Total pages in book: 188
Estimated words: 185811 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 929(@200wpm)___ 743(@250wpm)___ 619(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 185811 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 929(@200wpm)___ 743(@250wpm)___ 619(@300wpm)
“Fuck.” I jerk my cell out of my pocket and step away from the group as I dial Aiden. When he doesn’t answer, I hang up and tap my cell against my thigh. I should have gotten Bridgett’s number from her the first time I saw her. And I definitely should have gotten it when she shocked the shit out of me and showed up at my job with cookies.
Cookies that were so good I would have sworn she bought them if she hadn’t been so adorable when talking about the kind of fucking chocolate chips she used.
Knowing I can’t do anything right now but wait for her to show up, I get to work gathering the information I’ll need to give to the families displaced by the fire.
At ten to six, when I watch Bridgett pull into the complex’s parking lot, I get out of my car. With the lot now empty of all emergency personnel, she’ll have no idea what took place today until she sees the yellow tape on her brother’s front door. As she exits her car, I walk up behind her and try not to acknowledge how beautiful she looks with her hair up in a bun, and her fancy-ass clothes and shoes on.
“Bridgett,” I call out. She spins around as a squeak of surprise escapes her lips currently painted a pretty burgundy color.
“Oh, you scared me.” Her eyes move over my uniform. “What are you doing here? Are Aiden and May okay?”
“They’re both fine—or I think they are. I haven’t been able to get in touch with your brother all evening.”
“I think he’s been in meetings all day.” She shakes her head as she pulls her handbag up over her shoulder. “Is everything okay?”
“Yes, and no.” I rub my hand down my jaw rough with a thick layer of stubble. “There was a fire in the unit next to yours today.”
“What?” she whispers, spinning around to look at the large structure. “Is everyone all right?”
“The woman who lives there went to the hospital for smoke inhalation but was released shortly after. No one else was home.” She turns to face me. “That said, the building is uninhabitable and will be until the inspector can make it out, and the damage can be repaired.”
“So I can’t stay here?”
I shake my head, and my gut twists as her chin wobbles. “I got clearance from the chief to take you in to get your stuff.”
“Okay.” She drags in a deep breath. “Okay, sure, that would be great.”
I lift my chin, then lead her up to her entryway, taking her key from her when I notice her hands shaking, making it difficult for her to unlock the door. I let us inside, then take my flashlight off my hip and flip it on. With it still being winter, it’s dark even now.
“They shut the electricity off earlier as a precaution,” I tell her, then hand her the light. “Lead the way.”
She takes it and drops her bag onto the couch, shining the beam through the room and pausing in the kitchen, where the wall has a gaping black hole that looks like something out of a horror movie.
“Thank goodness no one was hurt,” she says. I don’t know if she’s talking to me or herself.
“Are you going to stay with Aiden?”
“No.” Her voice is quiet as we walk down the hall and enter her room. “I think there is a hotel just outside of town that does weekly rentals. Maybe I’ll see if they have something available.”
“You’re not staying there,” I bite out without thinking. I know the hotel she’s talking about and answer the weekly calls we get from there when shit goes down. “What about your parents’ place or Aiden’s?”
“No.” Her laugh is humorless. “My parents’ place is not an option, and I know Aiden doesn’t want me staying with him and May.” She goes to the closet and comes out with a suitcase that she tosses up onto the bed a second later. Then she places the flashlight on the edge of the dresser, pointing it in the bed’s direction. “I’ll stay at that hotel.”
“It’s not safe.”
“I’ll be fine.” She disappears into the closet again, and I hear the rattle of hangers before she comes back out with an armful of clothes, dumping them haphazardly into the bag before going back once more.
“I’ve got a room,” I tell her when she comes out with another armful of stuff. “There isn’t a bed, but there’s a pull-out couch. You can crash on it until things get sorted and you can get back in here.”
“That’s very kind, but it’s not necessary.” I step forward to help her zip the bag.
“I know it’s not necessary, but if you refuse to stay with your parents, Aiden, or me, I’m telling you now, I’ll arrest you to keep you from staying at that hotel.”