Total pages in book: 138
Estimated words: 139147 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 696(@200wpm)___ 557(@250wpm)___ 464(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 139147 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 696(@200wpm)___ 557(@250wpm)___ 464(@300wpm)
He surveyed me, asking, “What’s got into you?”
“I’m just sick of man shit today.”
His black eyes went to the door behind me, then back to me. “I feel that.”
“You gonna ask her out?”
“If I crash and burn, you gotta make me your pudding.”
“Deal.”
I hit the doorbell at the house in Arcadia and I didn’t take my finger off it until Luna pulled my wrist away.
“I think they heard it,” she said.
They did.
Or at least he did.
A short, blond, not-very-attractive, but openly-arrogant man opened the door, looked between us, looked us up and down, and then asked, “Can I help?”
“You can give me the money you stole from the prostitute you cuffed to a bed.” I gave him an all-around assessment before I added, “And your Rolex.”
I heard Luna gasp.
He turned instantly shady.
“I don’t know—” he began.
“Honey?” A woman called from inside. “Who is it at this hour?”
“You got two fuckin’ seconds to hand over your watch and go get that money or your wife knows what a colossal piece of shit you are,” I told him.
He started to close the door.
I put a hand and all my weight into it to stop him.
“If you don’t think I can’t bust down a door, you’re a moron,” I lied. “And you can call the cops, but you’d still be explaining to your woman why Sun Valley Motor Lodge has footage of your Lexus going in and out of the lot, and you following a sex worker into room number twenty-three, not to mention dealing with her complaint of you stealing from her.”
“Honey?” the woman’s voice was getting closer.
His face paled.
Then he griped, “This is fucking crazy,” while taking off his watch.
“You’re right. It is.” I took the watch when he handed it to me and shoved it in my crossbody. “Money too.”
“Hi, oh…hi,” a pretty brunette came up behind him. “Is everything okay?”
At this point, I was really glad I was still in my tee dress and daisy Vans. I looked normal, even sweet.
And there was Clarice’s note of flying under the radar.
“So sorry for the late visit. We had a huge list today. Shoo!” Luna said to her, also looking sweet in a muted floral dress with ruffles on the sleeves, short skirt and a smocked waist. “But you’re our last and we thank you so much for the donation to Sun Valley Homeless Shelter.”
The woman’s smile faltered in confusion as she looked to her husband. “Bobby?”
“I forgot to tell you, I pledged,” he said to her. “I’ll just go get that.”
“Thank you so much,” Luna oozed.
After shooting Luna a killing look his wife couldn’t see, Bobby took off, but his spouse remained at the door.
It felt shit, not sharing her husband was a scumbag, but our hands were tied.
Apparently, righteous extortion had its drawbacks.
“Long day for you gals,” she said.
“Yes, but we collected at least twenty-five thousand in pledges today. Isn’t that amazing?” Luna asked.
I fought a smile.
Twenty-five thousand was maybe what that Rolex was worth, possibly more. Though, pawned, probably less, but still, it’d keep Jinx covered for a good while.
“Oh my God, that’s great,” the woman enthused.
“People are so generous,” I said.
Bobby came back and shoved a wad of cash in my hands.
The brunette’s brows snapped together, her gaze on the cash.
“Thank you for your kindness, we’ll leave you be. Good night!” I cried.
Luna and I turned away only to hear the brunette ask, “Where did you get so much cash, Bobby? Did you go to the bank today?”
The door snicked shut.
“Loser,” I muttered as we headed to the car at the curb.
“Asshole,” Luna muttered.
“Dickhead,” I kept it up.
“Piece of shit,” she put in.
“Creep.”
“Perv.”
“Skeeve.”
“Prick.”
“Jackass.”
“Douchebag.”
I was so angry, I was insulted out.
We got in the Accord and headed back to Roosevelt.
Luna rolled up in front of Jinx’s patch by the litter-strewn, rusted-cage-windowed building, and she put the flashers on.
She stayed in the car.
I got out.
I shoved the cash in Jinx’s hands then dug into my crossbody to get the Rolex.
I handed that to her as well.
Jinx stared down at it with her mouth hanging open.
“Probably keep your electricity rolling for a while,” I remarked.
She looked at me. “Madre de Dios.”
“No more handcuffing,” I advised.
“They pay big for that kink,” she told me.
“Your call.”
“I thought you two were a joke.”
“We are. But when shit gets real, we kick into gear. Now, I don’t want a call from you for a while, unless you wanna meet for margaritas.”
“You wanna sit down for a drink with a whore?”
Interesting.
Maybe they didn’t refer to themselves as sex workers.
“I don’t care what you do. Just as long as it’s a good margarita.” I turned away, bidding, “Later.”
She said nothing as I folded into the car.
“Let’s roll,” I said to Luna.
Luna turned off the hazards, and we rolled.
FIFTEEN
FIFTEEN YEARS
Luna idled in my apartment parking lot, staring at Cap’s Porsche in the visitor spot.