Total pages in book: 180
Estimated words: 182075 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 910(@200wpm)___ 728(@250wpm)___ 607(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 182075 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 910(@200wpm)___ 728(@250wpm)___ 607(@300wpm)
Indie pushed those thoughts aside.
“Why did you do that?” her mum asked.
“Because I don’t want you touching me, Sylvia,” Slade said.
“Obviously,” Spencer added in a cheerful voice. “Why would he want you to touch him?”
Her mum looked at Spencer with confusion, obviously trying to figure out if he was insulting her or not.
Spencer waggled his fingers at her. “Great to see you, Sylvia. How’s the search for a sugar daddy going? Do they still call it that at your age?”
“Spencer,” she said with a groan as her mother’s face grew red.
“How dare you!” her mum yelled.
“It was a genuine question,” Spencer said.
“What are you doing here, Sylvia?” Slade asked.
“I came to talk to my daughter, of course. Come here, darling. I’ve missed you so much.”
Yeah. Indie wasn’t buying that.
“Why didn’t you call?” Indie asked. “How did you find us here?”
“Well, I wanted to call but I lost my phone.”
Uh-huh.
Did she really lose her phone or was there something else going on here?
“And when I tried to see Edward, he wouldn’t talk to me.” Her mum scowled. “Bastard. Do you know he’s trying to leave me with nothing?”
“You have a pre-nup and you cheated on him,” Slade said dryly. “What were you expecting? For him to give you half of everything?”
“Well, I deserve more than I’m getting,” her mother huffed. “And it isn’t as though he hasn’t cheated on me.”
“Yeah, but you don’t have proof of that, do you, Sylvia,” Spencer pointed out. He was very still and watchful. Odd for Spencer.
Her mother glared at them all. “I wish to speak to my daughter. Come, Indie.”
Rock tensed in front of her and she moved around to stand next to him. He reached out and took hold of her hand. Probably because he didn’t want her going any closer to her mother.
Indie got it. She didn’t want to go near her mum either.
“I don’t have anything to talk to you about, Mum,” Indie told her. “I’m sorry that the divorce isn’t going your way. But don’t you have a new man, now?”
“What are you implying, Indie?” her mother asked. “That I need a man to support me?”
“I don’t think I was implying it,” Indie said. “I was out and out saying it. You’ve always relied on someone else to support you, Mum. I figured you left Edward because you had this new guy.”
“Well, he wasn’t who I thought he was.” Her mum sniffed. “And now Edward is being cruel. All I have left is you.” Her mother’s gaze moved over all of the guys. “Still all hanging out, huh? Aren’t you a bit old for that?”
“I don’t have any money, Mum,” Indie said cutting to the chase. Because she knew that was why her mum had really sought her out. “And what I do have I need for the baby.”
“Baby?” Her mum gave her a shocked look, running her gaze over her. Indie knew that her coat hid her small belly. “You’re pregnant? To who?”
“I messaged you and told you all of this,” Indie said. “It’s Billy’s baby.”
“Billy? Where is he? Why isn’t he with you?”
“He beat me up,” Indie said bluntly. “I left him.”
“He did what? He always seemed so nice. So now you’re living with Slade?” her mum asked.
It was phrased as a question but Indie got the feeling she already knew that she was living with Slade and the guys.
“She is,” Slade said. “She’s under our protection. Now, our hot chocolate is getting cold. You need to leave, Sylvia.”
“You can’t talk to me like that!” Sylvia said. “I came to speak to my daughter.”
“I don’t think we have anything to talk about,” Indie said tiredly. “I want to go home now.”
“I need money!” Sylvia said. “I’m broke. Edward won’t give me any more money and my other options have dried up.”
“I told you I don’t have any, Mum.” Indie did feel a bit bad for her. Did she have nothing?
“Father said he was giving you an allowance until things were settled,” Slade said.
“It’s not enough!” her mum cried.
“Wait, so you do have money? It’s just not enough?” Indie stepped forward, ignoring the way Rock moved with her. “I have nothing, Mum, and I’ve got a baby on the way. I had to leave Billy because he was abusive, then he found me and beat me up and I ended up in hospital. And where were you? You didn’t once answer my messages. And now you want money from me? No.”
“You have to help me!” her mum cried, lunging forward suddenly and grabbing hold of Indie’s arm. She managed to get her fingernails under the arm of her coat and dig them into her skin.
Terror held her frozen as pain engulfed her arm.
He was back.
He was going to hurt her.
And there was nothing she could do about it.
Then Sylvia was pulled away from her and Rock tugged Indie in close to him, his arms surrounding her as he walked her away. In the background, she could hear her mum screaming. She didn’t know where Slade and Spencer were. All she could hear was her own ragged breathing. Rock’s heart was beating rapidly against her ear as he guided her out of the market and toward their car.