Total pages in book: 42
Estimated words: 39475 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 197(@200wpm)___ 158(@250wpm)___ 132(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 39475 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 197(@200wpm)___ 158(@250wpm)___ 132(@300wpm)
I lift my chin, then lead her up to her entryway, taking her key from her when I notice her hands shaking, making it difficult for her to unlock the door. I let us inside, then take my flashlight off my hip and flip it on. With it still being winter, it’s dark even now.
“They shut the electricity off earlier as a precaution,” I tell her, then hand her the light. “Lead the way.”
She takes it and drops her bag onto the couch, shining the beam through the room and pausing in the kitchen, where the wall has a gaping black hole that looks like something out of a horror movie.
“Thank goodness no one was hurt,” she says. I don’t know if she’s talking to me or herself.
“Are you going to stay with Aiden?”
“No.” Her voice is quiet as we walk down the hall and enter her room. “I think there is a hotel just outside of town that does weekly rentals. Maybe I’ll see if they have something available.”
“You’re not staying there,” I bite out without thinking. I know the hotel she’s talking about and answer the weekly calls we get from there when shit goes down. “What about your parents’ place or Aiden’s?”
“No.” Her laugh is humorless. “My parents’ place is not an option, and I know Aiden doesn’t want me staying with him and May.” She goes to the closet and comes out with a suitcase that she tosses up onto the bed a second later. Then she places the flashlight on the edge of the dresser, pointing it in the bed’s direction. “I’ll stay at that hotel.”
“It’s not safe.”
“I’ll be fine.” She disappears into the closet again, and I hear the rattle of hangers before she comes back out with an armful of clothes, dumping them haphazardly into the bag before going back once more.
“I’ve got a room,” I tell her when she comes out with another armful of stuff. “There isn’t a bed, but there’s a pull-out couch. You can crash on it until things get sorted and you can get back in here.”
“That’s very kind, but it’s not necessary.” I step forward to help her zip the bag.
“I know it’s not necessary, but if you refuse to stay with your parents, Aiden, or me, I’m telling you now, I’ll arrest you to keep you from staying at that hotel.”
“You wouldn’t!” She gasps, and I grin wickedly.
“Try me.”
“You can’t just arrest people. You need a reason.” She goes back into the closet, grabbing another large suitcase.
“Yeah, but I know enough people that I could keep you there for a while before any real questions are asked.”
“You’re ridiculous,” she huffs, going to the bathroom and taking the flashlight with her.
“You’re staying with me.” I scrub my hands over my head, knowing I’m setting myself up for disaster. I have a hard enough time keeping myself in check around her without her living under my roof, but here we fucking are. “I work a lot. We’ll hardly see each other,” I tell myself more than her.
“I don’t want to impose.”
“Just fucking accept my offer,” I grit out and swear I hear her laugh.
“Okay, if you’re sure you don’t mind.”
“I don’t.” I watch her come out with a small bag that looks like a purse, along with shower shit, a curling iron, and a blow-dryer. She puts it all into the bag, then picks up a laundry basket from the floor, turns it upside down, and dumps the contents in there, as well.
I ignore the fact that it’s all lacy shit in a multitude of colors.
“Okay, I think that’s everything I need for now.” She looks around.
“I’m sure I can get you back in here if you need anything else,” I assure her.
“I’ll need to borrow your washer. Everything smells like smoke.”
“I don’t have one.” I keep my face blank, and she blinks at me. “I’m just kidding. That’s fine.” I close her second bag. “Do you wanna bring your pillow?”
“Yeah.” She grabs it off the bed, along with the thick blanket. I haul both bags down the hall to the front door, and she stops to get her purse before following me outside.
When she pops the trunk of her car, I put the luggage inside, then take the stuff in her arms and put it in with them before slamming it closed and turning to face her. “You can follow me to my place. I’ll get you settled, then take off.”
“Are you on the clock right now?”
“Yeah.”
She shakes her head and takes a step back. “I can find somewhere to hang out until you’re off tonight.”
“Babe, I’m not off until four a.m.” I open her door.
“Noah.”
“Just follow me.” I slam her door and head for my car without a backward glance, waiting until she’s at the entrance of the parking lot before pulling out in front of her.