Total pages in book: 85
Estimated words: 97275 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 486(@200wpm)___ 389(@250wpm)___ 324(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 97275 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 486(@200wpm)___ 389(@250wpm)___ 324(@300wpm)
Sifting my fingers through her hair, I felt my control slip a fraction of a bit. I’d kept it in check over the last six months be sheer will. Every instinct I had was telling me to hunt her down like the bitch she was and kill her. Eliminate the threat. That was how I’d been taught in the Army. You have a threat; you neutralize it before it kills you instead. Those instincts that were long ago honed to a lethal edge were making themselves known. Begging to be released on the woman that was threatening our lives.
“Okay, I’ll fix this. I can put an alarm system in, and we can do the locks on the door, too. What else do you need to feel safe? We can get another dog. The team has had to call in a few favors for information, but O’Hare is a goddamned ghost. We’ve turned up absolutely nothing in the past five months.” I rambled.
Payton’s hands on my face stopped my tirade. “I know you’re doing everything you can, Max. I shouldn’t have said anything.”
I hauled her into my lap, and took her face into my hands. “Yes, you should have. Don’t keep stuff from me.”
“Today is dinner night with my parents. Are you ready to go?” She asked.
“Yep. You?” I asked in return.
“I think so. I look like shit though. Nothing fits. All the maternity shirts swim on me, and all of my old shirts are too tight. At least my pants fit. My scrub tops won’t last much longer either. Not sure where to go from here.” She said as she stood.
She pushed her arms up above her head, stretching like a contented cat who just rose from a nice long sleep. Her shirt rode up to just above her belly button. I stifled my laughter, since I just heard her ranting about her clothes. Her sweat pants came to just under her belly, the bottoms pulled up to just above her calf exposing her socks. The socks were festive red and white stripes with white fur at the top. They came to just above her calf, right under the hem of her sweat pants.
“You look like a pregnant elf.” I said before I thought better of it.
She glared at me, and I held my hands up in surrender. She stomped off towards the front door, and by the time I made it there, she was turning the corner to the hallway. Sighing at my stupidity, I waited by the front door. She came back moments later wearing one of my Army sweatshirts and a pair of ugly brown boots. They were the type of boots that you see all those young girls wear in the winter with short miniskirts. At least Payton was wearing clothes with hers.
“Ready?” I asked and we headed out the door.
“Slug bug red!” Payton squealed and then followed it up with a punch to my right bicep.
“Jesus. Do you really want to start this game?” I asked teasingly while rubbing my shoulder.
Payton frowned, and I played up the sting she’d delivered acting like my arm was about to fall off. “You probably left a bruise.” I whined.
“Oh, please. That was a love tap.” She chided.
By the time we arrived at her parent’s house, I’d been punched in the arm over five times. I let her win though. I’d seen every last one of the Volkswagens. I’d just chosen not to steal away her fun. Plus, if I’d punched her the way she’d punched me, she’d have a very sore arm in the morning.
“Jesus Christ.” Payton huffed after she’d worked the sweatshirt off her body and tossed it in the nearest chair. “Why’s it so damn hot in here?”
“Payton, it’s not hot in here. Its probably because you’re resembling a whale these days. That blubber you’re carrying in your ass probably keeps you insulated pretty well.” Bennett deadpanned from his sprawl on the couch.
My hand covered my face, and I wondered what she’d do. When I didn’t hear any swearing or scuffling, I uncovered my face and looked around. Bennett was laying on the couch still, and Payton was giving him the evil eye. He ignored her, but started paying attention when he started walking towards him.
“Move over, asshole.” She snarled once she got close enough to sit.
“There is a recliner right over there. Don’t you have any clothes that fit?” He goaded.
The boy had a death wish. There was no other reason for his attitude. He had to have known that he was going to rile her with these comments. Yet, she didn’t react. She stayed perfectly calm for another whole minute until she realized he wasn’t going to move. Then she turned around and promptly let her weight drop until it hit his face.
Muffled shouts from Bennett escaped from underneath Payton’s ass, and then she did something that forever would be ingrained in my mind. She let out the loudest, most disgustingly nasty fart I have ever heard, and then got up and ran into the kitchen. Bennett was gasping and gagging, and I was so dumfounded that I could do nothing but stare in flabbergasted silence.
Never once had I heard a woman beside my sister fart in front of me. The whole time Payton and I’d been living together, she’d never once let one slip. Hell, most women tried to act as if they didn’t even have the necessary parts to perform that bodily function with. Yet here Payton was, farting on her brother’s face, and then running away like it was nothing. The woman was pure genius.
My stunned silence was replaced by deep belly laughs. The type that have tears running down your face, your lungs running out of air, and your sides hurting because you’re laughing so hard and long that your abs have no time to recover from the workout. Dismissing Bennett rolling around on the floor, I walked into the kitchen to see Payton snacking on Broccoli and cheese. Payton’s grandfather was at the table with her sharing the same bowl, but he was dipping pieces of bread into it.