Total pages in book: 49
Estimated words: 45797 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 229(@200wpm)___ 183(@250wpm)___ 153(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 45797 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 229(@200wpm)___ 183(@250wpm)___ 153(@300wpm)
“You’re heading out now?”
She nodded.
“I can wait two minutes.” And then, he cupped her face, tilted her head back, and kissed her.
“You just kissed a dog,” she said.
“Come on, tell me you wouldn’t have given her a big, sloppy kiss.”
“How do you know that is not a boy dog?” she asked.
“Simple, it doesn’t have a dick and balls.”
Charlotte laughed and shook her head. “I didn’t take you for an animal lover.”
“I’m a dog lover. Not a cat lover. Cats are assholes. Dogs are adorable.”
She had this beautiful smile and it stole his breath.
“Are you coming to the apartment later?” he asked.
“That depends, do you want me to?”
“Yeah, I do.” There was no point in hesitating.
“Then I’ll be there.” She went onto her tiptoes seconds before making her escape. There was no other word for it.
He was fucking doomed when it came to that woman. He watched her leave, keeping to the shadows as he listened to Maeve and Charlotte leave. Martha Bernadette did sound like a miserable older woman.
Savage stayed hidden for several minutes, and what he heard next actually broke his heart, as Martha called out Andy’s name. She did this three times, and then what followed was what sounded like relief, followed by tears.
Savage made his way into the room to find Martha sitting on a small sofa, and she had a piece of tissue beneath her eyes.
“Are you afraid of Andy?” he asked, startling the older woman.
She put a hand to her chest, and he held his hands up to show he meant no harm.
“Who are you? How dare you just walk into my home? Get the hell out before I call the police.”
He turned around so she could see his back, where the insignia of the Chaos Monsters MC was clearly on display.
She shook her head. “What have you come to do? Rob me? Go ahead. Take what you want, but trust me, it is not going to bring you any happiness.”
He moved a little closer and sat down on the coffee table in front of her. “I’m not here to rob you. I want to know what is going on with your niece, Betty Jackson, and why you continue to send her text messages.”
“Of all the insulting things. Can an old woman not die in peace anymore without her life being invaded? I have no idea who you are, but I swear—”
“Andy is not here,” Savage said, interrupting her. He noticed her gaze kept going around the room, almost as if she expected to be spied on.
At first Martha didn’t say a word, then it was like she crumpled and the whole bitter older woman act dropped instantly.
“Is she okay? Is she safe? I text her to keep her company and make sure she is all right.”
“Tell me what is going on,” he said.
“You ... you’re not working for Andy?” Martha asked.
“I don’t work for him, but tell me if there is something going on. Do you need my help?” he asked. He wanted to help. There was clearly more to Martha Bernadette than met the eye.
“I can’t tell you. If I do, he will kill her,” Martha said.
And now, there was definitely no way to turn back.
Chapter Ten
Savage sat in front of Doc for the second time that day, relaying every detail of what Martha Bernadette had told him. Andy had kidnapped Betty Jackson. Martha didn’t have a clue where her niece was, but out of the blue, Andy appeared. He needed money, and several years ago, Martha had cut him off. He was nothing more than a gambler, a waster, who treated money as if it grew on trees.
Martha never expected to hear from Andy again. She thought it would all be over, but he didn’t like the idea of being cut off from all that wealth. She didn’t know how it happened, but Andy was able to take Betty. She had not been seen or heard from since, and the only means to contact her was text messages.
Betty had gone away on vacation to a small town, where she liked the peace and quiet, as she was an author and liked to spend long periods of time alone. She was in her late twenties, and was shy. Writing was her only outlet, so it wasn’t unusual for Martha not to hear from her. However, when Andy came crawling back, it was with the understanding that if she didn’t do everything he said, Betty was going to die. Since then, Martha had been under his thumb, which was over six months now. Her will hadn’t been changed, and it couldn’t be changed for another six months.
That was what Andy was holding out for. Even money transfers couldn’t be made. It was why he was still in town, and why he refused to move on. Martha had hoped to get help, but she didn’t know who she could trust, which is why she had started to ask for Maeve. Maeve was the only woman who didn’t treat her like a social pain in the ass. She needed to know if she could trust Maeve.