by T. S. Joyce
Gen looked around, baffled as she fingered the edge of the white envelope uncertainly. Eden had tears in her eyes, and even Jaxon looked emotional. The others were perfectly quiet, their lips not moving at all. Behind her, Grey wrapped his arms around her chest and kissed her neck as she tore open the top of the envelope.
Inside was a hundred-dollar bill and a letter. Barret snatched the money from her hand and shoved it in the blue jug as Gen read Willa’s letter.
Gen, you beautiful, spritely, smexy little earthworm you,
Grey told us what that ass-noggin, Sean, did. I’m glad Vyr ate him. Here is a little money to help for your surgery. I’ll send more on the next shipment of worms. I had a bad feeling about that family group, but a good feeling about Grey. Beaston helped.
Love and Wormholes,
Almost Alpha
p.s. sorry I lied about Grey liking olives, blue crayons, juice boxes, and asparagus, but it’s a safe bet he likes sixty-nines, long walks in the woods at midnight, tree-sex, green M&Ms, and morning diddles, because he has a penis.
p.p.s You are loved, Gorilla Girl. You always were.
Stunned, Gen sat down by the box. A hundred dollars for her surgery? That was too much. Barret handed her another envelope. This one was from Bash of the Boarlanders.
The letter was wrapped around three ten dollar bills, and it read, Sorry about Bangaboarlander. Willa made me do it. She said she would break my leg if I didn’t give her the password, and I believe her. She broke Beaston’s leg like four times just for fun. Hear good.
Damon Daye sent her three thousand dollars.
Mom and Dad gave her five hundred.
Torren had pitched in two hundred. His letter just said You don’t suck, Little Monkey.
Clinton of the Boarlanders gave her sixty-nine dollars, a half-empty pocket shot of whiskey, and a dried dandelion flower.
By the time she opened Beaston and Aviana’s letter, she was sobbing, shoulders shaking uncontrollably, because these people truly cared about her being able to hear someday. They cared about her. She sat in the dirt by the fire pit with tears streaming down her face as she read letters from the Ashe Crew, the Breck Crew, the Boarlanders, and Gray Backs. From the Bloodrunners and the Blackwings.
And when she’d read every letter, and the bottom of the blue jug was covered with the start of her savings for her cochlear implant, Ben stepped forward and rested his hand on the back of her head comfortingly. And then he stuck a wad of cash into the mouth of the jug and made his way toward Jenny and Raif, who waited for him on their porch. Barret shoved a pair of twenties in the jug and gave her head a knuckle sandwich as she laughed emotionally. And one by one, the Red Havoc Crew…her crew…put money in the jug and touched her head. Warmth spread down her body at the affection. Was this strange sensation joy? Was it belonging? She thought so. They weren’t well off. The crew struggled with bills and sold moonshine on the side to make ends meet, yet here they were, giving her what they could so she could hear Grey’s voice someday.
It meant the whole world.
The family group had taken everything from her, made her feel weak, but Red Havoc had made her strong again.
Grey’s contribution took a while. He shoved wad after wad in there, and then signed that it was what he’d made from the bar this week. All my tips will go to this, Gen. I’m gonna take care of you, and someday, the first words you hear are going to be mine.
He sat in the dirt and pulled her into his lap. Slowly, she slid her arms around his shoulders and pressed her lips to his. And when she eased back, she mouthed, What words?
Piercing blue eyes holding her gaze, he pulled her hand to his chest, right over his pounding heart, and said, “I. Love. You.”
With those three all-important words, Gen knew it would happen. She just had this feeling, this gut instinct. Grey wasn’t a man who let people down. He was strong, honest, and protected the people he cared about, even when they didn’t know it. Her heart swelled with the realization that someday, someway, she was going to hear.
But for now, she was okay with remaining the daughter of silence because Grey loved her—just the way she was.
And the Red Havoc Crew accepted her—just the way she was.
And through Grey’s tenderness and patience, she was learning to love herself.
Just the way she was.
Up Next in this Series
Red Havoc Bad Bear
(Red Havoc Panthers, Book 5)
Coming June 2017
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Want More of these Characters?
The Red Havoc Crew makes its first appearance in Harper’s Mountains
Bloodrunner Dragon (Book 1)
Bloodrunner Bear (Book 2)
Air Ryder (Book 3)
Novak Raven (Book 4)
Blackwing Dragon (Book 5)
The Red Havoc Panthers can be read as a standalone series, but is also mentioned in Kane’s Mountains.
Entire trilogy now available.
Blackwing Defender (Book 1)
Blackwing Wolf (Book 2)
Blackwing Beast (Book 3)
More Series by T. S. Joyce
Bears Fur Hire
Husband Fur Hire (Book 1)
Bear Fur Hire (Book 2)
Mate Fur Hire (Book 3)
Wolf Fur Hire (Book 4)
Dawson Fur Hire (Book 5)
Chance Fur Hire (Book 6)
Saw Bears
Lumberjack Werebear (Book 1)
Woodcutter Werebear (Book 2)
Timberman Werebear (Book 3)
Sawman Werebear (Book 4)
Axman Werebear (Book 5)
Woodsman Werebear (Book 6)
Lumberman Werebear (Book 7)
Fire Bears
Bear My Soul (Book 1)
Bear the Burn (Book 2)
Bear the Heat (Book 3)
Gray Back Bears
Gray Back Bad Bear (Book 1)
Gray Back Alpha Bear (Book 2)
Gray Back Ghost Bear (Book 3)
Gray Back Broken Bear (Book 4)
Lowlander Silverback (Book 5)
Last Immortal Dragon (Book 6)
Boarlander Bears
Boarlander Boss Bear (Book 1)
Boarlander Bash Bear (Book 2)
Boarlander Silverback (Book 3)
Boarlander Beast Boar (Book 4)
Boarlander Cursed Bear (Book 5)
Wolf Brides
Wolf Bride (Book 1)
Red Snow Bride (Book 2)
Dawson Bride (Book 3)
For More Books from this Author
Visit www.tsjoyce.com for a full reading list.
About the Author
T.S. Joyce is devoted to bringing hot shifter romances to readers. Hungry alpha males are her calling card, and the wilder the men, the more she'll make them pour their hearts out. She lives in a tiny town, outside of a tiny city, and devotes her life to writing big stories. Foodie, bear whisperer, ninja, thief of tiny bottles of awesome smelling hotel shampoo, nap connoisseur, movie fanatic, and zombie slayer, and most of this bio is true.
Bear Shifters? Check
Smoldering Alpha Hotness? Double Check
Sexy Scenes? Fasten up your girdles, ladies and gents, it’s gonna to be a wild ride.
For more information about T. S. Joyce and her work, visit her website here.
