Total pages in book: 144
Estimated words: 130761 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 654(@200wpm)___ 523(@250wpm)___ 436(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 130761 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 654(@200wpm)___ 523(@250wpm)___ 436(@300wpm)
Fuck my life.
Vike sat down next to Ash, and I saw the kid cover his face in embarrassment when Vike threw his arm around his neck and started giving him shit.
I turned to Flame. He was watching his kid brother too, no emotion in his eyes. “He’s moving in with you?”
Flame tensed. His eyes drifted to Maddie, who was sitting with Mae, feeling her bump. “Yeah.”
“You asked him?”
He nodded and took a sip of his beer. “Maddie thought it was time.”
“And you?”
“I agreed.”
“You gonna be good with him being there?”
Flame’s head dropped, and I knew he was having doubts. “Don’t know. I can’t . . . I can’t talk to him like you. Don’t know what to do if he gets upset or shit. Probably fuck him up.”
“Nah. You’ll be good,” I said, and Flame lifted his head.
“Yeah?”
“I know it.” Flame’s hands tightened on his bottle. “He told me you talked to him after the shooting.” Flame nodded. “That was good.”
“It’s what you did to me. Just copied you.”
“I know. So just keep doing shit like that.”
Flame grew silent for a few seconds, until he said, “Thanks.” I looked at my brother. He never said thanks for anything. His jaw clenched. “Thanks for watching him . . . when I couldn’t. When my head . . .”
“Always.” Clearly feeling too much emotion, Flame jumped off the chair without a word and bee-lined straight for Maddie. She was up and on his lap in seconds. I watched the brother calm the minute her hand was in his.
Needing a piss, I went into the lodge. A.A. Bondy’s “When The Devil’s Loose” started playing outside. I grabbed another beer and moved to the doorway, and then I stopped right in my tracks on the mat. Phebe was on her feet, dancing around the fire with Grace. Just like the first night she had danced for me, her hands were in the air and her eyes were closed, a fucking heartbreaking smile on her lips. Grace imitated her as Sapphira smiled from under lowered eyes, watching her mom from the safety of her seat beside her aunt. Anyone could see how much she loved her with just one look.
And I couldn’t tear my eyes from Red. I watched her through the whole song. Then when the next song played, her eyes snapped open and immediately sought me out. As Bowie’s “Heroes” came on and Phebe found me there, watching, a loud laugh, fucking raw happiness, came from her throat. And my bitch never took her eyes off me as she danced.
Stunning.
Beautiful.
Mine.
And fucking free.
I drank my beer as the song played out. Then I looked down to the mat at my feet. Two pairs of boots still sat there, shined to perfection, on either side. As I looked over the backyard, seeing my brothers chilling, seeing Zane laughing and happy, I closed my eyes and breathed deeply. “We’re okay, Dev,” I whispered so only he could hear. I swallowed and felt a smile come onto my lips. “We’re all gonna be fucking okay.”
A hand slipped into mine, and when I opened my eyes, Phebe was before me. “You good?” she asked, using my own words on me, a fucking twinkle in her eye.
So I took her mouth.
Felt her moan.
“Yeah, Red. I’m good . . .”
I breathed. Exhaled, then said, “Sunrise . . . I’m just embracing our motherfucking sunrise.”
The End
Bonus Chapter
Lil’ Ash
“Wrench,” Flame said from beside his bike. I took the wrench from the tool box and handed it to him. Flame didn’t look up. He didn’t speak, just kept working on his Harley. We’d worked on mine all morning, now we had moved onto Flame’s as the night came in. Most nights after school and most weekends we did this.
And I fucking loved it.
I loved just being with him. Loved being in his house. Loved eating with him and Madds. Loved sitting with him. I knew he’d never speak to me like AK did, but that was okay. He was Flame. And fuck, he tried harder with me day after day. I saw it.
Maddie’s smiles confirmed it.
“Asher? Flame?” Maddie’s voice called us in from Flame’s garage at the back of his house. “Dinner!” she said and Flame jumped to his feet. He threw the wrench in the tool box and I followed him through to the cabin.
Maddie placed the food on the table and we took a seat. “Did you get all your homework done, Asher?” Maddie asked.
“Yeah.” She smiled. When I looked up, I watched Flame watching Maddie. Whenever she smiled he always stared at her. His face never changed, but his eyes did. He fucking loved her. Anyone could see it.
“How is Zane liking his new school?” she asked just as I swallowed a fork full of food.
“He’s good. Sits with me at lunch and stuff. It’s just classes we don’t share.” AK had asked Zane if he wanted to attend the same private school as me—AK was paying. His aunt agreed and Zane was quickly enrolled. AK claimed it was for a better education, but everyone fucking knew it was to have him closer to him. Our school was close to the compound, small and discreet, never got involved in Hangmen shit. And Zane came back here every night to see his uncle, before AK drove him back to his aunt’s house.