Total pages in book: 187
Estimated words: 174623 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 873(@200wpm)___ 698(@250wpm)___ 582(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 174623 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 873(@200wpm)___ 698(@250wpm)___ 582(@300wpm)
"I'll let the other guys know," Signal says. "But I think Recon and Mischief are on the prowl."
"They headed to Jake's?" Legend asks as he finishes up with the last piece I just re-cut.
"I think so," Signal answers.
"Then they need to be told about Leona Clark," Legend says. "The woman is a bloodhound when it comes to sniffing out men connected to the club."
I recognize the name. She's been to Juniper House before, a case manager for CYFD.
"Rumor has it she's been trying her best to snag a member of the club for years," Thumper adds.
"Went so far as to try to get one of the guys to cheat on their wife with her," Legend says.
I scrunch my nose, knowing full well that predatory women exist right alongside their male counterparts.
"If Misty didn't have so much class, she might claw the woman's eyes out," Thumper says.
"I'll warn them," Signal assures them.
"Please do. I don't think hooking up with her would mean they'd be out of Cerberus, but Misty wouldn't be happy," Legend adds.
"Don't piss off the OG wives," Thumper says. "It's not, but it should be a part of the Cerberus Mission statement."
Chapter 46
Juliet
"I wanted to apologize," Kayla says as she steps up beside me at the counter.
I wanted a distraction from my thoughts, but this particular person wasn't very high on my list of people I wanted to distract me.
I haven't exactly avoided Nyx, but I have stayed to myself most of the day, keeping busy with meal prep since Andrea decided to take a different job that didn't force her to travel so far outside of town.
"About last night," she says, her head hung low between her shoulders.
I could easily take her words at face value, but I learned early on just how easily manipulation comes to those who have been manipulated. Women in those situations learn to read the room very quickly because it could mean the difference between going to bed at night or heading to the hospital.
"What happened last night?" I ask, not wanting her to think I gave her behavior any more thought.
I don't want her questioning anything about Nyx and me. I've already spent some of today watching people and gauging their looks in my direction, trying to determine whether they have any suspicions about what we did last night or possibly saw me sneaking out of his room like we'd done something wrong.
"I was rude," she mutters, sounding genuinely guilty and a little embarrassed about her behavior.
"Being here is a lot to adapt to," I say diplomatically.
"I was trying to distract myself," she says as she turns her phone over and over in her hands nervously.
"Is there something going on that I should be concerned about?" I ask, turning my full attention to her.
"Aleah isn't feeling well," she says, a hitch in her voice. "She hasn't felt well for the last two days."
My attitude changes immediately.
"Oh, Kayla," I say. "I know that has to be hard for you."
I couldn't imagine having children and not being with them, but not being able to be there to comfort them when they aren't feeling well has to be a different kind of torture.
"What's going on with her?" I ask.
"The foster family keeps telling me it's allergies, but she has a low-grade fever as well."
"Has she seen the pediatrician?"
She shakes her head. "They don't think it's serious enough to take her."
"I can make a phone call," I offer.
"No," she says hastily. "Don't do that."
"If you think she needs medical attention, and they aren't providing it, then I think-"
"They aren't even supposed to be giving me updates on her without going through CYFD," she rushes to say. "If they find out they've been keeping me in the loop, CYFD will make them stop. The foster parents let me call her and say goodnight every evening. They'll take that away from me if they get in trouble. They're good people. What if they get in trouble and Aleah is sent somewhere not as good? I couldn't live with myself if that happened."
"I understand," I tell her. "Keep me updated. Her health is important. If you think it has become serious enough that she needs medical attention, then we have to make the call."
"I will," she promises.
"Okay," I tell her, wondering how hard a choice it might be for her to choose between possibly losing that unregulated contact and the health of her daughter.
"Oh, there you are," Emmalyn says with an easy smile as she walks into the kitchen. "I've been looking for you. Hi, Kayla. How are you today?"
"I'm good," Kayla says with a fake smile.
"I wanted to let you know that people are planning to come over this evening," Emmalyn tells her. "I wanted to make sure that's okay with you."
"The more the merrier," she says before slipping out of the room.