Total pages in book: 103
Estimated words: 97409 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 487(@200wpm)___ 390(@250wpm)___ 325(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 97409 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 487(@200wpm)___ 390(@250wpm)___ 325(@300wpm)
“Eat, then bed. It’s getting late.”
She finishes her plate, and after I push her toward the bedroom, she tries to wash the dishes.
By the time I’ve cleaned up and joined her, she’s fast asleep. I slip into bed, and I roll into her. She has a pillow tucked at her side, and I make my body fit around hers. Like I was meant to be there all along.
“Night, baby,” I whisper into her hair.
The next thing I know, her alarm is ringing. She shuts it off quickly, no doubt to keep me from waking up, and tosses the covers off herself as she gets up.
“Morning,” I mumble.
“I hate that you have to wake up because of me. I’m going to message Roman and ask him to come and get me.”
“I’m taking you to work, and then I’ll drop the truck off later for when you get off.”
“But how will you get around?”
“I have to go out with Caleb, so I’ll be with him.” She shakes her head. I see her wanting to fight with me. “Go get dressed, I already packed your lunch box.”
I drop her off and head back home to sleep, waking when my own alarm rings at 6:00 a.m.
I’m on-site at Burke’s house at 7:00 a.m., and he’s outside, coffee mug in his hand.
“Morning.” He nods at me. “Caleb called me last night to give me the scoop.”
“Yeah,” I reply, my jaw getting tight.
“Got to be honest with you, I don’t think it’s Claire.”
“Why do you say that?”
“If it was her, she would fuck with you directly and not with your work. The tires on Collins’s car was probably her. Girls are known for keying cars, throwing a rock through your front window, or anything that is directed at you personally. But stealing tools from your company’s jobsites? I just don’t think that’s her. Though I will go over and have a talk with her today.”
I’m about to say something to him when Caleb calls.
“Hey, I’m on my way to you.” I can hear his truck door slamming. “We caught something last night that I think you need to see.”
CHAPTER THIRTY
COLLINS
“How you feeling?” Roman asks me when we get back into the ambulance after three calls back-to-back.
“Tired,” I huff out as I grab my seat belt and buckle myself in, “but I’ll survive.”
“Why don’t we swing by and grab something to eat? You haven’t eaten anything all day.”
“There hasn’t been time.” I look over at him. “Don’t go soft on me.”
“I’m not going soft on you.” He chuckles. “I’m just making sure if your man comes around asking me questions about if you’re eating that I’m not lying to him. I don’t want him to kick my ass.”
“He’s not going to kick your ass.” I roll my eyes at him as he drives down Main Street. “Let’s get a sandwich from the bakery, and we can have donuts.”
“Is that you telling me you want donuts?”
“Maybe.” I try to hide my smile, but I can’t when he parks. “Yes.”
He laughs as we start walking to the bakery.
I look to the side and see my father on the sidewalk, as if he were waiting for me. “Um.” I reach in my back pocket to grab my wallet. “Can you order me a chicken salad on a croissant and whatever donut is good?”
“I got it.” Roman looks over at my father. “You’ll be okay?”
“Yeah, I’ll be fine.” I really don’t want Roman to hear any of the conversation we are going to have.
“I’ll be watching,” he says, and goes into the bakery.
I turn and see a couple of people looking my father’s way as he crosses the street to get to me. Not surprising, he’s wearing the same clothes as he was wearing last night.
“Collins.”
I try to ignore all the eyes that are probably aimed at us. “What do you want now?”
“Is that any way to talk to your father?” he asks me, his shoulders back, his head held high like he hasn’t done anything bad in his life.
“I’m really tired, and I’m working right now, so if we can speed this along . . .” I try to stand as far away from him as I can, but not so far that people can hear what he’s saying.
“Wow.” He puts one hand to his chest as if I shot him. “The lack of respect you have for me is unheard of.”
“The lack of respect I have for you?” I’m not sure if I heard him right. “What have you done to make me respect you?” I shake my head. “Actually, scratch that. I don’t care. I don’t want to have this conversation. Why don’t you just forget all about me?”
“Yeah, you want us to forget about you now that you’re sleeping in a mansion.” His hand falls from his chest to his side, and my stomach gets tight.