Total pages in book: 43
Estimated words: 39540 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 198(@200wpm)___ 158(@250wpm)___ 132(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 39540 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 198(@200wpm)___ 158(@250wpm)___ 132(@300wpm)
Cyclone winced. “Fuck. I didn’t think about it that way.”
“You didn’t fuckin’ think at all,” Mama snapped. “Now stop being such a fuckwit and admit you missed your brother.”
Cyclone rubbed the back of his neck, glancing between Mama and me with a pained expression. “I… fuck. You’re right,” he admitted grudgingly. “I’ve been an asshole.”
I clenched my jaw, seconds from walking out, leaving Bones for good. I mean, I was leaving. How long I stayed gone and to what extent I kept in touch was still up for debate. The tension was palpable and the absolute only reason I hadn’t already gotten the hell outta Dodge was because I wasn’t leaving Pippa behind. Not even with Mama and Pops.
“I’m only here until Mama says Pippa is OK to travel. Last thing I want to do is bring trouble to your door.” I did my best to keep the sneer out of my voice but wasn’t sure I managed. “Torpedo and Bohannon said we could hole up there as long as we like.”
“Stay here, Gunnar.” Ice held out a hand to me, wanting me to take it. I wanted to, but I wasn’t ready. I knew everyone was angry with me for how things went down. Not because I’d confessed to killing the man who’d assaulted my sister, but for me not even trying to fight the charges and mount a defense. But mostly for making my mother cry.
“I don’t think that’s the best idea. For so many damned reasons I don’t even want to think about them.” We were all silent for a long moment, them studying me, me studying them. All three of us trying to figure out how to get the upper hand. Finally, it was Cyclone who broke the silence. I’d never wanted to hit my brother more in my life than I did in that moment.
“You want to get out of here before either of them can get here.” Cyclone sat back in a chair and crossed one ankle over the opposite knee, all smug like he’d won this round. Which he might have. “Who are you afraid of seeing most? You know. Now that you’re out of prison and all the monitors and guards and inmates listening aren’t a factor?” That smug expression on his face was nearly my undoing. “Mom? Or Hannah?”
“Fuckin’ Christ.” Mama grabbed my upper arm and tugged me back inside her clinic before I could attack my brother again. “When Angel and Hannah get here, the two of you are on your own. You’ve effectively ruined any chance of convincing Gunnar to keep Pippa here instead of leaving just when Angel got him back.” She shot my brothers an angry, exasperated look. “God help you when Cain finds you, because this time, it’s not Gunnar who’ll make your mother cry. And your father will be less tolerant with the two of you than he was with Gunnar because your infraction was completely uncalled for.” She shoved me toward Pippa where my woman lay on the stretcher, then shut the door behind us.
Chapter Three
Pippa
I could hear Gunnar arguing with the men outside. It sounded like they were pissed as shit, but I couldn’t make out much of it because my ears were ringing and the room was spinning. “Why did I have to experience my first time being high like this?” I had no idea who I was talking to or even if anyone was there.
“Not to worry, dear.” An older woman with steel-gray hair and piercing blue eyes leaned over me and gave me a kind smile. “I’m sure there will be other, more enjoyable times to explore.”
“No, there won’t.” I was emphatic, shaking my head, which only made the disorientation worse. “I’d never be able to afford the amount of drugs it took to get me this high.”
She handed me a bottle of water. “Drink up child. The more fluids you get in you, the better you’ll feel.”
She was right. I was thirsty as shit so I took a long pull, savoring the cool liquid sliding down my throat like I hadn’t been able to before. In the Humvee I’d been hurt, scared, and more than a little nauseous. I know I managed to drink some, but not nearly enough. Now that I’d had a moment to register just how delicious it was, I gulped down several more swallows. Mama helped me undress, making sure to always keep me covered. I swear, the woman was a saint. Gunnar had put clean clothes on me when he’d found me, so my clothes weren’t soiled enough they needed to be thrown out. It was more the thought of what they represented. Mama tossed the garments in the trash and tied the bag shut without a word.
“The night they took me, I was at a party for a friend’s birthday.” I wasn’t sure why I was telling Mama this, but I wanted to get it out now for some reason. “We’d all gone to a local bar and I snuck in. Since I hadn’t planned on ordering myself anything other than water or soda, I figured I’d be OK as long as I stayed away from anyone who might check an I.D. after I got in. A guy struck up a conversation with me and handed me a drink. Obviously, those were my first and second mistakes all rolled into one.”