Total pages in book: 97
Estimated words: 92190 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 461(@200wpm)___ 369(@250wpm)___ 307(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 92190 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 461(@200wpm)___ 369(@250wpm)___ 307(@300wpm)
“Will found out everything about her. She lost her parents at sixteen. Fell in with the wrong crowd after. Ran away at eighteen and had a child.”
“And how do you feel about that?”
“About what?”
“Her having a ki—”
“Fuck, you are too good! Are you sure you weren’t a sniper in a previous life?” Billie exclaims, interrupting what Eli was saying. Like Hawke, she throws the controller, and he laughs and makes fun of her.
“I’m sorry, guys. That’ll be fifty bucks,” Jewel says, holding her hand out with a smug smile.
“Double or nothing!” Hawke yells.
“Fuck that, I’m out,” Billie states. She comes over to me with her hand out. “Can I have fifty? I don’t carry around cash.”
“And you think I do?” I reply with a raised eyebrow.
She narrows her gaze on me. “You own strip joints. Of course, you do. You wouldn’t want me to go back on my word in a bet, would you? That’d look so bad for the family.”
Eli chuckles. “Remind me why I come to you as my advisor and not your younger sister.”
Hawke and Jewel continue playing as I roll my eyes and pull a hundred-dollar bill for Billie because it’s all I carry.
“Speaking of the blonde, why don’t you invite her to my birthday party tomorrow?” Billie asks.
“She has a name,” I growl, irritated that my sister was obviously eavesdropping. “Posie will not at all be interested in meeting my family.”
She shrugs. “Yeah, but if you’ve invited Striker to this thing, why not invite her and see if they recognize each other? You’ll see how deep their connection runs by their reactions. Surely, if the president of the motorcycle club recognizes her, she was a lot closer with them than just chilling with them for two years.”
“I don’t disagree with her,” Ford interjects.
Eli grits out, “Have you all been fucking listening?”
Ford looks up at him then. “You usually discuss business in your office. You were the one who decided to talk in here. We’re not to blame for your lack of discretion.”
My jaw clenches. The only reason we’re in here with them is because Eli refuses to let Jewel out of his sight, and Jewel has been inviting everyone over for more of these “gamer afternoons” to bring everyone together.
“It’s not a request. It’s a demand. Bring her to the party,” Billie says with a smile. “You were the one who taught me not to ask for permission or forgiveness. It can be part of my birthday present. I’m kind of curious about the woman who has my ice king of a brother pussy whipped.”
“I’m not pussy whipped,” I growl.
“No? Then it should be easy to invite her. It serves as a means to an end, doesn’t it?” she challenges, and I hate how much she understands how I think and work because I’ve used that exact same line on her numerous times.
“If she’s only someone you’re fucking, and there’s no attachment, I somewhat agree with your sister,” Eli adds.
A strange, twisted uncertainty torments me. We invited Striker in a show of good faith, bringing him into our home and including him in the celebration. I’m not so sure about Posie. Then again, what they’re saying makes sense. If I deny them, they’ll think I’m protecting her. But aren’t I? I don’t want to share her with them. Am I passing up an opportunity to make sure that Posie isn’t a threat to my family if I refuse?
“I’m certain she’s not part of their antics or a threat,” I say to Eli, now that my sister’s dismissed herself, assuming she’ll get what she wants. And usually, I indulge her.
“But do you know that for certain? You thought she wasn’t connected to them, and then she went to Boston, and you lost your shit and put someone in the hospital.”
I pick up the whiskey, and another thought comes to mind. What would my mother think of Posie? I don’t know why I consider that. It shouldn’t matter, should it?
Posie made it very clear last night that fucking is all she wants from me. But sometimes, my mother sees things in a light that I can’t. I’m too cynical, so perhaps she’ll be able to provide insight as to why this woman is so easily tormenting my every waking moment.
“Perhaps I’ll bring her for a few hours, but if she’s innocent and things go awry, I’ll intervene.”
Eli raises his scarred eyebrow. “How interesting that you have the urge to protect someone outside your family. Just don’t ruin this deal for me.”
CHAPTER 31
Posie
Dutton: You still owe me a date. Today.
Iwant to ignore it, but I know Dutton has the tendency to do whatever the fuck he wants, and him rocking up to my door uninvited is a very real possibility, even though I just saw him two nights ago.