Total pages in book: 133
Estimated words: 131888 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 659(@200wpm)___ 528(@250wpm)___ 440(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 131888 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 659(@200wpm)___ 528(@250wpm)___ 440(@300wpm)
“I can run in these sandals,” she assured him.
When he lifted his coffee cup to his lips instead of springing from his seat to make a quick exit, she pulled out the chair across from him and settled into it. “I take it by your semi-relaxed posture, I won’t need to chase you tonight.”
“I invited you.”
His grumble reminded her of a Harley with straight pipes.
“And you shocked the shit out of me when you did,” she admitted truthfully. She took a sip of her iced chai and sighed with how good it was.
“I have questions.”
Well, look at that, so did she. Though, Aaliyah doubted he’d answer any of them. “I thought you wanted to talk.”
“I want you to talk by answering my questions.”
She sat back with a frown. “Like an interrogation?”
“No. Just simple questions that need simple answers.”
Her eyebrows pinned together. “I don’t understand. Why?”
“I heard you have some questionable connections.”
Okay, now she was getting annoyed. Mr. Unsocial wanted her to answer his questions. She only came to be a sympathetic ear. She didn’t like this turn of events. “Heard from who?”
“Roland North.”
She ran that name through her mental Rolodex. “That name sounds familiar.”
“It should. He’s a lieutenant with the Pittsburgh PD.”
She racked her brain to put a face with the name but couldn’t. She didn’t have many connections with that police department anymore. For a while right after Mark’s death, she heard a lot from them. They checked in with her constantly while she was pregnant and right after Devyn was born. Then slowly people became caught up in their own lives and forgot about hers.
While that was to be expected, it was sad they lost touch. At the time, she was swamped with raising a baby by herself and trying to pick up her life after it came crashing down. Add in the fact she began studying for her real estate license to have a more flexible schedule.
She stared at the man across from her. “What does this have to do with our group?” When he didn’t answer, she asked, “It doesn’t have to do with our group at all, does it?”
“You said you know three very scary people, one being your father.”
Well, at least now she knew he’d been listening. “So?”
“Who’s your father?”
This was a very odd line of questioning. “Why?” She didn’t know this man and she didn’t owe him any answers about her personal life.
“I’m curious.”
She shook her head. “No. Uh uh. It’s more than that. This was why you wanted to meet tonight? Not because you needed to talk?”
“We’re talking,” he stated simply.
“Again, this feels more like an interrogation.” She should go. She was wasting her time with him. He didn’t want help.
“Is it a secret?”
“It’s irrelevant.”
“Not to me.”
“Why?”
He didn’t answer.
She raised her chin and met his eyes. “Because Lt. North planted a seed about the people I call family and because you’re curious as to who those people are, you invited me to meet you so you can dig. Even though my personal life is none of your business since it doesn’t in any way touch yours.”
“It does now that you lead the support group.”
That was a stretch. A long one. “Bullshit.” When she shot to her feet, her chair was shoved back abruptly, causing it to scrape the floor loudly.
His nostrils flared and his mouth got tight. “Sit down.”
“Oh no, Bradley Lennox, you don’t get to give me orders. No one does.” She snagged her cup off the table since the hell if she was going to leave her chai latte behind. No man got between her and her chai.
When she turned to hightail it out of there, his, “I checked out your website,” made her stop.
She glanced over her shoulder to see him sitting back with his arms crossed over his chest. Doing so pulled the worn cotton of his T-shirt snug over his broad shoulders. Don’t get distracted, Liyah, this man’s a fucking mess. “And?”
“You’re very successful.”
She turned back to the table and narrowed her eyes on him. What was he about? “I am. I built that business from the ground up and I’m proud of what I accomplished.”
“As you should be. Please sit down.” At least it was a soft request this time instead of a sharp order.
“I don’t understand the point of this meeting if you didn’t need to talk. I also don’t like being lied to.”
“I didn’t lie. I needed to talk to you.”
“About my personal life.”
He got up and moved around the table to stand in front of her. Her pulse sped up as he searched her face. A few seconds later, he put his hand on the back of her abandoned chair and said, “Please sit.”
Holy shit. She just figured out what he was “about” tonight. The reason for this meeting.
The reason he didn’t want anyone seeing them together.