Total pages in book: 125
Estimated words: 122074 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 610(@200wpm)___ 488(@250wpm)___ 407(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 122074 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 610(@200wpm)___ 488(@250wpm)___ 407(@300wpm)
Sophie was blowing snot bubbles, but she placed her hand on top of ours. “I love you guys.”
Okay. We were all for one and one for all. The solidarity pact was established, but then we fell into silence.
Sophie asked, “So. What do we do now?”
I shook my head. “I have absolutely no idea.”
Pialto sighed. “This would be a really great time for you to discover that you have a superhero power.”
Agreed.
CHAPTER EIGHT
MOLLY
I was back in Easter Lanes Sunday afternoon going over what I’d missed from the day before, but one good thing: the key passed.
Yep. I was now the weirdly reluctant owner of . . . you know.
We had a copy of the key already, so we were using that one, and Pialto was coming in shortly, so I’d have him take it for a copy of the copy.
Maybe I should have completely changed the locks on the register. But at this point, I didn’t trust even a locksmith coming in to do that job.
The door opened, and assuming it was Pialto, I shouted out without lifting my head, “I’m thinking we should redo our whole system.”
“Since I’m considering a more active ownership role of Easter Lanes, I think that would be a great idea.”
Dread shot down my spine, and I looked up, seeing Ashton walking toward me, taking his very expensive-looking coat off and leaving it on a table as he moved closer to me. Man. Did he have to look as delicious as he did? I hated him, like despised him on a cellular level, but I couldn’t deny how seriously good looking he was.
I’d heard rumors he used to model and wasn’t surprised.
His security men were spreading through the place. I watched one giant guy walk toward the back of the bowling lanes, and another dipped into the bathrooms. Another went to the employee staff room. The kitchen. A fourth was checking the booths, walking past where I was standing.
Ashton’s eyebrows went up, and he tilted his head to the side. “Usually you don’t let it be known that you’re plotting someone’s murder while you’re looking at them.”
I flushed, my hands grabbing onto the side of my register as a new wave of humiliation went through me. “Get used to it if you’re—” What had he said? “An active role? What do you mean by that?”
He moved behind the counter, heading to the coffee machine. He lifted the top lid and saw it was empty. “Do you not make coffee? Does this work?”
“What are you doing?” I stepped toward him.
He reached to take the coffeepot out, and I took it from him, putting it back. “Don’t touch that.” I put my hands on my hips, glaring at him.
He ignored me, reaching around me for the pot once again.
“Hey!”
I followed him to the sink, standing to the side as he filled it up and then took it back to the coffee machine. He watched me. “Where do you keep your filters and coffee grounds?”
I opened my mouth, totally ready to tell him where to put his coffee filters when I realized I did need to make some coffee. We had thirty minutes before we needed to open the doors for the day.
I growled but turned and grabbed the coffee and filter. After putting them in place, I hit the brew button and whipped back to Ashton. He hadn’t moved—if anything, he was closer.
I jerked back, hitting the counter, but I didn’t feel it.
I was fully engrossed in how close Ashton was to me. “What are you doing?” My stomach was doing a weird acrobatic performance.
He continued to study me, looking almost captivated, before he muttered something under his breath and moved away.
I frowned. “Why are you here?”
The door opened, the bell jangled, and two more large guys stepped inside. One began walking around the room as the other approached Ashton. Of course these guys were Ashton’s. Large. In charge. The one guy who was talking to Ashton now lifted his head, and I caught a flicker of a grin at the corner of his mouth before he gave a nod and left again.
As if all in sync, the other four guys emerged from the building, and each headed outside.
The other one was still walking around, looking up, down. Pausing. He was studying all the doorways and windows.
“What are they doing?”
Ashton glanced down at me as I stepped next to him. “He’s security detail. Those four will watch outside. These two will be in here.”
I shot him a look. “They go everywhere you go?”
“He’s not mine.” He indicated one of the men.
“Whose then?”
He flashed me a grin, though his eyes were hard. “Yours. For the day, at least.”
He took off, heading to my office, and it took me a minute before I hurried after him.
“Mine?” I went inside as he was at my desk. “Hey!”