Total pages in book: 86
Estimated words: 81076 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 405(@200wpm)___ 324(@250wpm)___ 270(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 81076 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 405(@200wpm)___ 324(@250wpm)___ 270(@300wpm)
“Cassie Ann is in Canada,” I say. “She won’t be home until Monday. In the meantime, it looks like Wimpy’s called in Rex, the absolute worst the Sweetwaters have to offer, to get control of the situation here. Until I’m no longer a part of that situation, I would feel much better if you were somewhere else. I’ll pay for the flight. You can head to a beach somewhere for three days and get rested up before the holiday catering madness starts up again.”
“It’s probably a good idea,” Nora says. “Better safe than sorry, and you totally deserve a break. I travel alone a lot. It’s really not so bad.”
“She won’t be alone,” I say, spotting the exit to the airport up ahead and shifting into the right lane. “You’re going with her. I’ll drop you both off at the main terminal. Take a look at the flights leaving in the next few hours and figure out what you want me to book. I’ll park and be in to pay for the tickets.”
“I’m sorry, but I can’t do that,” Nora says, stroking the cat’s head. “I have to keep an eye on Clyde. You’ll need someone to watch him while you go talk to the bad guys. If they see you’ve got the missing cat, you’re dead meat. I managed to snatch him without them noticing at Mel’s, but it was close. Too close. You clearly need backup.”
“Yeah,” Mel says. “And I hate sunshine. It’s the worst. I have enough freckles as it is. I should be in town in case you need extra backup. I’m not up for anything outside the law because I can’t parent Chase from prison, but I could lightly poison a few people, if need be. Make it look like an accident. Those guys won’t be able to chase you or shoot stun guns if they’re busy having really fast poop.”
The fact that she’s unknowingly suggested a move right out of Cassie Ann’s playbook is concerning. The fact that I’m quickly losing control of this situation is even more so.
It’s time to pull out the big guns.
Swerving over into the passenger drop-off in front of the main terminal, I shift into park and turn to face my sister. “Please, Mel. Looking after Nora and the cat is going to be hard enough. I don’t know if I have the bandwidth to look after you, too.”
My sister snorts. “Good thing I don’t need looking after, then.”
I arch a brow. “This from the woman who regularly calls me at midnight to come help her look under Chase’s bed for monsters?”
Mel wrinkles her nose. “Nighttime adulting is scary. I kick ass and take names during the day. Night is more complicated. And I’m just trying to give you ample opportunity to be a part of your precious nephew’s life.”
“Which I love,” I say. “I love him, and I love you and if anything happened to you, I would never forgive myself. My entire life would go down the toilet. There would be no reason to get up in the morning. The guilt would eat me alive.”
Nora sighs. “If anything happened to my brother because of me, I would feel the same way, and we’re not even twins.”
Mel’s expression softens. “I know. Me, too. But I hate the thought of running away, Matty. And of you spending money you don’t have on me.”
I pull in a breath to assure her I have plenty of cash to pay for the flight, but she cuts me off with a hand in the air.
“The only way I’ll do this is if you let me pay for the flight with credit card points,” she adds. “I have a ton saved up since travelling with an infant or toddler makes my head want to explode. I’ll get the flight, leave town, and come back on Monday, on one condition.”
“Name it,” I say.
“You have this sorted by Monday afternoon or I’m going to the police,” she says, her no-nonsense gaze locked on my face.
“Done.” I’ll either have it sorted by then or Wimpy and Rex will have put me in the hospital with a few broken bones. In the second scenario, hopefully Mel can be convinced to heed my warnings about the Sweetwaters and stay out of this, but that’s a bridge I’ll cross when I come to it.
Mel nods. “And you have to date Nora. Assuming she still wants to date you after all this.”
“No, thank you,” Nora says, scrolling through her phone. “I appreciate the support, but I like to stalk and take down my man prey on my own without outside manipulation. Like a lioness, hunting the savanna.”
Mel laughs and an unexpected grin curves my lips. Nora and I don’t have a future, but I can’t deny that I like the thought of her hunting me like a lioness.