Total pages in book: 89
Estimated words: 88080 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 440(@200wpm)___ 352(@250wpm)___ 294(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 88080 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 440(@200wpm)___ 352(@250wpm)___ 294(@300wpm)
It’s not Wes, though.
It’s my boyfriend.
Kayden: Want a car for your birthday, baby?
I roll my eyes.
Me: Is it a chopped car?
Kayden: They’re untraceable. No one is coming after my girl. What do you want?
Me: I don’t want a stolen car.
Kayden: Fine. Let’s call it not stolen. Better? Now tell me what you want. I can get you anything, baby.
Me: I can’t drive.
Kayden: I’ll teach you.
Me: Can’t you just drive me everywhere?
Kayden: I will but you’ll need a car for the days I’m busy. I don’t want you to have to rely on your brother. Or him.
Him being Jordy.
Kayden can’t see straight most days from being so jealous of Jordy. It’s stupid too since he got the girl. Jordy has nothing.
Me: Surprise me.
Kayden: Anything for my girl.
Hollis peeks his head into my bedroom. “Hey, sis.”
“Hey,” I say. “What’s up?”
“Just seeing if you wanted to grab a birthday dinner just the two of us. Roan’s on call.”
I glance at the clock. If he’s on call, he’ll probably hang out at the fire station considering they’ve been busier than usual, and he practically lives there these days. I’m disappointed he won’t have dinner with us, but it’s the nature of his job, so I’m familiar with this sort of thing happening. “He’s been working a lot.”
“This arsonist is running the fire department ragged. I want to kill whoever is doing this,” he grumbles.
“Me too.” I slide off the bed and hunt down my shoes. “You okay?”
He frowns. “Not really.”
“Why?”
“I saw Sidney today.”
I wince at hearing her name. She’s done nothing but give my brother trouble since he started pursing a paternity test. A test we were granted at Christmastime finally.
Roan is Sebban’s father.
Since then, Sidney and Gio have made our life a living hell trying to fight Roan on visitation. It sucks so bad seeing the desperation in Roan’s eyes. He just wants to get to know his son. I want to know my nephew. The latest shit they’ve thrown our way is Roan’s relationship with Hollis. They’ve twisted it into something ugly and perverted. As though two gay men fuck all the time and in front of everyone. As if they’d have sex in front of a little kid. I hate them for what they’re putting my brother through.
“How did that go?” I ask, my voice turning icy.
He sighs. “She started bitching me out, but then Sebban disappeared. Just poof. Vanished.”
I remember how he’d run off and hid at the yarn store that day. It was scary.
“Where did he go?”
“Well, we searched the whole damn strip of shops. Cops arrived and everything. With it snowing, it put everyone on high alert. We found him in a hamper filled with soiled linens in the kitchen at that fancy steak place on the corner of Main. He’d fallen asleep, so he didn’t hear us calling for him.”
“Maybe she should focus on not letting her kid run off rather than fighting Roan tooth and nail on custody,” I hiss. “I hate her.”
“She’s just scared,” he mutters.
“Don’t defend her. She was your friend and at one time cared about Roan. This is mean and cruel.”
He sighs. “Yeah, you’re right. I really thought if I could just talk to her, she’d be cool.”
“At least you tried.”
“I’m going to change and then we can head out.”
He leaves and heads to his room. Quickly, I get ready, bundling up against an usually snowy March, and then walk into the living room to wait on him. The door opens, and Jordy walks in, snow dusting his dark hair.
Every time I see him, my heart crushes in on itself.
Every. Single. Time.
His dark eyes bore into me, drinking in every detail of me, before settling on my lips. “Hey, Little Hoodlum.”
“Hey,” I mutter, unable to meet his stare. “We’re going to dinner for my birthday if you want to come with.”
He sets a stack of mail down on the table. “As much as I want to, I can’t.”
“Yeah,” I agree, my voice shaking and unstable.
I’m staring at the carpet when his black, snow-dusted boots come into view. He holds out an envelope addressed to me. I can tell by all the prison stamps it’s from Dad. I start to take it from him, but he doesn’t let go. His other hand tucks a strand of hair behind my ear. Tears burn at my eyes. If I look at him, I’ll cry.
“Got big plans for your birthday besides dinner with the rat?” he rumbles, his thumb stroking down along my jaw.
“Kayden’s having a big party later tonight.”
His knuckles slide under my chin and he lifts up so I have to look at him. “Be safe, please.”
“I always am.”
His eyes roam over my face as if he’s trying to memorize it. “Goddammit, Roux.”
The tears won’t stay in. They slick down my cheeks, dripping off my jaw. I try to hold in the sob, but it claws its way out.