Total pages in book: 119
Estimated words: 114284 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 571(@200wpm)___ 457(@250wpm)___ 381(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 114284 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 571(@200wpm)___ 457(@250wpm)___ 381(@300wpm)
“Kidding aside,” Reese went on. “Gray, the younger guy, recently went through hell, and seeing the BDSM lifestyle up close could be triggering for him. That’s why I don’t want them to wander alone. Obviously, they’re mostly here to see River and me on our home turf, but it’s a bit of exposure therapy as well.”
Ah. That changed things. “Of course. Macklin and I will greet them, and we’ll be mindful.”
“Thanks, buddy,” Reese answered. “We appreciate it. We’ll be there in about half an hour.”
“See you then.” I pressed end on the call right before we reached our exit. “That should be interesting. Do you know who they are?”
“No clue.” Macklin shook his head. “Where the twins are concerned, I’ve learned not to ask questions. They were up to some secret shit over Halloween, and I think the guys who are visiting this weekend were involved. Shay was all vague about it.”
As the boy should be. Not many knew what River and Reese had previously dedicated their lives to. As far as Macklin was aware—and most others—they’d worked in “risk assessment.” A common lie to civilians among private military contractors.
I only knew because I’d once been in the wrong place at the wrong time. Or the right place at the right time, rather. River had been a bit down in the dumps a few years ago, and it turned out that Reese had been in the middle of recovering from a gunshot wound. And the way those two brothers worried about each other… River had opened up and vented to me.
I was fairly certain Colt and Lucas knew too, as did Greer. We just didn’t talk about it. It was the twins’ business.
I was, however, pleased to know they were open about their PMC past to Shay. It spoke volumes about how much they loved their boy.
Perhaps it wasn’t a past either, if they’d been up to something just last fall.
Soon, we reached the long, winding dirt road leading up to the estate, and I drove us through heavy rainfall that morphed into snowfall every few seconds.
“You ready to make a run for it, love?” I wasn’t looking forward to this next part. The carport that housed about a dozen cars wasn’t exactly right next to the house. We’d have to cross the large front lawn.
“As if we have a choice.” My boy grinned and reached for our overnight bag in the back. “Should I go to the cabin and change clothes right away, or…?”
“You can wait till River and Reese get here.” I pulled into the carport and snatched the last spot. Several cars were already parked alongside the edge of the front lawn. Everyone wanted to make the trek to the house as short as possible in this weather. “You can put your phone and your wallet in the bag before we get out of the car, though.”
He could believe it was under the guise of me taking care of his belongings.
In reality, I just wanted to steal something from his wallet. I knew he kept his wedding band there.
“Yes, Master.”
After killing the engine, I checked my phone and saw a message from Ty.
Go figure, lost track of time editing the photos of Lane for the event next weekend. I’ll be at the house in an hour or so.
I smiled and fired off a quick reply.
Take your time. It’s a good reason to get distracted. See you soon.
“All right, let’s brave the remnants of the storm, pet.” I pocketed my phone and buttoned up my coat, then climbed out of the car.
“Definitely makes me miss Florida…”
Goodness, yes. Me too.
Hopefully, it wouldn’t be too long before we revisited Ty’s paradise.
I pulled up my collar to protect myself from snow and rain, and I grabbed the overnight bag from Macklin. Then we glanced at each other, and I nodded once. Let’s hurry. We took off in a jog across the cul-de-sac that I, not for the first time, wished was paved better. I wasn’t exactly wearing shoes made for mud and ice. That was why I didn’t run across the big front lawn either; I steered Macklin toward the path at the center where the snow had been cleared.
Macklin picked up the pace and was the first to climb the porch steps, and I followed a few seconds later.
“Christ on a Nor’easter cracker!” He shook his head of snow, cute like a puppy, and went straight for the doors.
The warmth from inside greeted us the moment we crossed the threshold, and I let out a breath of relief. Now I could ignore the outside world and focus on a glorious TPE evening—and reconnecting with old friends.
It would be a while before the music pumped through the house; people were busy getting settled in their guest rooms or catching up. Or, hell, taking a gander. From here in the lobby, I could tell a lot had changed in the club area. Two girls darted up the stairs, giggling, and one guy from the bondage community headed down the hallway toward the kitchen.