Total pages in book: 124
Estimated words: 116046 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 580(@200wpm)___ 464(@250wpm)___ 387(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 116046 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 580(@200wpm)___ 464(@250wpm)___ 387(@300wpm)
Leo didn’t like people in his personal space, so I quickly gave him room by taking a seat on the edge of the bed. The bruises I’d seen on my side where Ray kicked me throbbed. “Do I need to speak with the police? Like, give them a statement or anything? I don’t want Mark getting in trouble.”
“Yes, some officers will come to my home to question you,” Judith said in a kind voice. She fiddled with a large rose quartz paperweight on the table next to the bed which sparkled in the light coming through the windows. “I’m afraid you can’t go back to your apartment right now, Joy. It’s a crime scene.”
“A crime scene? Right…I didn’t think about that.”
My lower lip trembled as I fought back tears. Crap, our home was probably covered with blood and bullet holes. I mean, our apartment wasn’t luxurious by any means, and our stuff had seen better days, but it had been my first place of my own. Well, kind of my own. Hannah and Kayla were my roommates, but it was our home. Only now, it wasn’t. And the thought of setting foot in what had been my refuge from the world, but was now a murder scene, made me queasy.
Leo’s deep voice pulled me from my thoughts. “Hannah wants you to stay with us while she recovers. Mark, my second in command, has a house on my property. Its good sized, five bedrooms, and he lives there alone. Because he works insane hours, he’s never home. Even when he is, all he does is play video games. You’d have your own room with an attached bathroom, as well as a room we can convert into a study for you to do your schoolwork.”
Overwhelmed with his generosity, but not wanting to take advantage of it, I babbled out, “Thank you so much, but I couldn’t possibly impose on him like that.”
“Please, Joy,” Leo interrupted me, “please come stay with us. It would make Hannah feel better to know you’re safe.”
“Okay. I promise I won’t be there long, Mr. Brass, and—”
“Call me Leo.”
It seemed stupid that something as small as him asking me to call him by his first name would make me feel better, but it did. Leo was a very closed off man, but I knew he loved Hannah to death, and right now I was happy she had him in her life. He was good for her, really good, and she’d blossomed beneath his attention in the short time they’d been together. Yeah, their relationship was kind of kinky and unconventional, but for Hannah, he was just right. I wanted us to be friends, and the whole you can only call me Mr. Brass thing had irritated me.
Blinking back tears, I said, “About damn time.”
Judith chuckled while Leo shook his head. “I take it back.”
I started to laugh, but it hurt my head and I winced. “Shit.”
Judith was suddenly all business as she helped me back into bed. “The doctor said for you to rest, and take it easy. Are you hungry? I can have a light meal sent up. I believe the chef made some Sopa de Pollo con Fideos.”
Hunger roared through me as I sat up quick enough to make my sore body flinch. “Really? I love that soup. It’s my favorite. My abuela Rosa made it for me all the time growing up.”
Judith gave me a warm smile. “Did you spend a lot of time with your abuela?”
“Yeah. My mom’s a nurse, and she worked full time. So did my dad. My abuelo died before I was born, so my abuela moved into a house nearby and watched us until my dad or mom got home from work. Sometimes also on the weekends. I loved spending the night at her house. It was always so comfortable, so peaceful. You’d walk into her home and leave your troubles at the door, you know what I mean? She knew how to make you feel like you were always welcome and loved.”
The combination of stress, my aching body, and hunger had me raising a shaky hand to my face as I brushed away tears, overwhelmed by memories and emotions.
“I do understand,” Leo surprised me by saying. “My mom was the same way. Our apartments were always located in complete dumps, but she’d work some kind of magic so that once that door closed, the rest of the world disappeared and you were home.”
Blinking my watery gaze at him, I forced a smile. “So, yeah, long answer short, I spent a lot of time at her house growing up.”
Leo raised his hand briefly in a silent goodbye as he left the room. Judith checked her phone then took a seat in the chair next to my bed. “If you don’t mind, I’ll keep you company while you eat.”