Total pages in book: 89
Estimated words: 88580 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 443(@200wpm)___ 354(@250wpm)___ 295(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 88580 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 443(@200wpm)___ 354(@250wpm)___ 295(@300wpm)
I can’t get fired. I just—I can’t get fired.
What happens if I lose my health insurance? I still go to rehab once a month. I still get medications, checkups, doctor visits. What do I do if I can’t afford any of that?
Panic slams into my guts, hot and intense.
“Will, enough,” Adler says, glaring at his pit boss.
“I’m just saying, no need to drag this shit out. He’s on fucking camera, Adler. Get it over with so we can move on.”
“You want to move on? Go ahead and move on. We can handle this without you.”
Will snorts and stands. “By all means.” Will glances at me and his expression shows nothing. There’s no anger, no loathing, no pity. Just a mild curiosity as he leaves the room.
Adler turns to Trish. “Anything to add?”
“Will’s right,” she says with a shrug. “Did we all have to be here?”
“I had hoped we could discuss this turn amongst ourselves, but you two apparently don’t take this as seriously as I do.”
Trish spreads her hands placatingly. “It’s just, he’s not our rival, and I honestly think the whole thing is overblown.”
“It is not overblown.” Adler’s voice is low and grating. “You don’t know him like I do, Trish. If this is his first move—”
“We’ll deal with whatever comes. Look, Adler, just handle the girl, or get her manager to do it, okay?”
“Fine.” He glares at her. “You’re dismissed.”
“We both know you don’t get to do that,” she says, giving him a pointed look. Adler doesn’t back down, and she eventually follows after Will, not even glancing in my direction.
Zach clears his throat. “You want me to stay?” he asks.
Adler rubs his forehead. “No. You might as well go.”
“You think you’re good here? I mean—”
“I don’t think a girl that has trouble walking is going to pose a threat. I’ll handle it.”
Zach grunts, gives me an apologetic frown, and leaves.
I stare at Adler, not sure if I should be insulted. Panic still rushes through my body. He looks back, head cocked to the side, and I realize I’m suddenly very alone with the most handsome man I’ve ever seen in my life.
“I didn’t do anything.” My voice comes out small. Still squeaky, and more like a whisper, but at least I formed words this time.
“You’re right,” he says. “You didn’t.”
“Are you really going to fire me?”
His lips push together. “That’s what Will wants. Trish doesn’t really care either way. Zach says you’re a good employee and a nice person. What do you think I should do?”
I look around as if I might glean some truth from the pale beige walls and the stacks of files on the shelves. “Uh, I’d give me a raise?”
I don’t know why I say that. It’s the first thing that comes to mind. Sometimes, when my back’s to a wall, my stupid mouth takes control.
Adler’s eyebrows raise. And the smallest, barest hint of a smile cracks his lips before he turns to the computer monitor. “Come here.”
I hesitate, but I move closer so I can get a better view. He clicks around until a camera feed appears. The timestamp says it’s from the night before, just after two in the morning.
“I wasn’t working then,” I say, totally stumped. The image shows the cashier windows where people go to exchange chips for money. It’s empty, only the woman working the night shift in view, and she’s busy going over the count at the edge of the screen.
“Watch,” Adler says and hits play.
Nothing happens at first. The cashier’s busy with something I can’t see off screen and down below the counter. A set of chips are left up on the desk, waiting to be counted and secured. It’s a minor breach of protocol, the sort of thing cashiers do every night for convenience.
Then a person comes into frame.
He’s lanky. Dirty, dark hair. Wearing a black sweatshirt. He looks twitchy, awkward. He’s staring all around him, his hands shoved into the front pouch of his sweatshirt. After a second of watching the cashier, he walks up to the window, reaches inside, and grabs the unsecured chips. It happens so fast, I’m not even sure he really took them. His hands disappear into his hoodie and he turns away.
Adler hits pause.
And I nearly throw up as my hands fly up to my mouth.
The guy’s face is visible. Just for a second, and only barely.
Adler turns to look at me.
“Have you heard from your brother lately?” he asks.
Chapter 2
Casey
My brother, Shane, has to be the stupidest person alive.
I don’t know what to say. My head works into overtime. No, I haven’t heard from Shane in a few days, which isn’t unusual. He comes and goes, disappearing for hours, days, weeks, even a couple months one time. My mom assumed he was dead, but he showed up with a new tattoo like nothing happened.