Total pages in book: 74
Estimated words: 72156 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 361(@200wpm)___ 289(@250wpm)___ 241(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 72156 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 361(@200wpm)___ 289(@250wpm)___ 241(@300wpm)
“You didn’t?”
“No, hell, no, I thought it made you look a little more interesting.” Dog stopped to take another long drag on his cigarette. “Now, don’t get me wrong. I don’t understand the feelings and I didn’t see whatever magic she’s got going on when I came for dinner, but shit, Preacher, you were pacing, waiting for money. What gives?”
Preacher stared at him, and Dog held his hands up.
“We can pretend we’re not friends for a little longer, if you’d like. We both know the truth.”
“We’re not friends. We’re business associates.”
Dog snorted. “Right. Like you wouldn’t give a shit if you ever found out one of my boys was planning to off me. It happened just last week, in case you were wondering.”
“Wait? What?”
“Yeah, the fuck, right? I can’t believe it myself. Who the fuck can buy loyalty these days? I know I can’t. I treat my boys well, you know. Give them a good life. Give them a good fucking reason for living and what do I get? Fuck all. That’s what I get.” He shook his head. “It’s all bullshit.”
“What happened?”
“To cut a long story a little short, one of my boys didn’t like taking orders from me anymore, and so in his way to deal with it, he made a deal to deliver my severed head.”
Preacher looked down at his neck.
“You won’t find it severed. I stopped him before he could even get close. I look like a pretty boy, but believe me, my muscles can make a man hurt in ways they don’t even realize. It’s all good, though. This is the kind of shit I live for.”
He took a deep breath. “He wanted the money. The power, and I guess he wanted to have the reputation for taking me out.”
“It wasn’t my boy, was it?” Preacher asked, chuckling. He had to go and deal with Bishop one day.
“Nope. Your boy comes anywhere near my camp, I’m sending his ass straight back to you. The kid thinks he’s all big and tough but he won’t last five minutes in a ring like this. Without realizing it, he likes rules. It’s why he pretty much broke apart over all the Reaper bullshit.”
“There really is a brain inside that head of yours, isn’t there?”
“I’ve told you before, I’m a hell of a lot more than a pretty fucking face,” Dog said, giving him a little pout.
“Yeah, I’m not going to date you anytime soon.” Preacher finished his cigarette, staring down at the ring. “You know, I’ve never known real fear. I always thought fear was for pussies. There’s nothing to be afraid of when you’re the biggest, baddest motherfucker around. I’ve never had anything to lose. Whatever I’ve wanted, I’ve taken, and anything I don’t want, I don’t even bother to fucking hunt for.”
“Why are we getting all, you know, touchy-feely?”
“You want to be my friend. Friends listen.”
“Since the fuck when?”
“Since forever. You want to be BFFs, this is what a BFF does. We listen to each other.”
“Can I change the dynamic of our friendship?”
“You could be my bitch.” Preacher laughed. “Fuck, what have we become?”
“I’ve worn you down. So, you’ve never felt fear?” Dog lit a new cigarette.
“No, not until recently, have you?”
“Yes, all the fucking time,” Dog said. He pointed at his face. “Let’s face it, I didn’t have an easy childhood. Where other kids were asking Santa for toys and shit, I was begging to be found, to find someone who would care about me and not hurt me. If you ever tell another living soul, I will fucking gut you, got it?”
“I’d like to see you try, but if you think I’d admit to anyone I got all touchy-feely for you, I’d deny it.”
“So we’re both good on denying everything. Good to know. I’ve known fear as a boy. I can’t walk away from who I was or what I’ve become. I used to think fear made me weak, but it doesn’t. Fear pushes us. It drives us. It makes us the men we are and it makes us strong.”
Dog pointed down at his men. “All of them can tell you a story. Some worse than mine, some better. All of them are monsters and have been created because of circumstances. It’s never going to change who they are. They are what we’ve been made. Fear makes us. It forces us to make decisions we didn’t know we were even capable of making.”
“I’m scared I’m not going to be able to protect her,” he said.
“Do you have another enemy lurking in the shadows?”
“No. I have plenty of enemies. Most of them are dead.” Preacher ran a hand down his face. “She’s afraid.”
“Then be there for her. Don’t be talking to me about shit when the true person you should be talking to is your woman. Robin, she wants you right now, I’m guessing.”