Total pages in book: 108
Estimated words: 104570 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 523(@200wpm)___ 418(@250wpm)___ 349(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 104570 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 523(@200wpm)___ 418(@250wpm)___ 349(@300wpm)
“Not a fucking chance,” I answer, slamming the hammer down again. “Five out of six boxes are over there. Take them on your way out.”
When I turn around, tears are glistening in her eyes as she stares at me like she’s seeing someone completely different. After dropping the hammer, I hold my arms out, letting her fully inspect me.
“You think you’re the only one who gets to drop a bomb? I read every fucking scrap of paper you put in there, Ruby. Every one. The least you can do is read mine.”
Yeah, I feel like shit when her first tear falls, and she shakes her head like she’s disappointed or pissed or both. Hell, it’s hard to read her emotions right now, because I’m too overwhelmed with what I’m feeling to try and decipher what’s going on in her head.
“Why are you doing this?” she asks.
I lower my hands as my eyes narrow, and I take a step closer to her.
“Because you’re wrong. You want to tell me I don’t think you’re enough, when I fucking know you’re all there is. So take those fucking boxes. I’ll bring the last one when I find it.”
Turning around, I hear her saying something to Maverick. I don’t bother eavesdropping as I pick the sledgehammer back up and resume my work. After a few minutes, I look over my shoulder to see the boxes are gone.
Maverick walks back in, his lips nothing more than a thin line. Right behind him, Kode walks in, eyebrows going up in surprise.
“Told you it was bad,” Maverick tells him, pointing at me like a little kid proving he’s not fibbing.
Kode’s eyes scan the mess, and he exhales heavily before rolling up his sleeves.
“How many more are left?” he asks.
“Just one.”
“Looks like you could use a hand.”
He goes over to one of the many holes I’ve dug, and he bends low, putting his head into it as he looks for a box. Maverick throws his hands up in frustration, and I resume grinding tile to dust.
“What the fuck are you doing this for?” Maverick demands.
Kode looks up, apparently wanting the same thing answered.
“Moving on… like she is,” I lie, wishing I could collapse and hide from the world.
My cousins would never allow me to hide, though. This is all I can do.
Just to be an extra big dick to Maverick, since he’s a tattletale prick, I start whistling Whistle While You Work as I continue making my floor look like the chaos inside of me.
CHAPTER 43
CORBIN
Krysta watches me. I watch her. And we sit in a cloak of uncomfortable silence. What was I thinking? This is way too soon.
“Have you talked to Ruby?” she asks, and I suddenly miss the awkward silence.
“I saw her a few days ago. Long story.”
Shifting in my seat, I smooth my tie down, needing something to do with my hands now that the waiter has taken away the food I was pretending to eat.
I want to ask if Ruby has opened the boxes, but I refrain. I didn’t invite Krysta out to probe her for info on Ruby.
“Let’s not talk about your sister,” I say softly, watching as she takes her turn to shift uncomfortably.
“Is it weird?” she finally asks.
“Finding out the little girl I’ve known for eighteen years is my sister? Learning my father is nothing like the man I’ve idolized? Discovering my mother was once a groupie nomad that never stopped smiling? Yeah, I’d say it’s all a little weird.”
She flinches, and I internally curse myself for being so blunt. I’m not meant to handle things like this. I’ve never handled anything at all even close to this.
I have no fucking clue what to say or do.
“I meant me being your sister and Ruby’s sister,” she says with a partial grin, and my lips twitch.
“Yeah. That’s a little weird, too.”
“At least you know her dad is really Jim, considering he has the paternity test framed in his house next to his and Wanda’s marriage certificate.”
My brow goes up, and her tense smile falls.
“Sorry. When I’m nervous, I make really bad jokes.”
More silence envelops us for a few minutes, until she finally breaks it again.
“He won’t speak to me yet.”
She doesn’t have to explain that, because I know exactly who she’s talking about. I loosen my tie, because it suddenly feels like it’s strangling me.
“I spoke to him the first night I found out.” Her eyes widen, and she leans forward a little. “He was calling to ask if I wanted in on a new charity thing he was doing in Africa. Imagine his surprise when I exploded on him about all of this.”
Her eyes grow even wider, and she starts wringing her hands on the table nervously.
“What’d he say?”
“He said he couldn’t talk about it and hung up on me after making it a point he’d lose several contributors to his charities if I made this public.”