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Chapter 1

I don’t need a pool to get you wet

-Lawn sprinkler

Amelia

“Please, please, please, please, please”

I looked at my friend, Avery, and wanted to say no

A thousand times no

But, she didn’t ask me for stuff often

In fact, I was honestly surprised that she was doing it now

“What’s it for again?” I asked, not wanting to hear the words yet knowing that I had to ask

“A college class that I’raphy We’re supposed to co unique, a photoshoot It has to be fun, expressive, and ee part of ured, here you worked, you ht be more okay with it than everyone else… plus, I don’t think that anybody else will do it Or… more accurately, be allowed to do it”

I frowned “What do you mean?”

I ignored the part about ‘where I worked’

Where I worked wasn’t bad

Really, it wasn’t

Iat a strip club as a bartender wasn’t bad

I hat I wanted,—a social worker

They did not, I repeat, did not like the fact that I would be working with druggies—their words not mine

They also did not like the fact that I hadn’t caved on any of their de a job that kept me safe, protected, and healthy at all times

So, to defy the one brother around was better than having a brother and a father—both of which were part of an MC that owned that town

Sebastian and est motorcycle clubs in the country They owned Benton, Louisiana—my hometown—and made it virtually impossible for me to live under their microscope

In Kilgore, Texas I only had my eldest brother, Sam Mackenzie, to deal with Also, I had James, my brother-in-law, but still better than a bossy, overprotective brother or father

One was better than three

At least, that hat I kept telling myself

Luckily, Kilgore was close to o to school, work towardfamily around if I ever needed help

Which, I wouldn’t

But I liked to allow my alpha family members to think that I would have them in case I needed them