Total pages in book: 58
Estimated words: 54343 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 272(@200wpm)___ 217(@250wpm)___ 181(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 54343 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 272(@200wpm)___ 217(@250wpm)___ 181(@300wpm)
Rosa had a stained mattress on the floor covered by two beach towels. Wraith wasn’t bothered by much, but Street could hear the disgust in his voice that she’d had to sleep on that. “That trash disguised as bedding might be better than the floor,” Wraith had shared. The big biker hadn’t sounded convinced. Of course, the Ravagers had slit that open several times as well, exposing the filth inside.
Street had barely controlled his anger. Not at the Ravagers but at whoever had abandoned Rosa to this desperate existence. Where was her family?
Wraith hadn’t chosen to pack more in the duffel bag. Nothing else was of any value or use. Her only other shoes had holes in the bottom and were a different size from those she’d given him today. Street would order her some new ones but wanted to get her the right size. She hadn’t even owned a coat.
He forced himself to leave the doorway. Rosa needed sleep. He didn’t want to disturb her. Street walked into his bathroom and stripped off his clothes. Afraid she would run away, even in the compound, he hadn’t changed since he’d returned home. Now his skin itched from sleeping in the hay.
Before jumping into the shower, he took a wild chance and messaged the MC.
Does anyone have one of those shoe-size measuring things?
Shaking his head, Street set his phone down on the vanity. They’d have fun answering that question.
His phone buzzed with a message from Pirate. Surely he didn’t really have the sizing device? Opening the text, Street read:
* * *
Rosa Serrano, 14, accused of theft of food by her stepfather. Two officers refused to write up the charges. The third completed the report but couldn’t locate Rosa. The case was sealed after Rosa turned eighteen. The school reported her for truancy a month after the robbery charge. Her mother never filed a report for a runaway. No other violations are available in her hometown or elsewhere.
* * *
Street instantly understood what had happened. Her stepfather had driven her away. Over food. What an asswipe! And her mother had not only allowed him to levy charges against Rosa, but she hadn’t searched for her daughter at all. Rosa had existed on her own since she was fourteen, still believing she was under the threat of a warrant for her arrest.
Funneling his anger into action, Street turned his attention to helping her settle here. Street wanted Rosa to have some comfortable clothes to wear around the house. Eventually, he’d take her out of town to try on a few things if she didn’t know her correct size.
“Leggings,” he announced to the empty room as he tossed his dirty clothes into the hamper. He could guesstimate her size in those. Somewhat relieved to have solved part of the dilemma about some additional clothes for Rosa, he stepped into the large shower stall.
By the time he’d finished washing every inch of his skin and erasing his night in the barn, Street had an entire list in his head. Before he could forget anything, he grabbed his phone and started filling up his online cart. He’d have the items delivered to Inferno.
A small gasp from the doorway made him glance up from his device. Rosa stood frozen in the opening, staring. When he moved, she whirled around to face the wall. “Sorry. I didn’t know you were naked. I didn’t mean to invade your privacy. Who leaves the bathroom door wide open for anyone to waltz in anyway?”
He grinned at her burst of indignation to cover her embarrassment. “Sorry, Rosa.”
She turned to talk to him and found him still exposed and dripping water. “Could you like put a towel over that thing?”
He chuckled as he grabbed a towel and wrapped the material around his waist. She struggled to keep her eyes on his face. He loved her pink cheeks and had never been more pleased with his own body. Her embarrassment was adorable. “Better?”
“Thank you!”
“Of course. Anything to make you comfortable. Come here, Little girl. Let me work on your hair. I should have dried it before sending you to bed.”
Before she could refuse, he wrapped an arm around her waist and guided her to the mirror. She leaned against him without seeming to realize she’d responded to his touch. His Daddy instincts flared into place. He wanted to take care of her.
Rosa shook her head as she studied her reflection. Her long hair stuck out at weird angles and was smushed on one side. He could tell at a glance that the ends at least were wickedly tangled.
“Fuck,” she cursed.
“No bad words, Rosa. I’ll fix it.”
“Do you have your cosmetology degree or something?”
“Nah. But they train Daddies to handle a wide variety of emergencies.” He picked up a brush and carefully held one section of her hair, so he didn’t tug at her scalp as he smoothed the tresses below where he gripped it. To his delight, the snarls cooperated with him.