Total pages in book: 70
Estimated words: 70004 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 350(@200wpm)___ 280(@250wpm)___ 233(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 70004 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 350(@200wpm)___ 280(@250wpm)___ 233(@300wpm)
He pulled the bacon out of the pan and set it onto a plate of paper towels before turning to me and saying, “I think that you’re a good person, and you don’t deserve this. Better than me.”
Brawny barked, and Romeo dropped him a piece of bacon.
I shook my head. “You spoiled him. He begs like crazy now. But only with me.”
“Or maybe he just knows that you’re a pushover.” He laughed.
“Maybe so.”
Fifteen
You could die at any moment. Never say no to fucking.
—Romeo’s secret thoughts
Romeo
“I think we should get married.”
“Do you know how many offers I get for marriage in a week? You’d have to bring me something really special to the table.” She laughed.
Before I could reply with “I could give you endless orgasms,” her phone rang.
“Hey, Cody. What’s up?”
I was in a food coma, and I could barely open my eyes.
I’d had enough bread to last me a lifetime.
But damn, were those cinnamon rolls the best thing I’d ever tasted.
Then, just a few minutes ago, Mable had finished baking fried chicken, mashed potatoes and rolls.
I’d collapsed backward onto the couch once I’d cleaned the dishes, and now I was too full to move.
I could listen really well, though, and what I heard had my eyes popping open.
“I’ve got good news and bad news,” I heard Cody say.
“What’s wrong now?” Mable sighed.
“The good news is, I caught her doing it. The bad news is, your car is a fucking mess.”
“Just tell me what happened.”
“I caught someone stealing your vehicle,” she said. “We were clearing a path toward the hospital when I caught sight of your car. Then, I thought it was you driving it, and I would help you out and clear the road ahead of you. But when I got up to the door, I found Birdee in the front seat.”
Mable pinched the bridge of her nose. “What did she do to it?”
“She ran. I followed. And maybe I shouldn’t have. But I did, and then she lost control on a turn and your car tumbled down the mountain.”
Anger seethed inside me at Cody’s words.
“Is Birdee okay?” Mable gasped.
That was why Mable would never be for me.
We were two very different people with vastly different consciences.
I would’ve asked about my truck. Mable asked about the sister that she hated.
I would’ve been happy to see my car go up in flames as long as Birdee was locked inside.
“Birdee’s in the hospital with a broken leg and arm. She has a concussion and a few bumps and bruises. Your truck, however, is a total loss.”
Mable groaned.
But a thought occurred to me.
I pulled out my phone and texted Apollo.
Me:
Did she end up paying that car off?
Apollo:
Looks like she posted a check two days ago. It’ll be on the account by tomorrow.
Me:
Where is this car?
Apollo:
Sitting in front of the parents’ place. Why? What’s up?
I gave a quick rundown on what happened, and Apollo came back moments later with some more information.
Apollo:
Looks like the sister is running this under Mable’s name. She gave her Mable’s information when they got to the hospital.
The fucking audacity of this bitch…
“What are you doing?” Mable asked in surprise when I placed the phone up to my ear.
“Making a few phone calls,” I murmured, trying to hold back the rage.
The first call I placed was to the county hospital where Birdee was taken.
“Bear Pass ER.”
“Hi,” I said sweetly. “This is Romeo Haynes, a good friend of Mable Watts. I wanted to call and let you know that the person in your ER right now under the name Mable Watts isn’t the actual Mable Watts.”
There was a long pause where I could hear a lot of commotion in the background. Beeping and raised voices.
“I’m sorry, can you explain that one more time?”
I did, then ended with, “I have a fax coming in right now with the real Mable Watts’s information, as well as a current photo of her.”
“I don’t…” She blew out a frustrated breath. “I swear to you, the shit I see at this hospital,” she grumbled under her breath as the sound of a rolling chair moving across tiles sounded in the background. “Yeah, this doesn’t look like the Mable Watts we have in here right now. I’ll call the police and have this documented.”
“I’ll be calling them myself,” I said. “Please don’t let her file anything under Mable’s name. This woman in the ER is actually Birdee Watts, Mable’s sister. They’re stepsiblings, however, and look similar, but not exact. I’m also going to fax over all of Birdee’s information so you’ll have the correct information to put in her file.”
“Thank you,” she said. “I’m Belinda Robins, the charge nurse on shift. If you have any other issues, please don’t hesitate to reach out.”
The next call didn’t go to Bear Pass, but to my buddy, Gentry.
“What’s up?” he asked as soon as he answered.