Total pages in book: 64
Estimated words: 60018 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 300(@200wpm)___ 240(@250wpm)___ 200(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 60018 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 300(@200wpm)___ 240(@250wpm)___ 200(@300wpm)
Raven clasped his free hand. “Then maybe you’d have been hurt or killed, too. Or maybe it was fate and the murderer would have found another time when your mom was alone. All I know is you can’t blame yourself.”
He curled his fingers around her hand, squeezing to express his gratitude. “As a kid, I couldn’t get past it. Now, as an adult, I know all the same things you just said but it’s hard not to blame myself.”
“I know,” she whispered, her gaze on his.
“But we’re both doing the same thing. There’s no point in wishing away something bad. You can’t change what happened with the Kanes any more than I can with my mom.”
She nodded and tipped her head up, her eyes locking on the warmth in his golden-brown gaze. Leaning down, he brushed his lips over hers. Once, twice, then a third time that made her moan and press her body against his.
“Raven Walsh, stop making out and get your ass out here. The cake from Juniper’s is here and as manager, you need to sign for the order,” a familiar voice called out.
Stevie.
Like caught teenagers, she and Remy jumped back, Raven mortified she’d crossed boundaries at work.
“Get that look off your face,” he whispered. “You did nothing wrong. Stevie’s your friend. It’s all good.”
A friend she needed to keep at a distance once her brother got out of prison. She shook her head and pushed that thought aside. She still had time.
“She’s lucky I like her or I’d fire her,” Remy muttered.
But they both knew he’d never do such a thing. Stevie was the best of the waitstaff they had.
“Boss, your family’s waiting,” Stevie called, this time in a singsong voice.
He shook his head, a smirk on those perfect lips.
“We’ll pick this up again later,” he said in a gruff voice.
“So sure of yourself, aren’t you?” she teased, surprising herself again.
She liked this lighter side she rarely showed. Too bad it’d be locked down soon enough. Not wanting to deal with thoughts of Lance, she pushed the reality aside.
“After I finish with my family, I need to meet with a client,” Remy was saying and she focused on his steady voice instead. “Can I come by afterward?”
Leaning down, she expected another slide of his mouth over hers. Instead, he licked her bottom lip and she groaned.
“Vanilla and mint. Yum,” he said, then stood to his full height.
She glanced down and realized his cock was thick and aroused, tenting against his jeans.
He gave her a soft, pleading stare. “Please?”
She laughed at his antics. “Yes! Now go before someone comes looking for you again.”
Obviously satisfied he’d gotten his way, he winked, and walked away, giving her the perfect view of a perfect ass.
* * *
The bar got busier after the Sterling family left and Raven even helped serve drinks. By the time the night ended, she was tired and ready to turn in for the night. Stevie walked out to an Uber she’d called and waved good night. Raven locked up the restaurant.
She strode past the tables and chairs to the door in the back that led to the apartment she rented. Stepping out, she locked up and set the alarm to the bar. One of the things she liked about the setup was that she had to go through the business in order to reach her front door. Nobody could sneak in and she felt safe.
At her apartment door, she unlocked the Medeco lock on the bottom and the deadbolt on top. Once inside, she unset the alarm and locked up behind her, resetting the alarm.
“Whew.” She kicked off her shoes, leaving them by the door. All she wanted was a hot shower and to crawl under the covers and get some sleep.
The apartment had come decorated in furniture much nicer than anything she’d be able to afford on her own. She had a feeling Zach had initially liked her enough or sensed she was one of his needy women and cut her a break on the rent. Either way, the place was homey and perfect for her.
She entered her bedroom. Just as she reached for the light switch, the window by her bed shattered. She screamed and out of instinct, rushed out and slammed the door behind her.
Though she hoped the blare of the alarm had scared them off, she ran out of the apartment and rushed back to the bar, locking herself inside.
Chapter Eight
Remy drove home from his surveillance mission. He’d caught a man playing basketball with his son while suing his employer because he’d slipped on a wet floor that hadn’t been marked with cones or signs. Once Remy forwarded the photographs to his client, their business would use them during the ongoing trial, no doubt ending things then and there.
Remy hated cases of insurance fraud. People using fake injuries to defraud the companies for cash disgusted him, not just because it was wrong but every time they succeeded, they made it harder for those truly hurt to be compensated the amount they deserved. Missing people satisfied something in Remy’s soul but when those jobs were scarce, which was a good thing, he and Zach often helped companies prove illegitimate claims.