Total pages in book: 103
Estimated words: 96970 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 485(@200wpm)___ 388(@250wpm)___ 323(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 96970 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 485(@200wpm)___ 388(@250wpm)___ 323(@300wpm)
“Let’s start with foot trails first,” I said with a smile.
We stepped from the bright sun into the dimmer interior. Thankfully, the person who greeted us was a bubbly young woman, not the owner. “How many? Two?”
Kaidee grinned at her. “Just picking up a to-go order.”
The woman led Kaidee over to the bar area, but as I began to follow, I heard a muffled yelp from the hallway that led to the restrooms. I headed in that direction to see what the sound was when I saw a precarious tower of cardboard boxes stacked beneath a wooden chair, with a young man balanced on top, stretching to reach a burned-out light fixture.
“Jesus Christ,” I barked, causing the kid to wobble dangerously. “You want a broken neck?”
I lunged forward and grabbed the chair, steadying it, while the young man—who couldn’t have been older than twenty—scrambled to regain his balance. He was slight, with dark hair and wide, frightened eyes that reminded me of a startled deer.
“Get down from there. Now.” I kept my voice firm but not harsh. The kid looked scared enough already.
“I—I was just trying to fix the light,” he stammered, carefully climbing down. “The boxes were fine. I was being careful—”
“Like hell you were.” I kicked at the stack of boxes, which immediately toppled over with a crash. “You see that? That’s what would have happened with you on top of them if I hadn’t shown up. You ever heard of a ladder?”
“What’s going on?” Alex’s voice came from behind me, sharp with concern. He rushed past me to the young man, placing protective hands on his shoulders. “Tavo, are you okay? What happened?”
Tavo. I wondered if this was the person Alex had lied to protect the night of the first fire incident. The person who’d somehow managed to spray sanitizer near an open flame, since it had been clear to everyone that Alex alone couldn’t have caused the fire.
“He’s fine, Chief. Leave him alone. He’s just helping out.” Alex positioned himself between me and Tavo in a way that made my annoyance flare hotter.
Kaidee appeared behind us, drawn by the commotion. “Oh my, is everyone alright?” She looked between the scattered boxes and the trembling young man with genuine concern. “Are you hurt, honey?”
Alex’s entire body went rigid. “He’s fine,” he muttered, the words clipped and defensive.
I studied the interaction, noting how Alex’s protective instincts had kicked into overdrive, how the kid—Tavo—kept glancing nervously between Alex and me like he was waiting for permission to speak. Everything about their dynamic screamed that Alex was hiding something significant.
“You can’t have untrained staff performing maintenance,” I said, keeping my voice level despite my growing irritation. “Especially not with whatever the fuck this was. This is exactly the kind of reckless safety violation that—”
“He’s not staff,” Alex interrupted. “I just… stepped away for a minute to—”
“To what? Let a kid risk his neck because you couldn’t be bothered to buy a proper ladder?” I gestured at the fallen boxes.
Kaidee laughed, a bright sound that cut through the tension. “He’s just a kid, Judd,” she said, shooting me an amused look. “I’m sure you did a foolish thing a time or two at his age. In fact, didn’t you and Max throw ropes into the struts of a bridge one time to—”
“Not the same thing,” I clipped quickly before she could launch into a story about my shitty teenage years in front of someone like Alex Marian.
Kaidee’s attempt to lighten the tension should have been charming. Instead, something sharp and uncomfortable twisted in my chest as I watched Alex’s face darken.
“We have a ladder,” Alex said quietly but firmly, his sunshine demeanor notably absent. “And Tavo isn’t foolish. He was trying to help.”
“Like he did the night of the fire?” I suggested, raising my eyebrows.
The words hung in the air like smoke. Tavo went pale, Alex’s jaw clenched, and Kaidee looked between us with growing confusion.
“This has nothing to do with the fire incident,” Alex said carefully.
“You sure about that? You lied about the circumstances of that fire, and now I’m finding out there are people ‘helping out’ around here you’ve failed to disclose.” I stepped closer, and Alex unconsciously moved to shield Tavo further. “What else are you hiding, Marian?”
“Nothing,” Alex said, but his voice lacked conviction. “And I told you, Tavo doesn’t work for me. He’s… a guest.”
“A guest who comes behind the bar and into the back hallway to help himself to supplies?”
Alex firmed his jaw and narrowed his eyes. “I do not have to waste another minute dealing with you and your ridiculous overreactions. I have a restaurant to run.” His eyes flicked over to Kaidee, and suddenly, the fakest smile I’d ever seen widened his mouth. “And apparently, you have plans with this lovely woman. So… enjoy your day.”