Total pages in book: 114
Estimated words: 106346 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 532(@200wpm)___ 425(@250wpm)___ 354(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 106346 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 532(@200wpm)___ 425(@250wpm)___ 354(@300wpm)
“Who are you?” he asks, and he makes my skin crawl. I spot him dressed up in his usual camo pants and white T-shirt and a jean jacket. He is wearing a jean jacket to probably hide the fact he has a gun tucked into the back of his pants. He looks over Justin, spotting me, and calls my name. “Caroline.”
“Can I help you with something?” Justin says, and Vince laughs and looks down and then up.
“He isn’t here,” I say, walking to the door and trying to stand in front of Justin, but he puts his arm out and stops me from standing in front of him.
“Where is he?” Vince looks at me.
“I don’t know,” I say softly.
“He owes me five large,” he says, and I close my eyes. “Took off with some of my shit.”
“Well, he isn’t here,” I say again.
“That doesn’t help you,” Vince says.
“Well, I guess she tried,” Justin now says.
“This puts me in a difficult situation,” Vince says. “I’ll drop by tomorrow.” He turns and walks away, and I sigh that he didn’t say anything else. But now that he’s walked away, Justin closes the door.
“I’m sorry,” I say, walking to the table and picking up the glass of water that is shaking in my hand, “that you had to be here for that.” I turn and face him.
“What would have happened if I wasn’t here?” he asks, and I just look at him. “Say it,” he hisses out.
“I would have to come up with the money, which”—I throw my hands up—“is what I’m going to have to do anyway,” I say, and at that moment, I’ve never regretted anything more in my life.
Chapter Nine
Justin
This is not a good idea. I need to calm down before we continue this conversation. The meeting was a clusterfuck to end all clusterfucks. I was so angry because I was worried about Caroline and Dylan, and I had no idea why I was so uptight. It was like my body was one nerve, and everything that was said wrong just set me off. I kept checking my phone and sending Caroline texts but never got any answers.
When I got in the truck, I didn’t even realize that I was driving toward her apartment until I got on the highway and approached her building, and then I pulled up her application and got her address. Walking into the apartment building, I hated every single second I was in there. There was yelling going on in one apartment, and I could swear I heard the sound of someone getting smacked, but I had one goal and that was to make sure she was okay. When I got to her door, I looked down at the rinky-dink knob, and my blood started to boil. She shouldn’t live here; they shouldn’t live here. I listened and called her phone and heard it ringing and then stop. After the fifth time, I just knocked on the door, and when I saw her standing there looking like she’d been crying again, my heart stopped. All I wanted to do was take her in my arms and tell her that no matter what, it would be okay.
But instead, what I did do was barge in and demand to know why she didn’t answer my calls. Then that knock on the door had my heart sinking because I thought she had a man. She had a man to protect her, and here I was standing in the middle of the room secretly hoping she’d want me to protect her.
Opening that door made my blood run cold. There was so much I didn’t know about her, so many questions I had to ask her, but one of them was answered right away.
“He isn’t here.” Her words lingered in my head even after the guy walked away from her door, and I knew he would be back. Those men don’t just give up. No, they keep coming back for more.
“What would have happened if I wasn’t here?” I asked her, and she stood in front of me, her eyes bloodshot and her shoulders slumped in defeat. “Say it,” I hiss, knowing the answer but wanting her to confirm it.
“I would have to come up with the money, which”—she throws her hands in the air, aggravated at me for asking these questions—“is what I’m going to have to do anyway.”
“Is it your debt?’ I ask her. She shakes her head. “Then why would you have to pay it?”
“Justin, what are you doing here?” she asks. Instead of keeping it to myself, I come out and tell her.
“I have no idea,” I answer honestly. “I texted you, and you never answered, and then I texted you again.” I drag out the again. “And when I got into my vehicle, before I knew it, I was parked outside. Then I sat there wondering how the fuck I would find you. I thought for sure I would have to go door to door, but then I remembered that I had your application.”