Total pages in book: 116
Estimated words: 110550 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 553(@200wpm)___ 442(@250wpm)___ 369(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 110550 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 553(@200wpm)___ 442(@250wpm)___ 369(@300wpm)
Damn, now that she said it, her cutout shirt, ripped shorts, and red leather jacket did kind of remind me of Julia when she was rocking the blonde wig at the beginning of the movie.
I ducked my head smiling as the lines around Lyla’s eyes tightened. Genny was the wrong woman to go for. The day before, I witnessed her tackle her own father, Sinjin, for the remote. He flipped her on her ass, but the fact remains, she gives zero fucks.
“It’s cute,” Madison said. “Ow!” The brunette cherub-faced vixen glared at Lyla, reaching under the table to rub her leg.
“I can see why you and Mackenzie are such good friends,” Lyla continued. “Her style always ran eclectic too.”
“Ahh,” I crooned. “That’s the nicest thing you’ve ever said to me.”
She ignored me. “Still, it’s not very clear what you’re doing here. Vance assured me you’re not assigned to the Johnson account— Actually, he was shocked to hear about you in the first place. HR has no record of hiring you. It’s all very strange.”
Genny tore a bite off her sandwich, blinking lazily. “If you’ve got a question, ask it.”
“I thought I did. Let me repeat it: What are you doing here?”
“I’m Kenzie’s bodyguard.”
The five of them flicked from her to me, then back to her in perfect sync.
“Excuse me?” Lyla cried.
“Oh, I thought you heard me. Let me repeat myself: I’m Kenzie’s bodyguard.”
Lyla rolled her eyes. “You need a bodyguard, Kenzie? Ugh. Were you that afraid I’d create a hostile work environment?”
The harpies laughed it up.
“No,” I said flatly. “After you destroyed my career and I ended up on the streets. A crazy dangerous pimp set his sights on me and didn’t like it when I said no. In the end, he abducted me and my daughter. It’s because of the bodyguard you’re laughing at that we were rescued.”
“Damn right,” Genny chimed in.
“Forgive me if I feel safer when she’s close by.”
Once again, I got identical wide-eyed shock.
“Did that really happen?” Skylar asked under her breath.
“It really did.”
“Of course it didn’t,” Lyla snapped. “Fuck’s sake, Kenzie. You never stop fishing for sympathy. Nonstop with the ‘poor me, Mommy shot Daddy and ruined my life. Feel sorry for me and hand me everything.’ When that doesn’t work, you trot out the fake sob stories.”
I pushed back from the table. “That’s my cue. Enjoy your lunch, ladies. Gen, you coming?”
“Nah, I’m gonna hang back. Get to know the lovely Lyla a little better.” They gave each other twin predatory smiles.
I got out of there before the chum hit the water. Bypassing the elevator, I made for the stairs, hoping I’d calm down before I hit the bottom floor.
There truly was no other monster on this planet like Lyla Dawson. If she went up against Luca, the woman would’ve just unhinged her jaw and swallowed him whole.
Calls me a liar, throws the worst day of my life in my face, then has the balls to say I use that tragedy to get things handed to me. What history book was she reading?! In the history of Kenzie and Lyla, that never fucking happened!
I practically vibrated down the stairs. I reached my level and kept going. There were still twenty minutes on my lunch break. A walk around would do me good, because Lyla would not be around.
Hitting the final step, I pushed on the first-floor exit, stepping out in the back of the building.
“—too much,” a voice said. “Just get me more. Fine. Two days.”
Is that...?
I stuck my head around the corner, and nearly collided with Jace. He jumped back, clutching his chest.
“Kenzie? What are you doing here?”
“What are you doing here?” I flicked over his shoulder. We were in a short, empty hallway. Behind him was an alarmed emergency door. “Who were you talking to?”
He plucked his phone out of his pocket. “My boyfriend. Why are you here?” he repeated. “Were you looking for me?”
“Yes, actually. You said you had designs to show me.”
“Oh, that.” He sidestepped me, walking off. “Next time just text me.”
“Will do.” I cast one more look, then followed behind him.
LIAM
That night, Kenzie set down the plates with no small amount of flourish.
“Oooh,” Elizabeth said. “Looks yummy.”
“Thank you very much. It’s mushroom shrimp risotto.” She passed over mine. “It’s one of the three recipes I know how to make, and yes, if you don’t finish it, you’ll break my heart.”
I chuckled. “I will clean my plate.”
Kenzie passed me Laurel’s bowl of shredded chicken, mushy peas, and sweet potato. The baby kicked in the high chair beside me, bouncing as her food made an incoming. I’d taken to feeding Laurel so Kenzie could focus on the avalanche of questions Lizzie pelted her with nightly. It’s wild how easily we fell into this routine. The four of us—family.
“Kenzie, can you teach me how to sew?”