Total pages in book: 68
Estimated words: 68538 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 343(@200wpm)___ 274(@250wpm)___ 228(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 68538 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 343(@200wpm)___ 274(@250wpm)___ 228(@300wpm)
I finished off the last two donuts then tossed that, too.
It was only as I started to wipe off my shirt that I admitted that I was stalling.
Taking a deep breath, I turned to Atlas who was staring inside at Pepper checking out.
“You need to tell me what the hell is going on with you and Pepper,” I said bluntly. “Because if you don’t have a thing for Maven, I’m going there.”
Auden rubbed the side of his face with his free hand before saying, “There’s nothing going on with me and Pepper. But I don’t have feelings for Maven, either. Feel free to go there.”
His words surprised me.
I winced. “You don’t? Like none at all?”
“None,” he answered. “I…” He trailed off, and I thought he might bring up what was truly bothering him, but he didn’t. “Go for it with her. She’s not who I want.”
He left it at that, and deciding now wasn’t the time to push him about his feelings about Pepper, I chose to change the subject. “What time do you have to be into work tomorrow?”
Though Atlas had a permanent SWAT team position, I didn’t. I chose to work out in the field, only picking up the SWAT team cap when I was needed.
Though I loved being a SWAT team member, I fuckin’ hated being a subordinate to Scott. In fact, he annoyed me so badly that I would rather go work under my older brother, Quaid, as a patrol officer than deal with Scott’s shit.
“Seven in the morning.” He narrowed his eyes at me. “Why?”
“I was wondering if you could get me on the way to work,” I explained.
He crossed his arms over his chest and asked, “Why?”
I smirked. “Because I’m going to go out to dinner with Maven. And I’m going to ride with her.”
“Your truck is at the station,” he said. “Just like hers.”
I flashed him a smile. “I know.”
He rolled his eyes. “I guess that means that I have to take Pepper home.”
He didn’t look near as upset about it as he sounded, though.
“Yep.”
The moment we got into the truck, Maven took the back seat with me, leaving Pepper to reluctantly take the front with Atlas.
The moment we got to moving, Maven’s head started to droop, and she was doing that bobbing thing where she’d jerk herself awake each time it did.
I reached for her and pulled her toward me, saying, “Lay your head down.”
She didn’t put up even the slightest fight.
One second, she was upright, and the next she was sprawled in my lap, her face on my thigh.
Atlas’s eyes met mine in the rearview mirror, and he smirked, letting me know he was amused by what had just happened.
Relieved that I didn’t see anger there, I started to lean back myself, deciding that I’d enjoy the hell out of the rest of the forty-minute drive back into Dallas.
Pepper stayed quiet, as did Atlas, allowing me to soak up the feeling of contentment to be exactly where I was.
We rode like that until Atlas pulled up at the station.
With the utmost reluctance, I woke Maven up.
“Maven,” I said quietly, running my fingers along the wild whisps of hair that’d escaped her bun. “We’re here.”
Pepper came off of her lean against the window, her face sleepy and red, also.
She’d gotten sun.
So had the woman who had my attention in a stranglehold.
Maven sat up, her face marked by the seams of my jeans where she’d laid her head for the last hour, and looked around blankly.
“Ready to go to dinner?” I asked.
Her eyes widened slightly, and the sleep started to clear from her eyes. “Yeah.”
Before I could help her out, though, she bailed, leaving me to say goodbye to Pepper. “Thanks for coming with us, doll.”
Pepper smiled, unbuckled her seatbelt, and started to reach for the door when Atlas hit the locks, refusing to allow her out. Pepper whipped her head around and glared at Atlas.
“Thanks for a great day,” Maven replied sleepily to Atlas as she waited for me to grab my snacks.
I winked at my brother and said, “You’re getting her back to the bakery?”
“Yes,” Atlas eyed Pepper.
“I…”
I closed the door on Pepper’s disagreement.
Catching Maven’s elbow, I headed in the direction of where she’d parked her car earlier in the day. I’d given up my own parking spot for the occasion—at least the one that I usually used and had been parked in this morning when we’d arrived.
Only, as I got closer, I found the parking space empty.
A frown marred my brow.
“What’s going on?” I looked around for her car. “Did you have someone pick it up? Your brother drop by?”
She wiped the sleep away from her eyes, then took a look around as well.
Then her eyes settled on something near the building and held.
Her frown was fierce when she said, “Is that sign new?”