Total pages in book: 118
Estimated words: 107118 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 536(@200wpm)___ 428(@250wpm)___ 357(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 107118 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 536(@200wpm)___ 428(@250wpm)___ 357(@300wpm)
Cunts.
I got to my feet and pushed my hands through my hair, gripping the strands and almost tearing them from my fucking scalp.
When I could breathe again, Hush met my eyes. His shoulders sagged and he looked away, toward the window. The curtains were closed. He was looking at nothing. I took the food over to him. “Eat.” Hush looked like he was gonna argue, but he needed to eat. For his epilepsy. Thankfully, Hush took the burger and fries from me and started to eat.
Sia woke up and smiled at Hush, then me. Hush stroked her hair again before kissing her lips. Sia ate her food in silence. We all did. When everything was eaten, I lay on the bed behind her. Her hand was on Hush’s chest, her fingertips running over his tattoos.
Hush was the first to speak. “I’ll never understand why anyone cares who anyone loves.” Sia tensed under my arm. I held her tighter. Hush’s voice was almost gone, too much stress over the past few days stripping him of energy and sound.
“Hush,” Sia soothed and went to put her hand on his cheek.
Hush put his hand on hers to stop her. “I don’t want a life for you where you’re judged for being with me. It might not happen today or tomorrow, but someone somewhere will say something, one day. It might even be more than words. I . . .” He shook his head. “I can’t do it to you both.”
“The world is changing,” Sia argued.
“Not quick enough.”
“Then we’ll create a world of our own,” she said defiantly and got to her knees, facing him. Hush’s sad eyes dropped to her, and she gripped his hand.
Then she gripped mine.
“In our home. It’ll be our world. We won’t have to give a shit about those outside. I love you both so fucking much.” She met Hush’s gaze. “Do you know that?”
“Yeah,” Hush said, voice breaking.
Sia’s face relaxed and her shoulders dropped. She leaned forward and kissed his bruised lips. He pulled back, forehead to hers. “You have family,” she whispered. She brought my hand to her lips. “We are a family.” She let out a breath. “The club . . .” She hesitated, then reluctantly added, “They’re our family too.” She ran her hand down Hush’s face. “You’re not alone. But you have to let us in.” A smile spread across her lips. “I know you’re ‘Hush.’ Your road name suits you, because you haven’t ever opened up to me, let me get close.” She looked at me, then back at Hush. “I’m not even sure you’ve truly let Cowboy in either.”
He hadn’t. Not completely.
“For years I’ve been waiting to wake up one day to you gone,” I said. Hush didn’t look at me. His eyes became lost as he stared unseeing at the sheets. “I always knew there was a part of you that’s closed off. Never dealt with . . .” I hated saying this, but . . . “your parents. How they died.” I looked him square in the eyes, until he had no choice but to return my gaze. “It wasn’t your fault, Val. The actions of those racist pricks could never be laid at your feet. Victims are never responsible for their own murders. It’s the evil fucks who ended them who are responsible.” I took his hand and fucking squeezed. “It’s time you forgave yourself. Because the way I see it, we got a real fucking good life ahead of us.” I smiled. “We just have to take it.”
Sia nestled closer to his side. “I don’t care what anyone thinks of us. Even my own brother. I want this . . . I want this so much it hurts.” She kissed his wounded ribs. “I need this . . . I never knew how much until we thought we’d lost you.” She lifted herself up on to her elbow. “Why does it matter what it looks like, or who it involves? If it’s love, we should grab it with both hands.” Her eyes lowered. “I have no parents. You’re alone too, Hush.” She kissed my fingers. “And you, Cowboy, are the light that chases away the deepest darkness within us when it begins to creep in.”
Hush was silent for so long, I thought he would argue. But then he looked at me. “I have to let this go,” he acknowledged, and I saw his face crumble. He ducked his head. “It’s suffocating. I can’t . . . I can’t breathe with it weighing so heavily on me.” When he looked up again, I knew what he wanted.
He needed revenge on those sick fucks that took away his family.
I nodded. He knew I was gonna be right by his side.
We lay back down in silence, until there was a knock at the door. I opened it to find Crow. He came into the room, and Sia got up from the bed. “I’m gonna take a bath,” she said.