Total pages in book: 98
Estimated words: 114647 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 573(@200wpm)___ 459(@250wpm)___ 382(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 114647 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 573(@200wpm)___ 459(@250wpm)___ 382(@300wpm)
I was glad her fever was making her tongue loose. I didn’t think I’d get the information any other way.
“That one?” I asked incredulously, pointing at the piece of shit motel across the street.
“Yeah,” She said dejectedly.
“Why’d you go to that one?” I asked as I opened the truck door for her.
She looked up, and then started to climb in. Not thinking that was the best idea for her hand, I grabbed her by the waist and hoisted her in, and then buckling her seatbelt once I got her settled.
“That’s the one Sam dropped me off at. I didn’t want to go there, but it’s kind of hard to tell anyone no when you don’t know the area. Nor do you have any money.”
As I continued to speak to her about mundane things, my blood started boiling at the treatment Sam was giving his little sister. How could he do this to her? And fuck, why the hell would he drop her off at the shittiest motel in Kilgore? Goddammit. This was the one where hookers and drug dealers set up shop.
Four hours later, I bundled up Shiloh in my truck with a bright pink cast covering her arm, and enough antibiotics and painkillers in her blood stream to make her a very happy girl.
“I don’t think my brother likes me very much.”
“Which one?” I asked.
“Either. Sam more so than Sebastian though.” She explained.
I kept my attention on the road, but peered at her out of the corner of my eye. “What makes you say that?”
“He doesn’t talk to me. He doesn’t allow me around his kids. Cheyenne never talks to me. He ignores my calls. He left me at a hotel in the shittiest part of town without money, food, or a way to contact him. I had to look y’all up in a freakin phone book to call him the first time.”
I was speechless.
Utterly speechless.
With what she just described to me, I would think he hated her, too. Still, I knew him better and I didn’t think that was the case. At least I hoped not.
“I don’t know honey, but we’ll find out.”
She didn’t reply, and I glanced over to find her head resting against the glass, asleep.
I pulled into the space in front of my place and turned the engine off. The truck’s engine ticked as it cooled, and I wondered if she would have a problem staying at my place. I had a spare bedroom, so it wouldn’t be that big of a deal to just put her in there. It’s not as if she’d be inconveniencing me in anyway.
I also knew she wouldn’t want to go over to Sam’s, especially after what she’d just told me.
Decision made, I unlocked the front door, threw it open, and then went back for Shiloh. She’d shifted to lean against the console, so it was easy to open the door and scoop her up into my arms. Her body curled into mine, and she sighed in pleasure.
I walked inside, leaving the door open, and walked back to the guest bedroom. Once there, I set her down gently on the bed, and then covered her up with the quilt that was turned down at the foot of the bed.
Taking the extra pillow from the other side of the bed, I propped her hand up on it before turning to leave. Just as I was closing the door, I heard her call out quietly. “James.”
Stopping the motion, I swung the door back open and went to the side of the bed. “Yeah?” I asked just as quietly.
“Did you close my door? I don’t want my cat to get out.” She slurred.
“Yeah, sweetheart. I locked the door. Go to sleep.” I said and smoothed her hair away from her face.
I needn’t have bothered saying the last part. She was already asleep.
Then my brain started turning. I hadn’t been looking for a cat when I went into the apartment, and I worried that when I left the door open when I went searching for Shiloh that I’d inadvertently let him out.
Which meant I was going to have to go searching for him tonight.
Wonderful.
Chapter 3
If you’re hungry, eat anyway....just in case.
-Life lesson
James
“There isn’t a fucking cat in this fucking house. It must’ve gotten out.” I growled.
I’d looked everywhere. Under the bed, in the closets, in the bathroom and kitchen cabinets. Dammit to hell, I was going to have to look outside in the fucking rain. Hell, even Cheyenne had followed behind me and looked, so the cat must be gone.
“She, literally, has one bag of clothes.” Cheyenne said in surprise, holding up a suitcase in her hands.
“Yeah, she said it was stolen from the hotel the day after Sam dropped her off.” I said making one more pass through the apartment looking for the stupid cat.
“What the hell? I thought her father was giving her money. Why’s she living here?” Cheyenne asked with a confused look on her face.
“From what I’ve gathered, which isn’t much, she’s here because she stirred up some bullshit asking questions that involve Sam, Sebastian, her father, and her. Something their father fucked up and didn’t keep a lid on. Now she’s here hiding out, I guess.”
Picking up the pillow off the bed, I threw it in the general direction of the wall in a fit of anger.
A cat’s low-pitched snarl of outrage had me turning and looking into the corner. Following the sound, I hunkered down on my hands and knees, moving the pillow aside to find a hole in between the floorboards.
A piece of the wood that would normally cover the hole was laying off to the side, not easily seen since the wood floors were dark, concealing the hole and the extra piece of wood perfectly.
I reached into my back pocket and took out the small flashlight I kept there for convenience, and shined it down into the hole. Glowing eyes, one green, and one yellow greeted me. Followed by brown fur with black dots interspersed throughout its coat.