Total pages in book: 63
Estimated words: 60676 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 303(@200wpm)___ 243(@250wpm)___ 202(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 60676 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 303(@200wpm)___ 243(@250wpm)___ 202(@300wpm)
“You send me away, but what about the kids?” she argues. “If it’s not safe for me to be here, then there is no way in hell I’m leaving them here.”
My chest tightens. “I never said it wasn’t safe, I just said it ain’t your concern. Go to school, I won’t bring this business around the kids, and you know it.”
“They tossed his body in the front gates, what comes next?”
“Ciara,” I growl. “I will not say it again. You’re goin’ back to school, and everything will carry on as usual. You hear me?”
The defiant, strong nature that I love so fucking much about her washes over her face as she stares at me with utter frustration. “Maybe I should take the kids to my parents’ when I go to school ...”
Wrong thing to say.
A wild, uncontrollable rage grips my chest as my eyes widen and my fist clenches. “What did you fuckin’ say?”
She knows she’s wrong, I can see it in her face, but she doesn’t back down. “I don’t mean so you can’t have them, I just mean while I’m not around. It will give you a chance to do what you need to with the club.”
“You don’t trust me with those kids.”
“I never said that ...” she argues.
“You didn’t have to.”
“Danny, for crying out loud, what do you want me to do? You won’t talk to me, you won’t tell me what’s going on or what you’re feeling, and you just want me to be okay with leaving my babies.”
“They’re my babies too,” I bellow. “And I don’t like you assumin’ that I can’t take care of ‘em.”
Anger flashes in her face. “A man got dumped in the fucking biker lot and died. Can you honestly not see why I’m concerned? Not to mention, you haven’t said two words to me in the last few days. You’re off in your own little world, and I’m scared you won’t be giving them the attention they need.”
“You better be very fuckin’ careful what your next words are,” I hiss, my hands trembling with rage, my body tight with an emotion I can’t understand.
Fear.
Fear of losing the two things I love so fucking much.
“Do not threaten me, Spike.”
“You’re the one tryin’ to take my babies.”
She throws her hands in the air. “Oh, grow up. I’m not trying to take anything. I’m just trying to keep them safe. I’m their mother. I have that right.”
“I’m done with this conversation.”
“God dammit, Spike,” she yells, her voice cracking, “why do you always have to make things so damned hard? I’m trying to talk to you, to help you. We’re in a relationship, or have you forgotten that?”
“I’m not the one who forgot that,” I growl.
I know the moment the words leave my mouth I’ve pushed the wrong button. I’m wild, angry, but fuck I never meant it. I know it, yet it doesn’t make me take them back. I have a knot inside my chest, an angry bubble that needs to be unleashed, and Ciara decided today was the day she wanted to fight.
Fuck me.
I’m being a cock, I know it.
She is only trying to help.
I open my mouth to respond but I don’t get a word out, the absolute pain in her face and her words stop me. She’s wild now, angry and upset, and I don’t blame her. “How dare you,” she hisses, her hands shaking. “You were the one who told me to go, to find who I am and now you’re going to punish me for it?”
I grit my teeth and close my eyes, fighting for calm. “Didn’t mean it.”
“And yet you said it.”
A tear rolls down her cheek, and I know I’ve crossed the line.
“Tom Cat ...”
“No. I’m done with this bullshit. If you’re not going to talk to me, to tell me what’s going on in your head, then I’m not going to waste my time standing here. I am taking the kids to my parents’ when I go this week, so you can have a god damned minute to figure out who the fuck you are and what you want.”
There goes that rage again. “Those fucking assholes are not lookin’ after my children.”
“Those fucking assholes are their grandparents.”
“Because they did a fuckin’ stand up job with their own kids,” I bark.
Ciara shakes her head as more tears roll down her cheeks.
“Try and fight me on this, Spike.”
She turns, walking toward the door. “Ciara!”
She doesn’t look back.
Fuck.
Fuck.
Fuck.
“TELL ME WHERE TO FIND the fucker,” I roar, slamming the man against a tree as he splutters blood from his split lip all over my face. “Fuckin’ tell me before I gouge your fuckin’ eyes out with my bare hands.”
“I don’t know,” he croaks. “Only a few people have that privilege.”
“Then tell me,” I grind out. “Where the fuck do I find the privileged?”