Total pages in book: 38
Estimated words: 35452 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 177(@200wpm)___ 142(@250wpm)___ 118(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 35452 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 177(@200wpm)___ 142(@250wpm)___ 118(@300wpm)
I gave her a relieved smile. “Thanks so much, Rain.”
“What are sisters for if not to have your back?”
Sisters. If I was with Carnage and he was with his club brothers, I guess that did make all the ol’ ladies my sisters. The thought filled me with happiness. I didn’t have to be alone anymore. I’d witnessed how all the ol’ ladies had pitched in to help with each other’s children. And the kids were like one big family. As far as they were concerned, they were all brothers and sisters together. I wanted that for Theo and Bastian, could already see it in their forming relationships with the other children of Bones.
With a grin, I turned to Rain. “Thank you so much. All of you have been so wonderful with me and the boys.”
She smiled warmly. “You’re welcome. I’m glad you found Carnage. He’s a good man. A strong fighter and protector. He’ll do right by you and your boys.”
“He already has.” Emotion threatened to overwhelm me as I thought about all Carnage had brought into my life. He was wrong about himself. He wasn’t trouble. He was the best man I’d ever met.
He was also a good judge of his brothers. Chase was a good man. Better than I’d ever realized. He had, indeed, taken to my sons, teaching them and giving them another strong role model to emulate. I’d never really shared my sister’s opinion of Chase’s club, but I’d gone along with her because she was my older sister as well as my guardian. I could see now just exactly how wrong she’d been.
The movie was as awesome as predicted, and the girls were rambunctious, whooping and hollering when one good-looking guy after another in the movie took off his shirt or played sports until his muscled physique was glistening with sweat. At the end, they all cheered and clapped in robust, biker fashion. It was the best theater experience of my life.
“So,” Rain said, looping her arm through mine as we walked outside. “How did you like your first girls’ night out?”
“That was excellent!”
“Good!” She squeezed my arm. “But the night’s not over. We’re going to the Boneyard next for drinks and dancing. The guys will probably join us because they’re territorial and all, but it’s still a great time.”
I was about to respond when I noticed Rain’s eyes widen. Her mouth opened as if she intended to say something just before I was yanked backward and nearly pulled off my feet. I gave a sharp cry. Then I felt the cold, sharp sting of a knife at my throat.
My world narrowed to the arm across my chest and the knife against my skin. I thought I heard a woman crying out. Rain? Then the roar of several men and the sound of boots hurrying in our direction and men yelling.
“You stay put, bitch,” the man at my back ordered. Foul breath feathered over my cheek, making me retch. “I know you got money. Mark said you did.”
“He took everything I had.”
“Maybe. But you took up with this lot, and word is they got money. I want a bunch of it.”
“I can’t get you money! It’s not mine!”
“No, but them bastard kids are mine.” He chuckled. “I’ll just go to the fuckin’ courts and tell ’em, and you’ll have to pay me somethin’ for takin’ my fuckin’ kids.”
“I don’t even know who you are!”
“I’m your bitch of a sister’s supplier,” he said gleefully, as if he enjoyed tearing my heart out. “She moved drugs for me.”
“Cherry didn’t sell drugs! Are you out of your mind?”
“’Course she did,” he scoffed. “For over two years. She lasted longer than most bitches ’cause she didn’t use.” He chuckled. “Until she did. After that, I had her any time I wanted her, and all it cost me was a little bit of smack.”
“Are… are you saying you’re the father of her children?” My voice trembled, and I just couldn’t wrap my mind around what he was saying.
“Yep. She even had one of those DNA tests done on me. Proves I’m their daddy.”
“You never came to the hospital,” I said, fear still gripping me, but now anger threatened to overtake it all. “Why are you here? Huh? Why are you doing this? The boys are taken care of, and you’ll never get your filthy hands on them!”
“If you wanna live, you’ll give ’em to me. Mark and I had a deal. I’d get rid of the brats for him, and he could do whatever he wanted with you.”
“Get rid of? You mean you were going to kill them?”
“Hell, no!” He barked out a short laugh. “Gonna sell the brats. Get me a good price, and I’ll have enough money for anything I want. After I pay Mark in his favorite currency. Cocaine.”