also talking about the bullshit with the Rebel Coyotes. After our altercation, Prez and Shep went on a mission to find everything they could on the MC, and I’m not just talking names.
If there was something to know about these guys, Prez was determined to find it. He wanted no more surprises. None of us did. We’d all been walking a tighter rope, and we were the better for it. That was the thing about being in an MC and facing the things we face. Bruises fade, but the memories don’t.
Not with us.
Seven chose that moment to slam another cabinet free, letting it hit the floor like dynamite. He chuckled as he announced, “That one’s definitely not load-bearing.”