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)
CHAPTER TWO
Jax
PRESENT DAY
“You would think you’d learn by now to keep a log of your spending and earnings so I wouldn’t have to slave over your desk all day,” Cameron griped, giving me a flat, annoyed stare from across the desk.
I sighed. “I don’t have time to organize everything in my office into pretty little stacks for you and still work on these damn cars, Cam,” I told him, annoyance creeping into my tone. We went through this every fucking week when he came in to work my books and filter my portion of the club money and part of his through my garage. But I was not an organized person by any means. The guys were lucky I even folded my clothes and put them in my dresser when I did laundry.
It’d only been a few months since we’d all come together and Konrad took guardianship of Ace. There were still some kinks to work out, but we were doing alright for ourselves. For the most part.
I owned the garage since I couldn’t find a job as a felon. Konrad did some kind of government work that he couldn’t tell us about. Cameron managed all of our finances since his smart ass went to college and got two damn degrees; he majored in business and minored in accounting. We’d nicknamed him GOAT, as in “greatest of all time”, as a running joke between the six of us, and it stuck so well, it became his road name.
Arlo apparently had already owned a construction company, and he just moved his headquarters and started work here. But considering all of his “business” work was done either at the clubhouse or in the little trailer he moved from job site to job site, he didn’t really need an actual “headquarters”.
Shaw just opened InkLore a few months ago. Apparently, while he’d been in the service, he’d done some apprentice work at some tattoo shops, so he felt comfortable enough to open up his own shop. Ace, who was still in high school, was on his payroll as an artist. Our boy didn’t touch anyone’s skin, but he did draw up tattoos for people. Shaw could do it—he was artistic enough—but Ace was better.
“You need a woman,” Cam griped.
I rolled my eyes. “I don’t need any damn thing,” I bit back at him. Reaching up, I pinched the bridge of my nose. “Were you this annoying as a kid?”
Cameron smirked at me as he reached up to undo the small bun his dark hair was in, only to put it right back up. The pieces of hair that had fallen out were now properly back in place. “Make my job a little easier, Jax, and I wouldn’t be so annoying.”
I grunted and turned on my heel, heading back into the garage. I had little patience these days, and Cameron loved to push my buttons. Pretty sure it was punishment for abandoning him, even though he’d never say it out loud.
I had abandoned all of them. I knew that. But fuck, I thought I was doing the right thing back then.
I leaned back under the hood of the car, doing my best to wiggle the alternator out of the tight, crooked ass space Chevrolet had put it in. Chevys were good, reliable vehicles, but damn, when it came to fixing something, it was a pain in the ass, especially in cars and SUVs.
Cam popped out of the office a few hours later and pointed a finger at me. I simply arched a brow in his direction. “I organized your office again. Don’t fuck it up, you hear me? Otherwise, I’m going to throw every tool in this garage at your face.”
I snorted. “Sure, Cam.”
He looked at his expensive watch. The silver caught in the light, making it glint. Cameron had expensive tastes—shoes, clothes, jewelry, cars. Even his bed sheets were some insane thread count. And he had Ace following right in his footsteps, considering Cam spoiled him so damn much. Between Cam and Arlo, Ace would never want for a damn thing in his life.
“We’re all going out to the bar in a bit. You coming?”
I shook my head. I was hungry, but I’d just stop in town on my way to the clubhouse and grab a burger and some fries. I had other plans—like getting an escort that was paid to deal with my darker desires.
I learned real fucking quick that normal women weren’t built for the kind of shit I liked.
Which was why Cameron’s idea of me ever getting a woman was nothing more than a funny joke to laugh about later.
Men like me didn’t get happily-ever-afters.
“Nah,” I told him, waving him off. “You guys go on ahead. I’m gonna finish up here and head home.”
Cam sighed, his features softening. “Jax, you know you don’t have to—”