Total pages in book: 28
Estimated words: 26772 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 134(@200wpm)___ 107(@250wpm)___ 89(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 26772 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 134(@200wpm)___ 107(@250wpm)___ 89(@300wpm)
“It’s all over,” she sobs. “Dad’s beside himself. I’m scared he’s going to have another heart attack. How can someone be so cruel?”
I pull her in close, my anger rising. Someone’s hurt her and when I find out who I’ll fucking kill them. “Calm down and tell me what happened. I’ll fix it.”
“You can’t fix this. It’s over. I’ve sold it. Signed the contract. It was the only way to take the stress away from my dad.”
“Sold what?” I ask, my mind racing. “What contract?”
“The business. Larry offered us a deal and we took it. It wasn’t what the place is worth but I just wanted out. It won’t be worth anything at all if we wait.”
“Larry? My dad?”
She nods. “I’m glad you’re here. I need you now, more than ever.”
It doesn’t make any sense. They sold their business to my dad? The same day he bought the scrapyard? My heart is starting to thunder as the pieces drop into place, but I don’t want to believe it. It can’t be true. “Your dad’s autoparts business? Importing and exporting?”
She shakes her head. “It was a lie. Can you forgive me? Please? It was just a little white lie. I wanted you to like me.”
I don’t fucking care about her lying. All I care about is that my world is being ripped apart. She’ll never forgive me. Never. And I can’t blame her.
“What business, Lula?”
“Z’s Scrap. I’m sorry. I was embarrassed. I wanted you to think I was going to be a singer.”
And just like that, my whole world falls apart. I don’t even realize what I’m doing until she’s out of my arms and I’m staring at my phone screen. My sock account is already logged into Facebook, the page for Z’s Scrap is right there, and there’s a video of Lula singing. Her dad was so proud of her he put it up online.
“It was you,” I mutter to myself. “Motherfucker, what have I done?”
She grabs the phone out of my hand and I don’t even try to stop her. Then she starts to back away.
“You? You’re the one that… Please tell me this isn’t what it looks like, Scotch. This account has been terrorizing me, threatening the business, driving away our customers.”
“Who’s this?”
Lula’s father comes out into the doorway behind her, looking curiously at me as she stares in hurt confusion.
“This whole thing was a part of your plan all along, wasn’t it?” Lula spits the words, backing away. “How could I be so stupid? Every warning sign was there and I just walked right on past them like a lemming heading for a cliff.”
I shake my head. “Lula—”
“I never want to fucking see you again!” She turns around, almost pushing her dad inside the house. The rental they will probably have to give up now without the scrapyard. I stand, dumbfounded as she slams the door in my face.
“Fucking Larry,” I mutter to myself. “I’m going to fucking kill him.”
CHAPTER 12
Lula
“Lula here to see the two of you, boss,” Tiny announces, but I don’t wait.
I’m mad as a box of hornets that somebody has just been poking with a stick.
“Do you hate us that much?” I demand as I walk into Larry’s office behind him, pointing at my mom. “Do you want Dad dead? Huh?”
The smile falls from her face as she stares at me, shaking her head. “Lula, what’s happened?”
“Don’t play innocent,” I tell her. I squeeze one hand with the other to keep from slapping her. “You told me to get Dad to sell to him. I’m supposed to believe that was just a coincidence?”
I turn and glare at Larry, who’s trying to hold back a smirk.
Maybe a slap would be in order, in his case at least.
“It’s for the best, darling,” my mom says. “Surely you can see… I mean, you signed the contract, Lula Belle. Nobody forced you to.”
“Except they did, didn’t they?” I’m glad I don’t have a gun right now… “You and Larry and Scotch, all in on it together, driving our business into the ground so we had no choice. Well, I hope the money is worth it because I’m never speaking to you again after this!”
“What?” Her eyes go wide as she shakes her head. “Nobody would do that to you, sweetheart. I like your father, I always have, I just don’t—”
“Scotch told you, didn’t he?” Larry says, still smirking.
My mom turns toward him. “What are you talking about? What’s going on? Will someone please explain something?”
I open my mouth to hurl the next words that come into my head, but I don’t get them out before I hear his voice behind me. “I will.”
My fury rises as I turn. How dare he show his face after what he did?
But when I see Scotch standing there, all my anger is forgotten.