Total pages in book: 159
Estimated words: 155775 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 779(@200wpm)___ 623(@250wpm)___ 519(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 155775 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 779(@200wpm)___ 623(@250wpm)___ 519(@300wpm)
“Need to get back,” Butch said. “Come.” Turning, he walked away towards his black behemoth of a truck.
“Wait, does he really just think he can say ‘come’ and that we’re all going to rush after him?” Dotty asked. “Pfft. That’s not happening.”
“Well, we do need his truck to transport everyone back to Callahan Security,” Ralen said.
“I could ride in the back,” Addie said.
“You’re not riding in the back,” Cash told her with a firm look. “You’ll never be riding in the back again.”
“Wait, again?” Dotty asked, glancing around. “Is that your pickup there, the one that’s a single cab?” She pointed to Cash’s pickup, which was sitting in front of Butch’s big truck.
“Yep,” Cash replied.
“Does someone want to explain to me why Addie was riding in the back of it in the first place?” Dotty demanded.
“And what is Callahan Security?” Monroe asked.
“Look, we’ll explain everything,” Cash said. “But first, we need to get back somewhere warm and safe. Addie’s exhausted. She’s shaking, and I think the two of you are probably pretty tired as well. You might even like something to eat and a shower.”
“Oh, man, I’d kill for a shower,” Monroe said. “I feel like I’m wearing a week’s worth of dirt.”
Monroe looked like she had just stepped off the page of a magazine. Addie had no idea how she did it, considering she just spent half the night in a police station. But that was the magic of her sister.
“All right, the two of you go back with Butch, and I’ll take Addie and Ralen,” Cash said.
Both Monroe and Dotty frowned.
“You’re not going anywhere with our sister without us,” Dotty told him.
Monroe shook her head and slid her hand into Addie’s. Addie got it. They’d only just been reunited and they were probably worried about where these guys were taking them.
Cash frowned. He didn’t look too happy at that. But Ralen nodded to him. “I’ll go with them.”
“Great, so I’m driving just myself back, am I?” Cash muttered.
Walking over to him, she lightly patted his chest and smiled up at him. He sighed, “Fine. I’ll drive Crystal back on my own. You go with your sisters. And Ralen, make sure Butch drives like a grandpa.”
Ralen gave him a salute. “You bet.”
16
“All right,” Dotty whispered to her. “Tell me what’s going on.”
“Tell us what’s going on,” Monroe said from her other side. “Where did you find the hottie bad boys?”
“You do realize we can hear you up here?” Ralen said, turning with his eyebrow raised as he stared at the three of them.
Dotty opened her backpack and pulled out her phone. “Oh, shit. It’s dead. What the hell is Callahan Security?”
“It’s a security company. Callahan comes from the owner’s last name,” Butch said.
“Right,” Dotty said. “How did you get the bruised face and bandaged hand?”
“Someone else did this,” Addie pointed to her face. “They were trying to g-grab me. And my hand is from coffee. It’s fine.” She took it off and showed them the tiny red mark.
“Someone tried to grab you?” Monroe asked with alarm.
Addie looked around for Monroe’s handbag. “Where’s your handbag?”
“I lost it,” Monroe said. “That was a brand-new bag, and it cost me three hundred dollars.”
“Three hundred dollars on a handbag?” Butch said incredulously.
“Yeah, what’s wrong with that? I bet you spent more on detailing this truck,” Dotty said.
Addie took hold of Dotty’s hand. Dotty had never done well on a short amount of sleep.
Butch just grunted.
“Just as well I didn’t have much in it,” Monroe said. “I left everything back at the hotel other than my license, my phone, and the hotel keycard.”
“What about bank cards?” Butch asked.
“I have them all on my phone.”
“What if your phone dies?” Butch asked.
Monroe’s mouth opened, then closed, and she frowned. “Why would my phone die? Anyway, someone would have a charger that I could use. People are so helpful like that. Everywhere I go, people are just so lovely.”
Yes, Monroe tended to see the world through rose-colored glasses. There were plenty of shitty, awful people, but Monroe would just find a way to turn that around into something positive.
Anyway, that explained how someone had gotten into their hotel room.
“And now that just means I don’t have to cancel any of my cards. See? Win-win.”
“Except for the fact that your three-hundred-dollar bag got stolen along with your phone,” Ralen pointed out, staring back at them.
“I don’t like that we don’t know where we’re going,” Dotty finally said. “And I don’t like that I can’t access my phone, and I don’t like that I’m wearing the same clothes I wore last night. I really think we should just go to the hotel. But don’t worry, we can call an Uber. There is no reason for you to take us anywhere. Addie, your phone is charged, right?”
Addie nodded. “We can’t go to the hotel.”