Total pages in book: 38
Estimated words: 35763 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 179(@200wpm)___ 143(@250wpm)___ 119(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 35763 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 179(@200wpm)___ 143(@250wpm)___ 119(@300wpm)
This is my chance to do a bit of poking around. I have never been to this side before. There are two cleaners that come each morning and keep that part of the house. It would be impossible for one person to do it alone. It was my mom’s job to handle all of these details. I’m sure she’s been to Karl’s wing before.
Perhaps I should focus my search on his office. That’s where he would’ve kept documents. I worry my bottom lip between my teeth, debating what I should do. I decide the office is my best bet, so I turn and go back down the stairs.
I peek around, checking a few of the rooms to see if anyone is here before I go to the double doors of Karl's office. Now, Karl had a strict rule that no one was allowed inside. For obvious reasons, I’m pretty sure it doesn’t still apply. Plus, West can’t know that rule is in place. When I try the handle, it's locked, but it's just an old one, more for aesthetics. I pull one of the bobby pins out of my hair to use.
I glance over my shoulder again before I slide it into the lock and wiggle. My uncle taught me this trick long ago. He was always teaching me and my cousin Tabby things our moms would get annoyed with, but it was fun and sweet. Like our own little secrets.
It takes me a couple of tries before I get the hook right, and the lock clicks over, annoyingly loudly, making me again check over my shoulder, not wanting to get busted. I could explain it to my mom or Willa and Rich, but broody and sexy, I'm not so sure. He got weird about me going upstairs, which I still don’t understand. I’m guessing he wouldn't be too happy if he caught me popping locks around here to look through personal information.
I smirk as I slip inside, swiftly but quietly closing the door and clicking the lock back into place. I rest my hand against the door, slightly overexcited that I managed to pull that off. When I turn around, all my excitement fades as a light on the desk flickers on.
Leaning up against the desk is none other than Mr. Broody and Sexy himself. He folds his arms over his chest, his legs outstretched.
I’m so screwed.
Chapter Five
WEST
What do we have here? I always thought manifestation was all bullshit, but here I was musing about this little teddy bear, and then she appeared. After popping a lock to do so. I’m guessing she doesn’t know Karl has video surveillance on the front of his office doors. I’d spotted the cameras right away, but I would. I was actually surprised when I saw it.
If Karl was in his grave, which he won’t be till tomorrow, then he would have rolled over inside of it if he knew the system he had installed was one that I created. It was one of many projects I’ve done over the years. Security has always been a topic I've been particularly interested in. A therapist would likely attribute this to childhood trauma. They wouldn’t be wrong.
My father had a pattern of getting drunk and raging through the house in the middle of the night. You never knew what you might wake up to. Years later, I’d still jerk awake in the middle of the night, nightmares pulling me back to that time. I suppose my therapy had been making sure I never had to wonder what would come through my bedroom door, because nothing ever would.
"Ah, hi." She gives the same awkward wave she did in the kitchen the first time I surprised her. Pretending I didn’t just catch her red-handed breaking and entering. Her response is oddly endearing, and I want to say adorable, but I don't think I have ever used or thought that word before now.
"Were you searching for something?" I ask her. I don’t know how I manage to keep my face so serious because there’s something about her that makes my lips want to head toward a smile. An expression not many people evoke from me. I’m so curious as to why she was breaking into Karl’s office.
Her mother works for him. This should get the woman fired, but then there would be no Teddy, which might be for the best, but I know I won't do it. I don't want her going anywhere. In fact, maybe I should see about drawing up a contract for her mother. One she couldn’t get out of, and then they’d both have to stay. Maybe that would settle some of the uneasiness that I’ve been feeling since I laid eyes on her.
I push the fucked-up thought from my mind. Perhaps there's something about this house that drives you insane. Makes you do and feel shit that you normally wouldn’t. That doesn’t justify why the hell Teddy is breaking into Karl’s office. It’s then that my thoughts turn to the idea that she might have had something going on with Karl. A relationship.