Total pages in book: 78
Estimated words: 75478 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 377(@200wpm)___ 302(@250wpm)___ 252(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 75478 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 377(@200wpm)___ 302(@250wpm)___ 252(@300wpm)
“Word came down from the boss man himself,” I said, tone apologetic.
To that, Perish made a grunting sound as he went to his locker that served as his wardrobe to find some fresh clothes. The bullet wound mark on his chest was still red and new-looking. And he wasn’t above showing chicks the scar to get all their oohs and ahhs. It was amazing how sexy women found scars.
“Am I remembering correctly?” Croft said, face still half in his pillow, muffling his words. “Was there a whipped cream fight… indoors?”
“Indeed there was,” I said, nodding.
“And… and were there… blackberries?” he asked with growing dread.
“So many blackberries,” I told him. “Thrown across the room to try to get in pretty ladies’ mouths. Unfortunately our aim was… impaired.”
“Oh, God,” Croft groaned, banging his forehead against the mattress a few times.
“Yeah. I dunno if scrubbing is gonna work. Might just have to paint the whole common area.”
“Don’t gotta sound so gleeful about it, man,” Nave said, coming up behind me, cradling a cup of coffee in his hands. “Especially since the plan was yours.”
“Well, whose brilliant idea was it to buy that many blackberries? What else were we supposed to do with them?”
“Billie and the kids picked them from her backyard bushes,” Nave explained. “I think we were supposed to make smoothies with them.”
“I think a few of them actually got eaten,” I said, shrugging. “So, if she askes, they were delicious.”
Everyone nodded at that. We might not all think alike on most things, but when it came to keeping the princesses happy, we were all in agreement.
“Anyone know how to get blackberry stains out?” Rune asked, dropping down from his bunk.
“I think Brooks might—“ I started, only to get cut off by the kind of yell that had my blood going cold in my veins.
“Sully!”
That was Callow.
And that was something close to panic coming from a man who was not prone to that.
“The fuck?” Perish asked, already crossing the room as Croft rushed out of bed, going from half-asleep to ready to rush into action in a blink.
“For fuck’s sake, Sully, get the fuck out here!”
I was pushing past Nave as Fallon rushed into the hallway. “Everyone get the fuck out,” he said as he rushed up the hall, slamming his fist into every door on the way.
Yeah, if the president—a third-generation outlaw club president—was panicked, something had just gone seriously fucking sideways.
Adrenaline surged through my veins as I ran through the house, coming to a stop right in the common room.
Where Callow was standing, wide-eyed, beside a woman with tears streaming down her cheeks, her entire body shaking violently.
And why wouldn’t she be?
She had a bomb strapped to her chest.
CHAPTER TWO
Bonnie
“Listen, sir, I am going to need you to calm down,” I said in an oh-so-serious voice. “This problem is not going to get solved by being difficult,” I went on. “No, no. I don’t care how much you grumble. The rules are the rules. And if you don’t behave, I am going to need to hang you up,” I told him, pointing over toward the doorway where the blue hammock was hanging. “And we both know how much you hate the nail trim hammock, Mr. Butters.”
“Woooo,” Mr. Butters whined, snatching his paw back from me.
“Listen, I know it’s scary. But you have to be a big, brave boy,” I cooed at him, pulling his golden paw back out. “That’s a good boy,” I told him as I finally got a nail snipped. “Oh, you’re the goodest little fluff-face, yes, you are. See? I told you it wasn’t so bad. I think the dryer is much scarier than the nail trim. And you already got through that.”
“I think that is the most I’ve ever heard you speak,” Courtney, my boss, said as she leaned in the doorway, the whole front of her black apron covered in various types of fur.
Mine looked the same. Plus a lot of wetness from Mr. Butters’s bath. When I first started, I used to frantically tape roll my apron between clients. It was funny how quickly that went out the window. I was pretty sure I swallowed half a pound of fur a shift these days.
And yet, it was the happiest I’d ever been.
Lots of dogs. Very few humans. What was not to love?
“Oh, sorry. Is his mom waiting?” I asked, snipping another two nails as he was distracted by waggling at Courtney.
“No, not yet. She’s probably getting him some whipped cream at the coffee place,” Courtney said, coming closer. “Yes, I know. You love your whipped cream,” she cooed at Mr. Butters. “Girl, get that last foot quick.”
Happy for the assist, I finished Mr. Butters’s nails in record time before reaching for his tie-dye bandana and putting it on him.
“Yes, I love you too, buddy,” I said as he licked my cheek.