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 stayed silent, my mind whirling.
I had so many questions.
I wanted so many things.
And, as if he could sense that my mind was a spiraling mess, he shifted the covers over us both, pulled me in close, uncaring of my wet hair, and buried his face into my neck.
“Go to sleep, cupcake,” he whispered. “I have to go to work at six, and I have a feeling I’m going to need my strength. Both to keep up with you when I get up in the morning, and to deal with your dad when I’m done. I’ll have all the answers after that.”
I swallowed hard but laid my head back down on his chest.
I would be quiet.
I would be…
I was asleep before he was, and completely missed his last words.
You’re mine, and we’ll figure this out together.
Don’t let your wild, majestic heart fall in love with someone who has the intelligence of a soggy cat turd.
—Athena to Maven
AUDEN
I’d left Maven in my bedroom after assuring her that she could stay at my place for as long as she wanted, and that she could use my truck to go check out the bakery today if she wanted.
I had two of them, and the one would just be sitting there.
When I was sixteen, I’d gotten a square body Chevrolet for my birthday, and had kept it since.
The only issue was it was a gas guzzler, and had no working A/C.
It also wasn’t too happy to be driven for long periods of times, which wasn’t conducive with working thirty minutes away.
After telling her where the keys were, I headed out, leaving her sleeping in my bed.
I met my brother in the kitchen.
“For a person who is supposed to get up and open a bakery at five in the morning every day, with pastries and goodies already prepared, she has to be the sleepiest person ever,” Gable mused.
I snorted. “How many times did you drive past that bakery and see it dark as hell when they were supposed to be open?”
Gable chuckled as he said, “Plenty.”
I had, too.
I was very much aware of when she was supposed to be open.
The first time I’d decided to run by there early just to see her face, it’d been closed, and I’d been worried.
But as I made it a habit to run by there more and more, the reality became apparent.
Maven did not do early mornings well.
In fact, it was only when she hired Pepper that the bakery opened early with any consistency.
“You ready for this?” he asked.
I wasn’t.
I had a feeling I was about to change the flight path of my career today, and it was making me nervous.
I’d been at DPD since I’d done my four years in the Navy right out of high school.
I loved working for the DPD, but things were about to change, and I surprisingly wasn’t too upset about it.
“As I’ll ever be,” I answered. “Are you coming with me or riding with Atlas?”
“You,” he said. “I want to make sure you don’t get your ass kicked by the chief.”
I rolled my eyes.
I didn’t think it’d go that far, but hell, there was no telling at this point.
“I’m sorry, but I’m not going to let him kick my ass,” I admitted as we pulled onto the road that would lead us to the precinct. Fuck, but these tolls were kicking my ass. “He may be my superior, and a high ranking individual in the community, but if he comes at me in a fight, I’m not going to take any punches from him. What little I’ve learned about him from Maven and Athena makes me want to murder him already. I’m barely hanging on as it is, so if he gives me a reason…”
“Athena’s cute and grouchy,” Gable said. “Ask Maven if she’s single.”
I chuckled as we talked a little more about what we thought of Athena.
Personally, I liked her.
Though she was a bit younger than I expected, she seemed like a great friend to Maven, which was all I cared about.
Unfortunately, the trip to DPD took less time than usual, and as I walked up the steps, possibly for the last time, I wasn’t anywhere near as nervous as I thought I would be.
“I’ll meet up with you after your meeting with the chief,” Gable said. “I have stuff to do around the office today, that I should be able to get handled before you’re set to get your beat handed out.”
He split left to go around the building to the back door, meanwhile I took the main entrance, ready to face the bullet head on if it was headed for me.
I stopped to say hello to a couple fellow cops as I walked in, and arrived in the training room for SWAT, unsurprised to find that the impromptu meeting planned for the SWAT team wasn’t actually a meeting for the entire team. Just for one team member.