Page 64 of Ugly Duckling
“I didn’t put makeup on for no reason,” Sutton grumbled, indicating the swelling and bruising on her cheek. “I was really hoping that he’d get a good look at my eye.”
“Oh, he did,” Malone said. “I took a photo and shared it with him this morning. That’s why you got the restraining order, too.”
Sutton bumped my shoulder. “Score!”
“Y’all want to get breakfast?” Creole asked, shifting from foot to foot.
I looked at Sutton, about to ask her if she wanted to go, but she answered before I could.
“We’ll go, but Gunner and I are marathon training. So that means we have to eat good.”
“The hell we do,” I grumbled. “You can eat however you want to eat. I’m not stopping you. And I’ll train with you. But I’m not giving up good food.”
“You’re training?” Creole asked. “I thought you’d run another marathon when you’re dead?”
“I talked him into it,” Sutton admitted. “I think he’s doing it to be nice, but also because he secretly likes it.”
“Whatever.”
Sutton threw her arm around my bicep and pulled me in close. “You know you’d do anything for me.”
She had no clue how right she was.
And I was beginning to realize that that might be a problem.
Fifteen
Where can I find those families that say, “Take this two million and stay away from our son?”
—Sutton to Gunner
SUTTON
It’d gone from a gathering of four to a gathering of fifteen.
I was officially introduced to the bulk of The Truth Tellers MC.
I met Copper’s wife, Baker.
I met Jasper “Hush” Madden—a sexy, but very scarred man who said “hi” and didn’t say much more. But the way his eyes lit up when he brought Lottie into his lap and fed her pancakes…I didn’t care how quiet and silently scary he was. If Lottie liked him, I liked him.
I met Doc and his wife, Searcy. Searcy was very loud, very opinionated, and I loved everything about her. I wished I had a Searcy as a friend when I was growing up. The high school class I graduated with wouldn’t have stood a chance with her attitude.
There was Chevy, one of Copper’s brothers. Chevy was an anesthesiologist and married to Aella, a sweet woman who was quiet and welcoming.
But her sister, Silver, who was Webber’s wife, was her complete opposite in every way. Though she was nice and boisterous, she didn’t immediately welcome me into the fold.
Then there was Cutter and his wife, Milena.
Though I’d met them briefly at the marathon last month.
Milena and I spoke the most, but Creole was close the whole time, getting a look of curiosity on her face the longer we talked about running.
“I think I could run a marathon.”
“No, you can’t,” Audric immediately disagreed.
There was a long stretch of silence while Milena and I waited to see what Creole would have to say to that. And she did not disappoint.
