Total pages in book: 73
Estimated words: 69018 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 345(@200wpm)___ 276(@250wpm)___ 230(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 69018 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 345(@200wpm)___ 276(@250wpm)___ 230(@300wpm)
“But my company isn’t. You don’t like me? Fair enough. Not many people do.”
“Shocker,” I state dryly. You know what is not dry? For the love of clean litter boxes, I’m not even going there. My whole body is slightly damp because it’s hot out here, standing in the direct sun at noon on a mid-August day.
“There’s more than just me working. My company literally employs hundreds of men and women across the country. People like Amanda. This has become global news. As in, we can’t do our job. Unless you let me redeem myself, do you think anyone is going to hire us? If we can’t even keep a toothless old cat who resembles—I’m sorry to say this, but—the lovechild of a loaf of bread and a pile of newspaper, hair, and toenail clippings with an indiscriminate fur color impossible to describe as anything other than murky brown pond water dappled with rust and grey safe, then what are we good for? I need to prove that not only am I on this, but I’m on it in a big way.”
Well, that is just straight-up rock bottom. Appealing to my goodness when he doesn’t have any. “Don’t bring Amanda into this. That isn’t fair.”
“The truth hardly ever is. Life—”
“I know. Isn’t fair,” I snap. “Ask Peach Lips about that. Have some compassion before you go around calling her bog water.”
“It doesn’t matter what I think about you or your cat.” His expression now suddenly reflects annoyance. “I would guard you both with my life. My company is literally my soul and blood. You have no idea how much it matters. It’s more than just my name and my honor.”
“Let me guess your background by way of credentials.” I throw open the bus door and start grabbing boxes and luggage—all my setup stuff neatly condensed into manageable loads. I pile them neatly onto the cart, not slamming anything, even though I want to. That would imply I’m annoyed, and I’m not. I don’t care about this conversation or Thorn’s issues in the least. “Some token ex-military thug training, probably special ops, bad childhood, lacking in personality in the extreme, so you like being a lone wolf. Incredibly intelligent.” On goes the first big black trunk, followed by two suitcases, then the duffel, the backdrop stand, my background canvas, and my folding table. “Bad with people equals good with numbers. Not afraid to get your hands dirty, and not above the law, but you hold it in little regard and figure yourself a great man who can bend it to his will. You clawed yourself from the ground up and got used to living all dangerous and weird, so when that was over, you didn’t know what to do with yourself.” I set my backpack on the edge of the cart, wedging it into place to balance everything. The other one, I’ll wear on my back. I can wheel the cart with one hand and carry Peach Lips’ carrier with the other. “If you lose this, you won’t lose everything, but you will lose your purpose. Besides your honor, that’s a dangerous thing. You’ll be entirely lost. Kneecapped, blinded, Achilles heeled—”
“Yes,” he cuts me off in his flat tone. I’m not even sure this guy could experience emotion, even if he wanted to. “Exactly.”
“Did I get anything wrong?” I search his face, knowing it’s a futile gesture. I still search for something, even if it’s terribly irrational.
“Remarkably little. You’re very good at reading people. Obviously not good enough that you didn’t prevent yourself from handing your cat over into the arms of a cat nabber, but—”
Of all the freaking nerve! Being an asshole is definitely this guy’s villain power. “I didn’t hand her over! She was in her bed!”
“But you do let people hold her.”
“If she wants to be held. Usually, they just pet her. She’s very receptive to that, and generally, they only have the best intentions.”
He clears his throat like he can’t believe I could possibly be such an imbecile. “Very few people have good intentions. They don’t know how to respect boundaries. Peach Lips isn’t exactly infirm, but she’s getting older. She needs to be kept happy, healthy, and as comfortable as possible. I can ensure there are respected boundaries.”
Wow. He just went there. Straight to the guilt trip of appealing to my heart when it comes to my cat’s health. “Yeah, by chasing everyone away.”
“By helping you enforce new rules about handling and contact. For the most part, I’ll be invisible.”
“Our wishes are indeed aligned then.” Invisible, as in, not in my life.
“You won’t even notice I’m there unless I’m needed.”
“You’ll say that’s always, and in that, our wishes are not aligned. I don’t need you, and I’m not taking this job. Or letting you take this job. Whatever.” Why does that come out unsure instead of forceful?