Total pages in book: 86
Estimated words: 81009 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 405(@200wpm)___ 324(@250wpm)___ 270(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 81009 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 405(@200wpm)___ 324(@250wpm)___ 270(@300wpm)
“I said too much, didn’t I? Sorry. I grew up around these people. I’m not shocked by it. I don’t like it, and it will be a cold day in hell before I hook up with some biker, but we’re safe here. Micah won’t be able to concentrate if he thinks I’m not locked up tight.”
I didn’t know how to respond to all that, so I just nodded.
“Go get a shower. Take your time. Nina and Goldie will have to get everything prepared for dinner. They hadn’t been prepared to cook tonight since the club had been on a ride out to Toxic Throttle for the evening.”
I wondered what that was, but I didn’t think I could take much more. But there was one question I knew I had to ask. It wasn’t my business, and his complete lack of concern for me should be enough to make me shut him out of my head completely. It never seemed to work that way though. He had a way of getting in there and staying.
“Uh, the others who turned the other way…” I began.
“You can ask me where Tex is, Salem. I don’t judge or assume,” she replied with an understanding smile. “They had some of the strippers who work at Toxic on their bikes and had to get them to the club for their shift. It’s one of the strip clubs that the MC owns.”
I’d been right. Strippers. And I had felt bad for thinking that was what they looked like. Yep, that I could not compete with, not that I was going to try. But the small little wish that, one day, Rome would see me again and regret losing me was there, holding on like a bloodsucking tick. The idea was so ridiculous that it was laughable, but I didn’t feel much like laughing.
“I’m going to go shower,” I told her. “And thanks for the clothes and everything.”
I turned before she could see too much in my expression—or better yet, before I could see the pity that would no doubt be in hers. I didn’t want pity.
18
Tex
Fuck, I needed water or an IV with fluids. My mouth was well past cotton and onto desert-sand dry. Groaning, I rolled over in bed and felt a body. Squinting due to the dull headache, I barely opened my eyes to see Nixie. Lifting my hand, I rubbed my face hard as last night came back to me slowly.
I’d stayed at Toxic and drunk with the brothers working there and the two who had come with me. I’d needed to drown the sight of Salem on the back of Lick’s bike and just to fucking deal with the emotions warring inside me over the fact that she’d been in danger.
I closed my eyes and wished to God that whiskey worked all the time and not for a moment. Right now, it felt like a bad idea while, last night, I’d been riding high. And stupid, it seemed, since I had Nixie naked in my bed. She was already starting to get too attached, and I’d just made it worse.
Time to fix that shit.
Reaching over, I slapped her ass hard enough to wake her.
“Oh!” she squealed.
I opened one eye to see her jump, causing her double-D implants to bounce, not jiggle. There was nothing that jiggled with silicone. They were hard.
“If you wanted me, all you had to do was rub that big, pierced cock on my ass,” she cooed. “I’d have stuck it in the air for you to fuck.”
I’d had Nixie’s ass several times. Hell, there were few holes she had that I hadn’t fucked.
“Time to go.” My voice sounded like a growl, but, damn, I needed some water. I’d left dehydration before midnight, it seemed. Now I felt more like a corpse.
Nixie sat up and ran her sharp-tipped nails down my chest. “Mmm, but I’ve not had my breakfast.”
Normally, getting my dick sucked before my shower sounded like an excellent idea, but not this morning. Not when, just a few doors down across the hall, Salem was sleeping in the room kept for Pepper. Not when I had to see her today. In my world. Watch her among my family.
I grabbed her shoulder and pushed her back. “I said to go, Nix. You go when I tell you to,” I snapped at her, then sat up, grunting as my head became a steady pound, before dropping my feet to the floor.
“I liked you better last night.” She pouted.
“Then you like me better shit-faced drunk,” I grumbled, standing up and heading to the mini fridge by my small bar area that I kept in the right corner of my room. I had water bottles in there, and I needed it before I choked to death on my dry mouth.
The sound of the covers rustling and Nixie getting out of bed was a relief. I didn’t have the energy to deal with drama right now. But then I rarely had the patience for it.