Total pages in book: 105
Estimated words: 98755 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 494(@200wpm)___ 395(@250wpm)___ 329(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 98755 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 494(@200wpm)___ 395(@250wpm)___ 329(@300wpm)
She doesn’t let me respond as she practically drags me to the bathroom. She checks every stall to make sure no one else is in here.
When she turns and faces me, her eyes wide, I can tell she knows who he is.
How the fuck does she know who he is? How much does she know?
“A detective?” she whisper-shouts.
“That’s what he is. Unfortunately, I’m not in charge of choosing people’s career paths for them.”
She pins me with her stare. Right, sarcasm is not going to get me out of this one. She’s seriously pissed.
“Is this why you’ve been coming home so late? Have you been hiding a certain detective from us? You know you can tell me anything, but you also understand the issues that would come with having someone like him in our family, right?”
I put my hands up in defense. “Whoa, you’re suddenly starting to sound like a detective yourself with this interrogation. It’s nothing.”
“I know when nothing is something to my own daughter, Hope Ivanov.”
Oh fuck. I’m seriously in trouble if she’s bringing out the last name.
“Do you think your father didn’t tell me about the detective who took a particular interest in you on the night Charlotte stole that wallet? You give me too little credit.”
“It’s not like that. I swear I didn’t know he was going to be here. Obviously, he came here for Kylie.”
She doesn’t look at all happy with that response, crossing her arms over her chest. It’s moments like this that I know exactly who I adopted that stance from. And when my body goes to do it in response to her, I stop myself. My hands clench into fists and then relax. What the fuck am I supposed to tell her?
“Are you telling me you haven’t had anything to do with that man since that night?”
I bite the inside of my cheek, conflicted by the lies I’ve been telling. I mean, technically, she didn’t say what night. I hate lying to my mother. There’s a difference between this and my sick, twisted hobbies, though. Isn’t there?
I do understand everything she’s telling me, and I’ve thought about it several times over the last few months since I’ve been seeing him. Not that anything happened between us right away, but that kiss led to me going home with him and a parking lot rendezvous. And while nothing else has happened since then, I can’t deny there is a very strong attraction between us. Yes, I’m pissed off with him and plan to kill him, but I can’t exactly tell my mother that.
“Nothing’s happening with the detective. He’s a total asshole.”
“Your father was an asshole too. A very charming one,” she bites back.
I try not to smile.
Whatever this living and breathing thing between me and Braxton is, it isn’t going anywhere except to the grave with him—soon. But I don’t fucking like the idea of there being more between him and Kylie. I wonder how they know each other and why he’s here to see her. He’s not dressed like he just came from work; he’s dressed for a date. And all the digging I’ve done has indicated that he’s very single. Even his apartment shows me that he’s single. So why is he here to see Kylie?
“The way he was looking at you…” Mom starts, shaking her head. “You’re lucky it was me here tonight instead of your father, or that man would already be dead.”
“I don’t know if that’s because he’s an asshole or because he’s a man,” I reply, unsure as to which way the threat is swinging.
“Both,” she says. “And let me just say, your father is the least of that man’s worries if he tries to mess with you.” A chill runs through me, and I’m certain my mother, in her own way, could and would destroy any person who tried to hurt me.
It’s definitely best that I don’t tell her how he hurt me in all the ways I like.
“Just stay clear of him. And be careful. You may not want it to go any further, but sometimes, things have a way of unraveling themselves. There’s tension between you two. Don’t get caught up in it,” she warns.
And I swallow hard. If she only knew the mess I’ve already gotten myself into.
Then again, fucking a detective surely will be the least of her concerns compared with the other damning things I’ve done.
Another secret.
Another lie.
It terrifies me how quickly they build.
CHAPTER 30
Braxton
She hasn’t come back since she took off with her mother, and I’ve been left standing with Kylie, explaining that I’ve met Hope before but not going into detail about it because that’s none of her business.
This tangible, living thing between me and Hope is ours; it’s not for anyone else. Even if her mother can clearly see there’s something going on. I wonder how adamantly Hope will deny any form of association with me. I suppose I’ll know in due time if someone tries to take me out. I should be more cautious about antagonizing her family. It’s only a matter of time before one of them comes for me, but I really don’t give a shit. Let them come.