Total pages in book: 141
Estimated words: 141428 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 707(@200wpm)___ 566(@250wpm)___ 471(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 141428 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 707(@200wpm)___ 566(@250wpm)___ 471(@300wpm)
How dare he scold her for going outside? Like he was her brother or something.
Only you don’t have brotherly feelings toward him, do you?
“Is Derick home?” Mac asked.
“God, I hope not.”
Mac sucked in a breath. “Devi? Is there something you need to tell me?”
Shit.
She needed to be more careful.
“No. Sorry. He’s just . . . annoying. I’m sure he feels the same way. I’m an adult now and I’m certain he wishes that I hadn’t moved back home after . . . well . . . after Rohan left.”
Left.
Right.
God, she wished she could go back to living with Rohan. That she didn’t have to stay with Derick.
However, she didn’t have much choice.
But she had promised her mom that she’d take care of him. She could still see her mom in the hospital bed, ill and fragile, begging her to look after Derick.
It wasn’t really a fair thing to ask of a thirteen-year-old though, was it?
“Thanks for the ride home, Mac.” She knew she couldn’t sit in his truck forever.
“Why don’t you come stay with me, Devi,” Mac said gruffly. “Don’t got a lot, but I have a spare room. Got a bed and its own bathroom. You’re welcome to it.”
That was one of the kindest offers she’d ever had. Devi leaned over and wrapped her arms around him. “Thanks, Mac.
I’m fine here. And Derick needs me.”
Devi felt Mac turn to look at the trailer. It definitely wasn’t much. But she couldn’t bear to take charity. Especially from Mac. He was her boss and friend. And she didn’t want to feel like she was taking advantage of him.
“Just promise me you’ll call me when you need me,” he said to her as she opened her door.
She didn’t look back at him. She couldn’t lie while looking at him. “Of course I will.”
He made a scoffing noise, but she climbed out of the truck before he could say anything more. Shutting the door behind her, she paused for a moment and looked around.
Goosebumps covered her arms. She didn’t know why but it felt like she was being watched.
You’re just being paranoid after what happened tonight.
Still, she was grateful that Mac stayed until she was inside the trailer, his headlights lighting the way for her.
After locking the door, she leaned over and breathed in deeply. Her head was spinning and she felt nauseous. Stumbling, she made her way to the sofa and sat. Then she wrinkled her nose as the scent of body odor and stale beer hit her.
Gross.
As soon as her head stopped spinning, she got up and moved into the bathroom. Turning the shower on hot, she stripped and got in.
At least her father wasn’t here. Although she was aware that he could come home at any time. She scrubbed herself clean, her legs barely able to keep her up.
Where was her anger now?
She needed that anger to keep herself going. Devi thought back to what Hayes had said . . . how he’d basically blamed her. How he’d gotten mad at Mac.
Really not cool.
Ahh. There was her fury. It fueled her, giving her the energy to get through the shower and into bed.
How dare Hayes? He needed to be punished.
She’d get her revenge.
9
Devi plastered on a bright smile as she took Sondra’s order the next morning. She kept her gaze on the other woman, determinedly not looking over at the hulking man standing next to her.
She didn’t think she’d slept at all last night. Every time she’d closed her eyes, she’d felt that bastard grab her. Then she’d heard Hayes scolding her.
Why she was so upset about what Hayes had said, she wasn’t entirely sure. And she wasn’t going to think about it too closely. What was keeping her going, what was keeping her on her feet was the idea of revenge.
Sweet, sweet revenge.
Should you really get revenge? He did help you. And he was kind of right, putting the garbage out isn’t your job. And it wasn’t safe after everything that had happened. The Chief basically said the same thing.
The truth was, she hadn’t been thinking straight. She’d been upset and out of sorts.
“Did you sleep?”
She startled at the question and her gaze moved up to his face. She hadn’t expected him to speak to her. He barely spoke to her.
“Yes,” she replied. “I slept just fine. You?”
His gaze narrowed. “Doesn’t look like it.”
Oh, how rude. “Are you saying I look bad?”
“I’m saying you look like you barely slept. Not surprising after the night you had. You should have stayed at home today.”
Stayed at home? Why the heck would she want to do that? She hated being there. She avoided it at all costs.
“That wasn’t an option. I need to work.”
“You work too much.”
“Do you have an opinion about everything I do?” she asked, putting her hands on her hips as she glared up at him in frustration.