Total pages in book: 31
Estimated words: 28599 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 143(@200wpm)___ 114(@250wpm)___ 95(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 28599 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 143(@200wpm)___ 114(@250wpm)___ 95(@300wpm)
Fuck. I can’t do this anymore. I can’t go home unless I’m sure I won’t be alone with Elle. Disgusted with myself, I scoot out from under the Civic and stride into the office before slamming the door. It’s a quiet space, and most of my employees know to leave me alone when I’m in a mood. But then, the door to my office opens and someone comes in. What the fuck? What asshole has the temerity to disturb me? But I have a feeling I already know.
“Yo,” comes Alex’s baritone voice, confirming my suspicions. My adopted son has never called me “Dad” because he was old enough to understand he was being adopted when he came to live with me and Janine. Even though I tried to get him to call me “Dad” or “Pops,” it never caught on and I gave up early on. It didn’t feel natural and I’m not the kind of guy to push it.
“Hey,” I greet in a surly voice. “What’s up?”
Alex shrugs.
“Not a lot. Actually, scratch that. There’s a lot to talk about because we need to discuss Elle.”
Oh shit. The mention of my stepdaughter’s name sends my insides churning because I’m suddenly paranoid that Alex knows what I did last night and is here to kick my ass about it. After all, my adopted son is a huge, strapping fellow. He’s twenty years old with shoulders like boulders and a thick, wide chest. He played all sorts of sports in high school, and probably banged half (or all) of the cheerleading team.
But Alex didn’t want to go to college after graduation, despite receiving several athletic scholarships. He wanted to join me at North Auto, so he’s been working as a mechanic at the shop, and we see each other almost every day.
“What about Elle?” I ask in a smooth tone.
The younger man’s blue eyes flash.
“Don’t pretend like you don’t know,” he rasps, and I can tell from the quiver in his voice that he’s pissed off about something. Better face the music, I guess.
I get to my feet myself, cleaning the oil from my hands off on a rag I pull from my coverall pocket.
“Oh really?” I ask, meeting his eye. “What’s all this about Elle?” Even saying her name makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. Alex stares back at me steadily, studying me. His handsome face is a mask of disdain. For a moment I think he’ll tell me he knows about what I did last night, but then he takes a deep breath and says, “I think she should move out. It’s time.”
I blink. I confess, I didn’t see that one coming.
“Oh really?” I grunt. “And why’s that?”
Alex shrugs.
“It’s weird she still lives with us, and you know it.”
“What’s weird about it?” I play dumb. I know exactly what he’s talking about.
“Look,” Alex glowers, “I’m not a heartless asshole. After her mom died, she didn’t have a place to go, and living with us made sense. But Elle’s a grown woman now, with a high school degree and a full-time job. She could easily move out and get a place with friends.”
“You know that job is just some temping bullshit,” I state. “She doesn’t make that much. Even splitting rent with other people would be a financial stretch.”
The handsome man shrugs.
“Plenty of people with temp jobs are able to pay rent,” he states. “Why are you making excuses for her?”
Good question. However, this is not the time to back down, and I bristle angrily.
“Why are you suddenly so fucking set on kicking her out?” I bark. “She’s your step-sister. Have a little compassion.”
Alex scowls, his mouth twisting in a line.
“It’s not about compassion,” he hisses. “It’s about something else.” It’s immediately clear the younger man regrets saying this because he clamps his lips shut. I’m suddenly engulfed by soul-destroying suspicion. What the fuck does he mean, something else? What would that be? Is he feeling attracted to Elle as well, and that’s why he wants her out of the house? Or does he suspect about me and the brat? Oh shit.
I take a step towards the young alpha, my eyes flashing, although I’m not sure what exactly my plan is. Hit him? Push him? He’s my adopted son, for crying out loud, and built like a tank.
Alex instinctively takes a step back, his blue eyes flashing at me. The younger man literally lets out a low snarl, but he doesn’t act on it. Instead, he spins on his heel and stalks out of the office, slamming the door behind him.
What the fuck was that? I shake my head. Kids these days will get to you … and right now, I can’t afford to lose my cool.
6
Elle
As I pull up outside our house, I’m disappointed to see that no one appears to be home. Neither Hunter’s nor Alex’s trucks are parked in the driveway and my shoulders sag because I’ll admit it: I was hoping to come home after work to find Hunter here. After all, we didn’t exchange any dirty texts today, and it’s all too clear why. It’s because of what happened last night. Hunter is always the one who instigates the texts, but today my phone has been silent. He must be angry, mad, or …? I don’t even know. I considered texting him myself, but after everything that happened yesterday, I’m not sure about anything anymore. I’m so confused, and I just want to talk to him about it. In person, hopefully.