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 flush on Daisy’s cheeks turned flaming red, but she couldn’t stop herself from peeking over at Cash, wondering what his reaction would be.
Cash choked a disbelieving sound followed by a laugh. “Mom…did you just hear yourself? You’re going to make poor Daisy here think I’m up to no good.”
Confusion traipsed across her face before her eyes went wide, and she waved both hands in front of her like she was giving the universal sign to stop, laughing, too. “Oh, no, no, I’m…that’s not what I meant. Cash knows better than to go at it in the kitchen.”
Cash cracked up. “Mom, seriously…making it worse here.”
She put a hand over her eyes. “I know. Oh my gosh, so awkward. I’m sorry. I’ll just leave you two in peace. It was so nice to meet you, Daisy.”
She gave a little squeeze to Daisy’s shoulder as she passed before she breezed out through the archway.
Daisy bit down on her bottom lip, peeking between Cash and the spot where his mom had disappeared.
Her chest felt fuzzy and full.
The void her own mom had left ached intensely, but something else wrapped her like a blanket.
“My mom’s a little over the top,” he said, though there was no embarrassment or anger to it.
“She’s so nice,” Daisy whispered.
“Yeah, she’s cool as fuck.”
He peered over at her then, like he felt the wave of grief. “Sorry,” he mumbled.
She shook her head. “You don’t have to be sorry. I’m happy for you.”
He gave her a gentle smile, and his head tipped to the side, sending a flop of his warm brown hair brushing over one eye.
Her belly toppled over in something she didn’t quite recognize.
Then his expression twisted into mischief. “Would you hate me if I told you I’m glad you crashed your bike?”
“I might not hate you, but I think I’d be concerned you might be a sadist.” Somehow, she managed her own grin.
A low chuckle rolled out of him. “Well, I’m not happy you got hurt. I’m just glad I got to save you.”
He sent her a wink as he turned and opened the pantry door.
She climbed onto a stool, her head angled down as she muttered, “I’m glad you saved me, too.”
“Ah, we are in luck. Look what I found.” Cash turned around and waved a box of Red Vines in the air, a box of cookies in the other. “Time to carb it up, Little Wallflower.”
He tossed both packages onto the counter then reached into the refrigerator and pulled out two bottles of Gatorade. He set one down in front of her then came around the counter and sat next to her.
He opened both snack packages, pulled out a vine and handed it to Daisy, before he grabbed one for himself.
He flicked his against hers like he was clinking a glass during a toast, his hazel eyes easy and warm as he said, “To first friends.”
Then he lifted the vine to his mouth and bit off a big piece.
Daisy nibbled at hers as she watched him eat.
And for the first time in a year, she felt truly alive.
ELEVEN
CASH
I flew down the two-lane road toward Moonlit Ridge. Taking the winding curves that snaked down the mountain at a clip. The powerful engine of my bike roared in my ears, and cool wind lashed at my face as the night seeped into every crevice of the earth. A dark canopy that hugged the world in a counterfeit comfort as the masses let go and lost themselves to sleep.
It was Sovereign Sanctum’s job to protect it. At least the little bit we could.
Turning our brutal propensities toward the good in the only way we knew how.
I glanced at my left hand that clutched the handlebars. The stacked Ss tattoo with the dagger running through and the eye in the middle burned so hot my hand might as well have been consumed in the flames from the torch that sat on top.
My life had been committed to what that tattoo represented. My life sacrificed to those who couldn’t protect themselves. The one place I could direct the violence that forever lived in me and use it for good, though there were plenty of times I used that violence for ulterior purposes.
I was the one they would call when someone vile needed to be taken out.
Swiftly and quietly.
My ties to Silas and his crew were much deeper than my brothers at Sovereign Sanctum knew. As far as I was concerned, sleazebags didn’t deserve to breathe, and I never minded being the executioner.
I was already on my way to hell. Might as well take a few monsters with me.
It’s why I chose to live my life alone. Cut off from the rest of humanity because I had no humanity left.
And then Daisy had shown up with her children.
Anxiety twined my insides in a fist, and my mind spun with what she asked of me.