Total pages in book: 104
Estimated words: 99040 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 495(@200wpm)___ 396(@250wpm)___ 330(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 99040 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 495(@200wpm)___ 396(@250wpm)___ 330(@300wpm)
“No,” Brooke cut in. “I get it. Trust me. I really get it. I think Liv and I both do. We love our men more than anything, and we’ve both been in situations where… unconventional methods were necessary to, well, to keep us alive, frankly.”
“It’s true,” Liv said with a sympathetic smile. “Brooke and I are no strangers to the fact that there are bad people out there. And yeah, we have a system of dealing with them that is lawful, perhaps ethical, and maybe even the ‘right’ way to handle problems. That’s the route you’ve chosen to take as a law enforcement officer, and we respect you for it. But we also know on a very personal level that the system fails. Frequently and catastrophically. It’s men like ours who jump in when there aren’t any other options.”
“That doesn’t mean we think it’s right,” Brooke picked up. “Doesn’t mean they think it’s right. But we are a family first, last, and above all kinds of people. If it needs to be done to help our family, we’ll do it. Every time.”
She spoke with a fierce conviction that resonated deep within Jo. She loved her family. Truly. But they were law-and-order first and foremost. She had no doubt her brothers would arrest her if they knew what she’d allowed tonight. There was a comfort but also exhilaration in finding people who fought so fiercely to protect those they loved.
She wanted it.
Wanted to be a part of what these women had.
“I’m a little scared,” she admitted though it caused her insides to quake. “I worry I’m throwing away something I wanted my whole life for a man. And I’m not sure it’s wise. But on the other hand, I’m wondering if I ever really wanted what I thought I wanted for my entire life.”
“That’s a lot to process,” Brooke said. “You need to talk to Tracker about it. Trust me, Jo, he’s a really good man, but if you want this to go anywhere, communication is key.”
After sipping—chugging—her wine, she nodded. “We’ve talked some. It’s just, what if I leave my job and things fall apart with Tracker? Then I’m left with no career and no, well, no Tracker. No you guys.” Just thinking it made her stomach cramp to the point of breathlessness. Her heart felt heavy as a boulder. The entire club had come to mean a lot to her in a short but powerful time.
“It’s a risk,” Liv said with a nod. “One I fully understand.” She swung her legs over the side of the lounge chair and sat up. She still wore the denim shorts and T-shirt she’d worn to the beach, but all it took was one glance to notice the clothes were designer. “I left an entire life behind when I came here. At the time, it was necessary for my safety, but once my issue resolved…”
Brooke snorted into her wine glass.
Liv shot her a scolding glare. “As I was saying, when it was safe for me to return home, I chose to stay here with Scott. Sorry, Spec,” she added with a smile when Jo scrunched her forehead in confusion. “It’s scary to change your life whether it’s for love or any other reason. But when it’s a new relationship…” She shrugged. “Terrifying.”
“Yes, it is.” Swimming-in-shark-infested-water-with-a-bloody-foot terrifying.
Just as Jo was beginning to question her own sanity, Liv’s face transformed into a beaming grin. “But, Jo, I’m a perfect example of how worth the risk love is. Believe me when I tell you. Worth. It.” She winked.
Brooke laughed. “We all know what you think is worth it.”
Liv fluttered her eyelashes. “What can I say? I’m a satisfied bitch.”
All three women burst out laughing.
Conversation flowed from there, moving to less serious subjects, but an undercurrent of tension lingered. Jo appreciated their attempts at distraction more than she could express, but the three of them knew why they sat in Brooke’s backyard.
And it was to wait for their men to come back from extracting information out of their hostage.
What a disaster.
Her biggest worries used to be hair placement, makeup, and keeping those extra five pounds at bay. Now she spent her days thinking about a man with a moral code opposite of what she’d thought hers was. Opposite of everything she’d had hammered into her throughout her life.
And yet, sitting there drinking wine with these women who shared a love for equally complicated men, she was happier than she’d ever been during her pageant days or even when she’d achieved her goal of becoming a police officer.
They sat outside as darkness fell, drinking wine, eating ice cream, and supporting each other through the difficult night.
Like a family.
And when the sound of male voices rang out through the house, Liv and Brooke’s faces reflected the relief Jo felt.
“Thank God,” she whispered as her two friends nodded.