Total pages in book: 158
Estimated words: 160684 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 803(@200wpm)___ 643(@250wpm)___ 536(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 160684 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 803(@200wpm)___ 643(@250wpm)___ 536(@300wpm)
Her hand brushed against her phone and she drew it out, horror filling her as she took in the three missed calls.
All from Grady.
Shit. She might be in trouble.
Steele waited until Effie was safely back in the car and out of earshot.
“You were gonna have her back in there.” Brooks wasn’t asking a question but rather making a statement.
“Of course.”
The kid swallowed heavily, then brushed his hair off his face. It looked like he was about a month overdue for a haircut, his dark hair flopping around his face. Green-blue eyes peered up at Steele. “My aunt needs someone at her back. Looking out for her. She hasn’t really had that since my dad died. That really upset her and she wasn’t in a good way afterward. But she still went to bat for me. I had to go into foster care for a bit because she wasn’t able to look after me straight away due to her back. And the people I was with were good to me, but they weren’t her.”
“I get that,” he said quietly, letting Brooks talk.
“Aunt Effie, she’s strong, but she always looks for the best in people. And she gets upset when they let her down. Which happens. A lot. So I appreciate you looking after her today. I didn’t want them to call and upset her, but they insisted.”
“You had a lot of problems with that principal?” Steele asked.
“A few.”
“Those kids?”
“Yeah,” he muttered.
Yeah, Steele thought that was likely the case. Little assholes probably thought he was an easy target. Steele might need to inform them that he wasn’t without protection.
He wouldn’t do that through the kids, though. Nope, he’d go straight to the source of their attitude.
The parents.
“I’m gonna give you my number. You have any problems with anyone, you call me.”
“Really?” Brooks looked uncertain. “Not sure my aunt would like that.”
“She doesn’t have to know.”
“You want me to lie to her?”
“Lie? No. But have you been telling her about the problems you’ve been having?”
“No. She has enough to worry about.”
“Well, let’s just keep making sure she has nothing to worry about. Get out your phone. I’m going to give you my number, you call me. Also want you to text me the names of those kids and their parents if you have them.”
“What are you going to do?” Brooks asked, eyes wide.
“Nothing too bad.” Yet.
Brooks put his number into his phone, which looked so old it was a wonder that it was still supported. He needed a new phone. So did Effie since hers actually looked older.
He’d get on to that.
“Oh, and Brooks?”
“Yeah?”
“Seems to me that Effie has had someone at her back all these years.”
The kid frowned in confusion.
“You.”
“I can’t do much to look after her.”
“Course you can. And the best thing you can do if she has any trouble, is to call me. Got me?”
“I’ve got you.” Brooks gave him a tentative smile. “Look after her. She’s special. She needs someone to protect her from the bad so she can keep spreading around her good.”
Damn. This kid was smart.
“Oh, and if she’s already eaten her emergency jelly beans, you might want to get her some more. Jelly beans calm her. They make her happy. She especially likes the white and blue ones.”
“Got it,” he muttered.
With a chin lift that spoke of the man he would become, Brooks turned and strode off to where those deviants waited for him.
Christ.
What were the odds that Effie’s nephew would go to the same school as the twin tornadoes that lived with Ink?
Steele turned to look at his car. Right, that was one issue dealt with. Now, to go deal with another.
18
Effie sat nervously as Steele folded his large frame into the back of the car. She turned to him immediately.
“What did the two of you just talk about?”
“Guy stuff.”
“Guy stuff? How can you have guy stuff to talk about? You don’t know Brooks.”
“I’m a guy, so is he. We know the same woman and we both have an interest in that woman. Therefore, we have guy stuff to talk about.”
“Did you just say, therefore?” she asked.
“Why would you fixate on that?”
Urgh. Get your mind focused, Effie.
“Never mind. It just doesn’t seem like a very caveman, alpha man word to use. Wait . . . interest in me? What interest?”
“I’m your boss.”
“My old boss was a guy. The only time he ever paid attention to me was when he was yelling at me.”
The energy in the back of the car changed suddenly. It grew darker, more electric. She sucked in a breath as he turned toward her.
“He yelled at you?”
“Uh, did I say that? Why did I say that?” she muttered to herself.
“Maybe because it’s true. And before you try to lie to me, Effie, you should know something.”
“What’s that?” she whispered.
“That you shouldn’t ever fucking lie to me.”