Total pages in book: 148
Estimated words: 142939 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 715(@200wpm)___ 572(@250wpm)___ 476(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 142939 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 715(@200wpm)___ 572(@250wpm)___ 476(@300wpm)
“You steal something? I need to cover a trail?”
“No!” Her response is fast. Too late, but I let it go for now.
“Finding out why Duffy is so interested in Owen is my new objective,” I inform Ocean. I debate a moment after I utter the words if I should have kept this all to myself. I don’t want to share Owen, but I remind myself this is about protecting him. I’ll do what I must in order to make sure he’s safe. And I know Ocean will help me in any way that I need her to.
“Well, that’s kind of the point here. I think if you figure out what Owen is up to, then you’ll know why Duffy is so interested in him.”
“Interested. You think she’s interested in him?”
“Ah, yeah. I’m so confused.”
“As in you think she likes him? She wants him for herself?” I’m starting to get worked up now. Because Owen is mine. No ifs, ands, or buts about it. He did say for me to take what you need. Well, I need him. All of him.
“Whoa, I didn’t say that. Well, I mean she might want him.”
I grip the steering wheel. I will make her regret wanting Owen in any way. Destroy a project she loves. I’ll need to find out her interests. That will require me to dig into her personal life a bit more, and I’ll need help with that.
“Magic, are you listening to me?” It’s a good thing I have all the help I’ll need at my fingertips.
“What?” I snap back from being lost in the idea of burning down Duffy’s closet. That way, there would be no more clicking of her fancy heels. It would be easy to have Ocean follow her to see where she lives.
“I meant she’s interested in Owen as in to work for her. You know she went strong for us to come work for her. She knows talent when she sees it.” Ocean has a point. “Like we’d ever pass the psych part, though.” Ocean laughs.
“I could fake it.”
Ocean only laughs harder.
“I’m not crazy.”
The line goes quiet.
“Ocean!”
“I love you, Mags, but I think you’re getting crazier by the day.”
I chew on my bottom lip as I ponder her words. Then, for no good reason, I blurt out what happened this morning. “You went to his house at the ass crack of dawn? You’re going to blow your cover.”
“He was happy to see me. Didn’t you hear the part about the orgasm? He told me to take what I need!” As I shout the last part, I realize she might not be wrong. “Ocean.” I whisper now. “I think I’m obsessed with him. You know how I get obsessed with things.”
“Key word is things.”
“Was things.” I pull into the driveaway of my house, the garage opening and closing for me without me having to signal it myself. “Okay, we have two missions.”
“Oh God.” Ocean sighs. But I know no matter if she agrees with my actions or not, that she’s ride or die and is going to help me.
“Find out about Owen because his problems are now my problems.”
“Mags, his problems are not your problems.”
“Yes they are,” I snap.
“Well, then. Someone has gotten feisty.”
“I love you and my father. Your problems are my problems.”
“Ah, love?” Oceans responds.
“Of course I love you.”
“I know that. That’s also not what I meant, but we’ll skip that for the moment. What is the second mission?”
“To make Owen love me.”
“Right, I guess we aren’t skipping that,” she mutters, confusing me.
“I need to know how to make a man love you.” I drum my fingers on the steering wheel while sitting in the darkness of the garage.
“People aren’t computers. You can’t make them do things.”
“This is not helpful. Do a search or something. I need a list of ways to seduce a man.”
“Mags, I’m worried he’s already made you. Most men would freak out if the girl they just met popped up on them the way you did this morning.”
“Well, maybe he’s so accepting because he’s already falling in love with me.” I wouldn’t mind if he popped up on me. Well, not now because I didn’t tell him where I lived. He told me how to get to his home. Invited me into it. But it might be sweet if he stalked me down.
“You got a pushup bra?”
“A push up what?”
“It’s a type of bra. Makes your boobs look sexy.”
“Bet Duffy has a pushup bra.” I grit my teeth. “Make me a list. I need to talk to my dad.” I hang up before she can respond. When I enter the house, I hear gunfire. I head toward the sound to find my father in the living room playing on his Xbox. I plop down next to him with a sigh.
He glances over at me for a second but goes back to playing, making a kill shot. His shot in real life is just as good. He was in the military for a time. I let out another loud sigh. My father pauses the game and turns to give me a curious look.