Total pages in book: 124
Estimated words: 121578 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 608(@200wpm)___ 486(@250wpm)___ 405(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 121578 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 608(@200wpm)___ 486(@250wpm)___ 405(@300wpm)
“Okay. I’ll be right back.” Without another glance at her dad or her ex, I jog up the stairs like I know my way around the funeral home and I’m perfectly at ease here.
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
Jigsaw
Leaving Margot when I know her slimy ex is slithering around the house sends my heart into freefall—like it’s trying to exit my body and get back to Margot.
That dread follows me to the upstate clubhouse.
She’ll be fine. People will be in and out of the house all day for the service. Her dad’s there. Her cousin. Other people who work for Cedarwood.
Except, no one else knows how shitty he treated her. Hell, I don’t even know. I’m only guessing based on stuff Margot said. Based on the ways she reacted when we first started our “lessons.”
She won’t be alone with him.
No matter what excuse my brain throws at me, my heart smacks it away.
I should be with her. Protecting her.
As I back my bike into a spot along the fence, Z and Rock step out from the path leading into the woods. Z lifts a hand in greeting and both of them stop a few feet away from me.
Great, just what I need, both presidents in my face. Where the fuck is Rooster when I need him?
I take my sweet-ass time, shutting off the bike, taking off my helmet, placing it just so on my seat, adjusting my cut—anything I can think of to stall. But they stay where they are.
“Prez.” I greet Z first, then force a smirk onto my face. “Prez.” I nod at Rock.
Z narrows his eyes and stares at me. Rock tilts his head ever so slightly.
“Everything okay?” Rock asks.
“Yeah, why?” I frown and jam my hands in my pockets.
“You look all pinched and squinty,” Z says, still staring at me like a target at the end of a rifle scope. “And not in your normal, healthy serial killer way.”
“I don’t even know what to say to that, Prez.”
The buzz of an ATV interrupts our bizarre conversation. Has to be Teller arriving. He’s the only one who uses an ATV to ride through the woods connecting his property to the club’s. I inch toward the front door of the clubhouse, but Rock’s hand shoots out to stop me.
“Stay put,” Z orders.
What’d I do now?
Teller parks next to my bike and joins us. “We meetin’ outside now?”
“No, knucklehead,” Rock grumbles.
Teller punches my shoulder lightly. “What’s up, brother?”
“Nothing.” I lift my chin toward Z. “Prez says I’m not looking serial killer enough today.”
Teller snorts and shakes his head, shooting Z a what the fuck face.
“How’s Margot?” Teller asks.
Fucking hell. He’s going to forever think his business deal with Margot’s dad means he gets to stick his nose in my relationship.
I jam my hands farther in my pockets and glare at Teller. “We’re fine.”
“She working today?” Z asks.
“Yeah.”
“That’s too bad,” Teller says. “I was hoping she’d come up again soon.”
“Why?”
He frowns and shrugs at me. “Because she’s your girlfriend,” he answers slowly, like he’s speaking to someone a few fries short of a Happy Meal. “She’s funny. Everyone liked having her here.”
I blow out a breath and relax. “She wanted to come today, but they have a service going on.”
Rock’s still staring at me with that intense expression that makes me feel like he can unscrew the top of my head and see the thoughts bouncing around inside my skull. “You sure everything’s all right?”
“Don’t you have enough kids to papa-bear?” I elbow Teller’s side while meeting Rock’s less than amused stare. “I’m fine.”
Brothers do not let ol’ ladies interfere with club business. I can’t tell either president I want to skip church because I have a bad feeling that some guy might be mean to my girlfriend. They’d probably strip my patch.
Rock finally nods and starts toward the clubhouse.
Z moves closer to me. “You sure you’re good?”
When I don’t answer right away, Teller smacks my shoulder and walks around behind me to catch up with Rock.
From the corner of my eye, I note they’re still standing outside.
Fuck it. I blow out a breath and answer Z’s question. “I’m fine.” I keep my voice low. “It’s just…Margot’s ex showed up for the funeral today and I didn’t like leaving her with him around.”
Instead of cracking a joke about my caveman need to mark my territory, Z scowls. “He hurt her or something?”
I take a long, slow breath, considering my answer. Unfortunately, Rock and Teller take the pause as an opportunity to walk the few feet and rejoin our conversation. “Not physically, no. At least, I don’t think so. But I think he was emotionally or mentally abusive based on shit she’s said and some of the ways she reacts to stuff.” I shrug. “I didn’t care for the way he spoke to her when I was standing right there with one hand on my hunting knife.”