Page 68 of Rent Free

He blinked.

“Anyway,” I stood up. “I moved out today. The room is empty. Nothing is in there. I would suggest sending up a housekeeper to get it cleaned, because I suspect my sister will try to get in sometime tomorrow to plant the evidence.”

He blinked some more.

“Have a good one,” I said as I walked out of the office and out to my car.

I checked my watch.

I was definitely much later than I’d anticipated.

The drive to Atlas’s place took less than thirty minutes.

It was a miracle.

As I’d driven, my mind had gone through my next steps.

I’d called Maven to ask if I could move into the apartment above the bakery, just in case she wanted to change her mind, and she’d squealed in delight.

After that call, I’d called my brothers to tell them all about Sage’s escapades since I’d last spoken to them, and they’d agreed with my decision to leave before Sage made everyone’s lives a living hell.

The rest of the drive was spent thinking about what kind of job I would find next.

Hopefully one that paid as well as the hotel had.

I had to have two jobs to be able to pay as much as my brothers did on my father’s care.

I was so lost in thought, thinking about my next step, that I didn’t see the man walking down Atlas’s driveway until he was literally right in front of me.

I screeched on the brakes.

“I’m sorry,” I apologized as I got out. “You’re wearing all black and I didn’t see you.”

“No worries,” he pointed at himself. “I do blend in.”

I studied the youngest Carter’s face and wondered if he realized how exhausted he looked.

He waved and started to cut across yards to his house, but I called after him.

“Hey,” I said to him, looking warily. “I need a favor from you.”

Garrett raised his eyebrows. “What is it?”

I gestured to my car, then inside, “Can you come inside and let me explain? I want to tell it to you and Atlas at the same time.”

Garrett fell into step beside me, and instead of knocking at the front door of Atlas’s house, he walked right inside.

We were greeted by a ton of toddler laughter.

Garrett and I made eye contact, and we pushed farther into the house.

We followed the sounds of toddler laughter, and the deeper laugh of the father, to the back door.

“Quincy is so going to kick your ass,” Garrett mused.

Atlas whipped his head around to see the two of us standing there.

His features, which had been tight a moment before, softened.

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