Total pages in book: 43
Estimated words: 39540 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 198(@200wpm)___ 158(@250wpm)___ 132(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 39540 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 198(@200wpm)___ 158(@250wpm)___ 132(@300wpm)
“Gunnar, we’re sorry,” Ice offered. Cyclone looked down at his feet, not meeting my gaze.
“Yeah. I can see that. If it makes you feel better, we’re only staying until Mama says she can leave. I’ve already talked to Torpedo and Bohannon. They’re gonna take me in at Kiss of Death.”
That finally got Cyclone’s attention. “Kiss of Death MC. You’d leave Bones? Your home club?”
“This hasn’t been my home for fifteen damn years, Dan.”
“And who’s fault is that?” Ice -- Cliff -- stepped toward me in an aggressive move. If he thought I would back down from him because he was my older brother, it was time he learned just how wrong he was.
“It's the fault of that son of a bitch Hannah was dating,” I snapped back, taking my own aggressive step forward. “One of us had to do it. I happened to be the one there at the time.”
“And yours.” Ice shoved me back, but I stood my ground. “All you had to do was call Dad. Tell him what happened, and he’d have taken care of it. Why didn’t you do that, huh?”
“I had my reasons, and would do the same thing in the same situation. I don’t regret one single second of my time in prison.”
“What reason could you possibly have for not letting Dad take care of that killin’? No one would have ever found the body or known what happened to that fuck. They certainly wouldn’t have been angry with you for killin’ him. Why didn’t you just let the club do what needed done?”
“Not your business and not something I’m ever gonna tell anyone.” I thought I heard Pippa whimper and realized I wasn’t calming her anxiety by yelling at my brothers.
Cyclone tilted his head and narrowed his eyes at me. “You don’t have to.” He and Ice exchanged a look. “Hannah knows.”
“Yes,” I conceded. “And if she’s not told you in the last fifteen years, she’s not telling you anything now.”
“We’ll see.” Ice gave me a superior smirk that had made me want to hit him in the head with a rock when I was a kid. Had pretty much the same effect now.
“So, after all these years, now you want to know what happened? You guys came by at Christmas and that was it!”
“Dad came every week, askin’ for the truth of it. Begged you to tell him. He’s on his way here now, you know. Was on the ground with ExFil in France on some high-profile babysitting detail. I called him right after you called me, and he was on the company jet back to Somerset as of twenty minutes ago. Dad will get this out of you. If he doesn’t, I’ll get it out of Hannah.”
“No. You won’t. And neither will Dad. It’s done. I served my time. I’ll finish my parole and try to find a normal life for myself.”
“You can do it here,” Ice urged.
“Not happening. Not after the warm welcome I got.”
“Why would you expect anything other than the reception you got?” Cyclone was pissed as shit, but he wasn’t the only one. “You’ve been out of prison for weeks. You didn’t bother to let any of us know. Instead, you dragged a half dead woman into the compound, not knowing if you were followed or not, and you still expect a warm welcome?”
I lunged for my older brother, driving the heel of my hand into his chin. From the way his eyes widened the split second after I moved, Cyclone had thought he’d see any move I made in time to defend himself, if not get the jump on me and go on the offensive. What he hadn’t realized was, telegraphing your movements like that in prison would get you killed. I’d gotten good at being unpredictable and fast. Another strike out with my hand smashed his nose.
This time Cyclone stumbled backward, backing off to reassess the situation. He wasn’t giving up, but neither was I.
“What the fuck is going on out here?” Mama threw open the door and stomped between me and Cyclone. She shouldn’t have bothered because Cyclone was shaking his head as he backed off. “Daniel Gill, get your ass outta my office! If you can’t be a decent fuckin’ human being, don’t come in here anymore. And this is your only warning.” Mama stomped the two steps separating the two of us and jabbed her finger against his chest. “Next time you say or do something utterly stupid, I will call for your fuckin’ patch.”
“How do you know it was me who was stupid?”
“Really, Cyclone?” I drawled. “Are we twelve?”
He rolled his eyes. “You know what I mean. Why assume it was me?”
Mama smacked the side of his head. “Because when you get something in your head, you won’t leave it alone. You’re pissed at your baby brother because he grew up faster than you and doesn’t need your help anymore. And while you’re trying to take out your anger on Gunnar, you’re also taking it out on a young woman who doesn’t deserve anyone’s anger. Gunnar can take care of himself. Right now, Pippa cannot.”