Total pages in book: 70
Estimated words: 69534 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 348(@200wpm)___ 278(@250wpm)___ 232(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 69534 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 348(@200wpm)___ 278(@250wpm)___ 232(@300wpm)
Cakes, otherwise known as Paden, was also someone that I knew, but hadn’t realized that I knew. He ran One Way, a veteran refuge that they’d just opened downtown. He also ran the halfway house, One Love, Dallas. A place that I’d volunteered at every couple of months when I had free time.
Hell, I’d even known the guy they called Preacher, whose real name was Hagrid. He’d fixed our air conditioner last year practically for free.
I also got to finally meet the famous ‘Apollo.’
Though, maybe it would be more infamous at this point.
Posy had spoken non-stop about Apollo, and I had a feeling that he was closer to him than he was anyone else in the club.
Though, that was saying something because he seemed like he was pretty close with them all.
He’d immediately taken me over to meet Apollo first thing upon entering the clubhouse a few hours ago.
“I’m really not,” I promised. “I swear to you, that’s what I read!”
“I watched a video yesterday that was talking about elephant seals, and that the stage in between baby and adulthood, the seals are called wieners.” Gunner looked at Posy.
“Actually, you’re saying wiener, like the hot dog.” Doc leaned back in the chair, throwing his arm around me and pulling me close. “But the correct term is ‘weaner.’ As in, they’re weaned. Fun fact, some seals even reach ‘super weaner’ status because they’re so round when they’re weaned. They do resemble overstuffed sausages, though, so the hot dog wiener thing could also be true.”
“Damn, I thought for sure you wouldn’t know that one.” Gunner crossed his arms over his chest. “The video was hilarious, though. Talking about it being a weaner wonderland out there.”
I was grinning so hard that my face hurt.
Eyes gleaming, I said, “I have one for you.”
Doc ran the tip of his pointer finger along the length of my jaw and said, “Hit me.”
“Did you know that fake eyelashes were invented by a French prostitute?” I asked. “She called them Cumbrellas.”
There was a moment of silence and then Apollo, who hadn’t laughed once since his son had died according to Posy, burst out laughing. “You’re lying!”
“I’m really not,” I promised. “She invented them to keep the man’s jizz from getting into her eyes.”
That set the entire table off.
Even Audric, the quietest in the bunch, had a soft chuckle for me.
That’s how the night continued.
As a huge group, we sat around talking, challenging Posy with random facts to see if he knew them or not.
Though, by the time the night was winding down, I’d lost my drunk haze and was just pleasantly buzzed.
Posy had started giving me water about an hour and a half ago because he wanted me to be able to ride home on the back of his bike without falling off.
I didn’t blame him.
I didn’t want to fall off, either.
“Hey, your phone is ringing.”
I turned to see Keely pointing at my phone.
I frowned and leaned forward, my eyes widening when I saw DPD’s name flashing on my screen.
“Shit,” I said as I answered it. “Calliope?”
Nineteen
Go shit yourself.
—Alternate swear word combination choices
POSY
I loved her enthusiasm.
I also loved her outlook on life.
She had a rough childhood. She had an even rougher adulthood so far.
Yet, the moment that she got money, she wasn’t thinking about what she could buy for herself. She was thinking about what she could do for others.
I loved even more that she got along with my club.
She’d been talkative and happy all night, and I adored that she got along with the rough and tumble group of bikers that I called brothers.
“I like her,” Webber offered, slapping me on the back.
“I like her, too,” I confirmed.
More than liked her.
I was fairly sure I was falling in love with her.
I’d been doing that over the last few weeks, though. The more time I spent with her and got to know her—other than biblically, of course—the more I found myself really enjoying her attention. Her conversations. Her personality.
She and Keely were leaning forward over a low coffee table, sharing recipes or something.
I’d gotten up to throw our empties away, and some of the guys had followed me.
Audric and Apollo included.
“She’s a good girl,” Audric mused. “She reminds me of someone, though.”
“Knight’s wife, Elaine.” Webber snapped his fingers.
That made sense.
One of our club brothers, Knight, had married his life-long sweetheart, Elaine, just six months ago. They’d been together for what felt like forever. At least as long as I’d known them.
If anyone deserved to have their happily ever after, it was them.
“How have they been?” I asked.
Knight was in the military and had been stationed in Kuwait. The two of them had been gone for close to a year.
“Good,” Apollo said. “Just got an email from Knight this morning. He said that they should be getting home soon.”
About damn time.