Total pages in book: 93
Estimated words: 92474 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 462(@200wpm)___ 370(@250wpm)___ 308(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 92474 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 462(@200wpm)___ 370(@250wpm)___ 308(@300wpm)
A sob escaped from her.
“Baby, you know that’s not true.” Reaching over, he undid her belt then pulled her onto his lap, holding her tightly.
“I know, but it . . . it hurts. I tried so hard with her, but no matter what I did, it was never enough. I turned the other cheek over all the things she did or said, but I . . . I can’t keep going on. I’m out of money. I can’t keep paying her.”
“Sounds to me like she needs to learn to stand on her own two feet. And not be so selfish. I would be happy to go and set her straight.”
She wiped at her cheeks. “No, don’t. Honestly, you getting involved would make everything worse.”
“All right.” He brushed her hair off her face. “We can come back and do this later if you’re not feeling up to it.”
She blew out a breath. “No, we’re here now. I’m not going to let her words get to me. I know she’s upset. Hopefully, she’ll cool down.”
After studying her for a moment longer, he nodded before he knocked on the privacy screen. He set her back on her seat as his door opened. Stepping out, he held a hand out for her.
Aero and Brax were both vigilant, watching their surroundings. Funny, it felt so long since she’d been here. They walked through the building toward her apartment.
Victor had the key out, opening it and letting Aero go in first to check through it.
They’d brought some flattened boxes, which Victor held under one arm.
“All clear, I’ll wait out here,” Aero told them.
The apartment smelled even worse after not being aired out for two weeks.
“Argh, it smells awful in here.”
“Let’s just move quickly,” Victor said, opening up windows.
“Oh, I just remembered! My car isn’t out the front. Do you think someone stole it?”
Why would anyone steal that heap of junk, though?
“Uh, no. I had it towed.”
“Towed? Where? To your place? I would have driven it.”
“It’s your house now as well,” he gently corrected. “And no, you wouldn’t have driven it. You’re never driving it again. It’s been crushed.”
“It’s what?” She had to have heard him wrong.
“Baby, it was worth more as scrap metal than a car. I’ve got the money they gave me for it. I’ll give it to you when we get home.”
“Victor! You can’t just turn my car into scrap metal without consulting me!”
“Would you have tried to keep driving it?”
“Well, yes, because I can’t afford to get a new one. What will I do now?”
“There’s a twelve-bay garage at home filled with cars. Choose one.”
Her mouth opened then closed. “I can’t just choose one.”
“Gracen,” he said seriously. “Everything I own is now yours. You can have anything you want, all you have to do is ask. But what I can’t allow you to do is drive around in an unsafe vehicle. That car was falling apart.”
That was the truth.
“You still should have told me.”
“I apologize.”
Huh. Seemed he might subscribe to the adage that it was better to ask for forgiveness than permission too.
“I’d just gotten rid of that noise. Although I think the gas gauge was out, it was showing full when I swear it was close to empty.”
He rubbed his hand over the back of his neck, looking surprisingly sheepish.
“Victor,” she said in a warning voice.
“Uh, that might have been me.”
“What do you mean, it might have been you?”
“While I took you out in the helicopter, I had someone I know check your car over, fix what they could and put more gas in it.”
“Oh my God! Victor!”
“I was just taking care of you.”
“That doesn’t make it okay. So that’s why the noise disappeared. I feel like such an idiot!” She groaned.
“You’re not an idiot,” he told her firmly.
She didn’t know what to think. This was so high-handed of him. But also, she wouldn’t expect anything else from him.
This is who Victor was. And he was unapologetic about it.
“Damn, I had a hairy fairy godfather, and I didn’t even know it.”
He pointed at her sternly. “You are not to call me that.”
“The hairy fairy. Yep, it’s perfect.”
“Gracen!”
He chased her around the room as she giggled and sang silly songs about the hairy fairy.
Capturing hold of her, he threw her over his shoulder and smacked her ass until she yelled for mercy. Putting her on her feet, he gave her bottom one final smack.
“Get packing.”
“You got it, HFG.”
He just shook his head, muttering to himself about sassy brats.
Poor Victor.
An hour later, she stretched out her back and looked around. Everything she really wanted was packed away. There were some things at the bakery she needed, but they could wait.
Gracen checked her phone as it beeped, smiling. “Sammy wants to meet you. She’s also not happy that we haven’t gone out for daiquiris in ages.” Gracen had told her that she was dating the sticky buns guy but not who he was. That was going to take a few daiquiris first to build up her courage.