Total pages in book: 47
Estimated words: 44920 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 225(@200wpm)___ 180(@250wpm)___ 150(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 44920 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 225(@200wpm)___ 180(@250wpm)___ 150(@300wpm)
But Penny was insistent. “You deserve some fun. You worked your ass off at the wedding, and you saved my butt more than once. Plus, I know how hard things have been for you at home.”
“That’s not home,” I snapped, and then instantly regretted it. “Sorry. It’s just… Frank’s apartment isn’t home.”
“I understand,” she said softly, and I knew that she did.
The trouble was, I knew what place wasn’t home, but I didn’t have the slightest clue what place was.
A little while later, I decided to raid the kitchen and get a snack. I took the stairs down to the great room, thinking I’d be better able to scope out the place and make sure Rocco wasn’t around before I entered.
I didn’t see any sign of the snooty chef, but I did hear Dominic’s voice before I rounded a corner and spotted him. He’d put his shirt back on, but I could see the stiffness of his muscles as he talked to someone by the front door. It was like the massage I gave him had never even taken place.
“That doesn’t explain what you’re doing here.” Dominic’s voice was a low growl.
Crap. Who was he talking to?
I stepped into the foyer and Dominic’s eyes flicked to me before returning to the man who stood just inside the open front door.
It was someone I’d never met. The newcomer was tall and thin, but he was well-muscled. He had a huge mustache and a surprisingly scrawny little beard. I thought about Tye’s assessment of baseball players’ facial hair last night and decided that this guy must be an athlete, too.
He turned when he sensed my presence. “Hello,” he said. “I’m an old friend of Dominic’s. I’m Smitty.”
Oh shit.
Crap.
Tension was coming off of Dominic in waves that were almost visible. What the hell was his rival doing here?
Evidently, Dominic was trying to figure that out, too. “I’m going to ask this one more time and then I’m going to throw you out on your ass.”
Then a new voice spoke. “He’s with me.”
A slender blonde slipped through the door, coming to stand beside the tall man known as Shitty.
She was pretty, but in a hard way. She wore a lot of eyeliner and had dozens of rings and bracelets on.
She locked her arm around Shitty’s and faced Dom, never even looking my way.
“Hello, Dominic,” she said.
He was silent for a moment as he stared at her. Then he found his voice.
“Hello, Yvonne.”
13
TYE
Justin and I were in the den, doing an online practice quiz. I hoped Justin would pass it. Every time he started screwing up questions, he got flustered and then he did worse. I knew he could do it if he could just get his nerves under control.
I’d already finished all the questions, so I watched my friend’s face as he concentrated on the laptop screen. He looked like he was doing okay. He was fully focused—at least until his phone buzzed.
“Just leave that for later,” I said, but he’d already glanced at the screen.
Then he was on his feet. “Come on,” he said, already headed toward the door. “We have to get downstairs.”
“But you haven’t even finished—” I stopped because I was talking to an empty room. I hurried into the hallway, having to jog to keep up with Justin’s long strides. “Who the hell was the text from?”
“Naomi,” he said as he disappeared down the stairwell. “She said it was an emergency.”
An emergency? Then why had she texted us instead of 911?
Fear filled me as I ran after Justin. Was she or Dominic hurt?
But they appeared fine, if tense, when we found them by the door along with two very unexpected visitors—Shitty and Dominic’s ex-wife.
For a moment, I couldn’t quite believe my eyes. It was like our conversation about Shitty last night had conjured him here. But what the fuck was Yvonne doing here? And why was she with Shitty in the first place?
This made no sense.
One thing was clear, though. Dominic needed us. Naomi was standing off to the side, but near enough to him to be of some support, and I was glad she’d texted us. She sent us a grateful smile as we flanked Dom.
“What the hell is going on?” I growled.
“I was just trying to figure that out,” Dominic said. It sounded like he was barely holding onto his temper.
Yvonne moved forward. She was still pretty, but to my mind, she’d always been a hard woman. I’d never quite understood what Dominic saw in her.
“We’re just here for a visit with our old friends,” she said.
Dominic’s posture grew even stiffer, but Justin put his hand on his arm. “Exactly which of us do you think are your friends?” Justin said. His tone was mild, but I heard steel behind it.
“Well, wait until you hear what we have to say.” Her tone was casual, but she kept a wary eye on Justin.