Meet the characters:
Thunder is older and more seasoned than the rest of the Pride men, but even he is thrown for a loop when the girl he hasn’t been able to get out of his mind shows up in his town. Thunder dated Rose’s sister until things went south and when he cut his losses, he left Rose and her family behind.
Rose wants to live a quiet life in her quaint flower shop, but it seems that the ugliness of her dead sister’s past has caught up with her. Even though Rose has always distanced herself from her drug addicted sister, it seems that her enemies want their pound in flesh.
Thunder will do what needs to be done but can they resolve this issue without bloodshed?
Feel the passion:
Ghost is the first to greet us.
“Rose, right?” he asks. I gotta tell you that Ghost is as intimidating as they come. He’s freaking huge and is overwhelming when you first meet him. Rose has to tilt her head way back to meet his gaze. I feel her stiffening beside me.
“H-hi,” she manages to get out.
“This is Ghost, Abby’s man. He’s not nearly as mean as he looks,” I kid. I see an expression of surprise when I mention Abby. I get it, though. Abby is very quiet and tiny in comparison to the mammoth giant in front of her. Abby comes to Ghost’s side, and immediately, he tucks her into himself.
“I see you’ve met Ghost. We’re so happy that you’re here. We’ve been waiting for you. Most of us girls are over there.” She points to the far end, where a bunch of lawn chairs are set up and a very giddy group of Pride women are sitting.
“Are they smashed?” I ask Ghost.
“Not yet, but they will be. I have a feeling a bunch of us will be spending the night,” the big man says with a chuckle. “It’s Izzy and Saint’s turn to watch the kids. And I think Camille and Steady are going to head over later to help out.”
“The kids?” Rose asks.
“The little Pride, I call them.” Abby giggles. “We have Gavin and Ryder, who belong to Ava and Guard. Vi and Orion are parents to Gabby and Alexander. Romeo belongs to Hanna and Risk. Camille and Steady have the cutest little guy named Kyrian. Who am I forgetting?” She taps a finger to her chin. “Oh, Maddie and War have sweet Amelia and baby Adam. They won’t be staying either because she can’t bear to be away from him overnight yet. Not that I blame her, he’s so darn sweet.” Her voice goes higher when she gets excited. “I’m stealing her for a while,” Abby announces, practically dragging Rose over to the others.
“Don’t fight it, man,” Ghost says as Rosie looks back at me over her shoulder.
“Who knew Abby could get feisty?” I tease.
“That’s what happens when she’s had two appletinis, apparently. I can’t wait for later when I can get the best use out of her feistiness.”
I grab a beer and mingle, with one eye constantly looking over at Rosie. She seems to be having a good time. She has the same laugh as I remember. It comes straight from her belly. It’s real, not forced. I’m glad that she likes this crew, because if I have my way, she’s going to be here a lot.
A couple of times, I catch her watching me. She waves or lifts her martini glass my way, with a sexy smile on her face. I’m going to have to make my move soon. My dick is already straining against my jeans, and I’ve taken way too many cold showers in the last couple of days.
Leaves you wanting more:
“Stay in the car,” I command. “Lock yourself in.” I wait for the locks to click before approaching the shop. Hammer and Roscoe are with me, while Wildcard has gone around the back. The front door is ajar, and the lights are all on. The place is in shambles. Potted plants lie on the floor, with dirt splattered all over the floor. The cooler glass has been smashed and broken flowers are strewn on the tiles. They’ve been trampled and aren’t salvageable at all. Worst of all, there’s a message spray-painted on the wall. Found you. You owe us.
Wildcard comes in through the back. “They were in and out fast,” he says. “Got some tread marks. Risk and Saint are better at tracking. We should get them involved.”
Roscoe’s over by the cash register. “It’s empty,” he tells us.
“Shit! She’s going to freak the fuck out,” I grit out. I stomp out of the shop and see Rosie staring from the car. She unlocks the door and runs toward the shop. I stop her before she can get past me. “Slow down, baby.”
She eyes me cautiously and does a deep swallow. “It’s bad,” she whispers, looking past me and in through the window.
“Yeah, Rosie. It’s bad. But you need to know I got you covered,” I say. “How much did you have in the register?”
She shakes her head. “Not much. I keep a couple hundred for float. I use the nightly deposit slot at the bank.”
“That’s good. Really smart.” I hug her closely. She’s shaking in my arms.
“I need to see it,” she murmurs.
I want to prepare her for what she’ll see. “The place is a mess. This wasn’t about the money.”
“Vandalism? But why? I don’t know anyone in this town besides you guys. I’m nice to all my customers, and they’ve been super great to me. Who would do this?”
I’ve got an idea, but I don’t want to say it out loud. Her parents moved to get away from the scum Clarissa owed money to, and I have a feeling they found Rosie instead.
“I’m not sure yet, but Risk and Saint are great trackers. They’ll get a lead from what we find. I don’t want you to touch anything until we’ve done our thing. Okay?”
“I have to clean up. I need to make a living. I have loans to pay.” Her voice grows louder, panic starting to set in. “Oh my God, I’m already running tight on cash. I can’t put out any more money. I can’t ask my parents for help. They’re living off a retirement income.” She’s hyperventilating.
“Hey. Hey. Stop! We’ll figure this out. We’ll get this place fixed up tomorrow, and you’ll be open in a few days. Do you trust me?” I ask, tucking my finger under her chin and lifting her gaze to mine.
“Yes.”
“That’s right. I’ve got your back. Take a deep breath, calm down. Then I’ll take you in.”
She inhales and exhales slowly, once, then again, closing her eyes. When she opens them, she sounds steady and calm. “All right. I’m ready.” She holds my hand, squeezing it. “Lead the way, big man.”
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