Total pages in book: 76
Estimated words: 76396 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 382(@200wpm)___ 306(@250wpm)___ 255(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 76396 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 382(@200wpm)___ 306(@250wpm)___ 255(@300wpm)
He purses his lips. “Not enough for it to be a problem, I suppose. Okay, you have a deal. You work for me, do what I ask until the debt is paid back, and you and Lincoln walk free. But know this, if you fuck me over, not only will I come after Lincoln, I’ll come after everyone who matters most to you, and I’ll destroy them, little by little, until you suffer every damned day of your life for doing wrong by me. Are we clear?”
“Clear,” I mutter.
He studies me again, long and hard, then he nods. “Right, give you a phone, only used for phone calls by me. When I call, you come. You’ll earn Lincoln’s debt back, I assure you of that. Don’t say no to me, do your jobs, and we’ll have no problems. I’m a fair and reasonable man.”
I stare at him, holding his eyes strong, keeping my jaw tight. I’m not going to show him I’m afraid, but deep down, I’m fuckin’ terrified. If I fuck this up, Lincoln might pay, or Finn, or Damon, or fuck...Ellie. I can’t let that happen. Once this is over, we’ll find a way to get the money for dad the right way, hell, even if it means selling the house.
Lincoln has to understand that family is first.
And what he’s putting us through right fuckin’ now, isn’t what family does.
Know he had good intentions, but if this goes wrong, we’re fucked.
All of us.
I finish up and head home, I wasn’t planning on telling Lincoln about this, but if I don’t, he’ll go into hiding, and right now, we need him working. More than anything. So, I’m going to tell him the deal is done, he can either help me, or chastise me, either way it has to get done now no matter what. He’s either with me, or against me.
And if I know my brother, he won’t leave me in this alone.
I walk into the house when I get home, and brace for the shit storm I’m about to create. Ellie, Damon and Finn are sitting on the sofa, watching a movie, laughing their heads off at it. Ellie is between them, and they’ve got big smiles on their faces, the kind of smiles I haven’t seen since we lost mom. They’re happy. She makes them happy. She brings joy into their lives, that they thought they’d lost forever. Makes me feel fuckin’ good to know they have that.
And even more determined not to screw it up.
“That chick is so hot!” Damon laughs at the television.
“Ew, Damon, she is not!” Ellie cries, tossing a piece of popcorn at him.
“She’s gross. Damon, your taste is fucked!” Finn snorts.
“No woman is gross, you two! All ladies are beautiful.”
Ellie fake groans, “Awww, you’re just the sweetest, aren’t you!”
“Gotta get the ladies somehow,” Damon chuckles.
“Hey,” I say, and they all turn around. Ellie’s eyes meet mine, and light up. She climbs over the back of the couch and comes rushing towards me, curling herself into my arms the moment we meet. Her cheek presses against my chest and she hangs onto me, her favorite spot. Or so she tells me. I don’t mind, she could stay there forever and I’d be completely okay with it.
“Hey handsome,” she tips her head back and I sweep down to kiss her, soft, but long.
“God. Get a room!” Damon mutters, standing up and throwing himself over the back of the couch also. “I’m going out. Meeting our friends up town for an ice cream and bowling, you wanna come, Ellie?”
“No, I’m okay here,” she says.
“Go,” I tell her. “Gotta work soon anyway, go and have some fun.”
She studies me. “Are you sure?”
“Fuck yeah. I’ll see you tonight, okay?”
She kisses me again, and nods, turning and saying to Damon, “I’m riding shotgun!”
Then, just like that, they’re gone.
I turn and glance down the hall at Lincoln’s room.
Know he’s home, he just came off nightshift and will be sleeping. I have to talk to him, now, before I start my shift and he does anything else stupid. He needs to know the plan, it’s not going to go down well, but it has to be done. I walk down the hall and when I reach his room, I knock. After a few minutes, his groggy voice calls, “What?”
I open the door and step inside. He’s rubbing his face, sitting on the side of the bed. He stares over at me, and narrows his eyes. “Mustn’t be good, if you’re waking me from my sleep.”
“Got somethin’ to tell you,” I say, standing in the door and not moving, it’ll get ugly, at least this way I can make my great escape.
Lincoln holds my eyes, and then exhales loudly. “What? What is it, Slater? Because whatever it is, I already know it ain’t good by the way you’re lookin’ at me right now.”