“Because you’d do better reading a decent book than watchingzombie television.”
Carlyle’s heavy brows went up.“Zombie television?”
“There’s nothing worthwhile to TV like that.It rots yourmind.Turns you into a zombie.”
Carlyle straightened in his chair, and to a man who had notspent his formative years under the wing of the entirety of the Chaos MC,particularly a brother called Hound, Carlyle straightening might make hissphincter tighten.
But Dutch knew how to handle himself with fists, with ablade, with a piece, in most any situation.Chaos had seen to that.
More precisely, Hound had seen to that.
So when Carlyle’s attention focused more fully on him, Dutchdidn’t twitch.
“Man, who gives a fuck?”he asked.
“I think me standing here is pretty good indication that Ido,” Dutch replied.
Carlyle looked back to the TV, muttering, “Fuck off.”
“Carlyle—”
That was when he got the treatment he’d given Duke atFortnum’s.
But Carlyle style.
“Do you think I’m invisible?Do you fuckin’ think I’minvisible?”Carlyle spat.
Somehow, even without looking at it, the kid had seen thecover of the book.
“What I think—” Dutch started.
“I’ve already read this book, motherfucker, and even if Ihadn’t, hear me, I don’t need some white guy to show me the way of my people.”
With that, he shoved the book off the table.It fell to thefloor, and Dutch and Carlyle had the attention of the room even before Carlylepushed his chair back so hard, it fell over as he stood and stalked to and outthe front door.
Dutch drew a sharp breath into his nose, put his hands tohis hips, and stared at the closing door thinking,That didn’t go very well.
Then again, every approach he’d made for the last threemonths hadn’t gone well.
“Dutch.”
He heard her call his name, but he knew she was there beforehe heard it.
He turned, saw her standing about ten feet away, and seriousas shit, Juliet Crowe was the most beautiful woman he’d seen in his wholegoddamned life.
Movie star gorgeous.
Fuck.
He went to the book, bent, picked it up and set it on thetable, headed to the chair and righted it, all before he moved her way.
He’d barely stopped in front of her when she asked, “You allright?”
“Tryin’ to find a way to get inthere, like we talked about.”
“What was the book?”she asked.
“Invisible Man.”
