Total pages in book: 69
Estimated words: 69303 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 347(@200wpm)___ 277(@250wpm)___ 231(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 69303 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 347(@200wpm)___ 277(@250wpm)___ 231(@300wpm)
That made me angrier than I already was. “You broke into her apartment?”
“I did!” she hissed, rubbing her nose. “Now, let me in. I need to talk to her.”
A surge of protectiveness rocketed through me as I made the decision that this woman would have nothing else to do with Dru.
I didn’t care what I had to do, but she was going to go the fuck away, whether I had to put her in prison to do it.
I wouldn’t kill her.
That would make Dru sad, but I didn’t think Dru would care if she hung out in prison as long as she was safe.
“You’re not talking to anyone,” I declared. “It’s the middle of the night. We had a really long day yesterday, and we have a really long day today. You’re going to leave, and then I’m going to fire whoever the fuck let you in here.”
That last part was directed at the security guard who was shifting from foot to foot, who had the gall to look sheepish.
The women had probably laid on the charm to be let in, and hadn’t cared that the security guard at the gate would be fired for not doing his job.
That was, I was coming to find out, fairly usual for Dru’s family. She told me a lot that they were selfish as fuck.
It made sense, though, that they were interested in Eugene.
Part of the reason I’d never wanted to work with him on anything was his lack of caring about consequences. He didn’t care that a road through a town would displace farmers that were living there for centuries. What he cared about was the money he would get from the developers that would line his pockets.
Oh, and let’s not forget about the one time he asked for a favor getting a certain judge on his side when it came to a shelter in need of rehoming. He failed to mention that the shelter he wanted moved was a homeless shelter and that by moving it, it would cause the homeless to have to walk miles farther, having to cross freeways to do it.
No, needless to say, I couldn’t fucking stand Eugene.
Where the fuck was he, anyway? Couldn’t he come clean up his own mess?
“I’m talking to my sister. We need to get this settled.” Daniella crossed her arms. “And this bitch won’t leave me alone!”
I looked at Jennifer, the aunt.
Well, not the aunt.
From what Dru had shared in bed last night, Jennifer wasn’t merely the aunt, but the mother.
Everyone had tried to play it off like Daniella was Dru’s parents’ child. But she most definitely wasn’t. Genetics didn’t lie.
“How about you both leave,” I suggested, feeling my patience starting to wane. “Then, tomorrow, you can wake up and do this the correct way. Maybe I’ll let you talk to her.”
Maybe I’d not tell her you showed.
“You won’t,” she snorted. “We tried to do this the easy way, and you refused to tell her that we wanted to talk.”
“I called the cops,” a man said from behind me. I looked over to see the man known as Lager with his phone to his ear. “They’re on their way.”
That proved to be true, because lights came down the long road toward us seconds later.
At least, I thought they were the cops.
Turns out, it was the exact opposite of a cop. It was the daughter of a corrupt politician, and the woman that I’d divorced years ago.
The woman who had once lived in this house, but was no longer welcome.
When Aurora stepped out, I couldn’t help the curse that left my lips.
“Well, looks like we’ll need them to take three unwanted guests away today.”
“Apollo, oh my god. I just heard!”
Eighteen
Fuck you this_____________much.
—Text from Dru to Finnian
DRU
I woke up to an empty bed and screaming downstairs.
Honestly, I was slightly surprised that I’d woken up. Normally when I slept, I was a very heavy sleeper.
But I had a feeling that I was becoming attuned to the man I was sleeping beside at night. Without him there at my side, my unconscious brain had nudged me awake to find out why.
The why happened to be three females that Finnian was physically blocking with his body from entering his house.
“I can’t believe that you’re having to deal with this so-called ‘girlfriend’s’ family after you just lost your best friends,” Aurora said the moment she saw me at the top of the stairs.
I crossed my arms over my chest and glared.
“And what do you mean you aren’t taking care of Katie and Kenny?” Aurora looked over at me accusingly. “Those were your best friends’ dogs.” She glared at me then. “How could you tell him he can’t have them?”
Instant shame hit me.
She was right.
Though I didn’t give him the ultimatum, Finnian had made the decision on his own, because of me.