Total pages in book: 141
Estimated words: 135604 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 678(@200wpm)___ 542(@250wpm)___ 452(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 135604 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 678(@200wpm)___ 542(@250wpm)___ 452(@300wpm)
I shook my head and straightened, bringing my arms across my chest. “Nah, but he had to be pushing sixty. He was old.”
No fucking way was that dude Wes. Unless Tori was into dating men old enough to be her dad.
“I think Wes is in his thirties,” Syd shared.
“Younger guy helped me. Could’ve been him,” Dash said, lifting his shoulders.
I looked at my phone on the counter, then I snatched it up, checking the time. It was too early to call and see if that asshole was working today. After dealing with them when I was buying my car, I knew they didn’t open until nine.
“What are you thinking?”
Dash’s voice lifted my head.
I rubbed at my mouth and along my jaw, shrugging. “Call ’em up in an hour and check if he’s workin’,” I said, dropping my hand. “He is, I’ll be takin’ my lunch there.”
Dash lifted his chin, hearing me, then he looked at Syd and told her, “Can’t meet up with you today, babe. I gotta handle this with him.”
Syd was nodding before he finished speaking. She turned into him and touched his arm. “Sweet of you,” she said.
Dash bent down and kissed the top of her head.
I heard water running upstairs, meaning Tori was up, and hearing that, I remembered the other thing I needed Syd for.
“Her parents, you know where they live?” I asked her.
Syd turned her head and then tilted it, looking confused. “Yeah, they live in Raleigh,” she replied, eyes searching for understanding.
“You know the address?”
“Why?”
I took that as a yes and rounded the counter with my phone, pulling up my notes app.
“Here.” I held it out for her to take when I stopped in front of her. “Put it in there for me. I might need it.”
Syd blinked up at me. She looked ready to throw a shit-ton of questions my way that I didn’t have time for and didn’t feel like answering, but that look slowly evaporated into one I’d seen on her a handful of times.
Typically stuff involving Dash, but she gave it to me the day I asked what type of flowers Legs was into.
“This has to do with Tori’s soft again, doesn’t it?” Syd asked, taking the phone and fighting a smile.
I wasn’t going to answer that. Planned on ignoring Sunshine and her probing, but it turned out I didn’t need to.
Footsteps on the stairs lifted my head and turned hers. I watched Tori move through the entryway.
Her hair was pulled back now and messy at the top of her head. Strands of yellow fell into her eye. She tried tucking them behind her ear as she stepped into the room, flushed face and bright eyes bouncing between the three of us. They settled on me.
I straightened and pulled in a breath, chest expanding as I looked at her where she stood.
Had all that beauty in my arms last night.
Jesus. Why the fuck did I ever get out of bed?
“Here,” Syd whispered. She pressed the phone against my chest and then turned, moving toward her girl. “Sweetie, are you okay?” she asked, wrapping her arms around her. “Jamie told us what happened. I can’t believe that jerk did that to you. God, I want to kill him.”
Tori was hugging Syd back but she was keeping her eyes on me.
“Gonna give them a minute and then head out,” Dash said, his voice lowered as Tori leaned away and talked quietly with her girl. Syd’s hands cupped her face. “You know how you’re gonna handle this today if he’s working?”
I turned my head and looked at him. “Just gonna talk,” I answered.
“Yeah?” he asked, brows lifting. He didn’t seem convinced. “You hit him and he presses charges, you know what’ll happen.”
Dash was referring to my sponsors dropping me. He knew the risks I was taking confronting this asshole.
I knew them, too.
“Good thing I’m just goin’ to talk then,” I returned, tucking my phone into my back pocket.
That was the plan. I wasn’t bullshitting Dash. How this would happen to play out, I didn’t know.
If I thought Wes was hearing me, we’d only be talking.
If I didn’t …
“Shit,” he muttered, shaking his head as if he could read my mind. He turned and looked at the girls. “Kinda wanna knock his ass out myself for working Syd up.”
“Anyone hits him, it’s me,” I shared, voice unforgiving.
“Figured that. Just saying. It’s not like I have shit to lose.”
“Just gonna talk to him,” I repeated.
Dash turned his head, meeting my eyes when I did the same. “She came to you crying?” he asked.
I nodded. My jaw flexed.
“Right,” he uttered, looking away.
He knew. There was a chance we wouldn’t just be talking.
“Babe, you ready? Gonna be late if we don’t leave now,” he said, moving to get to Syd.
She took his warning and gave Tori another hug, whispering with her before pulling away. Then she glanced back at me and shot me a look full of appreciation.