Total pages in book: 35
Estimated words: 33577 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 168(@200wpm)___ 134(@250wpm)___ 112(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 33577 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 168(@200wpm)___ 134(@250wpm)___ 112(@300wpm)
“It’s not a bad idea to have in case you need it. I also got some over-the-counter pain killers. Take those now with your antibiotic. I brought you a treat for taking your medicine.”
Her eyes widened in surprise when he pulled out a bag of chocolate kisses in holiday colors. Instantly, her mouth watered. She hadn’t bought candy in a very long time.
“Pizza first. Then dessert,” Rocky told her.
She watched him open the pill containers and drop the right dose into her hand. Grateful she didn’t need to worry about anything, Melissa popped them into her mouth. Her arm was hurting more and more as the deadening meds wore off.
“How many stitches do you have, Little girl? Or did he use glue?”
“The teeth marks were jagged, so he had to stitch them. I didn’t watch. They said I had seven in different places.”
“Ouch. I’m afraid that’s going to hurt. Let’s set your phone to remind you to take your medicine,” Rocky suggested, holding out his hand for her device.
“That’s a good idea.” She would have never thought of programming her phone to signal it was time to take her pills. Poking in the sack he’d gotten at the pharmacy, Melissa noticed he’d gotten several kinds of bandages and even some tape. She could use that for the trash bag showers.
“I can’t thank you enough for all of this. You’re going to think I’m a bunch of trouble and run the other way,” Melissa predicted.
“Not going to happen, Little girl. We haven’t known each other long, but I agree with PLAYTIME. We’re a good match.”
“Thank you for helping me,” she whispered.
“It’s my absolute pleasure, Little girl. I’ve been looking for someone special to complete my life. I think I need to write PLAYTIME a thank you note.”
CHAPTER 3
Rocky watched the slight figure devour two large slices of pizza before leaning back to rub her tummy. He didn’t need a detective license to know her normal meals were limited and was glad he’d ordered a large pizza. Devouring the whole pie would have been easy, but he limited himself to two slices as well so she’d have leftovers.
“Could you take tomorrow off?” he asked.
“No,” she said, shaking her head in horror. “I enjoy going to work. I don’t want to stay here for hours.”
“What else is that jerk doing?” Rocky felt his blood pressure spike in anger.
“It’s ok. He’s just here in the evenings. Well, on the weekends, too, I’m sure. I usually ask for additional shifts, so I’m out of the building. Or I go to the park if the weather is good.”
“What’s so bad about this apartment?” he asked.
A scurrying sound came from the kitchen. Then, a rhythmic banging like something was trying to open the cabinets. Rocky glanced at Melissa and froze at the fear etched into her features. As he watched, she scrambled up into a chair and hugged her knees to her chest.
“You don’t have a cat?” he guessed.
“No. That’s not a cat. I’m sorry. You should leave. The smell of the pizza must have attracted them.”
“Them?” Rocky asked and got to his feet.
“Take the pizza with you. They’ll leave as soon as they investigate.” She hesitated a moment before adding, “And the chocolate. You should take that, too.”
He could see the regret on her face. What was going on here? Rocky suspected she thought he had stood up to leave. He wasn’t walking out of here and leaving his Little injured and menaced by something.
Heading for the kitchen, he stopped when she whispered, “Don’t turn on the light. That makes them mad.”
Rocky flipped on the switch. Two enormous rats stood in the middle of her kitchen. They hissed at him. Oh, hell no.
“Get out of here,” he yelled and stomped his feet. They stood their ground for a few seconds before racing under the cabinets.
Turning back into the living space, he asked, “You’re living here with rats?”
“I haven’t seen them since Archer put in the extra boards to keep them out. They must have chewed through them. Or they ate through the drywall. They’ve done that before.”
Her explanation jarred him. No one should live like this. He tried to keep his expression calm but knew he’d failed when she blurted, “I don’t keep food in here. Just peanut butter and bread. I store it in the fridge so they can’t get to it.”
“Your employer and her Daddy are letting you live here?” he asked.
Melissa straightened her back and placed her feet back on the ground before rising stiffly. “I am an adult. I take care of myself. No one can force me to do anything I don’t want to do. I’m sorry my apartment isn’t up to your standards. I’ll ask you to leave now, please.”
Melissa stalked to the door and flipped open the top lock she’d engaged after letting him in. Opening the door, she waited for him to leave. She looked at the floor after making sure the hallway was clear.