Read Slow Ride for Free Online Page A

hoping, once the chief was brought to justice, Roger could find some closure. Hell,
     they all needed some closure.
    “We’ll get this done, Roger. I swear to god we will. I don’t care how long it takes,
     we’ll finish it.” The other men murmured their agreement and soon the meeting started
     breaking up. Some grabbed another beer; others went back to playing the game system
     for a while. Cooper stood quietly, took a pull of his beer, and wondered if Kyla was
     asleep.
    A few hours later when only his closest friends were left, Phil spoke up. “Cooper,
     you seemed distracted. What’s up?”
    He glanced up and glared at Phil’s smirk. “I am not in the mood for your crap tonight.
     Not with this Saybrook shit happening.”
    Saybrook had a history with each, all of it involving trying to beat the tar out of
     them, and all of them giving back as good as they got. Saybrook hated them with a
     passion and loved nothing more than to interrupt their businesses, customers, and
     their families. He had the town council on the run, and he was getting more overt
     and aggressive in his power grab of late, even going after some of the women who worked
     at the local strip club. He was a brute who spread fear without fear of reprisal.
     Without fear of anything, really.
    Cooper took a last drink and set the empty on the counter. “We got a Mustang in the
     lot, make sure no one touches that or I will find them and beat them bloody. In fact,
     park it in the last stall. We don’t use it anyway, and cover it. Don’t want it getting
     crap on it.”
    He rolled his eyes at his so-called friends, who were fighting their grins. “Shut
     up. All of you. We’re done.”
    “Right, Coop.” Derek shook with laughter. “Already staking your claim and protecting
     the girl’s assets. And from what Phil said she has plenty of those.”
    “True dat!” Phil joined in. “She was all tits and ass and her hips . . . dayum, only
     chick I know who works it better is Sheena. Kyla is hot.”
    A muscle ticked in Cooper’s jaw as the boys continued to rib him. “I’m fuckin’ serious,”
     he growled so low his friends stopped and looked at him with surprise. “That car is
     off limits.”
    Phil nodded, clearing his throat. “You got it. Let’s get outta here,” he said to the
     others. “Early day tomorrow. ‘Night, Coop.”
    Roger stayed behind and once the other guys left, he spoke, “I’m leaving for a while,
     Cooper. I know I said I’d help with this shit, but I need some air.”
    Cooper looked at his friend, noticing the tiredness in his eyes. “You need me to go
     with you?”
    Roger shook his head. “Nope. Lots of shit has gone down since. . .” He didn’t say
     her name. “Anyway, I’ve been working non-stop since it happened and it’s just all
     catching up to me. I’m barely hanging on to my control, and one of these days I’m
     going to see Saybrook’s smart-ass grin and punch him in the fuckin’ throat.”
    “Well that’s one way to get rid of him,” he replied, his tone dry.
    “Yeah, it is. One that will land me in a cage, and you know I can’t live in a cage,
     Coop. I’m sorry, man.”
    He clapped a hand on Roger’s shoulder. “Don’t need to apologize to me. I get it. So
     get the fuck out of here. Who’s handling your projects while you’re away?”
    Roger pushed off the counter, hands stuffed in his pockets. “I got my two foremen
     handling things, and Sam is overseeing it all. That lazy fuck just has to take care
     of his club, so I’ve hauled him in to help me out.”
    Cooper grinned. “He is lazy, isn’t he?” He shook his head because they both knew Sam
     was the hardest working man they knew outside of themselves. “You going to be on grid
     or you going off?”
    Roger rocked back on his heels. “Mostly off, though I’ll check in with my cell now
     and again. I’m thinking I need to hit the West Coast, visit some friends out there
     that Sam and I served