Total pages in book: 40
Estimated words: 37734 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 189(@200wpm)___ 151(@250wpm)___ 126(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 37734 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 189(@200wpm)___ 151(@250wpm)___ 126(@300wpm)
“Please do. Those boys are wild, and I love them dearly. Holly’s good?”
Wrath gave a fierce scowl then. “Girl’s gonna be the death of me, and I may have to kill Fury’s kid, Jax.”
“Oh? He’s in his thirties, isn’t he? That’s hardly a kid. Besides, what does one have to do with the other?”
“Jax has decided Holly is his.” His expression was now thunderous. “Fucker’s just askin’ for a beatin’.” The second his anger took over, Wrath’s language deteriorated like every other biker I’d been around. I couldn’t help but smile. I covered my amusement by burying my face against Doc’s arm.
“OK,” Marge frowned. “How does that mean Holly’s going to be the death of you?”
“Because, even though she fusses at him and berates him, I also see the looks she gives him. I’m not pleased.”
Marge and Doc both burst out laughing. Doc outright guffawed until tears were rolling down his face. “I’m sorry, Wrath. Honest. But that’s the funniest shit. You’re gonna have Fury’s son for a son-in-law. Noell will eat you alive.”
“Shut the fuck up, asshole. Wait until Caroline takes up with some jackass. See how funny it is then.”
“Never happening. She’s not dating until she’s at least forty. Besides, I’m a doctor. I know how to kill a man so no one realizes he’s been murdered, and I make sure everyone knows it.”
“Yeah? Let me know how that works out for ya when you tell your little princess you accidentally might have murdered her boyfriend on purpose.” Wrath gave Doc the finger.
The food was marvelous, as always. The men kept bantering back and forth, laughing like nothing was amiss. Like they hadn’t just changed Beatrix’s life forever.
“Much as I hate to leave good company,” Wrath said, wiping his mouth, “I’ve got to get back to the office. I’ve filed everything in anticipation of your ex-wife’s compliance, but I wasn’t lying when I told her I’d scheduled the hearing this evening. I need to let Judge Wilson know we worked everything out. Then I’m off to Miami.”
Wrath stood and Doc stood with him, sticking out his hand. “Your help is greatly appreciated, brother. Give Holly and Celeste my love.”
“I will. Call on me anytime. It’s cooperation like this that will strengthen both our clubs.”
Doc sat back beside me again, leaning in to give me a soft kiss. “You ready to go?”
“Can we take the long way back to the compound? I might be addicted to riding behind you.”
Doc chuckled softly and kissed me again. “We can ride anywhere you want to, baby. Just tell me where you want to go.”
“Just back to the clubhouse. I’m sure you’ll need to talk with Caroline and let her know what’s going on. I still hate that she’s essentially cut off from her mother, even if the woman is a serious bitch.”
“Linnie will be fine. Like I said, I’d never keep her from her mother. Not if she wanted to see Trix. She’s old enough to make up her own mind about those kinds of things. If she wants to see or talk to Trix, it will happen. I’ll move heaven and earth to make it happen.”
“And this is one of many reasons I love you. And yes, I caught what you said earlier. Did you mean it?” If I sounded a little vulnerable, I gave myself permission. “I get that you needed to show Beatrix you’d moved on, and I’m OK with that. I just want to know --”
Doc pulled me closer for a gentle but persistent kiss. “Relax, baby. I wouldn’t have said I love you if it weren’t true. How it happened so fast, I have no idea, but I’m not fighting it. We’re going to make this work, and we’re gonna have one hell of a good time doing it.”
I smiled, and Doc kissed me again. “Come on. Let’s get outta here and back home. We’ll talk to Caroline, and all of us will outline what we expect from each other.”
“I think that’s a great idea.”
Doc put some bills on the table to take care of the tab and a tip. Then he threw up his hand at Tito and Marge before we left the diner to get on his bike and take off. I was smiling ear to ear. The sun warmed my face. The breeze whipped through my hair. With sheer joy, I turned my face up to the sky and whooped. Doc chuckled at my antics but didn’t seem to mind. He did as I’d asked and took the long way home. I’d never felt so free in my life. I was in love with a wonderful man who loved me back. His daughter was good with it, and I’d already loved her before I met Doc. Life was good. I had a feeling it would only get better from here.