Total pages in book: 41
Estimated words: 38800 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 194(@200wpm)___ 155(@250wpm)___ 129(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 38800 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 194(@200wpm)___ 155(@250wpm)___ 129(@300wpm)
I paused, letting the full meaning of Ringo’s words sink in. “No one should have known anything except that maybe they heard gunshots.”
Ringo and I locked gazes for several seconds. This… didn’t compute. Then it did.
And I. Saw. Red.
Ringo stepped in front of me. “You can’t kill him here. And not until we know what’s going on. If you can’t handle this, I will.”
“Like fuck. I’ll take care of that fuckin’ punk.”
“Knox. Not here.” Ringo was calm as ever, and it helped to ground me when all I wanted to do was beat the living piss outta my brother.
I took another deep breath, trying to find my calm. Glancing back toward the bedroom where my woman and our kids were, I knew exactly where my calm was.
Our kids.
That thought, more than anything, helped me find something deep inside me I needed to get through this without landing in prison. I not only had my woman to protect, but her children. And yeah, I’d already claimed them as my own. At least, in my heart. This was something I needed to sit down with Luke about and discuss exactly what role he would allow me to play in their lives.
“Good.” Ringo nodded and clapped my shoulder. “You found what you needed to do this.”
“Yeah.” I needed to be as honest with Ringo as I could here. I had the feeling I was going to need every bit of help he and the others could give me. “Not sure how long I can hold it inside, but I’ve got it.”
“Me and the others’ll have your back. I’ll rein you in if necessary.” He tilted his head to the side, warily. “You won’t shoot me, will you?”
I barked out a laugh. “If I had a gun, I’d’ve already shot someone. But I promise I won’t fight you too hard.”
That seemed to be what Ringo was looking for. Not my promise not to kill him if he tried to pull me out of the situation, but the humor, however dark. I needed it too because I knew now -- I could guarantee -- I wouldn’t get myself thrown in prison for killing my brother. Well, ninety percent anyway.
Ringo led the way through the house. In the living room, my gaze was drawn to where my dad had lain lifeless on the floor. They’d moved him and were already cleaning up the blood from the hardwood floor. I raised an eyebrow at Ringo who just nodded at me. I got it. If there was no body, there was nothing to tie me or -- God forbid -- Evie or the kids to Danny’s disappearance. ‘Cause that fucker was definitely going to disappear.
“You can’t keep me from going inside!” Danny hadn’t quite committed to getting up in Mace’s face, but he was close. “This is my place! And that’s my girlfriend who’s been shot!”
Mace didn’t say anything, just stood in front of Danny with his arms crossed, not letting him onto the porch. Danny caught sight of me and tried to push past Mace, but Wolf and Leather flanked Mace to form an impenetrable wall.
“What the fuck, Denver? Why do you got your goons keeping me out of my own Goddamned house?”
“You good and pissed, Danny?” My voice was a husky growl, which really should have been a clue to the bastard. Then again, Danny had never been the most intelligent. Or, rather, he simply pushed his way through a situation, banking that he could bully or talk his way out of anything negative that arose.
“Goddamned right I’m pissed!” He pointed a finger in my direction. “This house is mine more than it is yours. I don’t know why Dad told me he’d sold it when he obviously didn’t, but you have no right to keep me out. Especially when my kids are living here. I got every right to see my kids! Now where’s Pop? I need to talk to him about making a place for me here so I can be with my family. My kids need me!”
“No, they don’t.” I shook my head slowly, seeing where he’d go with this. I had every intention of letting him hang himself before dropping this bombshell. Because I had no doubt that, for whatever reason, for whatever goal he intended to accomplish, Danny had been behind this. And Evelyn had been the target.
“What are you talking about? Of course, they do! You think you’re gonna take over their care? You disappeared without a trace. We all thought you were dead! You think you can just come in here, show up all happy like you did something grand, and everything goes back to the way it was? News flash, bro. Things don’t fuckin’ work that way.”
“Got nothin’ to do with me.”
“You might have been hangin’ around a few weeks, but we both know you’ll take off sooner rather than later. Those kids just lost their mother. They need someone stable in their life. They need me! Their father!”