Total pages in book: 149
Estimated words: 147967 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 740(@200wpm)___ 592(@250wpm)___ 493(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 147967 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 740(@200wpm)___ 592(@250wpm)___ 493(@300wpm)
“Good. Then my job here is done.” He stood and held out his hand to her.
She might have refused to take it. But she liked touching him.
And she didn’t want to be a jerk.
So she slid her hand into his and let him pull her up. He led her to her bedroom and pushed open the door.
“Just so you know, I sleep lightly. Do not even think about leaving this house without me. Got it?”
She grimaced. “Ahh, yeah, I’m not going to do that again. My hand is already going to drop off from all those lines.”
“Maya,” he said quietly as she stepped into her bedroom. She stopped but didn’t look back.
She didn’t know what to make of that soft note in his voice. What was he about to say? Why did he sound so . . . tender?
It was unlike his usual tone. Not that he was harsh or anything. Just more calm.
“Yes?”
“You don’t have to accept any sort of consequences, you know. I actually don’t have that right over you.”
Yeah. She knew that.
She could tell him no. Maya wasn’t an idiot who just followed people blindly. But the thing was . . . she kind of felt like she deserved some sort of consequences. There was a gnawing feeling in her stomach that she knew was guilt.
And she hated feeling that way.
Maya often acted without thinking first. And then when she was in the wrong, the guilt she felt was immense. Maybe a consequence would help. Even if the thought of it made her feel a bit squirmy. What did she tell him to explain all of this, though?
“I deserve it,” she whispered. “I shouldn’t have done that. I knew the rules. And I think . . . I think it will make me feel better.”
Turning rapidly, she swung the door in his face. Then she winced.
Shit. That was rude.
“Sorry!” she called out, wondering if he was still within earshot.
“It’s all right, Spitfire. I get it.”
Darn it. Him being understanding wasn’t helping her embarrassment at all.
With a sigh, she rushed to her drapes and pulled them closed. No way did she want to invite any more peeping toms to stare at her. She drew off the jacket and dove into bed, holding Dicky the dolphin tight.
“That was so embarrassing, Dicky,” she whispered.
Dicky didn’t answer. But she could feel his condemnation. Honestly, dolphins could be so judgmental.
There was a scratching at the door and she groaned as she realized that she must have left Dougie out there. She turned on the bedside lamp. Gummy was still sleeping in her bed, totally unconcerned about what her owner had just been through.
Before she could get up, the door opened and she sat up in surprise as Dougie trotted in.
The door closed just as quietly behind him.
Maya sighed. “Really, Dougie? Did you have to bark earlier and alert him?”
Dougie stared up at her with those googly, unfocused eyes, managing to look both superior and disapproving at the same time. Then he let out a small woof that was filled with disapproval and got into his basket, giving her his backside in answer. Yep, that was some doggie condemnation right there.
Told off by her own dog.
Awesome.
Just what this day needed to finish it off in the right way.
23
Matthieu stared at her door with a frown. If she didn’t appear soon, he would have to try and track her down. She had a late start today so he’d just thought she was sleeping in.
He’d let the chickens out as well as opening her door to let Gummy and Dougie out. He’d fed them and Marshmallow the hamster as well as Princess Priss.
But he wasn’t sure about opening the spare bedroom door. The other days he’d left them to Maya. Maybe he’d open it and give Tank and Big Berry the option of leaving the room.
And he could feed them outside like Maya did.
He put the food and water out first, then walked in to open the door.
No one emerged. His phone started ringing and he saw it was Ink. He’d been expecting him after the call he’d made last night to Brody.
Brody hadn’t answered, so he’d left him a message. Hopefully, he found something Matthieu could use on Ryan. Because he had a feeling the idiot wasn’t going to take his threat seriously. His accent had started to slip last night as he’d grown agitated. That control that he’d treasured had become whisper thin. But he'd pulled himself back from the edge. The fire was burning but it was firmly under his control.
He hoped.
“Morning,” he said.
“Really?” Ink replied. “That’s what you have to say to me? Why am I having to call you? Why the fuck didn’t you call me?”
“Someone woke up grumpy.”
“I didn’t wake up grumpy!” Ink told him. “I woke up to Brody calling me and telling me all the ways that he could fabricate dirt on some guy who you tried to strangle last night.”