Total pages in book: 124
Estimated words: 126840 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 634(@200wpm)___ 507(@250wpm)___ 423(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 126840 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 634(@200wpm)___ 507(@250wpm)___ 423(@300wpm)
“Come here.”
She rolled her eyes, flounced to him, and he beat back his smile just as he reached long when she got close, tagged the front of his tee and pulled her into the bed on her knees beside him.
“Okay, Cutler, I’m here,” she pointed out the obvious.
“We’re new, but you’re important to me,” he said gently.
She rubbed her lips together, not ready to let it go.
“And they’re my brothers. Mom dead, they’re the only family I have. Truth, they’re the only real family I ever had. And each and every one of them, baby, they’d die for me.”
Her mood cracked, he saw it and felt it.
“Something for you to think on,” he told her. “With that, it’s never a you-or-them thing. If we get there, it will be an us thing. They’d die for you too. Are you getting me?”
“I probably should meet them, you know, just in case one day the impossible happens and they have to do something that dramatic for me.”
He felt his lips twitch.
But he agreed, “Yeah, you should.”
“I’m glad you have that family, Core.”
She meant it.
Still, she said it like a threat because she was holding on to being ticked.
His lips twitched again before he ordered, “Stop being pissed at me.”
She turned her head and gave him the side-eye.
He moved fast, tackled her to her back, pulled his tee up to her tits and kissed her exposed belly.
He then loomed over her and said, “I’ll get our water,” before he laid a wet one on her.
When he was done, she didn’t look pissed anymore.
Once he saw that, Core rolled off her, the bed, and it felt like his body weighed less as he went to get them some water.
Even so, there was still heavy.
But at least he’d given her more.
And she didn’t leave.
17
OH BIKER GURU
Hellen
The next day, Sunday, the bell over the door rang, and Core and I strode in tucked tight together by Core’s arm slung over my shoulder.
The instant we did, we heard bellowed, “Now that’s what I’m talkin’ about! ALL RIGHT!”
I looked to the espresso counter at Fortnum’s to see Tex turned to the side and pumping his arm, at the end of which was a clenched fist holding a portafilter.
He stopped, swung the portafilter in our direction, and the patrons in front of the counter stepped aside in a practiced dance as the wet espresso grounds in the filter gave up their fight to adhere to the safety of the filter and went flying. They landed with a splat on the other side of the counter.
“Traded up, girl! I approve!” he shouted. “Free coffee for you!”
“For the last time, Tex!” the redhead added her own shout. “Stop giving away coffee at your whim and stop throwing coffee grounds.”
Tex completely ignored her (then again, I’d heard her shout at him “for the last time” more than once, and we could see the results of that).
All the patrons ignored this too.
This meant they were regulars.
I looked up at Core. “Does he know you?”
A short nod. “Everyone knows Tex.”
Okay then.
Time for me to ignore that, considering Tex had grenades.
Though, perhaps an explanation about how Tex knew of my girls’ and my shenanigans.
Core steered us toward the comfortable furniture in front of the window.
Marcy was there, watching us with approval. Kyra was there, watching us with a dreamy look in her eyes.
And shit.
Ambush.
My sister was there, staring at Core with speculation.
Noticeably absent?
Bree.
We’d told her we were going to meet up and asked her to come.
She had not deigned to reply.
Core stopped us and said to Kyra. “Thanks for the crocodile wallpaper.”
God, he was just awesome.
She bounced in the couch. “You like?”
“It’s the shit.”
She beamed.
“You know about Kyra, and essentially introduced yourself, but this is my sister, Liane,” I introduced.
The twinge of nerves I had when I saw her there faded away when Core didn’t blink. He just let me go to reach out a hand to her.
“Liane,” he greeted.
She didn’t reach out a hand.
Apparently, she’d turned into a biker bitch since I saw her last.
I thought this because she reached out a fist for a bump, saying, “Yo, bro.”
Yo, bro?
He gave her the bump, but then she tried to do some complicated handshake with him that he didn’t know. Core was game, but it went on so long, eventually he caught her hand in both of his and said, “Cool to meet you.”
Marcy snickered.
I ordered my sister, “Stop being a dork.”
Li ignored me.
“Crooked Road is my favorite dispensary in all of Denver,” my sister complimented my guy about his business.
“Glad to hear it.”
“Just, you know, for future reference,” she went on. “Do you give family discounts?”
Marcy snickered again. Kyra giggled.
I snapped, “Liane!”
But Core chuckled and said, “We do now.”
I curled into his side and put my hand to his flat abs.
When he tipped his head down to look at me, I advised, “Ignore her.”