Total pages in book: 53
Estimated words: 50811 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 254(@200wpm)___ 203(@250wpm)___ 169(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 50811 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 254(@200wpm)___ 203(@250wpm)___ 169(@300wpm)
“I got someone to take the rest of my shift, but I’ll have to go pick up my truck tomorrow,” he said. “If you don’t mind, I’d like to drive your car back to my place. I need some sleep. I can bring it back in the morning.”
“No,” I said, the tide of anger rising. First he wouldn’t answer my questions about my mom, and now he was trying to take away my car? “Absolutely not. Fuck you, Rome. Give me the keys.”
Rome looked at me for a minute, then shook his head.
“I’m too tired to walk home,” he said, his voice blunt. “And now I’m stuck here because I drove your car for you. Call the cops and report it missing if you want. Otherwise I’ll bring it back in the morning. I’ll even come help clean up your apartment if you’d like. But tonight, I’m taking the car home and going to bed.”
With that, he started walking across the lawn toward my little Hyundai, and I realized he was serious. Rome McGuire was about to steal my car.
Oh, no. No fucking way.
I ran after him, catching his arm. This was about as useful as a gnat attacking a bear, and all the anger that’d been building exploded. My mom was dead, and I still didn’t understand how it’d happened. Rome knew, but he said I needed to sleep. Bullshit. Going to bed wouldn’t answer my questions, and it sure as shit wouldn’t bring her back to life.
Fuck him. Fuck him and the doctor and all of them. She’d been alive when he put her in that ambulance, and now she wasn’t.
He reached the car ahead of me, clicking the fob to unlock the doors. I grabbed the passenger side handle and climbed in, because he wasn’t going to win. I couldn’t bring Mom back, but I’d be damned if I’d let him take my car.
“You should go back inside, Randi.”
“Fuck off, Rome. It’s mine, and you aren’t taking it.”
Rome studied me, almost like I was being unreasonable or something. I could practically hear his mental debate. Should I grab her and carry her back into the house? I narrowed my eyes, daring him to do it. He might be bigger than me, but I’d kick and scream the whole time. Wake up the entire goddamned neighborhood, maybe bite him, too.
Then he’d learn what happened to car thieves.
“Okay,” he said finally, gripping the tiny steering wheel, and I realized that for a man his size, this was practically a clown car. If he wasn’t being such a giant douche, I might’ve found it funny. “You win. You can ride with me back to my place.”
“And then you’ll give me the keys?”
“Yup,” he agreed. “I’ll give you the keys. I promise.”
Chapter Twelve
It only took a few minutes to reach Rome’s condo. He parked the car and grabbed the keys, ignoring my outstretched hand. Instead he climbed out, then came around to my side and opened the door for me.
“What are you doing?” I demanded.
“Waiting for you to get out so I can lock up,” he replied. “Unless you don’t care if it’s locked. I don’t lock mine, but I figure since you’re from Missoula now, you’ve probably gotten in the habit.”
I stepped out, lunging for the keys. He held them up and out of my reach, and I heard the car beep as it locked. Then he started walking toward the stairs. What the actual fuck?
“You said you’d give me the keys!” I shouted. Rome stopped, turning back to look at me.
“I will. First thing in the morning. Come upstairs and get some sleep, Randi.”
I stalked after him, furious. “You’re a lying asshole, Rome.”
“Yup, I’m a lying asshole,” he admitted. “And you’re angry because your mom died. I totally get it—when we lost my brother, I smashed my own motorcycle with a baseball bat.”
“I’m angry because you won’t tell me what happened.”
“Fine,” he said, throwing up his hands. “Come inside and I’ll answer all your questions. But you know what? It won’t make you feel any better, because you aren’t really pissed off about me borrowing your car, or what happened in the ambulance. You’re mad because you lost your mom way too young, and now you’ve got two kids to take care of all by yourself.”
“You stole my car,” I insisted, refusing to listen.
Rome ignored the accusation. “You’re mad because it isn’t fair, and some people are a lot better at fighting than crying. So if you want to fight, we can fight. But there is no way on earth you’re getting these car keys back until you’ve had some sleep. The last thing Kayden needs is for his mom and his sister to die in one night because you insisted on driving.”
He held out his arm, gesturing for me to go ahead of him. I stomped up the stairs, still furious, even as part of me wondered if he was right. My mom was dead, but I wasn’t crying.