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)
With May, he’d always punished her as quickly as he could after her naughtiness. And the punishment would be relative to the crime.
Salt in his coffee wasn’t that bad. Putting herself in danger or lying to him would be.
If she was his, that is.
But she wasn’t. So she didn’t owe him anything.
Except an americano untainted by salt.
To his surprise, Silla and Mac worked together to get her over to him. He wasn’t sure if either of them realized just how loud they were. Especially Silla. Her voice was like a foghorn. He’d heard her earlier saying that she thought his actions the other night were romantic.
How she’d come to that conclusion, he had no idea.
He watched as Devi reluctantly walked over to him. Poor girl had no idea what she was walking into and she was clearly nervous.
Hayes thought back on the email he’d received just before from Liam. He’d sent all of the information he’d found on the last few clients of Stein’s who had ended up in jail. Liam had looked into their families and connections, searching for anyone who might have been angry enough to seek revenge on Stein.
None of the information had meant that much to him. And Liam had put notes against family members and friends who had a record or who lived in the state.
Which meant they had around twenty-five suspects.
Not a small list.
However, none of that interested him as much as the fact that he knew someone on the list.
The woman who was now standing on the other side of the table from him.
He knew Devi wasn’t sending the threats. That wasn’t the sort of person she was.
Although she did seem to like a spot of revenge.
Still, he couldn’t imagine her threatening anyone.
However, it was interesting that her brother was the last client of Stein’s to go to jail. Liam was going to dig deeper into the cases.
Perhaps Stein had really fucked one of them over.
With how jumpy he was, Hayes wouldn’t be surprised if he did have some idea of what was going on. Something that he was keeping from all of them.
Hayes considered asking her about her brother’s case. But then he’d have to explain how he knew. No doubt she’d get upset if she thought she was being investigated.
It wasn’t a smart idea.
“I don’t think that’s where I told you to stand,” he said without looking up.
“You didn’t tell me anything,” she said. “You pointed. Didn’t your mother ever tell you it was rude to point?”
“She said it was rude to point at someone. I didn’t point at you. I pointed at the floor. I crooked a finger at you.”
“Still rude to crook a finger.”
“I haven’t heard that one.” He glanced up at her. “I’d like to go home at some stage tonight. Come here.”
She huffed out a breath, sticking her hip out and putting her hand on it. And to his utter shock, he felt himself nearly smile.
What the hell was that?
His lips shouldn’t even remember how to smile anymore.
He made sure to keep his face impassive as he continued to just stare at her.
Then she stomped around in front of him. “Are you happy?”
“Hmm, am I happy? Let’s see. Yesterday my coffee was ruined because someone put salt in it. And tonight, I sat for ages without a drink because my server avoided and ignored me. And now it’s midnight and I would rather be home in my bed, but instead I’m here arguing with you.”
“Well, when you put it like that I guess you don’t have much to be happy about. Although I have to say you seem like the type of person who would like a good argument.”
That wasn’t exactly true.
He only argued with some people. Most people, he didn’t even talk to. He wasn’t sure what it was about Devi that intrigued him. He could try and tell himself that he was watching her because of her brother’s connection to Stein. But he’d been interested in her before he’d learned that.
It was annoying and confusing.
“Come here and stop trying to prick my temper,” he commanded. He’d had enough.
“I wasn’t doing that,” she muttered.
Still sassy.
But she walked over to where he sat. He leaned forward.
“Tell me why you put salt in my coffee.”
“I think that would be obvious.” She shifted from foot to foot, displaying her nervousness.
“Devi,” he warned.
“You were mean last Friday night. You didn’t speak to me very nicely. You made it sound like it was my fault that guy attacked me. I have the right to walk around without being attacked.”
That made him pause for a second. Had he done that?
He thought back over everything he’d said to her the other night. He’d been . . . upset. And perhaps he hadn’t been guarding his words as closely as he should have.
And maybe he had made it sound like he’d thought it was her fault. However, that wasn’t his intention.