Total pages in book: 125
Estimated words: 122074 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 610(@200wpm)___ 488(@250wpm)___ 407(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 122074 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 610(@200wpm)___ 488(@250wpm)___ 407(@300wpm)
“You should eat.” He turned and left.
I stayed and let the water pour down on me for a minute longer before I turned it off.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
ASHTON
Avery was still in the office when I returned, finishing buttoning up a new shirt. He glanced to the bathroom, where Molly remained in the shower. I lifted my chin to Avery. “You have news?”
His eyes were carefully masked. “They got him. They’ll be arriving in thirty minutes and want to know where to put him?”
I heard the water turn off behind me. “Warehouse one—put him in the back office and keep the cell jammer on.”
“You think he’d call for help?”
I shook my head. “I no longer think I know anything.”
Molly was coming from behind me. I’d become so tuned in to her every motion, movement, emotion, that I could almost guess what she was thinking. That was until now. She had a glossed-over expression on her face, and she was shivering.
Avery indicated the two trays behind him. “I brought the espresso shots and your omelets. Your maté as well.” He frowned at seeing Molly step behind me. “Would you like a change of clothes? Blanket?”
“Uh, yeah. Sure.” She said it so distracted. “Thank you.”
Avery dipped his head, leaving. I knew he’d make sure the clothes he brought would be freshly warmed as well.
Molly stepped around me, walking to the tray, but she didn’t open it. She stared at it. “Where are we? You never answered me.” She continued watching the tray lid. “We’re not in the city, are we?”
“North. My family has a compound here. We’re safe, if that’s what you’re worried about.”
She snorted out a laugh before covering her mouth. “God, no. I mean, I should. I was freaking out until the impromptu and fully clothed shower, and almost make-out session.” She sighed, lifting her gaze to me. “But I’m not anymore.”
“About what almost happened—”
She dropped her gaze and waved her hand. “No. I don’t care. I, just, I want Easter Lanes back in my name, and I want nothing to do with any of this. No more bombs. No more people trying to break into my place—” She stopped. “How did you get into my place? You said it was supposed to go off when I opened the door, but wouldn’t you have . . .” She trailed off, confused.
“I didn’t enter through your door.”
“How?”
“You live on the third floor. Your bedroom window was unlocked. I thought that was odd, but now I’m thinking that’s where he entered and exited. The bomb was placed on the inside of your door, so you wouldn’t have seen it.”
She closed her eyes, and I could see how she was bracing herself.
I didn’t like thinking about what thoughts were going through her head. “Have your espresso. Eat your omelet.”
She didn’t move. “Who is Avery to you?”
“What do you mean?”
“I heard him before I came in. You guys were talking about Worthing. He doesn’t sound like just a cook for you.”
“He is my chef, but he also oversees everything in this compound. Elijah is my right-hand man in the city. Avery is my right-hand man here, among other things. I have others, as you know, because of the new family changes, but those are my two main ones.”
She grunted, now lifting up the lid for her omelet. “So don’t mess with him, huh?”
A soft knock sounded at the door, and Avery opened it, bringing in a pile of clothing in one hand and a blanket in the other. His face was schooled, but I knew he’d overheard her. “Warm clothes for you, Molly, and a blanket as well. What chair are you thinking of using?”
She took the clothes and moaned. “Oh, goodness. These feel wonderful.” She moved for the bathroom.
Avery looked my way.
I motioned to the chair she’d been standing by, and he nodded before spreading the blanket out so she could sit down and pull the ends to cover her. When he was done, he passed me and said under his breath, “They’ll be here in twenty minutes now.”
I gave the briefest of nods as he left, and Molly returned, a fresh glow coloring her cheeks.
Whatever shock she’d been in earlier was gone. She sat, a small smile on her face at the blanket, and dug into her omelet. She tried the espresso, and another whole moan left her mouth. “This is pure bliss. Oh, dear god. What coffee do you use for this? I need it for Easter Lanes. Forget alcohol. People will come in for this. Forget bowling! It’s the espresso shots. I can see it happening.”
I had to smile, just a little. She didn’t dwell. Whatever bad shit happened, she freaked, and now she was enjoying her espresso shot. “Wait till you try the omelet. Avery’s cooking is the best I’ve known.”
She shot me a little grin as I went to sit next to her. “You mean after Pedro, right?”