Total pages in book: 108
Estimated words: 101764 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 509(@200wpm)___ 407(@250wpm)___ 339(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 101764 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 509(@200wpm)___ 407(@250wpm)___ 339(@300wpm)
He grunted but didn’t respond. I’d take that as an agreement. I couldn’t imagine many rich boys would be eager to drag someone out of a crack house in the middle of the night, especially given the high likelihood that there could be some altercation in the process.
We passed the rest of the ride in silence. For his part, Ryder seemed calm and cool as ever, whereas I grew more disgruntled by the second. The next few weeks would suck. My mom had developed wounds under two of her toes from where they rested against her wheelchair’s footplate all day. She’d been battling it unsuccessfully for months, and we were at the point where she needed surgery and possible toe amputations. She had a few appointments to clear her for the upcoming procedure.
But how could I do that now that I’d have a car repair bill to pay?
“Should be about three houses up here on the right.” Ryder’s voice broke through the silence, making me jolt. “You okay?” he asked as he slowed the car to a roll and finally removed his hand from my leg.
I mourned the loss immediately.
“Yeah, sorry. I zoned out.” I ran a hand through my hair as he pulled to a stop before a small duplex. One side had peeling white siding and a boarded upstairs window. A rusted mailbox dangled from one screw on the house next to the door with the house number, 417, missing a seven where it had been tacked above the door. The second side of the duplex wasn’t fresh and new, but it didn’t scream of a neglected drug den either. It sucked for whoever had to live there.
I sighed, gripped the door handle, then peered at him over my shoulder. “I’ll be as quick as I can.”
Ryder rolled his eyes and reached for his door. “You’re crazy if you think I’m letting you go in there alone.”
“Ryder…” I shook my head. Earlier, the thought of him bearing witness to this part of my life filled me with shame. Now, the idea of him entering that piece-of-shit hovel had me in a near panic. How could I protect him and Kenny at the same time? The dealers in there would smell the money on him the second he walked through the door, and they’d pounce. He was fresh meat. A delicious meal for bottom feeders like the people Kenny hung around.
“This is not a game.” I gave him a furious glare that didn’t seem to register. “The people in there are serious. You’re…”
His eyes narrowed, and his face contorted in a scowl. “I’m what? Too rich? Too soft? Too weak? Too fucking clean to be in there because I showered today?”
I pinched the bridge of my nose. “That’s not what I mean.”
“Fuck you, Alex. You might think I’m an asshole, and you’re probably right, but I’m not enough of an asshole to send you in there by yourself with God knows what’s waiting for you. So suck it the fuck up, buttercup, because I’m going in there with you.”
Shit. His glare could rival mine. “Buttercup?”
He shrugged. “It rhymed.”
I snorted a half-laugh. The tense moment seemed to have passed. Neither of us moved for a second as our gazes locked. “Thank you,” I managed eventually.
He nodded once. “Well, if we’re about to get our asses kicked, I guess we should get it over with, huh?”
CHAPTER NINETEEN
RYDER
Okay, so I’d never been in a physical altercation with another person. Never taken or thrown a punch outside of a gym and a heavy bag. Fighting wasn’t my thing. In my world, money was a weapon far more powerful than fists. But I wasn’t weak, I wasn’t a coward, and I wouldn’t abandon Alex no matter what he thought of me.
“Fine, but don’t blame me if your pretty face gets fucked up,” he said with his customary frown.
“Aww, Ally, you think my face is pretty.”
“Don’t call me that,” he said as he shoved the door open and stepped outside.
After toasting my ass on my heated seats and being surrounded by the sublime heat pumped from the vents, the cold was a brutal smack to the face.
“Trevor calls you Ally.” I followed him out into the cold, zipping my coat up to my chin. Any chill I could block out was worth the effort.
“Trevor’s like a small rodent. Cute but annoying as fuck, and he does whatever the hell he wants.”
I chuckled. “Oh, man, I’m so telling him you said that.”
Alex’s shoulders bounced even though his laugh was quiet. Joking at a time like this might seem stupid, but a corny one-liner was the only way I could think of to distract him for a few seconds.
I left the car running in case we needed a quick getaway, but I made sure to lock it. The last thing we needed was to come outside and find my Range Rover missing. I pocketed my keys and followed him up the short, dark walkway to the front door. An outdoor light mounted to the side of the door should have provided some light, but it was either broken or not on because we had zero illumination besides the dim light of the thumbnail moon.