Total pages in book: 69
Estimated words: 69537 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 348(@200wpm)___ 278(@250wpm)___ 232(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 69537 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 348(@200wpm)___ 278(@250wpm)___ 232(@300wpm)
“She’s proud,” I said. “She won’t take a handout. Have you been working with the insurance agencies on them?”
“Sure have,” he answered. “Definitely, we can make this work.”
Thank Christ.
“I’ll get her there,” I said. “When and where?”
He rattled off an address, then a time.
“See you then.”
I pulled the hat down low over my forehead, pulled the hoodie up over my hat, and tugged the sleeves down so that no skin was showing.
It was cold today, so no one would question the sweatshirt hood pulled up.
And I’d borrowed my mom’s car so that no one would see my truck.
Mom hadn’t asked, and I hadn’t shared why I’d needed it.
She’d happily taken my truck, though, since it was ten years newer than hers and had “the best cruise control ever.”
Mom could afford a new car, of course, but she liked to pretend like she was poor so that she could spoil the grandkids with the money she wouldn’t spend on herself.
I’d just made it to the fourth floor via the stairs when I heard the yelling.
“Get out of my apartment, Joseph!”
My feet carried me fast toward the commotion, anger tailing my heels.
“No can do,” this Joseph loser said. “I’m looking for a check. You got your mail?”
I pushed through the open apartment door and took in the scene.
The asshole in front of me was walking around her apartment, uncaring that he’d been asked to leave multiple times since I’d been listening.
“Get. Out!” Bindi ordered, pointing not at the door, but at the window across the room.
Fuck.
“Sorry, but I’m…who are you?”
I narrowed my eyes. “If you don’t get out of her place right now, I’ll see you out myself.”
The anger in my voice caused his back to stiffen.
“I’m sorry, but you’re not necessary.” He crossed his arms and leaned his butt against the counter he was standing next to.
I pulled out my badge and said, “Yes, I am. Now, get out before I take you out.”
The man’s eyes narrowed. “What the hell is this, Lea?”
The fact that he made no move to leave let me know just how entitled he felt like he was.
Prick.
“What do you mean, what is this?” she snapped. “This is the man I’m seeing, and he’s asking you to leave because he has the right to do so!”
Fuck.
Why did I like the way that sounded so much?
My chest puffed out, pride at being called hers, even if it was fake, filling my soul.
“Sure.” He laughed. “Like someone would date you with that attitude.”
I started to move toward him, ready to remove him physically, when it hit me.
I’d seen him before.
In the hotel lobby a couple years ago as he walked to his family that were impatiently waiting for the woman that’d been trailing behind.
Mother fucker.
I’d had dreams about the woman from the lobby. I’d thought about her a lot, wondering who she was, and whether she was still with the asshole.
I was glad to see that she wasn’t.
“It’s time to go,” I said as I gestured. “I won’t remove you physically unless you make me, but if you make me remove you, I’ll also be arresting you.”
“If you touch me, I’ll sue you,” he disagreed.
I pulled out my phone and placed a call.
The phone rang twice before my brother, who was working a shift not too far away, answered. “What?”
“I have a situation at my apartment complex,” I said as soon as he answered. “Do you think you and your partner could stop by?”
Quaid was the head beat cop. Sometimes, he got to stay in the office and work on paperwork. But other shifts, like today, he was forced to go into the trenches with his fellow officers to cover people that were either off or someone called in sick.
Today, it was that someone had called in sick.
“Sure,” Quaid said. “What’s going on?”
I quickly explained the situation.
“You’re bluffing,” he rolled his eyes.
“I’m not,” I confirmed. “But we can wait here.” I glanced at Bindi, who was glaring so hard at what she thought was Joseph that she might as well be burning a hole in the wall with her death glare. “Could you go get some shoes and socks on? We’re going to be late.”
She didn’t question me, even if she thought I was lying.
We did have somewhere to be, she just didn’t know it yet.
“Who are you really?” Joseph narrowed his eyes. “Why do I recognize you?”
Because I kicked you out of here the first time you tried this.
“None of your damn business,” I said, not wanting to share who I was.
The fewer people who know about me right now, the better.
I could just see this motherfucker finding out that I had a hit on my head with the damn Breakers and handing me right over to them.
“I’m not dealing with this shit.” He threw up his hands. “I’ll be back, Lea!” he called out.