Total pages in book: 160
Estimated words: 151097 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 755(@200wpm)___ 604(@250wpm)___ 504(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 151097 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 755(@200wpm)___ 604(@250wpm)___ 504(@300wpm)
“What missing rent money?”
“The one you and Hunter took. Yours, I’m assuming.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Cut the bullshit, Coby. I saw you in Luther’s apartment. You know I did.”
I scratched my scalp like I was truly confused. “It sound like you be smoking more than tobacco because I don’t know what you’re talking about—like I fucking said.”
“Look,” Charlotte huffed before stabbing out her cigarette and then flicking it away. “I want half of whatever you took, or I’ll tell Luther what I know.”
“And I already told you—” It was all I got out before I was nudged aside and a shadow blew past me.
A fully dressed and furious Hunter stepped into the dimly lit hallway, and I didn’t see the Sig she was clutching until it was too late. “Hoe, tell it to me since you want to talk so fucking bad.” Hunter was seething while Charlotte made a terrified sound as my hot-headed best friend pressed the muzzle of her gun against Charlotte’s cracked, cum-stained lips. “What do you know?” Hunter nudged her when she didn’t speak.
“N-nothing.”
“You sure? But you were so fucking eager to yap a moment ago.”
“I don’t know nothing!” Charlotte screamed.
“I fucking thought so.” Hunter took a step back and waved her away with the gun. “Beat it, dummy.”
Charlotte fled down the stairs, but neither of us moved until the echo of her footsteps faded completely. Only then did Hunter storm back into the apartment, tossing her gun on the counter, which I frowned at before shutting the door behind us.
“You shouldn’t have done that,” I scolded while Hunter finished wrapping long dark hair in a neat top knot. “I had it under control.”
Hunter threw back her head and sighed because it’s an argument we’ve had many times before. She was as fiercely protective of me as I was of her. “I know you did.”
“What if she goes to the police and tells them you threatened her?”
Hunter snorted. “She won’t. Them Birch street three-o-fours stay away from the cops on principle.”
I shook my head and muttered, “If you say so.” Don’t get me wrong. It’s not that I’m ungrateful that she had my back, but Hunter’s shoot-first, ask-questions-never approach to everything had me constantly afraid of losing her. I wouldn’t survive being separated from her, and I don’t think Hunter would either, so I tried another tactic to get my best friend to see reason. “Charlotte said Luther knows we took our rent money.”
Hunter shrugged like I knew she would. “So? We got our receipt proving we paid it. What happens to the money after that is his fucking problem.”
Luckily, our landlord was too cheap to install security cameras, and he’d be too embarrassed to call the police and have his business in the streets, so there was nothing he could do about it.
“Okay, fine.”
“Cool,” Hunter replied immediately before hugging me tight. “Stop worrying so much. We’ll be fine, okay?” For some reason, all I felt from her vow was the crushing weight of guilt. “I’ll see you later.”
I squeezed her back as if it would be the last time. We were dramatic like that whenever we were forced to part, even for a little while. “See you later.”
Perched precariously on the bar stool of the Diamond Lounge, I pretended to be in my own world as I sipped my cocktail and swayed to the music playing inside the nightclub.
I’d lied to Hunter.
I didn’t go to Pilates at all.
Instead, I snuck inside my brother’s club while he was away so that I could be eye fucked across the long length of the marble bar. It’s been a few weeks since I got the timing right, so imagine my delight and sudden disquiet when I walked inside the Diamond Lounge an hour ago to see the man I’d been fantasizing about for two years sitting in his usual spot.
I’m going to talk to him, I vowed silently. I resisted the urge to fuss with my appearance to ensure that I was up to par. I promised myself that if he came tonight, I would finally shoot my shot, and there he was. It’s the only way I’ll ever know if the burning looks and slow sweeps of appraisal exchanged across the glittering surface of the marble-top bar for the last two years meant something. For my sanity, I had to put an end to this longing that’s been plaguing me for years. Sink or brick—tonight, I’m giving my crush no choice but to claim me now or let me go forever.
From the moment I first saw him, I’ve had eyes and thoughts for no one else, and the dry spell that came from it had me ready to hump a wall. Hunter’s been calling me Miss Coochie Cobweb.
The nightclub was upscale, so even though my crush had forgone his usual suit, he was still mouthwatering in a fitted black shirt buttoned only halfway and an understated but no doubt pricey watch on his wrist.