Series: Webs We Weave Series by Krista Ritchie
Total pages in book: 130
Estimated words: 126927 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 635(@200wpm)___ 508(@250wpm)___ 423(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 126927 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 635(@200wpm)___ 508(@250wpm)___ 423(@300wpm)
But I don’t own her.
I don’t want to.
I just hate the way men look at her. Like they can take her and use her and discard her when they’re done.
“I like the hair.” Jake gestures to her head, then sucks in a breath. “But you might have some trouble with that if you’re still planning on working for the country club. Servers have a strict dress code around here.”
My sister already told the landlord their job plans? Before even meeting him?
Phoebe looks just as surprised.
Jake glances back at Hailey’s face. “No nose piercings either. Or the thing in your eyebrow.”
Phoebe focuses on him and asks, “Nipple piercings are big, bad, and ugly, too?”
It draws Jake’s gaze down to her tits.
And like a reflex, Phoebe hooks her fingers on her shirt and begins to lift.
Without thinking, I catch her around her hips and press her to my side. “Coming through,” I tell Jake and “accidentally” shove my sister’s duffel into his gut on my way inside.
He grunts and shuffles farther backward while I bulldoze through the door. Phoebe stays tucked against me as we enter the stairwell together.
A lone bike rests against a rickety, steep staircase that I’m guessing leads to the loft. After almost flashing her landlord, Phoebe still hasn’t pulled away from me. She turns toward my chest, her eyes distant and her arms wrapped around my waist.
I drop my lips against her ear. “Phoebe?” I rest a hand on the back of her neck, my thumb stroking her skin.
She breathes slowly and winces at herself. “I’m fine.” Her thick brows bunch, and when she realizes she’s hugging me, she immediately lets go and steps away.
Yeah, I definitely already hate it here.
“She’s a free spirit,” Hailey tries to cover casually. “You know, free the nips.” She mimes lifting her shirt but doesn’t go as far as Phoebe almost did.
“Right,” Jake says with a slow nod. “Just another warning, nipple-freeing is also frowned upon here.”
“Shucks.” Hailey produces a half-hearted smile and points at the stairs. “Is that the apartment?”
“Yeah.” Jake is busy studying me, keys in his hand. “Who are you, exactly?”
I watch Hailey squeeze past Jake in the cramped stairwell, just to reach Phoebe. The two girls speak quietly while I stare down their landlord.
“I’m Rocky.”
“Rocky?” He sounds skeptical.
“Problem?” I ask too roughly.
“I’ve only ever heard of dogs and cats being named Rocky.”
“It’s a nickname,” I try to say amicably, but I’m dying to add, Numbnuts.
“What’s your real name?” He’s staring me down now. “Are you staying here?” He looks like he’s preparing to say, you can’t. “I was only told there’d be two tenants, and I don’t have your ID.”
You’re not getting it.
I have five in my wallet, and none of them are names he needs to see.
Jake seems like the type of person who remembers to cross their t’s and dot their i’s. His suspicion of me isn’t overt paranoia. Not when he’s about to invite three con artists into his home and his town.
There’s just nothing he can do to stop it from happening.
Before I can respond, he’s turning to Hailey. “It’s only a two-bedroom.”
“I’m not staying, man,” I say, like we’re friends. “I’m just passing through for a week or two. I’m Hailey’s brother.”
Hailey smiles, and I see it’s a genuine one. I could’ve easily lied and said we were just friends, but this is a sincere piece to her new life. I’m not actively trying to implode this for her. She’ll realize on her own that it won’t last.
Jake studies my features, then hers in a quick second. With her mountain of dark makeup and platinum-blonde hair, it’s hard to see we look anything alike.
I’m pegging him as uptight. A stick-in-the-mud. The kind of person who has a daily routine and can’t fathom breaking it. I am a wrench who appears like a fixer to all your problems, but I will purposefully break shit without you realizing.
For someone like him, I’m a nightmare.
Doubt still pinches his brows.
“I work in Manhattan, but I’m remote for a few weeks,” I explain further. “I wanted to spend some time with my little sister. Help her get settled in a new town. Make sure she’s not staying at a serial killer’s apartment.”
Hailey’s smile vanishes. “Rocky.”
Jake eases a fraction. “No, it’s okay. I get it.” His brows rise. “I’d do the same for my little sister.” He looks everywhere but at us—a tell that he’s either lying or he’s containing emotion.
“You have a little sister?” I ask. Common ground is good. I can work with that.
“She’s not around anymore.” Don’t say it. “She passed away last year.”
I’m the asshole.
Phoebe is trying to smother a smirk. Her eyes ping to me, and I swear they say, Assholey bitch. And honestly, I’m just glad they’re saying something other than nothing.
I relax my shoulders and motion to him. “Sorry about your sister. I can’t imagine . . .” I shake my head. “That’d kill me.”