Total pages in book: 69
Estimated words: 69424 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 347(@200wpm)___ 278(@250wpm)___ 231(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 69424 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 347(@200wpm)___ 278(@250wpm)___ 231(@300wpm)
The meaning for that was clear.
Though we didn’t hurt kids, we didn’t discriminate against women and men. If women wanted to play rough, we obliged them. That simple.
“I…”
“Whoever is letting you use this house.” I walked around, taking a look around at the interior, making sure to drop the water bottle lid in an area that it wouldn’t be noticed as I moved. “They’re using you. You see money, but they see an in. They don’t care how they get that in, if you understand my meaning.”
Bernie cleared her throat. “Are you threatening us?”
She sounded hurt.
But she didn’t understand.
The Truth Tellers protected their own, and they didn’t feel bad about how it had to be done.
“Go back home, Bernie. Take Max and her kid with you,” I urged. “Because the next time I come by, it’s not going to be in a nice way.” I hesitated at the door and leveled Max with a look. “The next time you come into any of our places, we won’t be so nice about letting you leave.”
With that, I left, heading for home.
I was in a shitty mood as I pulled up, that only got darker when I saw Calli outside, kicking her feet, sitting on the tailgate of her truck in nothing but a t-shirt.
She had a bag of potato chips in her lap, and she was absently talking on the phone as I shut the car off.
She didn’t look over at me, and instead continued her conversation.
“Just give it a rest, Searcy.” Calli groaned as she pulled out a chip and threw it to the ground. “I’m not going to go. I don’t want to.” There was a long pause and then, “I love you. I love my family. But I don’t want to go on a Christmas Eve train ride with a bunch of fake bitches talking about hot chocolate and handing out stale cookies.”
She sounded like she had experience with those fake bitches and stale cookies.
My lips twitched, even though mere minutes ago I wouldn’t think I’d ever smile again.
But that was the way Calli was.
Always making me smile.
Her grumpy attitude only made it better.
Which had me all the angrier.
I’d already left a good woman once.
If I did anything like what my entire soul was urging me to do, I’d probably never live to see tomorrow. Not only would Doc murder me, but Searcy would have my balls.
And I couldn’t lose this family of mine.
Not for her…right?
Eight
Fucking hamburger help me.
—Jasper’s secret thoughts
JASPER
I groaned and got out of bed, disbelieving that my doorbell was ringing and I had to get up when I’d only had two hours of sleep.
The bed groaned as I slung my legs over the side and stood up. My hands went to my eyes as I walked tiredly to the front door where my doorbell was going off for a third time.
“I’m comin’!” I hollered. “Hold your fuckin’ horses.”
The doorbell continued to ring, and I yanked open the door, hesitating when I saw who it was.
“What the fuck?”
Harlow stood on my doorstep, looking like a freakin’ weirdo with her head-to-toe elf costume and Christmas everything.
She had trees hanging from her ears. A Santa hat. A pair of Hey Dudes that were also Christmas themed.
She looked like she’d walked into a bargain Christmas store and come out with everything that was wearable.
“What are you doing here?” I yawned.
She eyed me up and down. “We were supposed to have breakfast and then shopping.”
I winced. “Oh, yeah.”
Because her piece of shit boyfriend who “she loved and loved her back” wasn’t willing to come to Dallas to take her shopping. So she’d asked me.
A truck started up and I turned to see my neighbor coming out of her front door.
“Competition still healthy?” Harlow joked.
I sighed. “Sure is. The only problem is that I’m running out of time to add anymore. I think she’ll win the contest.”
“I think your niece and nephews will be okay with you coming in a close runner up.”
She had a point.
“Plus, I think you get bonus points for cutting all this out of wood and decorating it.” She bumped me with her shoulder. “Can you take me now?”
My gaze once again went to the woman that was idling in the driveway, and an irrational urge to ask her to come with us almost overtook me.
No.
No, I couldn’t.
I couldn’t ask her that.
Not that she’d come.
She was going to work.
She had better things to do than spend any time with us…
Then I remembered what I’d told her last night, and anger started up in my chest.
“Hold on,” I said as I hurried toward the woman who had just bailed out of her car to get a coffee cup that was sitting on her hood.
She picked up the coffee cup, and it was almost comically large as she held it suspended by the handle.