Total pages in book: 80
Estimated words: 77394 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 387(@200wpm)___ 310(@250wpm)___ 258(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 77394 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 387(@200wpm)___ 310(@250wpm)___ 258(@300wpm)
Only that day never came, and it never would.
Losing him changed everything.
I was twenty-one, pregnant, and completely alone. I was also broke and unable to pay rent with what I made working at the laundry mat. I got a second job and tried to manage my finances the best I could, and I was doing okay. But when Luna came along, everything changed.
When I didn’t show up for work, I lost my second job.
And even though I was able to take Luna with me to the laundry mat, I couldn’t make enough money to cover all my bills. Once I got behind, it started to snowball, and I lost my apartment. Even though I knew it wasn’t a good idea, I moved in with my parents, but the nightmare continued. I tried to make the best of it, but I couldn’t raise an infant in such a volatile environment.
That’s when I turned to my brother.
I spent two horrific years with him, and now, I was sleeping in a stranger’s bed and praying I wouldn’t wake up to find myself in another bad spot. I knew nothing about the men who’d brought me here, but I’d been around long enough to know that you don’t trust anyone—especially men who kill other men.
When I woke up the next morning, I was relieved to find that the house was quiet, and Luna was still sleeping soundly next to me. Being careful not to wake her, I eased out of bed and put on some fresh clothes. I was in dire need of coffee, so I eased the bedroom door open and whispered, “Hello?”
When I didn’t get an answer, I stepped out and tiptoed into the kitchen.
I called out again, and still no answer.
I saw no sign of Skid or anyone else. I also saw no coffee. It didn’t feel right to go through some stranger’s cabinets, but I was desperate. I walked over and started opening cabinets, and to my surprise, most of them were empty. He just had a few glasses, plates, and a few pots and pans. I continued with my search until the back door swung open, and Skid stepped inside.
He smiled and held up a cup holder full of various coffees as he proudly announced, “I got coffee.”
“I see that.”
“I wasn’t sure if you liked that girly shit or not, so I got a little of everything.”
“That was very sweet of you.”
Even though he’d been nothing but nice, I was still a little apprehensive as I walked over and took one of the cups of coffee. He placed the remaining cups on the counter and asked, “Did you sleep alright?”
“Yeah, I guess.” I didn’t get it. He and his friends were rough, tough, murdering biker guys, but he was so friendly. And with his blond, wavy hair and boyish charm, he was kind of cute. I liked that he was being nice and didn’t want him to stop, so I played along. “How about you?”
“Not too bad.” He motioned his head over to the living room. “The sofa’s a little short for my long legs, but I managed.”
“You could’ve slept in one of the guest rooms.”
“Yeah, but that would’ve made it harder to keep an eye on things.”
“So, what exactly are we doing here?”
“I was going to ask you the same thing.”
“I have no idea.”
Skid grabbed one of the coffees and leaned against the counter. “I guess we’re just supposed to hang out here and wait for Grim to come back.”
“But what about my car?” I argued. “And my job?”
“Grim said he’d take care of it.”
“Yeah, and?”
“If Grim says he’ll take care of something, he’ll take care of it.”
“And what if I don’t want him to take care of it?”
“I guess you’re outta luck on that one,” he scoffed. “Besides, you need your car. Might as well let him do what he’s gonna do.”
“This whole thing is crazy. The man doesn’t even know me, and he’s brought me to his house and is fixing my car.”
“That’s Grim.”
“Any idea when he’ll be coming back?”
“A couple of days? Maybe more.”
“So, what am I supposed to do until then?”
“That, I don’t know.”
“Well, I can’t just sit around here all day.”
He gave me a goofy shrug, then said, “You could take a nap? Or watch TV?”
“I’m not a nap kind of person.” I thought for a moment, then asked, “I could make breakfast?”
“I’d be good with that.”
“I’ll have to see what’s in the cabinets first.”
“Go for it.”
I gave him a nod, then walked over and started opening cabinets again. After a bit of hunting, I was able to find some flour, sugar, and a mixing bowl. I grabbed a frying pan and then, I was ready to roll.
I grabbed some eggs from the refrigerator and started tossing ingredients into the bowl. I’d just started whipping the batter when a sleepy-eyed little girl stumbled into the kitchen. Luna rubbed the sleep from her eyes as she muttered, "Momma?”