Total pages in book: 107
Estimated words: 101524 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 508(@200wpm)___ 406(@250wpm)___ 338(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 101524 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 508(@200wpm)___ 406(@250wpm)___ 338(@300wpm)
“Give me a second and I’ll come out with you.”
“Baby, just stay inside.”
“Yeah, right.” She starts to turn around and stumbles over Dozer, who is crowding her. Righting herself, she leans down to rub the top of his head, then looks back at me. “Give me just a second.”
Jesus, she’s cute.
Smiling, I watch her disappear out of sight, only to come back less than two minutes later wearing her jeans and carrying a shirt that she holds out to me.
“Thanks, baby.” I take it from her and put it on, then step outside, feeling the crunch of something under my foot. Looking down my jaw goes hard, then that annoyance in my gut turns to anger when I look back at the house and see the front marked with egg splatter.
“Do you think it was Matthew and his friends?” she asks, looking at the trees and bushes in the front of the house that are covered with toilet paper, the white strips of it blowing in the breeze.
“I wouldn’t be surprised.” We walk down the sidewalk to the driveway. When we get to the end of the road, I look in both directions. Without a doubt the boys are close enough to see the house and probably freaking out because they know they left their bikes behind and they can’t come back without me catching them.
Grabbing one, I start rolling it towards the house, and Nalia lifts the other one, rolling it along with me. Reaching the garage door, I plug in the code, and it slides open. After placing both bikes inside, I take her hand and walk her to the door, hitting the button for the garage sending it closed then lead her into the house.
Taking her down the hall to the bedroom, I flip on the lamp, then grab my cell from the side of the bed and take a seat. I call the non-emergency line for the police department, and request an officer come over so that I can file a report and they can pick up the bikes the kids left behind. After the dispatcher tells me an officer is in route, I end the call.
“An officer will be here in just a few minutes.” I get to my feet, then I lean down, planting my fist in the bed at Nalia’s hip. “Why don’t you go back to bed?”
“I’m not going to leave you to deal with this on your own.”
“There is nothing to deal with, baby. When they get here, they’ll take a report, pick up the bikes, and leave. I’m not dealing with the yard tonight; I’ll get that shit sorted in the morning.” I get closer and touch my lips to hers. “Just get back in bed, and when I’m done, I’ll join you.”
“Logan.”
“Nalia, it’s late, you don’t need to deal with this.”
“Neither do you, but here we are,” she mutters, and I hold her stare until she pulls her gaze from mine and sighs. “Fine, I’ll stay.”
“Thank you.” I kiss her once more, then go to my closet and grab a hoodie. When I walk back out, her jeans are on the end of the bed, and she’s under the covers with her back to the headboard. “Be right back.”
After I get her nod, I tell Dozer to stay and listen to him groan before he walks back over to his bed. Stepping out the front door, a minute later, a cruiser is pulling up, so I walk down to the end of the driveway to meet the two officers who get out. I spend a few minutes talking to the two of them and letting them know who I suspect is responsible while they take a few pictures, then I help them load the bikes into the trunk. When I get back inside and walk into the bedroom, Nalia is exactly like I left her, sitting up in bed with her phone.
“What did they say?”
“Nothing much. They took a report, wrote down who I told them I thought might be responsible, then they took the bikes and got some photos. They said they’ll go over to Matthew’s house in the morning,” I get undressed down to my sweats then slide into bed next to her.
“If it was Matthew, maybe the cops showing up at his place will scare him into not being a little prick.”
“Maybe.” I reach over for the lamp, flipping it off, then curl her into my side. She settles against me with her arm across my abs and lifts her thigh to rest on top of mine. I grit my teeth. Last evening, I took full advantage of having her alone, and the last two times I fucked her, I was not gentle. I’m sure she’s sore, and I need to give her a break.
“Are you tired?” she asks softly while I feel her fingers against my skin twitch.