Total pages in book: 90
Estimated words: 88736 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 444(@200wpm)___ 355(@250wpm)___ 296(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 88736 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 444(@200wpm)___ 355(@250wpm)___ 296(@300wpm)
“That’s the big idea that Grease came up with?” I asked in disbelief.
“What? He didn’t tell you?”
“He told me to pack our shit and pick you up,” I replied. “And we’d be on our way to Oregon.”
“Well, that’s all true.”
“I think he left a bit out.”
“Sounds like it.”
“So…what? We’re supposed to pretend we’re together? That’s insane.”
“Can you think of a better option?” he asked, his words almost gentle. “Because I’m all ears, baby. You wanna play this different, that’s fine with me.”
I opened and closed my mouth, trying to find a reply.
“But I’m guessin’ that if you had a different plan, you woulda used it before now.”
“He honestly thinks that David won’t go scorched earth when he finds out that I’m shacking up with some guy up in Oregon?” I scoffed. What the fuck was I doing? Why had I been dumb enough to trust some man I’d met once just because my pop had asked him for help? I should’ve known. I really should’ve. I’d been making bad decisions since I was old enough to make them, and this was just the latest in a long slew of idiotic choices. God, what I wouldn’t give for a big chunk of money in the bank and a flight to literally anywhere.
“Finn’s got your name, right?” Curtis asked.
“You mean my last name? Yeah.” I’d gotten a black eye for it, but Mike had never been good with follow-through, and his demand to change it had been forgotten by the next time we heard from him.
“So how would I know that you’ve got any kind of connection to the Grangers?”
“What are you talking about?”
“I’m sayin’ that as far as David Granger is concerned, you and I are together because you’re fuckin’ gorgeous and I want in there.”
“Jesus,” I muttered.
“He’s got no fight with the club. No grievance he can use.”
“He doesn’t need a grievance,” I argued. “He does whatever the fuck he wants. He doesn’t have to have a reason.”
“You’re wrong there,” Curtis said, switching lanes so he could pass a car going too slow in the fast lane. “Everyone’s accountable to someone. Granger may be top dog, but that doesn’t mean that his underlings are stupid. They’re willin’ to piss on their patch if they feel like they’ve been disrespected, but they’re not gonna start a fight for no reason.”
“I’m the reason,” I gritted out.
“You think they give a shit about you?”
I kept my mouth shut because he had a point.
“As far as anyone knows, you’re movin’ to Oregon because that’s where your man is. He even came to drive you home with him. Granger’s got no reason to fight you on that because he’s got no real right to you in the first place. He’s got no fight with the Aces because, as far as he knows, we weren’t aware of any connection to him.”
“And that’s it,” I said flatly. “We’re just going to pretend in public that we’re together.”
“We’re gonna pretend all the time,” he corrected softly. “The club’s puttin’ their asses on the line for you, Teddy, and we’re happy to do that. Owed your dad. But you gotta make this seem real, or we’re fucked. Granger or his people get even a whiff of the fact that we got you outta Sacramento to get you away from his organization, it’s our asses that’re gonna be swingin’ in the wind.”
I opened my mouth to reply, even though I wasn’t sure what the hell to say, when I heard the squeak of Jesse’s headphones as they pulled them off their head. “I need to pee.”
“Can you wait until the next rest stop?” Curtis asked.
“Yes,” Jesse replied. “I learned to hold my bladder about twelve years ago.”
Curtis grinned and looked at them over his shoulder. “Just askin’ if it was an emergency situation or if I had some time.”
“You’ve got time.”
“Got it.”
“But not too much.”
I watched Curtis while he drove, and he pretended not to notice. He was unbelievably attractive, and I knew that it wouldn’t be hard to fake a relationship with him if the kiss earlier was any indication. But what, if anything, was I supposed to tell my kids? Finn took almost everything at face value, but even he would be shocked. I hadn’t dated anyone since Mike, and he’d never seen me with a partner. Jesse would never believe it. They were already wondering what the hell was going on.
My mind was still racing when Curtis pulled off the freeway and into a rest stop. He’d barely parked the car when Jesse hopped out and went jogging to the bathroom. I hurried to follow them, glancing back at Finn, still sleeping in the back seat.
“I’ve got him,” Curtis said. He pulled the keys out of the ignition and handed them to me. “Go with her. We’ll be here when you get back.”