Total pages in book: 54
Estimated words: 49589 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 248(@200wpm)___ 198(@250wpm)___ 165(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 49589 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 248(@200wpm)___ 198(@250wpm)___ 165(@300wpm)
“Yeah, we’re gonna scare the poor girl to death. Keep her in the center buildings as much as you can. The other women are gathering there. They’re making use of Oasis One a lot. Given the heat -- both literally and figuratively -- the officers all agreed it’s better to keep the women and kids inside the inner protection of the compound.”
“Not gonna get a disagreement from me, Prez.”
“Not you I’m worried about. It’s your girl.” Yeah. Knuckles might be a hard ass, but he wasn’t a monster. We all loved women, but Knuckles had extended his protective streak to all the women in the club. Old ladies or club whores, it didn’t matter. Our women were treasures, and we did our best to treat them as such, so this expression of concern didn’t surprise me now like it might have when I’d first come here awaiting my trial.
“If anyone can put her at ease, it’s the old ladies. Nadine’s in her apartment cleaning up and getting some rest. I’ll explain things to her. With the help of the other girls, I’m pretty sure I can get her to do what we tell her to.”
The smug grin on Knuckles’ face said he knew everything to be already under control.
“I wouldn’t count on it.” I chuckled, thinking about Nadine’s stubborn streak. “She’s got a mind of her own.”
Knuckles laughed, a sound almost like gravel in a blender. “All the good ones do. That’s what makes ‘em worth all the shit they put us through. All the women in this club have a mind of their own, in case you’ve forgotten.”
I rubbed my beard, thinking about how to handle this. “I’ll talk to her tonight. Let her know what’s going on but ease her into it.”
“Good. Now, you got her property cut in the works?”
“Nope.” I grinned. “Already done. I’m giving it to her tonight when we --”
A sharp knock interrupted us. The door swung open and Diesel, a prospect Knuckles had brought in sometime while I was in prison, filled the doorframe.
“Sorry to interrupt,” he said, not looking sorry at all. I didn’t know the guy, but I’d been hearing from the others he was a quiet, solid guy. Figuratively as well as literally. “We’ve got movement on the east side wall. Unmarked car, two men taking photos. If they’re not police, I’ll eat his shorts.” He nodded at me, and I barked out a laugh.
Knuckles didn’t acknowledge the byplay. “Make sure we got good eyes on them but don’t engage. I expect this is just the beginning.”
Diesel gave Knuckles a curt nod. “Already on it. Knight has a good view of the car all the way around. Probably has an ID on the occupants already.”
“Good.” Knuckles stood. “Tell him to have the information ready for me. I’ll be there in five.”
“On it, Prez.”
After Diesel left, Knuckles stood and came around his desk and I followed suit. He stuck his hand out to me. “Good to have you back, man.”
I gave him a lopsided grin, the pressure in my chest finally easing. I was all too aware I’d let the club down by getting my ass busted on the biggest night of my life. “Knuckles…” I reached out and took the hand he offered. “I’m sorry.”
“Nothin’ to be sorry for. Yeah, the timing could have been better, but, whether you wanted him to or not, your brother came through with flying colors.”
“Yeah. I berated him for that.”
“’Cause you felt guilty.”
“I am guilty! I didn’t mean to kill the bastard, but he grabbed my date’s ass. I had to do something.”
“You don’t have to justify yourself to me, Pain. As far as I’m concerned, you don’t have to justify yourself to anyone. Any man who won’t defend a woman when she’s touched against her will ain’t much of a man, in my opinion. In some ways, I’d classify that person as worse than the one doin’ the touchin’.”
That statement threw me. Yeah, it had been my first date with Sondra -- Shonda? Sonda! -- but she’d still been with me. I’d shoved the guy, then punched him when he’d laughed and tried to make a grab for her again. He was too drunk to keep his balance and fell, his head landing on the corner of a brick step inside the bar. The impact of the landing caved in his skull at the temple and he later died. At the same hospital I’d just been hired on as a full-time surgical attending.
“You ever hear from your date again?” Knuckles’ question caught me off guard.
“No.” And that had hurt more than I’d expected. I hadn’t been in love with the woman. It was our first date! But I’d defended her. She had barely made a police statement before she’d hightailed it out of the bar. “But I learned better than to date from the nursing pool.”