Total pages in book: 94
Estimated words: 87961 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 440(@200wpm)___ 352(@250wpm)___ 293(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 87961 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 440(@200wpm)___ 352(@250wpm)___ 293(@300wpm)
Marney sighs. “Let me just get a little more information on the prick. See if I can figure out if the girl has a clue or not, all right?”
Before I can say anything else to Marney, my phone buzzes with a text: She got out. She’s one hella feisty little bitch.
“Aw, fuck!” I groan, rolling my eyes as I slam my fists on the counter.
“What?”
“That damn girl.” I shake my head.
“Until we can find out more, don’t trust her.”
I stand, grab my coat from the back of the chair, and walk out of the bar.
The entire way back to my house, I fume over everything. I pull up to the gate and punch in the passcode, looking at the security camera as it scans the grounds.
I park the car and walk up the stairs, wondering what in the hell my brother can be trusted to do, aside from stitch up a stab wound. He’s too damn nice sometimes. I want to hate him for it, but that sympathetic side of him came straight from our mother, which makes it hard to hate.
I enter the house and find only one of my uncles in the living room, and right next to him, bound and gagged, is that girl.
“Bob, what the hell?” I ask, tossing my keys on the coffee table.
He shrugs. “Your little brother’s a pushover, that’s how. He let her out of that fucking room, and first chance she got she clocked him one and ran.” He glances down at her, then back at me. “She’s got a fucking mouth on her too.”
“Yeah, I know.”
She’s staring at the floor. Her hair is tangled and frazzled with pieces of pine straw matted in it. The clothes she’s wearing are covered in dirt and grass, and her face is smeared with mud. She’s a fighter, that’s for fucking sure.
I walk around the back of the couch and squat in front of her. “How stupid are you? Huh?”
Her chest rises and falls in uneven draws. She’s shaking, her eyes wide, and she’s struggling around the gag.
“I swear to God, if I find out you’re anything besides just a fucking unlucky girl…” I can’t even finish my sentence because the prospect makes me so angry.
Her brows pinch together in a frown and she glares at me.
“What the hell is wrong with you? Why can’t you just fucking listen and stay put until that stupid boyfriend of yours pays up?”
And then what? Release her so Joe can show up at my house? Fuck, I am beyond screwed here.
I rise, repeatedly combing my hands through my hair. I can’t stand to look at her right now. “Where the fuck is Caleb?” I ask Bob.
“Fuck if I know! I’ve been dealing with her shit for the past half hour.”
I storm off, shouting for him as I wander through the hallways.
“Caleb?” Silence. “Caleb!” I deepen my voice as I round the corner to find him sitting at the foot of the stairs.
“You fucking let her escape?” I shout. He’s my brother, but his stupidity pisses me off.
He drags a hand through his hair, refusing to look up at me. “I fucked up. I’m sorry.”
“Jesus fucking...how the hell am I supposed to trust you if you can’t even look after a fucking girl? One girl, no weapons!” I yell, launching a vase from table. The sound of shattering glass gets Caleb’s attention.
I grab him by his shirt, forcing him to his feet. I can see the flash of fear in his eyes, because he knows what’s coming. “What did I fucking tell you?” I ask.
He keeps his eyes down. “Not to let her out of the room.”
“And what did you fucking do?” I twist the material in my hand and pull him to my face.
“I let her out,” he says quietly.
It’s ingrained in me that when you get pissed, you fight. I pull my elbow back and punch him square in the jaw. His head jerks to the side, and he rears his fist to punch me back, but stops, and his hand falls to his side.
“Fuck, Caleb!” Releasing his shirt, I push him away from me.
He’s holding his jaw. I know that hurt. I shouldn’t have hit him, but damn. “Sorry. You fucked up.” I shrug.
I don’t wait for him to respond. I turn and head down the hall. “Like I said, if she has to piss, you tie her ass up. Got it? I’ve got a meeting. Think you can handle the simple fucking task of watching her for a few hours until I get back?”
I make my way back to the front of the house, angry as hell and late for an appointment.
When I pass Bob and that damn girl, all I can manage is a growl. “Probably best to leave the fucking gag in her mouth,” I grumble as I walk out the door.