Total pages in book: 141
Estimated words: 143382 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 717(@200wpm)___ 574(@250wpm)___ 478(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 143382 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 717(@200wpm)___ 574(@250wpm)___ 478(@300wpm)
“Because we know and love you,” Harlow shot back.
“And what will that help?” I retorted.
Harlow’s head ticked with insult, so I dialed it back.
“I don’t mean it like that, Lolo,” I said quietly. “I mean, you guys are the good parts. You guys are the rewards after growing up like that, and then getting out of it. You guys are normal and caring and good. You guys are where I can be, and where I don’t have to be back with them, mentally or physically. So if I stay with you physically, that means I don’t have to go back to them mentally.”
Harlow’s face got soft with understanding.
Well…
Shoo!
Raye took us out of that, thankfully, by asking, “What did you just learn from those guys that came here?”
I turned to Raye. “What you heard. That’s it. They told me Jeff is a Street Warrior. And before you ask, I don’t know what that is. But obviously, I have to find out.”
They nodded and Luna turned to Raye, “I’ll call Jinx. Maybe she or one of the girls has heard of them.”
“Awesome,” Raye replied. “And tonight, maybe a run by Mr. Shithead’s place of business. We can bribe him with fresh porno mags and maybe he’s got some intel.”
“Good plan,” Luna said.
I knew they wouldn’t let me fight it, so I didn’t.
And if I was honest with myself, now that we were here, it felt all kinds of nice that they were so in to take my back.
But more, Jeff’s.
“Right. Now…Eric,” Harlow prompted.
Crap.
To buy time, I looked at Raye and asked, “Did you know NI and S investigated all of us and track our cars?”
Her eyes got big, and she answered, “Cap told me they did that to me, but…all of you?”
I nodded.
“No shit?” Luna asked.
“Oh, how sweet. They’re looking out for us,” Harlow cooed.
Blech.
“It’s incredibly invasive,” I noted.
“I can have a chat with him,” Raye said in a voice that told me what was coming next. And then it came. “But I don’t think it’ll make a difference. The last time they went through this, people were shot. Yes, plural. Shot at, and that’s plural too. Stella Gunn’s apartment was exploded by grenades—”
“No shit?” Luna asked.
“None at all,” Raye answered, then she recommenced her litany of what befell the Rock Chicks. “There were a slew of kidnappings, at least one car bomb, several car chases, arson, stalkers—”
“Stop,” I begged.
“I’m okay with a tracker on my car now,” Luna mumbled.
“Totally,” Harlow agreed.
I was too.
Totally.
It was then Luna’s gaze sharpened on me. “You didn’t answer the question about Eric.”
“Well, I would, if I had any freaking clue what was going on,” I told her.
“You were making out when we showed yesterday,” Raye pointed out.
“We weren’t. It seemed like he was about to kiss me, but when he left at the end of the night, he chucked me under the chin.”
Raye and Luna winced. Harlow actually flinched.
Yeah, that was what I was sayin’.
“I have a massive crush on him,” I announced. “And I think he regards me as a little sister.”
That time, all of them flinched.
“You have a crush on him?” Harlow asked.
I nodded.
“He’s crush-worthy, that’s for sure,” Luna stated.
I nodded again, but more heartily that time.
Then I shared, “He told me about his family, none of it good. I’m not going to tell you because it isn’t mine to tell. He also told me why he left the FBI, which wasn’t good either.”
“He was in the FBI?” Harlow breathed.
Both Raye and I nodded at that, which meant Cap had shared at least that part with her.
“That’s a whole lotta sharin’ goin’ on when you’re informally adopting a lil’ sis,” Luna noted.
She had that right.
As such, the mindfuck Eric left me with.
“Are you sure it’s a little sister thing?” Harlow queried.
“He chucked me under the chin, Lolo,” I reminded her.
She scrunched her nose.
Mm-hmm.
“He’s all lazy bedroom eyes and good movie choices, but it seems that’s just him,” I groused. “I don’t think he knows he’s a big tease, but he definitely is.”
“Lazy bedroom eyes?” Luna asked.
“Yeah,” I confirmed.
“He has great eyes, but I wouldn’t call them lazy or bedroom,” Luna stated.
Then she hadn’t looked at him close enough.
“Me either. He’s nice, like all the other guys, but he’s more standoffish,” Harlow put in.
I noticed then that Raye seemed intent on inventorying the pocket of her server apron.
“What?” I asked her.
Her head came up with a fake Who? Me? expression on her face.
“Oh my God,” Luna snapped at Raye. “You know something.”
Raye shook her head. “I don’t know anything.”
“Cap told you something,” Luna pushed. “Spill it, bitch.”
“Honestly,” Raye said heatedly. “I don’t know anything.” Her gaze wandered to me. “Except…”
She trailed off.
“What?” Harlow’s word was nearly a shriek.
“Eric does have bedroom eyes,” Raye stated.
“Puh,” Luna blew out. “I don’t know what your issue is. It’s not like Cap doesn’t know you’re all about him and there are other hotties out in the wild. He’s not gonna be ticked you think a man has bedroom eyes. To end, you don’t have to be weird about admitting you think Eric has bedroom eyes.”