Total pages in book: 29
Estimated words: 26853 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 134(@200wpm)___ 107(@250wpm)___ 90(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 26853 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 134(@200wpm)___ 107(@250wpm)___ 90(@300wpm)
“Yeah,” Cameron said. He set my truck keys on the table next to me. “Got all the pizza, too.” Konrad snorted. “Jax can worry about getting the truck off the bed.”
Blakely stood from my lap, and I got off the chair, doing my best to ignore the pain throbbing through my side. Konrad moved forward to help me, but I waved him off. He grunted but backed off.
“Hey, Jax,” Blakely called as I moved into the chapel. I glanced at her over my shoulder, the door handle in my hand, ready to close the six of us men inside. A small smile tilted her lips, only serving to enhance her beauty. “I love you, too.”
I grinned and shut the door behind me.
“Anatoly called,” Shaw began. “He heard about the accident—one of the men he has watching the chief of police overheard Carlisle yelling at someone about failing to do their job and you escaping,” he said, looking pointedly at me.
“Lovely,” I muttered, crossing my arms over my chest. Someone had been intent on shutting me up.
Cameron snickered next to me. Arlo kicked him under the table, shooting him a look to shut up. Cameron rolled his eyes.
“For now, you lay low,” Shaw told me. “A member is always with you at the shop. You don’t stay late anymore, and you don’t open early. You go straight from here, to the shop, and back again. No detours. No pit stops. And you ride in a cage unless I give an order otherwise. Clear?”
A cage. I gritted my teeth. No fucking bike.
“Clear,” I muttered, unhappy about it. But I wouldn’t fight Shaw on this. He was the president; we voted him in charge for a reason.
“The rest of you be on your Ps and Qs. If they were bold enough to come after Jax, they’ll come after the rest of you, too.”
We all looked at Ace. “What?” he snapped, immediately getting defensive. Cameron snickered again, making Ace scowl at him.
Shaw pointed a stiff finger at Ace. “School. Home. That is it, understand? No parties. No late-night convenience store runs.”
“What if I get a craving for potato chips?” Ace retorted, ever the fucking brat. I rolled my eyes. Arlo sighed.
“Then one of us will get it for you,” Shaw told him. Ace opened his mouth to argue, but Arlo covered it with his palm. Ace spit into his palm, glaring at him, but Arlo simply arched a brow at the boy, challenging him.
“You’re all pains in my ass,” Ace said from behind Arlo’s hand, his voice muffled.
“Don’t care,” Konrad told him, leaning back in his chair. “You’ll follow the fucking rules whether you like them or not until this cools down.”
Ace huffed and crossed his arms over his chest, glaring at me. Arlo removed his hand and wiped his spit-slick palm on his jeans, grimacing.
“This is all your fault,” Ace muttered.
I sighed, leaning my head back to stare at the ceiling. “Go fuck yourself, Ace.”
He sneered at me. “Oh, I will. And I’m going to do it loudly so you hear it all the way up the hall.”
Cameron barked out a laugh. I ran a hand down my tired face. “I swear to God, kid…” I muttered before pushing back from the table. “We done here?” I asked.
Shaw nodded. “We’re done.” He looked at me. “Think your girl can whip up dinner?”
I narrowed my eyes at him. “She keeps doing shit for you fuckers, you’re gonna add her to the payroll. She’s not a goddamn slave, and she’s not here for you.”
“Touchy,” Arlo snickered. I glared at him.
“Done. I’ll put her on payroll,” Shaw told me. “Now, can you ask her? I’m starving. The fucking pizza got ruined.”
I threw open the door, aggravated with all of them. “Fucking ask her yourself.”
“Ask me what?” Blakely asked, popping her head out of the kitchen. The smell of sizzling meat, herbs, and seasonings billowed out behind her.
“About making dinner,” Shaw said. “Though I see you’re already on that.” He made his way to her. “We need to discuss a salary.”
She frowned at him. “A salary? Sorry. I’m not following.”
Shaw threw his thumb over his shoulder in my direction. I scowled at his back. Way to throw me under the fucking bus. “Your caveman insists you need to be paid for taking care of us, so let’s go in here and talk while you cook.”
Blakely sighed, turning her frown to me. “Jax…” she muttered.
“Take the money, sweet girl,” I told her. “I’m going to shower.” Because I had a feeling if I stuck around downstairs, she was going to poison my food.
EPILOGUE
Blakely
“Take this end of the streamer,” I said, holding out the end to Jax, “and hang it right up there.” I pointed to where I wanted it hung.
Jax sighed. “Konrad going away is going to be a reoccurring thing, Blakely,” he rumbled. But he did as I said anyway, stepping onto the stepladder and pinning the “see you later” banner I ordered above the bar.