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)
Even the sounds of their breathing were getting on my nerves, especially Rusty’s. Dude sounded like a fifty-year-old smoker the way he was wheezing, and I had a mind to put an end to his suffering.
I was doing my best to tune them all out when Prez stood and started briefing us on all the latest club news. I was struggling to lock in. I tried. I really did, but the conversation was being drowned out by the crazy thoughts I’d had since my father’s text.
Every now and then, a sentence or two would slip by.
“Creed and I have been doing some talking, and we think it’s time to consider stepping away from the casino. I spoke with Sergei, and he was a bit hesitant but wasn’t completely against it.”
This wasn’t news to me.
Creed had filled us in on the plan the night before, so it was no surprise when he added, “Sergei and the boys brought us in to do a job, and we did it. We did it well. So well, we aren’t needed like we were.”
Ghost muttered something under his breath, and Rusty asked if this was something Sergei wanted. Somebody coughed. A chair squeaked. The usual background noise of the brothers trying to puzzle out a problem. But my focus was shot to hell.
I rubbed the back of my neck, earning a side-eye from Memphis. He knew me better than anyone. He knew something was up. But this wasn’t the time or the place for him to push for answers, so he turned his attention back to Prez, listening as his father continued with his spiel.
I didn’t know what was wrong with me. This was my family. My life. I wanted to know what was what, but today, my head wasn’t in the game. It was all because of that damn text. It was just eleven simple words, but somehow, they were louder than anything anyone else had to say.
Unable to resist, I took my phone out of my pocket and glanced down at the screen, checking to see if my ol’ man had responded.
Again, there was nothing.
Just our previous messages, aggravating me like an itch in the middle of my back that I couldn’t reach, no matter how fucking hard I tried.
Your brother’s back in town.
He asked about you.
I couldn’t help but wonder what he wanted with me. He hadn’t spoken to me in years, and now, he’s suddenly interested in me and what I had going on. It didn’t make any sense.
“Goose,” Prez barked. “You with us?”
“Absolutely,” I lied. “Just taking it all in.”
A couple of the guys snickered, and Prez immediately snapped, “Not the time. I need everyone’s head in the game.”
The room fell silent, and I leaned forward, doing what I could to force myself to pay attention. Or at least, look like I was. I tried to listen. I tried to care about the politics and turf lines and who might be trying to move against it. But Davis had taken over my every thought.
That was typical.
The asshole.
It had been two damn years since I’d last heard about him, and even then, it wasn’t an actual visit to see me. He’d come in like a shadow. One day here, and the next, he was gone. I didn’t even know he was home until Memphis mentioned seeing him outside Dad’s place, hanging out and talking shit with Dad and the neighbors.
He never once came by to see me or even considered gracing me with his presence. Yeah, that’s some brotherly love right there.
The time before that, I only laid eyes on him by pure accident. I was driving past Miller’s Quick Stop and saw him cutting across the lot. His head was down, and his hood was up, like he was hiding from the whole damn world. He didn’t look up.
He had no idea I was there or that I’d seen him. Or maybe he did. Maybe he’d just pretended he didn’t. Either way, he was there and then, poof. He was gone. It was like he’d never been there at all.
I’m not gonna lie, that shit stung.
It was just another reminder that my big brother wanted nothing to do with me. And now, hearing that he’d asked about me made me wonder if something had changed.
A man can hope, right?
I exhaled, hard and long, and Memphis shot me another look. I didn’t give one back. I made up my mind right then and there that I was done being blindsided. I was done being the last to know he was in town. More than that, I was done being fucking ignored and treated like I didn’t fucking matter.
Screw that shit.
As soon as Prez wrapped up the meeting, I stood and started out of the room. A couple of the guys called out to me, but I ignored them and continued out to the parking lot. I had to see my dad.