Total pages in book: 133
Estimated words: 131888 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 659(@200wpm)___ 528(@250wpm)___ 440(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 131888 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 659(@200wpm)___ 528(@250wpm)___ 440(@300wpm)
“Too late.”
Malcolm Moore, Sr., aka Magnum, motored his Harley next to Nox’s. What surprised him was the Dark Knights’ sergeant at arms had a sidecar attached to it.
The rest of what he saw did not surprise him. While he never met the man face to face before, he’d heard plenty about him at his police department. The biker was well-known in Shadow Valley. Not in a good way.
Magnum was a big fucking dude. Nox could see where Aaliyah got her height. The Black biker had a solid inch over him and probably a good thirty pounds, if not more.
Even in his late fifties, her father was intimidating. His massive fists could be used as lethal weapons. Though, Nox figured he was packing some other kind of weapon besides the ones attached at the end of his arms. Despite being a felon and forbidden to own or carry any weapons.
After shutting down his bike, Magnum’s bald head turned to take in Aaliyah and Nox, standing closer together than they should be.
But if Nox stepped back now, he would seem guilty of something.
Like being interested in the man’s daughter.
Instead, he stood his ground. Aaliyah actually shifted a bit closer, as if she was going to protect Nox from her father.
Nox swore the Knights’ enforcer moved in slo-mo when he dismounted, fussed with something on his bike, then adjusted his cut. When he was finally done, he lumbered over to where they stood, keeping his eyes glued to Nox.
“Who this?” he asked in his deep, rumbly voice.
Nox lifted his chin and met his gaze head-on. “Are you asking her or me?”
“You a man? You got balls?”
Nox shouldn’t be surprised the man said whatever crossed his mind. “Last I checked.”
“Then you fuckin’ answer, ‘less you always let a woman speak for you. If you do, you definitely ain’t got any fuckin’ balls.”
“Dad!” Aaliyah hissed. “Stop it.”
Magnum kept their eyes locked, trying to make Nox look away. He didn’t.
He wasn’t one to scare easily.
Magnum jerked his chin up at Nox. “How d’you know Liyah?”
“I—“
“He’s a member of my group,” Aaliyah said before he could.
Nox grimaced since a woman answered for him.
For fuck’s sake.
Even though Magnum turned his head enough to scowl at his daughter, he still kept his eyes turned toward Nox. “What group?”
She sighed. Loudly. “The grief group.”
The man’s thick brow furrowed, and he finally looked at his daughter. “You ain’t sad.”
“I know I’m not sad. Jesus. You don’t have to be sad to join the group.”
“Ain’t grief sad?”
“Grief is a whole bunch of things, Dad… I,” she shook her head, “I’m not explaining it to you again. You should’ve paid attention the first dozen times I told you why people attend that kind of group.”
“You fuckin’ moved on.”
“Yes, I moved on,” she agreed.
“No reason for you to be in that kinda fuckin’ group.”
“I’m not in the group. I run it. Remember?”
“If you need scratch…”
“I don’t need money. I don’t get paid to run it. I volunteer.” She didn’t hide her impatience in her voice.
“Why the fuck wouldya wanna do that?” he bellowed.
Aaliyah glanced at Nox and bugged out her eyes.
He kept his expression neutral since he should stay out of it.
“Because I like helping people?”
“You can do that and make plenty of fuckin’ scratch like with your house sellin’ gig.”
“I do more than sell houses. I’ve also explained that to you at least a dozen times.” Instead of bugging her eyes out this time, she rolled them.
“What’s he do?”
“Minds his own business,” Aaliyah answered. “You should try that sometime.”
“If it’s gotta do with my girl, it’s my business.”
“Not in this case. Why don’t you go in and get the boys and their things together?”
“They ain’t ready?” Once again, the man’s voice carried through the neighborhood. Magnum’s volume setting must only have two settings: loud or silent. Nothing in between.
Nox could imagine both were scary as fuck if you were on the biker’s bad side.
Aaliyah lifted one dark eyebrow. “What do you think?”
“They knew what time I was gonna be here.”
She shrugged. “They also know you’re never on time.”
“Gonna smash those fuckin’ gamin’ systems,” Magnum grumbled.
“Did you forget who bought them?” Aaliyah asked.
“Didn’t realize they wouldn’t be able to fuckin’ function without ‘em.”
“Next time run their Christmas wish list past me first before you go on a spending spree.”
Magnum grunted his response and, with one more glare at Nox, turned on his boot heel and headed inside.
Both Nox and Aaliyah waited until the front door shut, then she turned toward him. “Sorry about that. He’s a bit… protective.”
“I see that. But I was going to say he’s like a bull in a china shop.”
She sighed. “That’s true, too. Do you mind waiting out here while I go deal with the testosterone currently under my roof?”
“I can go.”
She grabbed his forearm and squeezed. “No, don’t. My father isn’t staying. He’s only here to pick up his grandsons.”