Total pages in book: 76
Estimated words: 72028 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 360(@200wpm)___ 288(@250wpm)___ 240(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 72028 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 360(@200wpm)___ 288(@250wpm)___ 240(@300wpm)
“Only one of them,” Harlow corrected. “Dad One is great. Dad Two got a double dose of weirdo.”
Harlow came from an alternative-lifestyle family, but Daisy was used to that. She’d figured out pretty early on her da and mom’s Friday night meetings weren’t about playing canasta but doing the nasty. Actually, she still wasn’t sure what canasta was, but she did understand BDSM. Not in Da’s version of reality, though.
And wasn’t that kind of sexist? He’d sent Aidan to a club for training, but had anyone thought to get her a corset and heels and teach her how to submit to a Dominant partner in exchange for a bunch of orgasms and a deeply intimate relationship? No. She’d had to wait until after college and take the course The Hideout offered.
“It’s in the eyes,” Ruby was saying. “That’s how you know. Ben Dawson has normal dad eyes. You can totally see the rage of paranoia in Chase’s.”
Because Harlow’s dads were twins who shared her mom.
Maybe she should consider a threesome. It would make rent easier.
“So you know what you’re doing?” Harlow didn’t seem entirely certain.
The good news was, Daisy always looked on the positive side. She would figure it out. “Absolutely. I’m ready to handle this. You have a great afternoon.”
Ruby slung her big bag over her shoulder. “Come on. We can grab a sandwich at the café. It’s close to the meeting spot. Daisy, we’ll see you in the morning.”
Harlow still looked reluctant but followed her business partner out.
Thus began her first day as a private investigator. Well, receptionist to a private investigation firm, but this was it. This was going to be her calling.
She managed to answer the phones and deal with Harlow’s Dad Two—because she was right. The man was intense. It was easy because she’d told him they were grabbing sandwiches at a café. She’d learned it was important to stick as close to the truth as possible when lying. It threw the person she was lying to off. Dad Two had totally bought it because it was super true. Surely there were a lot of cafés around. The man couldn’t check all of them.
Right before she was about to head to lunch, a chiming sound rang through the office as the door opened and a young woman walked in. She was petite, with long blonde hair and tears in her eyes.
Daisy’s heart immediately melted. There was a woman in trouble. This was what her new firm did. They helped. “Welcome to the Dawson-Lockwood Agency. We’re here for you.”
She should write that down. It might be a good slogan. It had more heart than the current: New investigations for a new age.
“Hi, I need a private investigator. I think…” She sniffled. “I think my boyfriend is cheating on me, but I’m too scared to go check all by myself. It’s happening right now, I think. Once a month he goes to this building, and I’m sure he’s seeing someone there. It’s like clockwork. He should be there now. I’m supposed to marry him in six weeks. I don’t know what to do.”
Daisy stood. Ruby and Harlow would be gone all afternoon, and this woman would have to wait another month to find out if her honey had another honey? It wasn’t happening. Not on Daisy’s watch.
“I’ll go with you.” Daisy got her purse and made sure her cell phone was fully charged. The camera on her cell would have to do for today. She would need to invest in more sophisticated equipment as she moved more heavily into her new career. The good news? Her birthday was coming up.
“You’re a detective?” the young woman asked.
She was now. Besides, this was an easy job, and she was here to make life easy for her bosses. She set the phone system to away mode. At least she thought she did. She was pretty sure. Then she set the alarm system. The light went green. Green was the universal sign for go. Well, at least it was here in America.
“Absolutely. Now let’s go find your fiancé and put your mind at ease.” She followed the woman out, using her keys to lock the door. “I’m sure this is all a misunderstanding. He’s probably not cheating on you.”
He wasn’t. It was far, far worse.
Chapter Two
“Let me get this straight,” Liam O’Donnell began, sitting in the big conference room at his place of business. “I want to make sure I’ve got everything down.”
Daisy O’Donnell had spent her whole life coming up to this building where her da worked. She’d played with her brother in the daycare, and later she’d done her homework in her da’s office while she waited for him to drive her home. She knew this building like the back of her hand. It was practically her second home.
So why did it feel so weird to be sitting in the conference room? It was probably the fact that she wasn’t alone with her da. Her mother was up here, too, looking worried and patting her da’s hand from time to time. The big boss, Ian Taggart, and his wife, Charlotte, were at the head of the table, along with Mitch Bradford. She wasn’t sure why John’s dad was here, but he was a lawyer.