Total pages in book: 212
Estimated words: 207966 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1040(@200wpm)___ 832(@250wpm)___ 693(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 207966 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1040(@200wpm)___ 832(@250wpm)___ 693(@300wpm)
I heard gagging noises from the bathroom walking by a minute later, finding Gigi in the kitchen area that fed into the living room with a small island in between, three stools in front of it. I sat on one while she warmed up a can of soup on the stove.
“This isn’t gonna be fun,” she whispered, looking frazzled.
I shrugged. “Not everything’s fun, babe. That’s life.”
She huffed out a sigh while pouring from the pot to a bowl.
“Really not fun, though. You don’t have to stay.”
I didn’t answer. Instead, I cracked open a beer and moseyed over to the couch, finding a remote control and turning the TV on.
She went down the hall with a tray and I turned the volume up when I heard the aunt’s voice again, doing more bitching.
***
“Everyone gets a little miserable when they’re not feeling well,” she whispered in the dark.
“Miserable? That woman makes miserable look like a day at the fuckin’ carnival,” I muttered.
She giggled and put her mouth into my throat to stifle it. I wrapped my arms around her.
When her giggle tapered off, she put her mouth to my earlobe and gently pulled on it.
“Nuh uh,” I denied. “These walls are paper thin and you’re a moaner.”
She playfully slapped my shoulder. “Stop being right.”
I snickered. “I like the moaning, like knowin’ I’m the one making you make that sound. Not sure your aunt’d feel the same.”
She shook with silent laughter, then whispered, “We can go fool around in your truck.”
“You’re on,” I said against her mouth and then we tiptoed outside and proceeded to fog up my windows.
***
The kissing escalated to groping. She was straddling me and toying with my fly, ready to pull me out when I got the feeling there were eyes on us.
“Stop, baby,” I advised and grabbed her wrist. “Back inside.”
“Why?” she panted. “What’s wrong?”
“Now,” I ordered, doing up my button, then ushering her back inside.
As the door snicked shut, I locked it and put my hand to the inside pocket of my jacket where I had my gun.
I slipped two fingers between the blind slats, about to peer out when I heard a scratchy voice call out,
“What the fuck, girl?”
“Need something, Aunt Francie?” Gigi called.
The woman was in the mouth of the short hall, glaring at us.
“I need you to have some goddamn class is what I need. Not be out fuckin’ in his truck in my driveway like a little slut where my neighbors can see you.”
My anger rose and it was ready to pop the cork.
“We wanted a little privacy,” Gigi defended, grabbing my hand and squeezing, imploring me with her touch not to react. “And not to disturb you since you were finally getting some rest. Nobody was out there, and we were only making out.”
The woman continued to glare at her with ugliness.
“Lady, why don’t you have some class instead,” I snapped.
“Excuse me?” she volleyed, crossing her arms, her scowl making the lines on her face etch even deeper.
“It costs you nothin’ to say nothing about what you know we were doin’. There was nobody watching us besides you. Your niece has been bustin’ her ass all day for you. Cooking, cleaning your place, cleaning up puke, washing your clothes, not to mention doing all that while listening to your fuckin’ verbal abuse when she went out of her way to travel three hours to be here for you today. She wants five minutes alone to kiss her man and have some privacy after all that shit before she tries to get to sleep so she can be here for you again tomorrow and you feed her this?”
I turned my gaze to the blinds and looked out. I saw nothing moving out there. Probably felt her eyes on us through the window. That said, I’d text the boys in the falls and ask them if they could do drive-bys. They had two prospects who drove all night every night goin’ by houses of vulnerable family members to be on the safe side what with the Jackals bullshit lately.
Deke already texted to tell me he talked to Rudy who was happy to lend support, offering to ferry things in.
This chapter being a lot bigger than ours has advantages. They have five or six prospects at all times whereas the Aberdeen chapter generally has two or three.
“I don’t need this abuse in my own goddamn house while I’m sick,” she scowled and then turned her back to me. She then let out a shuddering moan, grabbing the wall.
Gigi rushed to her side. “I’ll help you get back to bed, Aunt Francie.”
The woman aimed a scowl at her but leaned on her as G walked her into the bedroom at the end of the hall.
***
Three days later that felt like thirty, I could take no more. And just in time, my mother and Archer showed, bringing supplies along with the wig, which was rushed since Francie had been losing big handfuls of her hair, which made her even bitchier.