Total pages in book: 97
Estimated words: 94686 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 473(@200wpm)___ 379(@250wpm)___ 316(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 94686 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 473(@200wpm)___ 379(@250wpm)___ 316(@300wpm)
I coughed into my hand and got everyone’s attention. “Let’s forget about who owns the house for a minute and go back to Sherman being released.”
“Yeah. What the hell is wrong with you?” Jazz covered her face with both hands. “I mean. He’s looney! And we don’t get along.”
“No?” Chase raised his eyebrows.
I had to explain this. “No, they don’t get along because Jazz thinks she’s a smart, adult woman and Sherman thinks she’s still nine years old. That was the last time he really lived with us, so anytime he came back he just kind of patted her head, told her to be quiet, and gave her some gum. She hates gum by the way.”
“Duly noted.” Chase nodded.
“That’s not why we don’t get along.” Jazz finally removed her hands from her face. “He stabbed a guy at the playground for looking at my butt.”
“In all fairness, Jazz.” I jumped in again. “The guy sat on the bench, hooting and hollering about your ass. He did some nasty shit that made everyone have to get their kids out of there.”
“Which was good because Sherman stabbed him!”
“Not the point,” I said.
“Yes.” She hit the air. “That is exactly the point. Sherman and I are a no. And if you think I’m just going to leave you here with your ex-girlfriends so you can all be lovingly reunited then just break it off now.”
Sis is jealous?
“This isn’t a reunion of lovers,” Chase said through clenched teeth.
She crossed her arms around her chest. “Then I’m staying.”
“One of them is trying to kill you, if not all of them.”
“Then maybe I’ll kill them.”
I smirked. Jazz couldn’t fight. Sure, she rumbled with us and defended herself in moments when it counted around our neighborhood, but she wasn’t a fighter. Too much book smarts in her head. A person like me saw a problem and used my hands, Jazz took the time to analyze the situation and use her head, and sometimes her heart.
“Jazz shouldn’t be here, not when these chicks are here,” I said. “Viv shouldn’t either.”
“Oh, no.” Viv wagged her finger. “I’ve just been itching to whip their asses. Now I have real reasons. Before I just hated everything they stood for.”
“You’ll have to jump in line.” Jazz sucked her teeth. “I’m attacking them as soon as their feet step over the threshold.”
“You need a shank? I made a few and left them in my room,” I joked.
Chase pounded the table with his fist. “No one is fighting anyone and we don’t deviate from my plan.”
“Yes, we actually will, rich boy.” Viv rose from her seat. “There’s something that you need to know about us three. We’re a bunch of troublemakers, never listened to authority, broke as many rules as possible in the name of fun. Granted, Jazz is a bit scarier than Troy and me, but if you think she’ll listen and follow your plan, then you clearly haven’t been paying attention during your time together.”
“She listens when it counts.” Heat rose in his eyes.
I chose to ignore that shit before I punched him. “How about we let my man finish telling us about this plan first.”
Jazz rolled her eyes. “I don’t want to hear anything that has me leaving Atrani and those bitches coming here.”
Jazz cursing was a lovely thing to behold. She didn’t do it around me often, but when she did it sounded all awkward out of her mouth.
I directed my gaze to Chase. “Go ahead, man.”
“They are going to come here under the guise of me listening to their pleas for me to open up their bank accounts. It was the only way I could get all three of them here. I think it’s a great opportunity to catch the killer and end this overall.” He tapped his fingers. “If Jasmine is here, however, I will be off my game, because I stress over her getting hurt.”
The back door opened. The devil stepped in.
“Which is why I’ll now be staying here too.” Waving at the two busy cooks putting together breakfast, Benny strolled over to our table and lifted a biscuit from the serving tray. “Oh, Ada, is this one of your specialties?”
Ada’s smile widened from ear to ear as she nodded.
Benny held his hand over his heart. “I’ve dreamed about these savory biscuits on some of my lonely nights.”
I’m sure you have some even lonelier nights to come.
Viv chose that moment to jump up and storm away. She hadn’t talked to her father since we showed up at his doorstep the morning after we heard the news of our relation. If anybody was a pro at silent treatment, surely they’d learned from Viv. Further down the hall, her bedroom door slammed closed.
“Why are you here?” Chase’s face reddened. For some sick reason, I enjoyed seeing him uncomfortable. “I thought we agreed that you wouldn’t show up at the house unless I needed you.”