Total pages in book: 91
Estimated words: 105398 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 527(@200wpm)___ 422(@250wpm)___ 351(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 105398 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 527(@200wpm)___ 422(@250wpm)___ 351(@300wpm)
“Don’t do that again, Ember. I can’t lose you. Promise me that you won’t go out by yourself until we get this gang situation figured out.”
“How long exactly should I have an escort? It’s been four fucking months, and I’m tired of this shit. I want to be able to go somewhere by myself. I can’t even take a shit without one of you knowing it.” She fumed.
“Honey, if you want to take a shit in private, all you have to do is ask, and I’ll leave the house.”
“This is not a joking matter. I’m sick and tired of it. Figure it out. Do something, but get it done, because I’m not going to deal with this much longer.”
“You will deal with it as long as it needs to be dealt with. This has never been put on the back burner. We’ve been working on it for months now. The police are working a sting operation, and hopefully, with that in the works, you’ll be taken off the hot seat. They might forget about you. The reason we haven’t used force yet is because we don’t want to bring you to their attention any more than you already are.”
“You’ve got two more months. That’s it. I can’t do this anymore. Now, let’s go get breakfast, and then I want to go watch Sidney get served.”
Laughing, I led her to my motorcycle, handed her her helmet, strapped mine on, and we rode to the IHop.
“I want two sausages, not the breakfast sausage, but the Eckrich sausage type. I want three eggs, hash browns, and three buttermilk pancakes. Oh, and a Dr. Pepper.” Ember told the server before she even had a chance to say hello.
“Jesus, are you hungry?” I asked her.
“Yea, I don’t know what it is, but I have the weirdest cravings for sausages lately. What are you getting?” She asked me.
“I’ll have the breakfast sampler. Sausage and Bacon. Coffee.” I said to the server.
“O-okay. C-can I get you an appetizer or anything?” She said sweetly batting her eyelashes.
“No. That’s it.” Ember said tersely.
The server turned and sashayed away, but I looked at Ember with raised eyebrows in silent question.
“She was flirting with you. She never even looked at me. The entire time she was here she never even acknowledged me. Now tell me how it went today.”
I explained to Ember about the meeting. What my expectations were and how he planned to put those plans into effect.
“He really thinks this will only take a month?”
“That’s what he said. Now, whether that will actually be the case is a completely different story. Sidney was always a difficult woman to deal with, and I don’t expect this to be any different. In fact, I feel like it will be even more of a fight than she usually gives. I still can’t believe that I have a kid out there. How could she have lied to me about this?” I asked her.
“Not a clue, y’all just better make sure I’m never alone with her. I’d seriously kick her ass.”
Really, she wouldn’t because she didn’t want to jeopardize my ability in getting my child. We both knew that, but she was in need of a vent. I’m surprised she’s lasted as long as she has. She had dark circles under her eyes, and I worried that maybe I shouldn’t have worked my frustrations out on her for so long the night before.
“You doin’ okay?” I asked her.
“Yeah. I guess so. I guess I’m just in shock. I’ll be less worried when we have a little more to go on.”
My phone buzzed in my pocket, so I reached in and then answered it, noting that it was Sam.
“Ember’s gone.” Sam said briskly.
“Yeah. Sorry she’s with me.”
“Okay.” Sam said and then hung up.
“Sam seemed a little upset that you forgot to tell everyone that you were leaving.” I said to her.
The inevitable argument was delayed by the arrival of our food and drinks. My food was placed down first, followed by my drink, the ketchup, but I stopped her when she tried to place the napkin in my lap.
“If you don’t put my food down and get out of here, I’ll make sure you don’t work here anymore.” Ember said through clinched teeth.
The server didn’t look too concerned, but still placed Ember’s food and drink down.
“Can I get you anything else, sir?” The server asked.
“No.” Ember said tersely.
“Okay, well here are a few extra napkins then. Holler if you need anything.” She said while placing a napkin next to my plate.
The napkin wasn’t clean, however. It had the server’s name and number, which I made sure to crumple up in a ball and toss to the floor, all while Ember watched with her nostrils flaring.
“It wasn’t my fault.” I said to her while holding my hands up in a placating gesture.
Rolling her eyes, Ember went on to devour her food. Where she hid it all, I don’t know.
“Do you want anything else, ma’am.” The server asked on the way past our table while eyeing Ember’s empty plate with a look of disgust.
“The check.” I said while staring at my own plate, not giving the woman the benefit of making eye contact, but also unable to keep the smile off my face at the hostile look reflected on Ember’s none too happy face.
“I’ll be back.” Ember said to me.
Nodding, I watched her walk to the bathroom. She came out a few minutes later, but made sure to stop by the checkout table and speak with a manager. Just like I knew she would. Ember couldn’t help but give her opinion on things, which is what I loved about her. She wasn’t afraid to speak her mind, and let other people know how she felt. I always knew where I stood with her. She wasn’t the type of woman who gave the silent treatment. Nor was she the type who played games. You always knew where you stood.
The server dropped the check off a few seconds later, but didn’t stay because the manager called her to the front. Taking that as the cue to get out, I grabbed the check and paid at the front. The server and the manager disappeared through the kitchen door, but that didn’t mean we couldn’t hear the reaming she was receiving from the manager. She’s lucky that was all Ember did. Things could have been worse, like the time I saw her pull a pregnant woman out of a bar by the hair.