Total pages in book: 174
Estimated words: 172061 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 860(@200wpm)___ 688(@250wpm)___ 574(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 172061 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 860(@200wpm)___ 688(@250wpm)___ 574(@300wpm)
The woman pushed to stand. I had to plant my feet on the floor to stop myself from turning and darting back down the hall.
I couldn’t stop shaking. Old insecurities welling in a way they hadn’t in so long. For the most part—okay, fine…halfway—I’d gotten over my shyness.
Maybe I started shy with Ethan, but really, what it had amounted to was submission. Downtrodden and repressed. Any life that had wanted to sprout stubbed out.
When I finally left him, that life had finally, finally managed to emerge.
Raven’s dark, dark eyes softened as she looked up at me. The edges were creased in understanding and a true welcome.
“You must be Daisy.”
“I am.” I forced it out around the nerves.
“And as you heard, I’m Raven, but you can go ahead and leave the auntie part off,” she teased.
I choked out a little laugh. “It’s nice to meet you, Raven.”
She peeked over at Cash. “Believe me when I tell you the pleasure is all mine.”
Slowly, the rest of those in the kitchen made their way over.
A beautiful woman with warm blond hair stepped forward first. She stretched out both hands, taking one of mine. “Hi, Daisy. I’m Emery. Welcome to our home.”
A man sauntered up behind her and wrapped himself around her back. He extended a hand from the side of her. “Kane. It’s a pleasure to meet you, darlin’.”
Kane.
Right.
The owner of the club.
I fumbled to take his hand, a craggy gasp of words getting loose. “You, too.”
His eyes flicked to Cash while he still clung to my hand.
Cash who prickled with discomfort.
Wow.
We probably looked quite the pair.
Itching and anxious. I wondered if they knew him as anything else. If they’d even had a glimpse of the boy who had been so vibrant.
“And this one right here is mine,” Raven said as she wound an arm around the man who sauntered up to her. She patted his wide, wide chest as she snuggled into his side. “Otto.”
“Forever yours,” he grunted near her ear before he sent a jovial smile my way. “Ah, so you are the Daisy that our boy Cash can’t stop raving about?”
Displeasure left Cash on a huff.
Otto only laughed, and his blue eyes sparkled. “Now I see what has him stepping out and acting so out of character.”
“Leave it,” Cash grunted.
“And why would I want to do that?” Otto asked, a clear razzing tease, Cash’s grumpiness not affecting him a bit.
“Don’t mind them,” another woman said with a gentle wave of her hand. Her demeanor was soft. Wavy blond hair brushed her shoulders as she came forward. “I’m Charleigh, and this is my fiancé, River.”
She towed another man forward.
He had to be the most terrifying of them all. Black hair and eyes the same color as Raven’s. They were so close to the same shade that I was pretty sure they had to actually be related, though his eyes were filled with that same kind of violence that I so often felt radiating from Cash.
“Nice to meet you, Daisy,” he said.
I dipped my chin as Charleigh set a hand on Nolan’s head.
“Nolan is mine and River’s son.” Her voice was so tender and riddled with awed affection that it almost struck me like pain. A pain that I understood. It was the kind that made you so desperate to keep your family safe that you would do anything to see it through.
“That’s right. This is Momma-Dog, and that’s my Daddy-O.” Nolan hooked a thumb back at them.
The last couple came up, the man’s arm slung over the woman’s shoulders. He had a saunter to him, a dark arrogance that filled the room. “I’m Theo, and this is my Piper. We’re really happy that you’re here.”
“My Feo, my Feo.” Finn patted his chest as he jumped, delight on his face.
Any amount of arrogance slid off Theo, and he released Piper and scooped up the little boy. “And it seems you already met my little Finn.”
“I did.” It was close to a wheeze. My mind whirred as I tried to keep up. To keep them all straight in my mind.
It wasn’t like Cash gave me much info.
Now, I wished I’d have spent last night peppering him for details rather than being devoured by his hands and that mouth.
Okay, that was a lie.
One so big I couldn’t even try to front it.
I didn’t think I’d trade last night for anything.
But still, he could have dished a little during the silent trip over, but I knew exactly where our minds had been.
“It’s nice to meet you all,” I finally said.
“You, too.” Piper stepped forward. “It’s really great that you’re here. I’m fairly new to town, too, but I know you’re going to absolutely love it here.”
My heart fluttered. I appreciated that they were all trying to give me comfort. To make me feel welcome. Like they planned on me staying.