Total pages in book: 80
Estimated words: 76381 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 382(@200wpm)___ 306(@250wpm)___ 255(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 76381 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 382(@200wpm)___ 306(@250wpm)___ 255(@300wpm)
“Sorry to hear that,” Callow said, shaking his head. “You both deserve better than that.”
Maybe if she’d had a father figure, she wouldn’t be chasing after the attention of older men. That was the stereotype, right? Maybe therapy was more necessary than punishment.
“Do you mind if I gave you my number?” I asked. “In case she is ever here again? Or even if you are ever out and about and see her somewhere she shouldn’t be?”
“Yeah, of course,” he said, reaching for his phone, unlocking it and handing it to me. I typed my information in before passing it back. “Sabrina,” he said, light blue eyes flicking up to me as my name in his voice had shivers moving through me.
“That’s me,” I said, shooting him a smile that I hoped covered up the desire that was raging through me.
“I promise I’ll let you know if I see Daphne anywhere it seems like you wouldn’t approve of.”
“And since she’ll be grounded from now until eternity, that is absolutely anywhere,” I said.
“Eh, go easy on the kid. She looked fucking mortified when I snatched her phone out of her hand and called you in front of everyone.”
“Am I a terrible mother if I say ‘Good’ to that?”
The horn wailed outside, making Callow’s brows raise.
“This time, I’m pretty sure that’s my friend, not my daughter. She’s probably seconds away from calling the cops, actually,” I added, shooting him a smile. “I should get going.”
“Yeah,” he said, walking me toward the door.
“Again, thanks,” I said as he opened the door for me.
“Don’t mention it,” he said, his gaze lingering for a second.
Did it flick to my mouth or was that just my hopeful imagination?
“Well, ah, you have my number,” I said, suddenly feeling like some inexperienced teenager myself.
“That I do,” he said, something in his voice and gaze making me almost swoon into him.
Which was why I turned and skedaddled to the SUV, finding that Britney was in the driver’s seat now, so I climbed in the passenger side.
Did I look back at the clubhouse door as we pulled away, just wanting to get one last look at that delicious man?
Yes, yes I did.
Right before launching into the myriad of reasons my teenager had absolutely no business trying to track him down and see him again.
I felt hoarse by the time we made it back into our apartment a while later.
“Okay, I get it!” Daphne snapped, face flaming. But, moreso than that, her eyes looked a little watery. “It doesn’t matter anyway. He doesn’t want me! No one does!” she added on a sob as she ran down the hallway, slamming her door in the process.
Where was the chapter in the parenting manual that helped you navigate the sticky topic of self-worth when it came to the opposite sex without inadvertently making her think it was okay to try to chase after a man old enough to be her father?
When the music turned on in her room, making me know she wasn’t going to entertain any more conversation for the night, I poured myself a cup of wine, grabbed my phone, and started to research how to handle this… incredibly uncomfortable situation without leaving the poor kid traumatized.
While I pretended not to hope that a notification would come through on said phone from a certain blue-eyed biker who said my name like a secret only the two of us knew.
God, maybe Britney was right. I needed to get back up on the ol’ pogo stick.
Just not Callow’s.
No matter how much I might have wanted that.
CHAPTER FOUR
Callow
“You sure you got this?” Brooks asked, clearly conflicted.
True, he’d started to loosen up a bit ever since he met his girl and started to build a life outside of the club. But he still struggled to loosen up the reins, even if Fallon thought shit would be fine.
To be fair, Brooks had been around to see more of the club antics than Fallon had. And when you saw us all shitfaced and stupid more than a few times, I could understand why he would question our ability to do a job without a bunch of other senior club members.
My gut instinct was to feel offense. I mean, fuck, the shit I’d seen. The shit I’d done. He had no idea. I could handle a little drop to some small-size MC from out of state.
And as much as Sully didn’t look it in his bright pink Hawaiian shirt with little palm fronds all over it, he was also incredibly capable in action. Maybe even more so than me. I’d only met a handful of other men with as finely-tuned natural instincts as him.
On top of that, Perish was a mammoth of a man who didn’t shy away from violence if it was needed.
Nave had years of living on the road and having to solve all his scuffles by himself.