Total pages in book: 49
Estimated words: 44899 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 224(@200wpm)___ 180(@250wpm)___ 150(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 44899 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 224(@200wpm)___ 180(@250wpm)___ 150(@300wpm)
“I’ve never been so glad to have Knight tell us someone had stolen a brother’s bike. It wasn’t until Ranger realized the bike was gone that he put together who’d taken it.”
“When all my shit was waiting on you guys at the front and I didn’t show up, Knight tracked my phone, didn’t he?”
“Yeah, honey. I was tracking your phone and your watch.”
“Tell Knight he’s more than welcome to put trackers on my person anywhere he sees fit. My clothes. My phone. My shoes. My favorite hair clip. I don’t care. Thank him for viciously invading my privacy, but I draw the line at video. He cannot spy on me.”
All three men tried hard to stifle laughter or grins, but it was a hopeless battle.
“I’m sorry,” I whispered, and meant it. “Not for leaving, but for scaring you.”
He gave an exasperated sigh but chuckled just the same. “I am so fucked.”
“Definitely agree with that statement.” Knuckles mumbled. “Girl’s gonna run circles around you.”
“Ain’t that the truth.” Sully’s breath whispered against my hair. I wasn’t sure if his reply was meant for Knuckles, me, or himself.
It wasn’t long before we all rolled into the Kiss of Death compound. Instead of stopping at the main clubhouse, however, Knuckles drove through the canopied streets between the warehouses to the building with our apartment.
“Go get cleaned up and get some rest.” Knuckles held the door while Sully scooped me up from the car. “Tonio’s waitin’ in the main clubhouse. I’ll tell him she needs a minute, but he’s gonna to want to see her.”
“Tell him I’ve got her. I’ll call him once she’s asleep. Tell him I swear I won’t keep him in the dark any longer than I have to, but Darby comes first.”
Knuckles brushed his hand over the top of my head gently. “You take care of your woman, Sully. Tell us what you need and it’s yours.”
I lifted my head, looking up at Knuckles. “Tell Tonio I’m not sorry for the shopping spree and that all that stuff is mine and I’m giving some of it to the girls here.” My words were running together, but not because I was tired. The adrenaline was dissipating quickly, and I was beginning to crash. I also found myself very much in need of being in our apartment with the door firmly shutting us in.
“I’ll tell him exactly that, honey. Though, to be honest, he seemed genuinely relieved to see your haul.”
I frowned. “That wasn’t supposed to make him happy.”
“No?” Knuckles held my gaze. “I’m guessing the six-figure credit card bill was supposed to make him cut you off.”
“Well, I’d at least hoped he’d be mildly irritated,” I grumbled.
“Sorry about your luck. The way Tonio sees it, he’s missed out on the first twenty-three years of your life. He’s not going to miss out on a second more.”
“Tell him I’ll try harder next time.”
“I’ll tell him exactly that, Lil’ Bit.”
We took the lift to our floor then Knuckles held our apartment door open. Once we were inside, he shut the door and left.
Sully carried me to the bathroom. He put me on my feet before starting the shower, then stripping us both.
We stayed there for a long time. Sully washed me from head to toe. Then he just held me under the spray and let me feel the steady beat of his heart until I was drooping with exhaustion.
“I wanted you to fuck me, but I’m not sure I still have the energy.”
“Plenty of time for that later, honey.”
He dried my body, then brushed my hair until I was so relaxed and boneless I don’t even remember getting into bed. I assume he carried me, but I wasn’t certain.
I knew I needed to, maybe, just a little bit, apologize to Tonio for spending his money. But I meant it when I said I was keeping all that shit. Except I really wouldn’t. Much as I wanted to just to fuck with the guy, stealing his money wasn’t fair. He hadn’t known I existed and when he’d found me, he’d done what needed doing to protect me. How could I really fault him for that?
But most of all, I just wanted to lie here with Sully. Just for a while. A short nap maybe. For the first time in my life, I understood what it meant to belong to someone by choice rather than circumstance or coercion.
I belonged to Sully, and he to me. Everything else was just details we could figure out later.
Chapter Seven
Sully
Tonio Miles and I sat across from each other at a table against a wall in the common room of the main clubhouse. Untouched whiskeys rested between us like some kind of liquid demilitarized zone while the noise from the rest of the common room faded into a dull roar. We sized each other up, neither of us reaching for our drinks, neither of us blinking. The second most powerful crime boss in Nashville versus an ex-con with more loyalty than sense. In any other circumstances, this would’ve ended with me in a shallow grave. But Darby had changed the equation, and now we both had to figure out how to solve for X again.