Read Online Greetings from Sugartown by Carmen Jenner - Free Book Online Page B

I planned on coming to you—it’s not like I was just going to crash in your shed forever—but I had next to no cash, and I just had to take what I could get, you know? I was going to come to you at the shop, but I was biding my time, and your bat found me first.”
    I give a humourless laugh. “Yeah, it did.”
    “I just need a hand to get on my feet, and then you can send me as far away from you and your girl as possible. I don’t think I could handle the small-town life anyway. But I just need to get back on top.”
    “Are you any good with cars?” Ana asks. My head snaps around to glare at her.
    “No,” I warn.
    “I’m the best damn detailer you’ve ever met.”
    “My dad owns the garage in town, Big Bob’s Bikes and Auto. His doctor has suggested he take a little bit more time to unwind, but he can’t do that because it’s just him and the stubborn arse here.”
    Kick whistles. “You’re living the dream, Ethan.”
    “It’s Elijah, now.”
    “So weird,” both Kick and Ana say at the same time.
    “Come on, I’m freezing my breasticles off,” Ana says, and starts walking towards the house with a yawn.
    “You sure you’re okay with this, man?”
    “Does it fucking matter?”
    “Of course it does.”
    I give Kick the once-over. He stares back. The longer we size one another up, the more it feels like when we did it the day we met. Ten years old, so eager to be tough, fearless—someone our fathers would be proud to call  son . It was the first club barbecue I actually had fun at. Kick said something about wishing my mum’s skirt was shorter, and I beat the shit out of him. He beat the shit out of me. Our dads just laughed, and watched on from the sidelines.
    It was another month before we spoke again. I’d been the one to provoke him that time, and we’d come to blows. We both walked away with bleeding noses and smiles on our faces.
    Looking at him now, with his dyed black hair falling over his eyes, and his lips twitching up into a half-smile at the corners—as though his thoughts are echoing my own—I see some of that punk-arse kid in him again. But time in the MC has screwed us both over, and though he may look like the guy I used to call brother—he’s not.
    “You make enough money, and you stay only long enough to get your arse out of town. After that, you split, and we never hear from you again.”
    “Yeah, okay,” he says, and fuck me if he doesn’t sound like a dejected puppy.
    “It’s not personal, but that woman there is my priority. You bring the club down on our heads and I’ll kill you myself, you got it?”
    “Yeah, I got it.”
    “There’s one more thing. She’s mine. There’s no fucking tag teaming this time around, and if you so much as look at her the wrong way, I’ll rip off your dick and feed it to you. Are we clear?”
    “Yeah man, crystal.” He shakes his head. “I’m not interested in bitches; I’ve gotta keep light on my feet, you know what I mean?”
    I slam him back against the porch step railing. “Call her that again, and you’ll be out on your arse quicker than you can say ‘I’m sorry’.”
    “I didn’t mean no offense, Brother.”
    “Cade,” Ana shouts from the landing. I let go of Kick and trudge up the stairs after her.
    Once we’re inside, Ana hands Kick an ice pack and some Nurofen for his “broken nose”. Whiney bastard, it looks just fine to me. His cheekbone, on the other hand, well … that shit is fucked up.Ana makes up a bed for him in one of the spare rooms while he sits at our kitchen table and woofs down half a meat and pea mash pie and an apple Danish.
    “Your woman can cook, man. That’s the best fucking meal I’ve eaten in years.”
    “Yeah, I know how to pick ‘em.”
    “I’ll fucking say. Does she have a hot sister?
    “No.”
    Kick holds up his hands in surrender. “Okay, backing off, no need to get your shanking blades out.” He glances around the kitchen. “It’s a pretty sweet setup you got