Total pages in book: 114
Estimated words: 112736 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 564(@200wpm)___ 451(@250wpm)___ 376(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 112736 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 564(@200wpm)___ 451(@250wpm)___ 376(@300wpm)
“Hey, boss man,” a familiar voice says, and then the blond guy from Walmart walks through the door.
I find myself getting to my feet in alarm before I even realize I’m doing it. Then I remember what Coy said earlier.
I’ve got brothers comin’ over to keep your narrow ass safe.
Dammit.
“Poster Boy,” Coy grunts and nods his head at him before he has to make room for the next guy who walks through the door.
“Pres,” the next guy says with a tone of respect as he bobs his head, and my ears perk up.
Pres?
“Alright,” Coy says once the third and last guy is over the threshold. “Allie, you’ve already met Poster Boy.”
Poster Boy smirks and nods his head at me.
Ugh, maybe it’s wrong of me, but I find myself glaring back at him.
I know, I know he’s the one who got me into this mess.
Coy jerks his chin to the bigger of the other two. The guy is so big and tall, he must have been fed Miracle Grow as a child. “This is Hammy.”
“Ma’am,” Hammy says respectfully before he smiles, leans back on his heels, and shoves his hands in his pockets.
“And this is Steve,” Coy says, nodding to the third.
Steve lifts his hand and gives me a little waggle of his fingers. He’s not quite as big as Hammy or as muscular as Poster Boy, but he’s still not a small man by any means.
These three are probably going to give me a run for my money when I try to get out of here.
Coy looks to me, his eyes meeting my eyes as he growls, “I’m trusting you brothers to protect my ol’ lady and son while I’m gone.”
Ol’ lady? Is he referring to me? Am I an ol’ lady now?
“You got it, Pres. We won’t let them out of our sight,” Hammy says a little too enthusiastically for my tastes. Clearly eager to please.
Just what I need.
Steve nods his head in agreement, matching Hammy’s enthusiasm. “We’ll treat ‘em like our own.”
The smirk falls from Poster Boy’s lips and a little tendril of tension appears out of nowhere.
Coy looks to Steve and gives him a dark glare. I watch him start to open his mouth and then stop. He clenches his jaw so hard, I’m surprised I don’t hear his teeth cracking.
Hammy nudges Steve hard with his elbow.
Finally realizing his mistake, Steve mumbles out, “Sorry, Pres. I mean like—”
“It doesn’t matter,” Coy snaps, cutting him off. He growls a little and reaches up, raking through his hair as if he’s frustrated. “Just take good fuckin’ care of ‘em.”
He gives me one last look, a look that warns me to behave, then he stomps out of the house.
Hammy lets out a breath when the door slams shut. “Shit man, that was stupid.”
“Fuck, I know,” Steve grumbles, his shoulders slumping.
Poster Boy gives them both a look of disgust. “One of you needs to check the backyard and keep a lookout on the porch.”
Perking up and obviously ready to redeem himself, Steve says, “On it.”
Before either Poster Boy or Hammy can have any say on the matter, Steve is hustling past me, offering me a smile and nod as he heads to the back of the house.
Poster Boy shakes his head.
“What do you want me to do, brother?” Hammy asks.
Poster Boy looks to me, his eyes sizing me up and considering how much trouble I’m going to cause him. I’m not surprised at all when he says, “Keep an eye on the Pres’s son.”
Echoing Steve, Hammy seems to puff up and nods. “On it.”
And I have to fight back a smile. Maybe this will be easier than I expected. Poster Boy is definitely still going to be a problem, but the other two, I know their kind. Lord knows I’ve met enough of them being married to Mikhail.
They’re yes-men.
Incapable of thinking for themselves, they need to be told exactly what to do, and will have a hard time reacting when something unexpected happens.
It’s totally going to work to my advantage.
Once I figure out a plan, that is.
“Ma’am,” Hammy says as he walks past me, heading for Levi on the couch.
Completely engrossed in his cartoon up to this point, Levi finally looks up from the TV as Hammy gets closer to him.
He probably felt the whole house trembling. The guy is freaking huge.
“Hey there,” Hammy says, offering Levi a friendly smile.
Levi scowls, his brows pinching together. “Who are you?”
Hammy sticks out his hand. “I’m Hammy.”
Levi looks down at his hand for a second. “Hammy?” he repeats, confused.
“Yeah,” Hammy nods and keeps his hand stuck out. “Your pa asked me to come over and help keep you safe.”
Levi looks nervously at me. “My pa? I don’t have a pa…”
Not liking the distressed look on his face or the way his bottom lip is starting to tremble, I start walking back over to the couch.