Total pages in book: 84
Estimated words: 80982 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 405(@200wpm)___ 324(@250wpm)___ 270(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 80982 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 405(@200wpm)___ 324(@250wpm)___ 270(@300wpm)
“Well, come see me, and I’ll fix you up.”
We exchanged numbers, and then we were on to the next topic of conversation. It came easy. They were open and kind, and they made me feel like I was a part of the group.
It was nice to get to know them a little.
Especially before the heavy stuff started.
It helped ease the blow when Presley leaned in and whispered, “Is it just me, or has something been going on with the guys?”
Jenna didn’t hesitate. “It’s not just you.”
I glanced over at Jenna, and she was watching the guys the same way Presley was, like she was trying to figure them out. After a few seconds, Jenna leaned back in her lawn chair, but her focus remained on Grim and the guys.
It did seem strange. They weren’t joking around or laughing. They were talking in low voices and exchanging quick glances. Not what you’d expect from good friends at a barbecue.
“You can always tell when something’s going on,” Laken whispered as she pushed Baylor on the swing. “Skid gets really quiet and tense, but if I ask him if something’s wrong, he always says it’s nothing. I know it’s not nothing. You can see it all over the man’s face.”
My gaze drifted back to Walker. He had a pair of tongs in his hand, but he wasn’t really using them. He was mostly just standing there, listening to the others talk, and his jaw was tight, just like it had been the night he came to change my oil.
Every so often, his eyes would scan the yard, checking the perimeter and the street beyond the fence. He did it when we first pulled up. I thought he was just being cautious, but after Laken’s comment, I was wondering if it might be something else.
“Okay, but what does that even mean?” I asked, looking from Jenna to Laken. “Should I be worried?”
“No,” Jenna answered softly. “If we needed to be worried, we would all be at the clubhouse on lockdown. Not here.”
“Lockdown?” I gasped. “Those are for real.”
“Yeah, girl. They’re about as real as it gets.”
“But why would the guys need something like that?”
“There are times when it’s safer for us to all be under one roof, and the guys are all about being safe, especially when it comes to their family.”
It sounded like something you’d see in a movie, not real life, but there was something in the way Jenna said it, calm and certain, that made it seem almost rational. I let the idea settle for a moment and watched Luna and Baylor swing higher and higher. The creaking sound of the swing was oddly soothing against the tension in the air.
“I don’t like it,” Presley admitted. “Luke is usually so at ease, but this has had him on edge. We actually had our first real argument this morning.”
“That’s saying something,” Jenna chuckled. “You two have been together for a while now. It only took me a couple of weeks to have Lawson at his wits’ end.”
Laken giggled as she asked, “You talking about the razor thing?”
“Yeah, he loses it any time he thinks I’ve used it... I haven’t in months, but I’ll move it or get it wet to mess with him.”
“You’re a brave woman,” Presley giggled. “No way I’d want Grim mad at me.”
“Pfft. Don’t let him fool ya. The man’s a big teddy bear.”
“Maybe with you and Luna…” Presley scoffed. “I’m just glad the man’s on our side.”
“He definitely is… They all are.” She didn’t look concerned or anxious. If anything, she looked confident as she told us, “Whatever’s going on, they handle it. And they keep it away from us. That’s the deal.”
“The deal?”
Jenna leaned forward a little, resting her elbows on her knees. “The silence isn’t about shutting us out. It’s about protecting us and what we have. One day, you’ll get it, especially if he moves his patch here.”
“I’m not sure what that means?”
“He patched in with Fury at another chapter, so if he wants to stay here, he’ll have to transfer his patch. I’m not sure how all that works. I’m sure it’s just a matter of the presidents agreeing to make the change, but ultimately, it will be up to Drifter to request the move.”
“Drifter?” I muttered. “That’s what they call him?”
“I think it has something to do with him being on the road for so long.” Jenna’s eyes narrowed. “He hasn’t mentioned it to you?”
“No, apparently there’s a lot he’s failed to mention.”
“Well, it’s early yet… I’m sure he didn’t want to overwhelm you with everything.”
I didn’t respond. I didn’t know how. I was already a little overwhelmed. The club stuff was a lot, and it was clear by the way Walker interacted with them that these men meant something to him. I wanted him to have that, but I couldn’t deny that it felt like I was dealing with two different men.