Total pages in book: 79
Estimated words: 77265 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 386(@200wpm)___ 309(@250wpm)___ 258(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 77265 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 386(@200wpm)___ 309(@250wpm)___ 258(@300wpm)
“I think Mommy likes it here.”
“Why do you say that?”
She keeps her attention on the strawberry slice she’s trying to stab with her fork. “This morning she was being lazy and happy. She doesn’t ever get to be lazy.”
“Oh yeah? How come?”
“Daddy…” She frowns and flashes me a confused look as though something isn’t computing in her brain. “She just had to do a lot of stuff at our house. I think my baby sister makes her sleepy.”
My heart aches for this child. She’s been through so fucking much in her lifetime.
“We’re going to meet later this evening,” Koyn tells me as he stubs out his cigarette under his boot. Then he picks up the butt and tosses it in an outdoor trashcan. “We need to debrief and plan what’s next. You good?”
“I’m good,” I assure him.
The back door opens and a blonde with arms full of Walmart shopping bags comes out. Copper’s woman, Stormy, is beautiful. She’s also feisty as fuck. I suppose to be with a guy from a biker gang, you’d have to be.
“You must be Kaitlyn,” Stormy says as she makes her way over to her. “Did you get your stuffies and dolls me and Hadley left for you?”
Kaitlyn nods, smiling shyly. “Thank you.”
“Of course, sweetie. We heard you left in a hurry and didn’t get to bring any of your belongings.” She hands her a bag. “Don’t worry. We got you some things.”
Kaitlyn reaches into the bag and pulls out a sparkly pink blob of material. “A swimsuit!” She waves it around with such excitement, she nearly takes out her mostly full glass of orange juice.
Stormy winks at me before speaking to her again. “I brought my swimsuit over too. We could go swimming if you want. I got some other things for you.”
Kaitlyn eagerly empties another bag that has some pool toys and a unicorn floatie inside. Her breakfast is a thing of the past as she now sits on the ground, digging in more of the bags. Sunshine, the nosy dog, sniffs in one by Stormy’s feet.
“Smart dog,” Stormy says with a laugh. “Copper insisted on getting her some treats.”
Sunshine’s tail starts wagging wildly at the mention of the treats. Stormy pulls out a bag and tosses it at me. I tear it open and feed a couple to Sunshine. It’s not the bacon she had for breakfast, but the dog doesn’t seem disappointed about it.
“There’s dog food in the back of the truck, too,” Stormy tells me. “Some stuff for Romy as well.”
“Thank you,” I tell her. “This means a lot.”
She shrugs as though it’s no big deal. “You somehow got yourself involved with the guys and we take care of our own.”
“Can I go swimming now?” Kaitlyn asks me, giving me her best puppy dog eyes. “Please, please, please.”
I chuckle because she’s cute as hell. “We have to feed Romy first.”
“Go ahead,” Stormy says with a grin. “I’ll get this sorted out and keep an eye on her.”
“You okay with that, Kaitlyn?”
She nods, grinning wide. After having spent some time with these people, I know they’re good despite their outward appearances.
Stormy helps Kaitlyn put everything back in the bags and the two of them go inside so she can get changed. Koyn makes his way over to my table, Filter by his side.
“The pool is popular with everyone around here,” he says. “These Oklahoma summers aren’t for the weak. I don’t know how people make it through July and August without a pool.”
He’s not wrong. It’s late morning, not quite noon, and hot as fuck. I’ll need another shower when I get back to the clubhouse. A dip in the pool does sound enticing.
“I didn’t ever say it,” I mutter, voice gritty with emotion, “but thank you. Thank you all for helping me get my girls out of there.”
They both nod as if it was nothing. But it was a lot more than nothing. This group of men worked together to help me reunite with Romy and Kaitlyn, and I’ll forever be grateful to them.
“It’s not without strings,” Koyn reminds me.
“I know. I’m prepared to do what’s necessary to pay my debt.”
“Good. Information and your skillset are what we need.”
“You have it.” I pause before asking the question that’s been plaguing me. “What happened to Portman’s body?”
Koyn pulls out another cigarette from his pack and lights up again. The smoke billows toward me, but I don’t wave it away, instead letting the scent of tobacco comfort me.
Why would it comfort me?
I have a brief flash of my dad smoking on the front porch when I was around Kaitlyn’s age. He hadn’t quit yet at that point in his life. I’d played with my toy trucks in the yard, watching him as he installed a swing for Mom. My chest tightens at the fond memory.