Page 47 of Fractured
Thankfully, Bronson, as well as Hyde, who happened to be on Alec’s team, also had boats, or else we would need to make two trips back and forth to get everyone where we needed to go.
I climbed on the Griggs boat with Sage in my arms, Garrick, Tatum, Carter, Harlee, Granger, Lola, Zaden, Hattie, Misty, and Frank.
Talia, Lila, Alec, Cassie, Krispin, Cole, Madalyn, Ethan, Melanie, Pete, and Darla climbed onto Bronson’s boat.
Smoke, Ice, Jekyll, Wolf, Hyde, and three women climbed on their boat.
All the kids had on life jackets; they had learned that they didn’t get on the boat without them.
About ten minutes later, we pulled up to the beach that was created.
Coolers and chairs were put on inflatable tubes and brought to the beach.
We had a game of tag football with the kids while the women floated on tubes in the water, cackling, gabbing, you name it, we heard it.
And laughter. Tons of fucking laughter.
It had maybe been an hour or so when a boat carrying six men and two women pulled up to the beach as well.
They weren’t from Whispering Falls.
And when three of them kept eyeing the women who were now carrying their tubes to the beach, Garrick growled, “Eyes back in your head motherfucker.”
Tatum laughed and then raced to him and launched herself into his arms.
Harlee did the same with Carter.
And my eyes were on Talia.
Waiting to see what she would do.
She looked at them, taking them all in, and then, when one of them returned the gesture, I had to clench my hands into fists to keep myself still.
Thankfully, Talia turned her head back around and headed over to where we all were.
And when Sage, Krispin, Melanie, Granger, Zaden, Lola, Hattie, Cole, and Madalyn caught the two men staring again, they all stood up, crossed their arms over their chests, and glared.
It was the funniest shit I’ve ever fucking seen.
What wasn’t funny, however, was that ten minutes later, Talia had gone to the woods to use the bathroom.
I happened to glance over my shoulder to see one of the guys break off and wait for her to be done.
It was the same guy she had eyed up and down. The same one who had returned the gesture.
Titling my head back, I took a long pull of my beer.
Damn, but I needed whiskey, a kick in the head, fucking something.
Anything to get the infatuation I felt for Talia out of my fucking system.
Because it couldn’t happen.
It just fucking couldn’t.
I watched as they talked.
And when he threw his head back and laughed, I had to grit my teeth to not stand up, storm over there, and knock his lights out.
