Total pages in book: 149
Estimated words: 147967 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 740(@200wpm)___ 592(@250wpm)___ 493(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 147967 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 740(@200wpm)___ 592(@250wpm)___ 493(@300wpm)
Aidan Savage had ended up in jail after beating up the guy who had raped and hurt his sister.
If Matthieu had been that judge, he would have given him an award not a jail sentence.
Abusers deserved every punishment they got. Especially those that hurt those weaker than them.
“They are turning their backs to criminal activity, which isn’t our problem. Except that it’s creating more violence and hostility,” Reyes said in a dark voice.
“It’s getting to the point where we’re gonna have to stop our women going anywhere alone,” Spike said. “Millie went to a yoga class yesterday with Livvy without telling me or taking her phone. Nearly lost my mind.”
“Surprised she can sit today,” Duke said.
“She’s not sitting comfortably.”
Matthieu couldn’t help but glance over at Millie who was wearing a fifties style dress with a wide ribbon around her waist. She had on a fluffy green cardigan. An image of a pink dinosaur ran around the back of the cardigan to the front.
Spike had punished her for going to a yoga class without telling him?
Matthieu couldn’t imagine needing to know where his girlfriend was at all times.
Then again, it had been years since he’d had a girlfriend. And he’d never lived with any of them.
Perhaps because you never loved them.
“Yeah, I don’t want Sunny driving around on her own anymore,” Duke said.
“Emme certainly isn’t allowed to,” Reyes said. “She has a driver at all times. She could easily be targeted just for being Markovich’s daughter.”
Drew Markovich was the head of a criminal enterprise, so that was understandable.
“One of the customers at the garage told me that some cops have started pulling people over for trumped up charges, then demanding money or other things to let them off. They target people they know can’t fight back,” Sav said.
“Other things?” Matthieu questioned.
Sav grimaced. “Fucking sexual things.”
Putain.
Was he serious?
Matthieu glanced around at all of the men. Then he nodded.
“Fine. I’ll come to the meeting. But that is all.”
“That’s all I’m asking,” Ink said innocently.
Right.
Why didn’t Matthieu believe him?
“Matthieu!” Betsy walked up to wrap her arm around his and smile up at him. “Come and sit with us. We want to tell you about this friend of Tabby’s.”
Great. The matchmaking had begun. He shot a look at Ink who had turned away.
Oh, he was going to owe him big for this.
Matthieu had a long memory and he would not forget.
5
Maya woke up as Dougie started barking.
She sat up in bed and then heard a car take off.
Shit. Shit. Shit.
Getting up, she put on her worn bathrobe and rushed out of the bedroom. Dougie was at the door, scratching against it. Gummy was standing with him, adding her own high-pitched barks.
“Shh,” she said to them both. “Hush, Dougie, Gummy, or we’ll wake up all the neighbors.”
Not that they ever cared about waking her up at all hours of the night. But she definitely didn’t want to give them any reason to come over here.
They weren’t the sort of people that you invited over for a Sunday barbeque.
She grabbed the baseball bat by the back door and a flashlight and rushed outside, shutting the door behind her.
She headed out toward the garage, peering around.
Maybe Dougie and Gummy had been barking about nothing. Everything seemed okay.
Ouch.
She winced as she stood on something sharp. She should have put some shoes on first.
Then she turned and stared, astounded.
That fucking bastard.
In spray paint across the garage door were the words: Frigid Bitch.
Was he psycho? What did he think to gain?
Seriously.
He was a cop and he thought it was a good idea to go around defacing property? And what was he? Fifteen? This was ridiculous.
Anger filled her.
And then it faded as she realized that Vince had been at her place. That he’d come here to be vindictive.
What if he’d hurt the girls?
She had to do something about this, but she had no idea what. Maya turned on her outside lights. Only one actually worked. Then she checked that every window and door was locked.
Lastly, she made a pot of coffee and sat with her bat and phone on the sofa.
Because there was no way she could go back to sleep after this.
Maya stared up at the building. It didn’t look like much. A pretty boring building in an industrial area of the city.
But she’d done some research. These guys were meant to be the best in the business.
Which also meant the most expensive, most likely.
However, she needed some help. It was Tuesday morning and she hadn’t slept since the moment she’d discovered that some asshole, aka Vince, had spray-painted the front of her garage.
She’d thought about going to Reeves, but she couldn’t risk it. There was no way she could fully trust Reeves. And she didn’t want Vince to turn on him for helping her.
Nope. Like usual, she’d have to take care of this herself.