Total pages in book: 121
Estimated words: 114793 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 574(@200wpm)___ 459(@250wpm)___ 383(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 114793 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 574(@200wpm)___ 459(@250wpm)___ 383(@300wpm)
I glanced over at Marcus, who leaned against the porch rail like he was watching an amateur theater production.
Gabby continued, her voice gaining confidence. “It’s mostly overblown, and I figured laying low for a while would help. You know, reset, reevaluate, maybe reorganize my finances—”
“—from a ranch in the middle of nowhere,” I finished.
“It’s quiet,” she agreed. “Who chases down someone with a warrant to a horse ranch?”
I stared at her, not letting on that I was onto her bullshit.
She pressed on, clearly committed to the story. “I can cook, and I’ll help with chores. I just needed somewhere to catch my breath, just for a little while. A few days. A week, max.”
Marcus hadn’t moved, and I could tell he was enjoying this.
When she finally wrapped up, looking somewhat proud of her performance, I leaned in, elbows on my knees, and gave her a sympathetic nod.
“That sounds awful,” I said softly. “I mean that. Just... wow.”
Her face relaxed just a bit.
“And so smart of you,” I added. “Proactive, even.”
She smiled, relieved.
Marcus pushed off the railing and pulled his phone from his pocket. “You need a loan?”
Gabby blinked. “What?”
“I can transfer you something right now,” he offered casually. “Ten grand? Fifteen? More if it’ll help pay them off.”
Her eyes went wide. “No! No, no, I’m just grateful to have somewhere to stay, that’s all.”
She looked genuinely touched. Maybe even a little guilty. And then Marcus crossed his arms over his chest, slowly and purposefully.
I let him know with a slight nod that I was going to deal with it. “Okay, now tell us what’s actually going on.” Her face froze mid-blink. “No more stalling, and definitely don’t leave out the part about Colin Maddox being pissed as hell at you.”
She didn’t even flinch, at least not visibly. But I saw it—the flicker behind her eyes and the breath that didn’t quite go in. The way she set her glass down just a little too carefully, like her hands were fighting to stay steady.
“Right,” she said after a beat, her voice quieter. “So, you've heard about that.”
“Oh yeah,” I confirmed. “And now you’re going to talk.” Because whatever story she was about to tell, it wasn’t going to involve debt collectors. It was going to involve a hell of a lot worse.
Chapter Six
Gabby
Curses, curses, and every actual curse word that existed and had ever been created.
I sat on Marcus’s leather couch with my thighs sticking to it, mentally flipping through every swear word I knew in English, Spanish, a bit of French, and even that made-up language from that one sci-fi show. My mind was stuck in a loop of "You idiot, you absolute moron. They’re going to think you're insane and send you to a facility with padded walls and suspicious oatmeal."
Webb and Marcus weren’t blinking. They were just... watching.
Finally, I sighed, knowing I wasn't getting away from this. “Fine,” I muttered. “But you need to make sure no kids can hear this.”
They exchanged a look, one of those looks that seemed to carry full conversations without words, and then Marcus disappeared through the front door.
From the kitchen, I heard Adrienne say, “Oh, no problem,” followed by Santana’s bright laugh. A moment later, the door creaked open again, and the unmistakable sound of children's laughter erupted across the porch as their tiny feet pounded down the steps. Yup, the kids had officially been deployed elsewhere.
Marcus returned, leaned against the wall again, and made a sweeping gesture with his hand. “Go on, then.”
I took a breath. “Okay, so I was hired to find out if Colin Maddox was cheating on his wife.”
Webb’s jaw ticked.
“Only,” I continued, “he wasn’t just cheating. Or, maybe he was, too, I don’t know—that wasn’t the part that really stuck with me.”
Marcus’s brow rose, and I charged ahead before I lost my nerve.
“He poured concrete on a body.” The words I’d been avoiding flowed out of me. “I watched him as he hauled a body out of his trunk at a job site and dumped it into a foundation they were prepping to pour that night. And then he just—” I waved my hand vaguely, “—kept going. Like it was just any normal Tuesday, it wasn’t, though, it was a Thursday.”
Silence followed what I'd just divulged, making my palms sweat. Granted, that last bit was unnecessary, but come the hell on.
I swallowed. “And he’s also breaking tons of building codes. Like, major safety stuff. I looked it all up online—everything from improperly poured footings to skipped inspections and a bunch of the sites he’s built? Total disasters waiting to happen.”
I waited anxiously for their surprise and questions, expecting them to say, "Oh, sweetie, you’re just overreacting."
Instead, Webb looked at his brother. “Matty’s been digging too,” he told him. "Maddox is cunning. He pays off inspectors, city planners, and legal professionals—he even has a couple of retired cops running security. Half the people who should have nailed him have either disappeared, resigned, or conveniently changed their stories."