Hood River Zero Read online K. Webster (Hood River Hoodlums #4)

Categories Genre: Alpha Male, Angst, Contemporary, Dark, New Adult, Romance, Young Adult Tags Authors: Series: Hood River Hoodlums Series by K. Webster
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Total pages in book: 102
Estimated words: 99766 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 499(@200wpm)___ 399(@250wpm)___ 333(@300wpm)
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An almost smile.

With, Penny, I’ll take whatever I can get.

We walk outside. I lock the gym door while she continues walking. When I turn around to look for her, she’s storming toward her Jeep where two guys are leaned up against it. My entire body tenses, getting a creepy-ass vibe from these fuckers.

“Make like a tree and get the fuck off my car,” Penny says.

That’s not how the saying goes, but Penny makes up her own shit.

“Feisty,” the meaner of the two guys says, tossing his cigarette to the grass before stubbing it out with his shoe. “Just wanted to say hi.”

I walk up behind her, glaring at the motherfucker. “Hi. Now go home.”

His eyes narrow. “Fuckin’ Hoodlum.”

This Hoodlum is about to fuck him up.

Penny lifts her keys up, a can of Mace pointed at his face. “If you value your eyeballs, get the fuck away from my car. The last asshole who messed with the Hoodlums lost his eyes.”

The dude’s jaw clenches and he fists his hands. I will fucking destroy him if he lays one finger on my girl.

“I’m not afraid of you or your sister or your delinquent fuck boys,” the guy snarls. “But I do think my boy Ryan deserves a little vengeance,” he spits. “Let’s go, Eli.”

They saunter off like they didn’t just threaten everyone I care about.

“Who the fuck was that?” I growl, my hand clutching Penny’s hip. “And why in the fuck is he threatening you?”

She shudders at my touch, but I think it’s the good kind of shudder. Like my touch feels good.

“Grayson is just a pussy who thinks he can push around girls like his fuckface friend Ryan. He’ll learn really quick he can’t push around this girl.” She turns around, her chest brushing against mine. “I can handle him.”

Not alone.

Over my dead body.

“You let me know if you need help,” I murmur, dipping down to press a kiss to her forehead. “I will beat the shit out of both those motherfuckers and not even break a sweat.”

She pokes at my abs, pushing me back. “If you could even catch up to them. Go to physical therapy and maybe I’ll let you beat up those bitch boys. Until then, I’ll deal with it myself.”

I scowl but know she’s right.

If I want to take care of this girl, I need to take care of myself first.

And lucky for me, Penny can be vicious when she wants to be—a fact that makes me really fucking proud.

Penny

I’m a bundle of nerves when I arrive at Jack’s house. It was only a few days ago I came here with Terrence. If Zella says anything, it’ll be over before I started. I’m hoping since she’s a quiet kid, she won’t. I need this job. Not for the money. I need it for Terrence.

Though, if he knew I was doing this, he’d probably kill me.

Samantha does her job well, and I do trust her as she’s helped my brother and Roan with Sebban, and now she’s helping with Charlotte’s mess. However, I don’t know that she moves fast enough for my liking.

Something’s off and I want to get to the bottom of it.

I knock on the door, swallowing down my nerves. A few minutes later, the man I recognize from my social media investigation answers the door. His gaze sweeps over me and he smiles as though he’s pleased.

“Come in,” he says. “Jack Henderson.”

I don’t want to shake his hand. I don’t want to touch him. But I need to seem normal for once in my life. I do my best to impersonate my cheerleader sister and manage to offer my hand. He holds it for far too long, grinning like a fucking creep.

I step inside, crinkling my nose at the smell. Whatever is cooking smells terrible. We make our way through the living room to the kitchen. Zella sits at the table, a frown on her face. Her eyes are downcast. It makes me want to snatch her up and steal her from him.

“Penelope,” Jack says, “this is my daughter, Zella. Zella, say hello to your new babysitter.”

I guess I got the job already.

Zella’s eyes lift, recognition flaring in them. Since I’m standing behind Jack, I take a chance and hold a finger to my lips, winking at her. She smiles, giving me a small wave that melts my heart.

“Please,” Jack says. “Stay for dinner. We’d love to have you.”

His niceness feels fake to me. So, I give him a fake smile back. “Great. Can I help?”

“No, sweetheart. Just sit down and get to know Zella.” He makes his way into the kitchen and pulls something out of the oven.

I walk over to the table and pull out a chair. Zella peeks at me as I sit.

“I like your hair,” I tell her. “It’s pretty.”

“Mommy’s hair—” she starts, but is cut off by Jack’s growl.


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