Total pages in book: 120
Estimated words: 121887 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 609(@200wpm)___ 488(@250wpm)___ 406(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 121887 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 609(@200wpm)___ 488(@250wpm)___ 406(@300wpm)
I was glad I didn’t have to pretend to be a sex worker.
Not that the Angels went “all the way” or anything, because we had a description of the guy, and they just waved any potential customers who didn’t look like him on their way.
Just that their outfits weren’t very cute.
In the end, we found him and it was Luna who got the gross dick pic that led to us convincing him it was in his best interests to repay what he stole (and then some).
I wouldn’t call it extortion, as such.
I preferred to call it justice.
The other one was dealing with some bully at work that was making life hell for some chick that Titus knew.
This was trickier.
And a bit skeevier because we had to do surveillance that felt a tad like stalking.
But since this woman was a total pain in the butt to pretty much anyone she encountered, once we got some video footage of her being an absolute bitch to the staff at an In and Out Burger, and we approached to share it’d be all over TikTok, and until the uproar died down, she’d understand the full meaning of bullied and might even lose her job, that situation was sorted.
Other than that, we just hung at the Headquarters because it was cool.
Not to mention, Arthur kept the beverage fridge stocked, and at our request, had added killer glasses and fun pink glass straws.
The couch was super comfy to watch movies in when our boys were off doing something else.
Just sayin’.
There was nothing to report regarding Jinx and her accountant.
He was still visiting her. He was still bringing her gifts. She still thought he was doing it to make him feel less dirty about being with a sex worker.
But we knew better.
At Javi’s request, it was me who set up his first meeting with Julia and Cath.
And at his further request, I went with.
They held up their part of the bargain and didn’t mention Austin or even allude to him.
And I was not surprised in the slightest that Javi had them eating out of his hand within fifteen minutes.
What was surprising was, when we were in his truck and leaving, Javi saying, “I’m gonna have a sit-down with Atherton.”
I had no words to say to argue.
It was his choice.
I wasn’t sure it was the right one, then again, Javi didn’t have any right ones (and that was Austin’s fault too).
Though I did say, “You’re not doing it without me there.”
“Babe—”
I crossed my arms on my chest and told the windshield. “Not gonna happen.”
He chuckled.
In the ensuing time, even though Javi had several meets with his sisters, sometimes both of them, or one or the other, and sometimes even without me (one could say Javi was digging on having siblings), and they texted each other often, he didn’t mention his dad again.
He even met Patrick, and I was definitely there then.
But Patrick was what we were expecting him to be—a complete jerk—though this was heightened when he took in all that was Javi, his insecurity came to the fore, and so did his douchebaggery.
In other words, there wasn’t a repeat of that, and we weren’t the only ones who decreed this. Julie and Cath laid down that law too by laying into Patrick right in front of Javi and me.
I knew extending an olive branch to his dad was on Javi’s mind.
I knew he’d share or talk with me if he needed to, because that was what we did, that was who we were (and it was awesome).
But I also knew Javi had made a decision, and so it was going to happen.
I was just glad he was taking his time and deciding when it was right for him.
And that was all I needed to know.
On the other hand, my family situation was surprisingly a lot messier.
Easton had shared about my no contact thing, and neither Mom nor Dad took it very well.
Since I’d blocked them both, Javi and I got an early Saturday morning buzz at the gate when we were at my place the weekend after I started my organizing thing with Shirleen and we visited Javi’s mom.
Javi answered the buzzer.
When Javi heard who was there, he told them to go fuck themselves.
I, on the other hand, went to the gate to finish things.
Javi dogged my heels.
Mom was a bitch.
Dad was a wreck.
I reiterated my stance.
Mom pitched a fit.
Dad looked like he was going to cry.
Javi slammed the gate on them as he guided me away.
Bottom line?
I unblocked Dad, and about once a month I had a stilted, uncomfortable brunch or lunch with him that Javi insisted on attending with me.
Mom and Easton, though, were out.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, at our last lunch, Dad shared he and Mom were getting a divorce.
I could tell it was bothering him.
But I was glad he, too, would soon be free.