Free Burned Rebel (Comanche Sons Motorcycle Club Book 3) by Sophia Hampton Page A

jail. If he wanted, he could have done well. Sure, he didn’t want to forgive you, but that didn’t mean he had to pursue you with such vengeance. If he hadn’t done that, he would’ve been alive and doing well.”
     
    She nodded. For a moment, she leaned against him and put her head on his shoulder. He patted her back, knowing that she was struggling with a lot of emotions. It wasn’t easy to know that her brother was dead, and now she had no family. “Thanks, Chance, for everything.”
     
    He brushed his lips over hers. “You’re welcome. Now let’s get back to work. We’ve got days of labor ahead of us.”
     
    “I didn’t know you were such a hard task master.”
     
    “Oh, I am worse, love. You just haven’t seen the nasty side of me as yet.”
     
    “Yeah?” she raised an eyebrow and then kissed him on the lips. He felt the warmth of her body seep into his and knew that already she was making an effort to move past the incident that shook them both. He admired her courage and her resolve. “I look forward to see that.”
     
    They both got busy with work, and much to Chance’s relief, the pressure of it kept them sane. In the midst of it all, they managed to claim Wesley’s body and cremate him. Later, they walked to the harbor and released his ashes. Once it was done, he could see that Riley was more relaxed. He was, too. It was nice to know that they didn’t have to worry about any other thing. From now on, the only matter that concerned them was the outcome of the bar. It was coming along nicely. The décor was done, and they had the furniture. He’d ordered the signboard and the supplies.
     
    “We’ve got the invitation cards for the opening,” he announced, as he walked into the kitchen one day.
     
    She was talking to the chef. They had hired someone with tons of experience and attitude. Kathy was fifty-two. She had just been released from jail where she was housed for ten years because she was convicted of her husband’s murder. It shook Chance when Riley wanted her after the interview, but he understood where she was coming from. Kathy wanted to make a new life and to start over, and by giving her that chance, Riley was making up for the mistakes that her brother made. Wesley could have made this decision, but he didn’t do so. Chance was a little shaken by Riley’s insistence, but now he was glad that he gave in. Kathy was definitely an asset.
     
    As he talked to Riley, Kathy took the card from his hand and inspected it. “Looks nice, but I think you should've gone with the cream border as I suggested.”
     
    Riley grinned. They had spent an hour arguing about it when they ordered it. Despite knowing that it was none of her business, Kathy put forward her point as if it was the most important thing in the world. “This one matches the theme of the bar.”
     
    Kathy turned and began to set the plates in the shelves. “I hope you don’t expect me to prepare the food according to that color scheme, too.”
     
    “All red and gold,” Riley teased as she surveyed the card. “I might just do that.”
     
    Kathy snorted, but she also smiled. The women had bonded, and he was pleased to see that Riley was happy with Kathy. Maybe by helping her, she would be able to relieve some of the guilt she felt over her brother’s death. It hadn’t been their fault, but still she would always regret what happened.
     
    “So what is next?”
     
    “We have to decide on the menu for the opening night, and I suggest we keep it simple. A lot of people are going to show up, and it’s important to show them that we have good quality stuff. And we can deliver if we have an easy menu,” said Riley.
     
    “I can serve two hundred people in my sleep,” said Kathy. “Cooked every day in the jail. I bet the prisoners are still weeping that I left. You guys got me for a salary that is joke. If I hadn’t killed that damn man who abused me for seven years every single day, I would have been one of