Series: Straight to Hell MC Series by Sam Crescent
Total pages in book: 46
Estimated words: 43704 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 219(@200wpm)___ 175(@250wpm)___ 146(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 43704 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 219(@200wpm)___ 175(@250wpm)___ 146(@300wpm)
Grace signed in at the shelter and felt instantly at ease. She’d been shaking a lot on the walk over. This was a safe and familiar place for her. It made her strong because she had to be strong for the other women needing support.
“Hi, Grace,” Helen said. “Gena wants to see everyone when they come in.”
“Anything I should know?” she asked.
“Just a few questions. We all had to answer them.”
Grace went down the hall to the front offices to look for Gena. She was at her desk, her usual music not turned on.
“Gena, everything okay?”
She looked up as if she’d been a million miles away. “Grace, come on in. Have a seat.”
After sitting on the other side of the desk, feeling too formal, she waited. She set the plastic bag on the corner of the desk and left her purse on her lap.
“I just wanted to ask you if you’ve found anything unusual around here. Specifically, during the intake of Heidi Cartwright and her daughter.”
Grace was taken aback. “Like what?”
She was surprised the focus was still on Heidi. Was her husband still causing problems?
“I have no idea. Did she give you anything?”
“What? No. I know the rules, Gena. I’d never take anything from an admit.”
Gena exhaled. “I know, Grace. I’m sorry. I just have to ask.”
“Is there something going on?”
She felt like a criminal, and didn’t feel like Gena believed her when she said she’d never take anything. It was one hundred percent the truth.
Grace stood up and dropped her purse on the desk with a thump, tipping it forward so her belongings started spilling out. It was more for dramatic purposes but it mirrored the violent emotions whirling inside her right now.
“Grace, stop. I believe you.”
She dug through the contents, trying to symbolically prove she wasn’t a thief. She wasn’t.
All she had were old receipts, her wallet, keys, lozenges, and about mismatched five pens. That’s when she realized there was one she didn’t recognize. It probably was Heidi’s because she’d borrowed her pen when filling out the paperwork with her after hours. She ignored it because Gena wouldn’t worry about a dumb pen and it wouldn’t look good on her right now.
“I don’t steal from the women here,” she said.
Gena rubbed a hand over her face. “There’s been a lot going on. I do trust you. What’s with the plant?” She nodded toward the plastic bag.
Grace looked at the corner of the desk. Her little plant was peeking out.
“That’s another story.”
“I have no plans,” Gena said.
“My apartment was broken into. It looked like a tornado went through. I got my photo albums and nothing else looks stolen anyway. It’s just a massive mess.”
“Like they were looking for something?”
“I guess. They must have been very disappointed.” She chuckled. “I guess sometimes it pays to be working poor.”
Gena reached across the desk and grabbed her wrist. “I’m not supposed to say anything, but you need to know.”
“What is it?” Grace asked.
“There was a delivery yesterday. It had a woman’s finger in it. Whoever sent it thinks we have something of theirs. I have no clue who or what or anything.”
“You think it has something to do with the break-in?”
“I don’t know, that’s why I wanted to tell you. We have to be on alert, just in case.”
Chapter Twelve
Grace was terrified, but who wouldn’t be? A severed finger? Was that the supposed electrical issue Reaper claimed to have been dealing with? If so, why did he lie about it?
“I’ll be on guard,” Grace said.
This wasn’t good. She quickly packaged her bag, and then grabbed the pen that belonged to Heidi. She was tempted to leave it on Gena’s desk, but she knew who the owner was.
“Please do.”
Gena’s phone rang, and the other woman smiled at her, but her lips looked tight, as if she was trying to control her emotions. She was stressed, and Grace could understand why.
Keeping hold of her pen in one hand, she immediately went to the staff room to store her bag in a locker. Once it was secure, she went straight through to the main building, looking for Heidi.
No one was outside, not even any of the kids, which meant the threat was very real.
Heidi wasn’t in her bedroom. There was no sign of her near the kitchen, however, she was able to find her in the tea room sitting at a table alone drinking a cup of tea. Her daughter was playing in one of the game rooms.
Grace took a moment to look at Heidi. Was it her husband that was causing all the trouble? What did Heidi know?
It didn’t matter. It wasn’t like they were going to stop carrying for her. She moved closer and stood by the table.
“Grace,” Heidi said with a smile.
“Hi, Heidi, how is everything?” she asked.
“Oh, it’s nice. Thank you.”
Grace held out the pen. “I just wanted to return this to you. I found it in my bag and realized I mustn’t have given you this back.”