Total pages in book: 187
Estimated words: 174623 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 873(@200wpm)___ 698(@250wpm)___ 582(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 174623 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 873(@200wpm)___ 698(@250wpm)___ 582(@300wpm)
"Oh, we can eliminate our problem very easily," I argue.
A few people near me chuckle, but no one voices an opinion on how we could go about it. They all know what needs to happen to the man, and I don't mind being the sole contributor to make it work out the way it needs to. In fact, I'd prefer to be the one solving the problem.
Kincaid gives me a tight smile. "It would be best that we're able to legally do something to put an end to his terror."
"Like hurting her again?" I snap.
"That will never happen," Shadow interrupts. "Not on our watch."
"One could argue that the mental anguish will have long-lasting effects on Juliet," Rivet adds.
"And we're not discounting that," Kincaid tells her. "But even if we had enough for a stalking charge, it won't hold him very long, and from what we've seen with this motherfucker, we know he won't give up until he has to. Nearly ten years in prison and another year and a half on parole weren't enough to stop him. We need more."
"More?" I growl. "What kind of more would put him away for longer, given his financial support and ability to make an abused woman look like the perpetrator?"
"We can't act against him yet," Kincaid says, knowing what the answer would be.
Whitmore damn near killed Juliet, and he did kill her twin babies, and look what he got... hardly any time, considering what he did to be put in prison in the first place.
"She's protected here," Shadow assures me.
"And that brings up another concern," Kincaid says. "Will she stay?"
I want to tell them that she will after what happened today, but I know better than to presume it was enough.
"She won't," I find myself saying. "She's too dedicated to her job."
"What if her job were here?" Kincaid asks.
"Maybe," I say, running a hand over the top of my head.
"Are you saying move all the women at Juniper House to club property?" Shadow asks as if this is the first time he's heard about it.
"Maybe," Kincaid answers as he takes his seat at the head of the table.
He does this when a meeting transitions from orders to a discussion, and it makes me feel more like a teammate than an employee following orders.
"Census is low at Juniper House, and we don't have any prospective new additions right now," Kincaid says.
"I don't think it's a terrible idea," Dominic adds. "But I don't live here. I would presume they come to the clubhouse."
"Recon, Holler, Signal, Mischief, what are your thoughts?" Kincaid asks the newest members who still live in the clubhouse.
I know he doesn't ask me because he already knows my answer.
"I've asked why they weren't here to begin with," Holler says. "Logistically, it just makes sense."
"I think we have to consider what the women want," Rivet says. "Cerberus is a lot to handle, and it's different from us being outside to sharing a space."
"We'd consider what they want and need and make adjustments where we can," Kincaid says. "But I get the feeling that if the shelter stays open right now, then that's where Juliet will feel she needs to be."
"I think it's dangerous to make decisions for a handful of women based on one person," Dominic says.
"I've considered that, too," Kincaid tells his brother. "But what if we make every accommodation we can so no one feels like they're having to choose between being unsafe in the outside world if they decide not to come here or feeling unsafe while they're here?"
"If we make one of the hallways for them only and give them the empty rooms so they can have a living area, an area for the kids, etc., then we could fully limit any fear. They know we don't go into the house when we very easily could, so hopefully they'd understand when we tell them we won't enter that part of the clubhouse; we mean it," Kid offers.
"If one of them doesn't want to come because men will be in the clubhouse, I can offer the two empty rooms in my house for the guys," Apollo says.
"Same for me," Thumper adds.
"And me," Bishop says. "If the guys are okay with it."
Many eyes turn to the newest guys, and get no argument from them.
"Nyx?" Kincaid asks as if it's a simple question.
I know I would struggle not seeing her, but I already go all day without contact when she's at work, so I guess it really wouldn't change much on my end.
"If it meant all of them would be here, then I'm okay with that," I say.
"We have some decisions to make," Kincaid says. "I'm not saying it's a go, because we have to see about the logistics of making it happen, but it looks like we're leaning in that direction."
"What's the deciding factor?" I ask.