Total pages in book: 54
Estimated words: 50653 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 253(@200wpm)___ 203(@250wpm)___ 169(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 50653 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 253(@200wpm)___ 203(@250wpm)___ 169(@300wpm)
“You crazy old bastard!” Kitty bellows. “Are you insane?”
“I don’t know. I never got tested.” Daddy shrugs and fiddles with the remote, turning the volume on the TV unbearably loud.
Kitty walks over to where the knife is and pulls it from the wall. “I’m keeping this,” she says, then goes up to the mounted TV and snatches the cord from the wall, turning the screen black. “Come on.” She takes my arm as angry cusses follow us from the room.
Leading me down the corridor to Cutter’s room, Kitty doesn’t bother knocking, leading me straight inside. It’s a lot like Callan’s, with dark decor, a large bed at the center, metal cabinets lining the walls, and a flat screen affixed to the back wall playing an eighties movie. A large window floods the room with natural light.
“You look like shit,” I muse. Cutter lies propped up by a mountain of pillows on top of a gray comforter, his wound covered with a bandage. He’s a little pale, but still a pretty asshole.
He offers me a crooked grin. “Still breathing, though. Thanks to you.” He winces when he speaks, his hand resting against his bandage.
“Oh, it wasn’t anything. A flesh wound…” I drift off. Silence blankets the room, all of us knowing differently and contemplating what could have happened.
“How are you feeling?” I move to his bedside, resting my ass on the edge. I feel icky being here, complicit in his cheating. I don’t feel that way toward Kitty, though. Maybe it’s because he’s the one wearing the ring.
“Like a punk ass shot me.” He groans and gestures to a cup on his bedside table. A breeze carries in from an open window, ruffling his hair. Kitty jumps into action, fetching the cup and gently handing it to him.
“If it makes you feel better, you made it out better than he did.” The image of Callan slitting his throat plays on repeat in my head rent free.
“I owe you.” He sips from the cup and hands it back to Kitty. She’s at home in here, around him. It makes me wonder how long they’ve been seeing each other behind Callan’s back. What will he do if he finds out? He handled my news better than I expected. I’m still breathing, still in his club house.
“I’ll think of something.” I smile tightly. He’ll revoke that offer when Callan tells them all who I am.
Voices carry in from outside, and the door swings open. A tall blonde woman stands on the threshold. Diamond is behind her, holding her hands up and mouthing, “Sorry,” to Kitty.
I feel Kitty’s discomfort before her features pinch and she moves away from Cutter’s bedside.
“Claire, it’s been a long time.” Kitty forces a smile.
“Not long enough,” the woman retorts, turning her attention to Cutter. “I see they have you here and not in a hospital. Do you want to get an infection?”
“Glad to see you too, babe.” Cutter narrows his eyes as she sashays into the room, a black pencil skirt hugging her hips and a red blouse open to reveal a generous line of cleavage. She’s beautiful in an obvious way.
She drops some bags on the end of his bed then folds her arms, tilting her head to look me over. I’m still sitting beside Cutter, and I can tell this pisses her off by the clenching of her jaw and tapping of her nails on her forearms. Sensing the tension, Cutter clears his throat. “Thanks for stopping by, ladies, but if you could give us the room…?” Kitty shifts from one foot to the other, her hands clasping and unclasping like she doesn’t know what to do with them.
“Sure.” I get to my feet and take Kitty’s arm in mine, trying to still her fidgeting.
“Yeah, thanks for stopping by,” the woman says with a bitter edge. Her eyes drop down my body, her nose scrunching like she smells something bad. Fuck her and the uppity horse she rode in on.
“Rogue, this is Claire, Cutter’s wife,” Diamond introduces when we get to the door, sensing the tension rolling off us all. Diamond doesn’t hide the lift of her shoulders to Kitty.
“Liam,” Claire snips from across the room.
Kitty’s light dims in the shadow of this woman and I hate it.
“Sorry?” Diamond asks.
“His name is Liam, l-i-a-m,” she says slowly, pronouncing each letter.
“Well, I’m Rogue, Cutter’s lifesaver. When you lose your attitude, you can find me in the bar. You’re welcome to buy me a drink.” I grin and wave goodbye to Cutter who closes his eyes and mutters under his breath before I usher Kitty out of the room. I guess the bullet severed his backbone.
“Have I told you that I love you?” Kitty slings her arm around my shoulders and chuckles. The sound makes me feel less like I’m going to implode at any given second.