Total pages in book: 78
Estimated words: 74575 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 373(@200wpm)___ 298(@250wpm)___ 249(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 74575 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 373(@200wpm)___ 298(@250wpm)___ 249(@300wpm)
“I know.” I glanced up at him as I said, “I just hate we haven’t been able to track them down.”
“Tomorrow’s a new day.” He gave me a fatherly pat, then said, “Go get away for a bit. Blow off some steam and clear your head. It’ll do you good.”
I nodded, then stood and walked out of the room. Without saying a word to anyone, I continued down the hall and out to the parking lot. I was on edge and in dire need of some lengthy wind therapy, but as luck would have it, it was too fucking cold for the Harley. Having no other choice, I got in my truck and drove through the clubhouse gate. As soon as I was on the open road, I hammered down on the accelerator and sped down the old, winding road that led to my house.
My head was all over the place.
One minute I was thinking about the guys and what was going on with the club, and then, I was thinking about Elsie and how incredible she looked when she left for her fucking date. It was just another twist of the knife. I hated that I’d let things with her get to this point. I had no one to blame but myself.
At first, I didn’t think anything of the draw I felt towards her.
I thought it was just a really strong friendship. It wasn’t until the night of Savage’s birthday party that I realized our connection was something more.
Savage had just patched in, and the brothers were hell-bent on showing him the night of his life. They’d packed the place with friends, ol’ ladies, and hang arounds. Some were playing beer pong, while others were busy shooting darts or playing pool. All were drinking heavily, and while it looked like a great time, I wasn’t in the mood to get wasted.
It had been a long, fucking week, and I just wanted to sit by the fire and clear my head. Unfortunately, that wasn’t going to happen. I was on my way out the back door when Rooster shouted, “Yo, Bones. Get over here and play a round with us.”
“Sorry, man. I’m heading out.”
“Come on, brother.” Rooster nodded over to the beer pong table as he complained, “These girls are kicking my ass! I’m pretty sure they’re cheatin’.”
“We’re not cheating.” Elsie giggled as she told him, “You just suck.”
“And they’re mean, too!” Rooster shook his head. “Damn. I need your steady hand to help me turn things around.”
“Fine, but only one round.”
“One round is all I need.”
I walked over to the table and stood beside Rooster. There were only a couple of solo cups left on his side but a full triangle at the other end. Rooster wasn’t exaggerating when he said the girls were kicking his ass. “Damn, Roost. You really do suck.”
“I don’t suck. I’m just a little off tonight.” He nodded towards Lacy as he whispered, “Lace and that short skirt of hers are fuckin’ with my head. If I lose, I’m gonna look like a schmuck. You gotta help me out.”
He placed a ping pong ball in my hand, then stepped to the side, holding his breath as I dipped the ball in the water and tossed it across the table. When it landed in the center of one of the cups, Rooster slammed his fist into my bicep and shouted, “Hell, yeah!”
“Well, done,” Lacy smirked at Rooster. “Now, let’s see if you can actually make one this time.”
A look of determination crossed his face as he stepped over, dipped the ball, and tossed it across the table. Like many times before, the ball missed the cups by a mile. He dropped his head and cursed, “Dammit.”
“Our turn!” Elsie stepped and took her shot, and the ball sank into the cup. “Yes!”
“If I get this last one, we win.” Lacy got into position and took her shot, and when it dropped inside the cup, she jumped up and down. “And that’s how it’s done.”
“I demand a rematch!” Rooster fussed.
“I’d be down for that.” Elsie smiled at me as she asked, “What about you? You want to play another round?”
“Yeah, I could do one more round.” Knowing Rooster was itching to hook up with Lace, I suggested, “Why don’t we make it interesting and swap partners?”
“I’d be good with that.”
“Me, too.” Lacy sauntered over to Rooster and bumped him with her hip. “What do you think, partner?”
“I think we’re kicking some ass.”
“Don’t you know it!” She lifted her hand, giving him a quick high five, and then she turned to Elsie. “You two ready?”
“Absolutely.” Elsie gave me a wink as she said, “Let’s show ‘em how it’s done.”
Unlike the other girls, Elsie wasn't overly done up. She was wearing a vintage Van Halen t-shirt she'd gotten from her favorite thrift shop and a pair of baggy jeans, and her long, red hair was pulled up in a messy bun. Her relaxed look mirrored her easygoing personality. It was part of her charm, and one of the many reasons I enjoyed hanging out with her.