Total pages in book: 75
Estimated words: 72126 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 361(@200wpm)___ 289(@250wpm)___ 240(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 72126 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 361(@200wpm)___ 289(@250wpm)___ 240(@300wpm)
“I’ve got a shift.”
“Yeah, but I figured you’d wanna be around in case they needed something.” His voice was dripping with that familiar teasing tone, but I wasn’t in the mood for it. “I mean, I’m more than happy to step up to the plate and make sure...”
“That’s enough.” I set the box down a little harder than I meant to and turned to face him. “You’re here to keep an eye on them, not to be a pain in my ass.”
“Oh, I’ll keep an eye on ‘em,” he snickered. “You ain’t gotta worry about that.”
“Keep running your mouth and see where it gets you.”
“Hey, hey!” He laughed, holding his hands up in mock surrender. “Don’t gotta get your panties in a bind. I was just fucking around.”
“Yeah, well, what else is new?”
“Damn, brother. If I didn’t know better...” Goose gave me one of his looks, then shook his head and chuckled. “Nah, no fucking way.”
“I should be back around eleven. You good with that?”
Goose’s smile faded. “Yeah, eleven’s fine.”
I gave him a nod, then grabbed my keys and went out to my bike. I’d just kicked my leg over the seat when Cricket came rushing out the back door. She hurried over to me and asked, “Are you leaving?”
“Yeah, I’ve gotta get over to the Vault. My shift starts in twenty.”
“Okay. Well, I won’t keep you. I just wanted to say thanks.”
“For?”
“Everything.”
She leaned forward and gently pressed her lips to my cheek. She quickly stepped back, and her eyes met mine with mix of gratitude and longing. Her hair was a mess and her clothes were disheveled, but as she stood there holding my gaze, I’d never seen a more beautiful sight. A soft smile swept across her face as she whispered, “Have a good night.”
With that, she turned and hurried back inside.
Damn.
She’d surprised me, and I had a feeling there would be more surprises to come.
Whitney
“So, how have things been going?”
“Pretty good, I guess.” I poured Bridget a cup of coffee and carried it over to the table. “We’re still getting used to things, but I’d say we’re off to a good start.”
“Ah, man.” She gave me a playful pout. “I was hoping you were going to say that you missed the clubhouse and were ready to come back.”
“Oh, there are definitely things I miss.” I sat down next to her and sighed. We’d been at Ghost’s for just over a week, and while it had been great to have our own rooms, I was struggling to adjust. “You, for one. And our morning coffees and those amazing biscuits Misty makes. And I really miss the noise.”
“Really?”
“Yeah, I love it here, but it’s just so quiet. I’ve turned on fans and the radio, but it’s just not the same as hearing the guys rumbling around.”
“Well, you could always come back.”
“I don’t think that’s going to happen.” I glanced behind me, making sure he wasn’t listening in when I told her, “Something happened with Toby.”
“Oh, yeah.” Bridget grimaced. “I heard about that.”
“Seems everybody heard about it but me.”
“Kayla feels awful about it. She had no idea he was out there, or she would’ve locked the door.”
“I know. It wasn’t her fault. I just wish it never happened.” I dropped my head into my hands and sighed. “It’s a lot to comprehend at his age.”
“What’s he said about it?”
“Nothing. I’ve tried talking to him about it, but he keeps saying that he didn’t see anything.”
“Maybe he didn’t.”
“We both know better than that.”
“Yeah, especially with Rus.” A smirk slipped across her face. “He tends to get a little rowdy.”
“Oh, great,” I groaned.
“I wouldn’t worry too much. He’ll come to you if he has questions.”
“Yeah, that’s what Ghost keeps telling me.”
“So, how have things been with him?”
“Better than I deserve.”
“What!” she scoffed. “That’s not true.”
“But it is,” I argued. “He’s just so good. He makes me feel like my crazy isn’t so crazy.”
I leaned back in my chair, and my mind quickly drifted to one of the many times when Sutton had been so patient and understanding with me.
We’d only been there for a day or so, and I was working in Toby’s room. I was at his dresser, putting some of his clothes into the drawer, when Sutton came in with another box. He was right behind me when his boot caught the edge of the rug, and he stumbled.
The box slipped from his hands and hit the floor with a loud thud, and I nearly jumped out of my skin. I whipped around with a gasp, and the scare took my breath. Sutton stepped over to me and placed his hands on my shoulders. “Hey, easy there. It’s just a box.”
I nodded, trying to pretend that I wasn’t on the brink of a panic attack. He brought his hands up to my face and lifted my chin, forcing me to look him in the eye. He inhaled a deep breath and waited for me to do the same.