Total pages in book: 66
Estimated words: 65948 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 330(@200wpm)___ 264(@250wpm)___ 220(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 65948 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 330(@200wpm)___ 264(@250wpm)___ 220(@300wpm)
“How did she even know about the life insurance policy?” I wondered.
Hell, even I hadn’t known about it.
“Apparently, a piece of mail,” he answered. “And the hit was confirmed, too. She admitted to all of it.”
“She sounds like a real piece of work,” Wake muttered under his breath.
“Oh, she is.” Sunny shook his head. “I’ve never seen the likes of this in all my years in law enforcement. It was as if she had all this planted into her brain and spoon-fed to her. But she can go back and tell me exactly when and where, to the precise detail, she got the ideas from. The hit came about because she overheard someone in the bar ordering one for his wife. Meeting with this man. When he started to leave, she stopped him and ordered one on you, too. The guy demanded the money, and she gave it to him sight unseen. Lucky for all of us, the dude was inept at his job.”
I rubbed my forehead with my hand, already feeling a pounding headache on the horizon for me.
I was getting sleepy, too.
“You’re sure that Braxton didn’t have anything to do with it?” KD asked.
I looked over at the annoyed man.
He’d taken the words right out of my mouth.
Sunny shook his head. “No. Nothing. All the times that these things were happening, he had an ironclad alibi. One of which was being with your parents. No, I’m sad to say, your brother’s just a shitty person. Not an attempted murderer.”
That was just my luck.
“Wonderful,” I grumbled.
“Sorry, man.” Sunny smirked. “I know it’s not what you wanted to hear. But, for now, y’all are safe from the ex-girlfriend. I hate to admit this, but she’s probably going to get some sort of crazy ruling. She’s whacked in the head and literally sees nothing wrong with what she did. I can see her lawyer already forming what he’s going to do to get that ruling in court.”
“As long as she’s not out to fuck me over, or my wife over, then we’re good.” I reached down and squeezed Luce’s thigh.
“That you are.” Sunny walked toward me and shook my hand. “Let me know if you need anything else. I imagine you’ll be here for a while longer?”
“Yeah,” I grumbled. “Just a while.”
More like six fuckin’ weeks. But who was counting?
CHAPTER 21
If it’s the thought that counts, I should probably be in jail.
-Text from Luce to Bain
BAIN
“What’s with the pout that’s on your lips right now?” Luce teased.
I gave her a look that clearly said I wasn’t amused.
“I’m fuckin’ bored,” I said.
“You’re somethin,” she muttered under her breath.
“I’m just… this is getting old. I feel like I’m just sitting here, taking up space, not accomplishing anything. You’re doing the housework. You’re doing my laundry. You’re feeding me. You’re fuckin’ bathing me since I can’t get my casts wet. I’m just…”
She smiled at me.
“Come on,” Luce said as she helped me up from my wheelchair. “We’re going for a ride. I need help with a few things with Etienne. Matilda decided she’s done figuring out what paints and trims we’re using, so that’s left to me now. And, now you. Because you’re coming to Lowe’s with me to help me pick out paint colors.”
That was the last thing I wanted to do.
Everyone looking at me like some invalid was getting really fuckin’ old.
I couldn’t fuckin’ wait to be out of my casts.
Two more weeks and I’d be a free man.
At least, my legs would be, anyway.
I’d already gone two weeks longer than they initially said because the breaks were healing, but not as fast as they’d like.
I guessed that was the drawback of being older. Your bones healed slower.
“Can you walk outside, or do you need your chair?” she asked.
The doctor had given me permission to walk on crutches—slowly—for short distances.
“Walk,” I replied stubbornly.
It didn’t matter how fuckin’ far we were going. I’d walk to the moon if it got me out of the damn house.
She opened the door and ushered me outside, and I left without looking up.
That’s when she started to snicker as she said, “Look up.”
That’s when I saw the brand-new jeep sitting in my driveway with all the tops and doors off. What was noticeably gone, however, was Luce’s shitbox.
My mouth fell open as I said, “What the fuck is that?”
“That,” Luce said, “is my new car. You said I needed one… so I ordered one. But don’t make fun of me. I know you told me I should get a manual, so I did. The only problem is, I kind of, might of, sort of, forgotten how to drive one. I missed third gear a lot as I drove it home.”
I grinned big.
“And,” she sighed. “It’s the closest I can get you to driving in the open air. I know how much you like the wind on your face.”