Page 24 of Ride or Dies

“I’m Evie—Evelyn Hayes,” I told the young officer. “Detective Newman is expecting me.”

The officer reached for his radio, but just then, the door opened and my mom was there.

She looked thinner than the last time I’d seen her, and I hoped that didn’t mean she was using drugs on top of her usual alcohol. Not only would that be bad for her health, it could also mean her going to jail if the cops found anything while they were gathering evidence. Her brassy blonde hair was pulled back into the sort of messy bun that wasn’t for style but convenience, and her green eyes were bloodshot. I didn’t smell any booze on her, but that didn’t mean she hadn’t been drinking. With Mom, it was generally better to assume she had been.

“If I would’ve known getting robbed would be enough to get you home, I would’ve faked it years ago.” Her eyes turned from me to Levi. “If it isn’t Mr. Bigshot. What’re you doing with my daughter?”

“Levi gave me a ride, Mom,” I said. “How about we go inside so I can talk to Detective Newman?”

“What about him?” She jerked her chin in Levi’s direction. “You’re here. He don’t need to stay.”

“Where she goes, I go,” Levi said, meeting Mom’s gaze with a hard one of his own.

“Levi, it’s okay,” I said.

“I’m not leaving you with her,” he said stubbornly. “You want to talk, then talk. You want to see the detective, that’s what we’ll do. But I’m not going anywhere without you.”

Well, this was going to be fun.

Chapter Thirteen

Evie

Being here was weird. There wasn’t any other word for it. I knew what the house looked like, but I’d never actually been inside it. I did all of the paperwork in Nashville, and then hired a company to pack anything worth salvaging from the dump where I grew up. Everything else Mom needed, I bought online and had shipped to her, paying for setup whenever it was necessary.

Fortunately, I’d also paid for very good insurance, so we’d be able to replace everything the intruders had broken or taken. It was the first time in my life I’d ever been glad that I didn’t have the sort of family who passed down heirlooms or sentimental items. Everything that’d been stolen or trashed was replaceable.

Dealing with my mom, however, was a different sort of headache. The kind that usually required alcohol or chocolate. I tried not to use the first one too often. Because of my mom, I’d always been cautious with booze, and since I’d already gotten a bit buzzed with Jenna and Isabel the other night, I planned on raiding the kitchen for junk food. With Mom finally in bed, either asleep or passed out, it was definitely time to indulge.

Except when I entered the kitchen, Levi was leaning against the counter, sipping a beer that I assumed he’d found in the fridge. Mom might not have much food, but she always had beer. I just hoped she still kept her stash of chocolate bars in the freezer next to the vodka.

“You can go,” I said as I went to the fridge. “The cops are gone, and whoever did this isn’t going to come back tonight. Mom and I will be fine.”

“I’m gonna assume I didn’t hear you right,” he said. “Because no way in hell am I letting you stay here with just that drunk to protect you.”

I raised an eyebrow as I dug around in the freezer. “I figured I’d be the one doing the protecting if it came down to it.”

“I’ll say it again. No. Way. In. Hell.”

I found what I was looking for and went over to the counter across from Levi, hopping up on it before I unwrapped the candy bar and snapped off a piece.

“Look, I appreciate what you did for my mom while I was gone, even if your mom’s the one who made you do it, and I appreciate you watching out for me, but you’re not my boss. You can’t tell me what to do.”

Levi’s eyes narrowed and he put down his beer, as if he needed all his focus to deal with me. He folded his arms over his massive chest, that aggravating stubborn set to his jaw.

I could write a hundred songs about how he looked right now.

“I think we need to get clear on a few things,” he said. “I’m not letting you put people I care about at risk.”

“You’re not,” I argued. “It’s just me and my mom here. You can go watch out for Isabel and Jenna and your mom. And if Jenna gives you any shit about it, you can tell her to blame me.”

“When I leave, you’re coming with me.”

“Look, you might be used to everyone at your boys’ club jumping when you bark, but I’m not one of your boys. I take care of myself.”

“You’re not sleeping here alone.” He said it as if it was a fact.

“I don’t have to sleep alone,” I shot back. “Give me five minutes on the phone and I’ll find someone who’ll be more than happy to share my bed.”

---