Total pages in book: 109
Estimated words: 106065 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 530(@200wpm)___ 424(@250wpm)___ 354(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 106065 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 530(@200wpm)___ 424(@250wpm)___ 354(@300wpm)
I bet I looked like a question mark. “I’m all for the fun, but what work?”
He chewed what was in his mouth and scooted back his chair. “I’ll show you.”
He was only gone a minute, long enough for me to proclaim Archie’s cooking my new religion. The burger was so fucking good! Perfect meat, perfect amount of cheese, then crisp lettuce and fresh onion. And the buns were toasted. God. I poured some ketchup under the top bun and took another huge bite.
Sloan wiped the corner of my mouth with a napkin, and I smiled goofily at him. He was such a Daddy.
“Reese decided a couple weeks ago it was time to make a statement,” Greer said, returning to the table. “I’m inclined to agree with him.” He dropped a…toiletry bag on the table. “This li’l bitch fight we’ve had recently about the name of our community is gonna come to a fuckin’ end.”
I looked closer at the toiletry bag, only to splutter a laugh when I noticed the print.
Mclean House.
Once Greer was seated again, he grabbed the bag and poured out the contents. “You and Archie are gonna put together the kits tomorrow morning before we go.”
“Oh my gosh.” This was so funny. Every item—a compressed towel, a bookmark, a key ring, freaking aftercare balm—sported the same print. It was everywhere. Mclean House, Mclean House, Mclean House.
It hit me at the same time that it was an aftercare kit.
“I hate to break it to you, Sir,” I said, “but you’ve made a mistake. It’s called House Mclean.”
“No, as you can clearly fucking see, it’s not,” he replied pointedly. “Reese and I were there eight years ago—we founded the community. River too. And Colt, Lucas, Macklin, Lucian, and Penelope. Were you there, Corey?”
“Yes, I’m offended you didn’t notice.” I sniffed.
Sloan laughed.
Greer shook his head in amusement. “You were sixteen years old when we named our community Mclean House.” He scrubbed a hand over his face. “Jesus H Christ, he was sixteen. I have a nephew who’s older than you.”
“I’m gonna start calling you Pop and Papi,” I laughed. “Try not to get too horny.”
Archie cracked up at that too.
“Both suit him perfectly,” Sloan chuckled.
“He was sixteen!” Greer exclaimed. “I’d gone through five deployments and started a business, and he was just fresh outta diapers!”
Oh, come on! He was a dozen young play partners too late to be bitching about age. “Didn’t you play with Noa and KC this summer?” I scratched my nose. “He’s younger than me.” Yeah, I was fairly sure Noa was a couple years younger.
“That’s different,” he argued stubbornly. “It was a casual, one-time thing.”
“And I don’t see you choking me out with your cock, so what’s the problem?” I retorted.
Archie let out a low whistle, and the table fell silent. Greer stared at me.
I stared right back, defiant. And for the first time in years, I felt my inner strength making a comeback. Holy shit, it was a heady feeling. I’d felt a fraction of it at events, when I let my brat out to play under organized circumstances, but this was different. This was me, just me, standing my ground against a Dom’s silly logic.
“You’re right about that,” he replied eventually.
“I know, Pop.” I stuck a fry into my mouth.
“I feel the need to repeat how happy I am to have you here, Corey,” Archie said.
“I’ll drink to that.” Sloan took a swig of his beer.
“How can anyone trust a word you say?” Marcus accused. “You said you loved me.”
I don’t know what love is anymore, I wanted to scream. But I couldn’t. My voice, my breath, and my fear had gotten stuck in my throat.
The embers swirled around me, dots of glowing orange against the dark shadows. Then angry flames roared in the distance and crawled upward, revealing a wooden ceiling with black paint melting off the surface.
It’s just a nightmare, it’s just a nightmare, I chanted internally. Please wake me up! I knew it was a bad dream. I knew. I felt the restlessness of Buddy and Beast next to me.
My heart pounded as I took a small step forward.
“We haven’t loved each other in months,” I heard myself say. With conviction I hadn’t felt in a long time. “Everything you do for me comes with a price tag. If you’re kind to me, I have to do something for you. If you give me something, I’m in debt to you. That’s not love. You just want to control me.”
I didn’t see him anywhere, but I heard him. I heard his demeaning tone and his mocking laughter.
“Relationships are about give and take, you spoiled little brat!”
I flinched, filled with shame and uncertainty, but then I saw a figure in the shadows. It was Greer. He stepped out from the darkness and folded his arms over his chest. He didn’t say anything. His expression was unreadable—but his presence was reminder enough.