Total pages in book: 61
Estimated words: 57920 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 290(@200wpm)___ 232(@250wpm)___ 193(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 57920 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 290(@200wpm)___ 232(@250wpm)___ 193(@300wpm)
“Are you calm?” I ask the leather coat guy. He nods. “Then get up and get your ID out and stand over there.” I point to the front of my cruiser.
“Sir,” Beckett starts to say, but I cut her off with a look. I don’t want to scold her in front of half the town. That wouldn't be good for anyone.
“How about you? He knocked some sense into you?” I ask.
“Yeah.”
“Then get up and get your ID out.”
“He punched me!” the man grumbles, getting to his feet. He pulls out his ID. I scan it, memorizing it before handing it back.
“They both took a few swings before you showed up,” Rudolph informs me.
“Where is your vehicle?” I ask the man who was assaulted.
He points across the street to a red truck.
“Yours?” I ask the other man, who is obediently standing where I’d told him to. He cringes at my question.
“We rode together. We’re cousins.”
“Give me your ID.” I take his too and do the same. “Both of you get the hell out of my county. Then get out of the truck and beat the shit out of each other for all I care.”
“Okay.”
“Yeah, we can do that.” They’re both eager to not be arrested.
“Now.”
“Right.” They both take off toward their truck across the street, not watching what the hell they are doing. A white car has to slam on its brakes to not hit them.
Two idiots down. One to go.
Chapter Fourteen
KINDRED
This town has lost its mind today, or maybe I have. It has been one thing after another since I landed in Town Hall this morning, by a miracle without a hangover. Now, I might have a sexover? I mean it wasn’t actually sex, but there was an orgasm. An earth-shattering one, to be clear. All I know is I’ve been on edge all day.
Seeing Cash all bossy didn’t help either. Nor had seeing the deputy Katie who is now on my shit list. The way she eye-fucks Cash is pissing me off and making me want to rub all over him like a cat in heat to douse him in my scent. It’s a strange thought, but I keep having them when it comes to him.
It’s because Cash blew open a door last night, and I don’t mean the possibility of us being together. No, the things that came out of his mouth were shocking to me. I never would have expected him to utter words like that. Now I can’t stop thinking about what else he might say or do.
There is this dirty side to him. I think there are a lot more sides to the man, and I want to know them all.
“This is Kindred for Mayor Hollis’ office. How can I help you?” I say, answering the office landline when it shows 'private caller.' I am fielding a few wedding calls from people with items and services we need from the city. With everyone in town practically invited and them being guests, we need some outside vendors.
Since Hollis still has pull pretty much everywhere, it’s all gone pretty smoothly. That’s what happens when you have money; we’ll still be able to pull it off, and people are more than happy to jump and help him to get in his good graces. Vomit.
For the third time today, all I hear is heavy breathing. “I’m starting to get worried. This breathing issue you got going on can be a sign of having asthma, a pulmonary embolism, COPD, or being a douchebag.”
“Fuck you, whore!” They end the call. I was joking, but now I’m really worried for them. Their voice went robotic. That can’t be healthy either. I'll ignore it. We have too many other things going on to give attention to stupid prank calls.
"You're going to kill me," Candy says, entering my office, already wringing her hands together in front of her.
"Nah, I only want to kill Katie."
"I heard about that."
I gasp. "Are you getting news and gossip elsewhere? The betrayal!” I grab my chest over my heart as though she just stabbed me.
"Oh." She glances around, her eyes growing bigger.
"I'm teasing you, Candy. I'm happy to see you've made it on to the town's tree line."
“Well, you’re still going to be upset with me.”
“I doubt that.” Candy is as sweet as her name. If she did anything that would upset someone, it was by accident. “How could I be upset with the mother of my goddaughters?”
“We don’t know if they’re girls.”
“If you say so.”
“Right, see, you can’t be upset with me.” Candy says it confidently, stepping closer to my desk, but now she is wringing her fingers together instead of her hands. I do think that’s a step down in the anxiety range. I don’t really get anxiety, but I give it so I can see the signs.