Total pages in book: 158
Estimated words: 160732 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 804(@200wpm)___ 643(@250wpm)___ 536(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 160732 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 804(@200wpm)___ 643(@250wpm)___ 536(@300wpm)
“You’re going to think I’m ass, sweetheart,” he warned. “But I don’t regret doing something stupid to look out for you. I regret that doing something stupid took you away from me so I didn’t have you. Not when I needed you. That I just didn’t have the time I had left with you.”
I didn’t know how to respond.
I went with honest.
“I regret you did that too.”
“You loved me, right?” he asked.
My throat closing, I took his hand in mine and kept being honest.
“I loved you, Rogan. So, so much. You were the best thing in my life up to that point. I’ll always have that. And I’ll have it because you gave it to me.”
And I could tell by the expression on his face that was what he needed to know before he was gone.
Needless to say, I was in a quiet, reflective mood.
And Buck was giving me that, but doing it holding my hand tight in his, resting on his thigh.
Now it was even tighter as we drove up his lane to see Kristy get out from her car.
It was still early. The kids wouldn’t be home for at least an hour or two.
And she was alone.
No Knuckles.
Buck parked, but before he got out, angry eyes on Kristy, he was Buck.
So he issued orders to me.
“Right. In the house, baby, make yourself a margarita. I’ll be in soon’s I can.”
“No way.”
That made his attention shift to me.
“You’ve had enough today,” he declared.
“And I’m still standing,” I replied.
He stared at me.
Then he scowled at me.
Then he stated, “Next time, I’m gettin’ a weak woman who leans on me and does what she’s told.”
“Seeing as I’ve got my hooks in you and I’m never letting go, good luck with that, baby,” I returned, throwing open my door and pulling myself out of his SUV.
Kristy’s eyes were going back and forth between us, and I barely got a few steps in before I had Buck’s arm around my neck, curling me to his side and halting us a good ten feet away from her.
This was probably a good call.
I was in no mood.
“We haven’t had a good day, so whatever shit you got planned to lay on us, pick another time,” Buck demanded.
“I just want to talk,” Kristy said.
I felt Buck’s body move in surprise, which was the same thing mine did.
Not just her words.
But her whipped tone.
“What do you wanna talk about?” Buck asked cautiously.
“Can we go inside?” Kristy asked back.
“No,” Buck denied.
Her jaw got tight.
Buck said nothing.
I didn’t either.
This lasted what felt like a long time.
“Okay, listen, things aren’t good with Knuckles,” she finally said, each word sounding like it took the gravest of efforts to force it out.
“And I care about this because…?” Buck let that trail.
More self-forced confessions from Kristy. “I’m not proud of it, but maybe I’ve been takin’ that out on Tatie and Gear.”
Buck again said nothing, and neither did I, but our bodies did the surprised sway again.
“Tatiana mostly,” she muttered.
“I’ll repeat, I care about this because…?” Buck pushed.
She narrowed her eyes at him. “Because I don’t want you to take my kids from me, asshole.”
“Well, callin’ me names makes me feel all kinds a’ good about makin’ your life easier when you got it shit and you take that shit out on my kids,” Buck replied.
“My kids too,” she fired back.
“Woman…”
Uh-oh.
His tone had changed and was such, I slid both my arms around his middle in case I had to hold him back.
“…your daughter was assaulted. She was nearly raped. And you’re not gettin’ on with your old man, you show the fuckin’ day after that shit happens, and lay my baby girl out, and now you’re layin’ claim to those kids like you’re saving your place in line for mother of the year?”
“She’s a handful,” Kristy hissed.
“I know that,” Buck bit back. “She’s also a teenage girl. You been one, you didn’t see this coming?”
“You don’t know how it is day to day,” she returned. “It’s tough day to day, puttin’ up with her shit.”
“Okay then, it’s so tough, I’ll take that chore off your hands,” Buck stated instantly.
“Buck, listen to me—” she began, leaning forward.
“No, you listen to me, bitch. I have not been a teenage girl. But I had two sisters. And growin’ up with them, I got the drift. Shit happens for girls. It’s worse, the kids at school are fuckwads. What my sisters had was a mom and dad who gave a shit. What my daughter has is a dad who gives a shit who’s two hours away and a mom who’s so up her own ass, most a’ the goddamn time, my baby girl is blowin’ in the wind.”
“I’m gonna get it together, Buck,” she bit out.
“It’s too late,” he returned. “I sense you’re concerned about the custody battle, but you comin’ here hat in hand is not gonna stop that.”