Page 27 of Rent Free

I couldn’t count the number of times she’d done it to me.

In fact, at this point, I’d learned to get the insurance for all instances when it came to the tires I bought, that way they’d fix them for free with a small deductible.

“Ahh,” Quincy glanced at Atlas who was coming up behind me, and reaching into his pocket for my keys.

I clutched them with a tight fist, and said a couple more thank yous before high-tailing it to my car.

I was unsurprised to find him following behind me.

“Thanks for dinner,” I said as I unlocked my car and went to drop into it.

He caught me by the elbow before I could, and I turned, hating that I liked him so close.

“Just because I was nice to you today doesn’t mean that I like you.” He moved in closer.

Nice? He called what he was today nice?

I narrowed my eyes and lied through my teeth. “The feeling is mutual, Atlas Carter.”

“Good,” he stepped back, and I swayed toward him slightly before I caught myself and forced my body to take a couple of steps back.

“Be careful on the way home,” he ordered.

I rolled my eyes. “I am always careful, Atlas. Careful is my middle name.”

I was halfway home before the nervous sweating finally stopped.

Tits.

—T-shirt

PEPPER

I didn’t rush to answer my door.

The fact that no one ever visited meant this could only be one person.

I glanced around the hotel room that was acting as my apartment.

It’d been the first place I could find to stay the night I’d come into town, and instead of questioning my luck when I saw the HELP WANTED sign at the side entrance—because God forbid you let your ‘esteemed guests’ know you were in need of workers—I’d jumped on it.

I’d even finagled a place to stay out of my volunteering to be on call when I was in residence, and so far, everything was working out great.

Even better, I got to do what I loved—be a nosy busybody.

Another furious knock sounded, and since I was on the floor with actual paying guests, I reluctantly went to answer it so she didn’t create a scene.

When I opened the door, I wasn’t shocked to see a uniformed officer standing there.

I was shocked, however, to see my sister wearing that uniform.

When had she done that?

Or was I just that caught up in not wanting to know anything about her that I hadn’t paid attention to the fact that she was now an officer of the law?

God help the city of Dallas, Texas.

“Did you decide to dress up for a reason?” I asked.

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