Total pages in book: 76
Estimated words: 76717 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 384(@200wpm)___ 307(@250wpm)___ 256(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 76717 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 384(@200wpm)___ 307(@250wpm)___ 256(@300wpm)
I can’t help a sarcastic chuckle. What would they all say—Tabitha, Eli—if I had a housekeeper in my little townhome?
I’ve never been ostentatious. Everyone knows that about me. I’m probably the least ostentatious person in my family, except for my cousin Ava, who doesn’t even use her trust fund to run her bakery. She and her husband live in a tiny apartment above his bar in downtown Snow Creek.
But damn… They’re two people who are about as happy as I’ve ever seen, and that’s after everything Ava and Brendan have both been through.
I never believed money could make you happy. I mean, look at some of the tragedies our family has been through. Physical, emotional, sexual abuse. Ghosts coming back to haunt us. And the fact that our fortune was perhaps not made in the most ethical manner.
I don’t want to believe that Jason hurt Ralph.
Though I don’t doubt Ralph had it coming to him. He had to be the one who went to HR. No one else knew.
I kind of wanted to smack him around myself, but that’s not how we Steels handle things.
I laugh out loud again.
What a crock.
I know how my brothers would’ve handled it if they knew what Ralph did to me.
Which is why I haven’t told them.
Oh God…
What if they know?
What if they…
Maybe it wasn’t Jason after all.
But no. If my brothers were in town, they would tell me. And David just got married. He wouldn’t leave his new wife just to come to Boulder to beat up some asshole who’s bothering his sister.
But Henry…
Henry can be a little bit of a loose cannon.
He’s a great guy. He works for our nonprofit foundation. I mean, that’s a really giving thing to do, right? Not that he has to work, with his trust fund and all.
Everyone in our family works. We were taught the value of hard work. The value of a dollar.
No.
Henry wouldn’t do that.
Besides, no one knows. I only told Tabitha.
One way to find out.
I take out my cell phone and call Henry.
“Hey, Angie,” the deep voice of my brother comes through the phone. “What’s up?”
“Where are you?”
“Funny you should ask.”
My heart clogs my throat. “What the hell does that mean?” I choke out.
“I’m actually in town. There’s a conference in Westminster, so I’m only thirty minutes away from you.”
Only thirty minutes away… Easy to drive to Boulder, kick Ralph’s ass, and be back in time for breakfast.
But no way. He has no way of knowing.
“A conference?”
“Yeah. Brad was supposed to go, which is why I didn’t let you know ahead of time. I was actually just getting ready to call you to see if you are available for dinner tonight.”
Henry’s here.
Fuck.
I’m not feeling up to dinner.
But he’s my brother, and I love him. And even though I’m feeling pretty much like shit right now, I can’t let him know that. The last thing I need is for my brother to be worrying about me.
“Yeah, sure. You want to come to my place?”
“Are you kidding? I’m taking my sister out on the town. There’s this great place—or so I’ve heard—called Papa Mazzoti’s. I know you love Italian.”
“I do,” I admit.
“Fantastic,” he replies. “Let’s meet there around seven, okay?”
“Okay,” I say, trying to put as much cheer into my voice as I can.
In reality, though, the thought of heading out, being seen in public, seems unbearable. But it’s Henry. If nothing else, he’ll be a welcome distraction.
After hanging up, I spend a moment looking at Tillie. Her eyes are almost human in their understanding, her soft fur comforting under my fingers. She gives me a quick lick on the hand before trotting off toward her bed in the corner of the room.
Alone again, I sit in the silence of my house, wrestling with my thoughts. Is it possible that Henry hurt Ralph?
I shake my head at the thought. Henry is kind-hearted and gentle—usually. But then again, we all have our breaking points.
And Henry, when he reaches his, can be lethal.
Chapter Sixteen
Jason
The fluorescent lights buzz above me, casting everything in a harsh, artificial glow. The hospital. I both love and hate this place.
Ralph’s room is located near the end of a corridor, away from the noises of the nurses’ station. I grasp the cool metal handle and push the door open.
Ralph looks small and pitiful in the large hospital bed, bandages wrapped around his arms and covering some of his face. His eyes are closed as if he’s sleeping. Or maybe he’s intentionally ignoring my presence.
“Ralph,” I say, my voice echoing slightly in the quiet room.
No response.
The thought of him taunting Angie stirs a raw anger in me. I quickly push it down. A man in my profession should never find joy in another’s suffering.
“Ralph,” I repeat, louder this time. “I know you’re awake.”
His eyes flutter open. There’s a flicker of recognition, and then something darker, something like dread.