Total pages in book: 102
Estimated words: 100225 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 501(@200wpm)___ 401(@250wpm)___ 334(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 100225 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 501(@200wpm)___ 401(@250wpm)___ 334(@300wpm)
“You’re a hard woman.”
“So I’ve been told,” I respond—practically giggling.
“Are you sure dating someone from the club is what you want, Thea?”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“You’re more like Hawk when it comes to the club. You don’t want anything to do with us. Dating a brother—”
“Dom, stop. I love the club. My family is here.”
“If that’s so true then why the hell did you avoid anything the club has done? You never come to family parties. You never use the room that Bull set up for you, and—”
“Is that really what you think of me? You think I believe I’m too good to associate with the club? With my family?”
“It sure as hell looks that way. You have to admit that.”
“No, I don’t. No one believes that. I have a sneaking suspicion that you only believe it because Gabby has drummed it in your head.”
“Thea,” he sighs out, sounding exhausted with life. I could almost feel sorry for him. I can’t though.
“You never really knew me at all, Dom. The sad part is you never gave me a chance. You believed every lie Gabby ever told you—”
“Why would she lie about you? It makes no sense.”
“God, do you still not see that she’s a pathological liar when it comes to trying to keep what she deems is hers? Why would she lie to you about anything, Dom? You’ve loved her all your life. What did you do that warranted her lying to you about Thomas? Why would she keep Thomas on the string? Even knowing what she’s done, you still think she didn’t lie to you about me?” I question him, shaking my head in disgust.
“It’s not that, but you can’t deny you avoided the club. Hell, you left town to get away from us all.”
I look at this man. I stare into his beautiful face, and I just shake my head. “Wrong, dickhead. I left town to get away from the two of you. I might have been young and stupid, but back then, I loved you. Gabby knew it and she made my life a living hell because of it.”
“I…” He stops talking and just stares at me. Confusion etched across his face as he tries to piece everything together. It looks painful, and that shouldn’t make me happy—but it does.
“You love me?” he asks.
“Loved, past tense.”
“Why didn’t you ever tell me?”
“Oh, please. Everyone knew how I felt about you, even Mattie.”
“Breaker knew? Why the fuck did no one tell me?”
“It wouldn’t have made a difference, Dom. You were my first kiss. Do you really think I would have shared that moment with you unless I had feelings for you?”
“We didn’t know each other enough for you to love me, Thea.”
I let out a snort. It’s self-deprecating because he’s right—but he’s also wrong. It was young love, but for me it was real. I knew everything about Dom. I followed him around like a lost puppy. Everyone realized it but him. He was always clueless unless it involved Gabby.
“You know, now that I think back on it, I think the two of us were more alike than I ever realized,” I grumble.
“What does that mean?”
“You were blind to everyone but Gabby, and I was blind to everything and everyone but you.”
“Why is it we seem to go in circles talking, Thea?”
“My mother would say it is because we’re both too stubborn.”
“You discuss me with your mother often?” he asks, making me roll my eyes.
“No, that’s what she used to say about me and Mattie when we fought.”
“You and Breaker fought?” he laughs.
“Sometimes. It didn’t happen very often, but when it did, neither one of us liked to give in.”
“Now that, I can believe.”
I grin. “He’s the best big brother a girl could ask for.”
“You’re right, you know,” he says, exhaling with a noise that I can only describe as mournful.
“About what?’
“I listened to Gabby above everyone else. She didn’t want me anywhere near you. I can see that clearly now.”
“I know, although I could never truly understand why. It’s not like you even knew I was alive.”
He gets a funny look on his face that I can’t decipher. Before I can dwell on it too much, Lili comes back to the table. “Girl, are you sure you don’t want to dance? There’s some good-looking men eye-fucking you over there,” she says, motioning to the table across from us.
“Thea has a man,” Dom growls.
Lili’s body jerks and turns to look at Dom. Her face goes tight. “Dom. Didn’t expect to see you around here, especially on a Saturday night. Isn’t that the biggest party night at the club?”
“You should know, you’ve attended enough of them. With more than one member, if I remember correctly.”
“Is there a law against that?”
“Nope,” he says, sounding cold and taunting all at the same time.