Page 83 of S.O.S. Perk

“Nope. She just wants what she considers her ‘Christmas gift’ from me. Money.”

The phone stopped ringing, then almost immediately started up again.

“Are you kidding me?” Perk’s good mood dissolved again. “She’s asking for…? When was the last time you talked to her?”

“In August. On her birthday. It’s the other time of the year she expects cash.”

Perk didn’t wait to hear any more. He snatched up Sloane’s phone.

“Wha—?” She reached for it, but he flipped to his back, shielding her grab with his elbow before she could take it away from him.

“Hello?” he answered with a growl.

“Who’s this?” came a gruff and suspicious reply.

“None of your business,” Perk replied sharply. He wasn’t going to make this easy. “What do you want?”

“Where’s my daughter?”

“Oh, do you mean the one you never pay any attention to unless you want money?” Perk snarled. He looked over at Sloane to see if he was overstepping, but she’d laid back down on her pillow, and…her lips were twitching in amusement.

His mood lightened. It looked like Sloane was willing to let him take the driver seat on this one.

“Whoisthis?” Mrs. Vessers asked again.

“Someone who’s going to have your daughter’s back from now on when people who want to use her won’t take no for an answer.”

“I’m her mother, you ass. I’m entitled to—”

“You, Ma’am, are entitled tonothing,” he cut in. “You were never there for her as a child when she needed you, which means Sloane has no obligation to talk to you. Ever again.If,by some stretch of Sloane’s generosity, she wants to help you out, that’s her prerogative, but don’t call her on Christmas day to ask for a handout. Do you understand me?”

“I…I… I’m just calling to wish her a merry Christmas,” the woman prevaricated slyly.

Perk looked over at Sloane who rolled her eyes and shook her head, having heard the assertion.

“I’ll relay that to her,” Perk snapped, but was stopped short by Sloane’s sigh before he could add anything else.

“Tell her I transferred money into her account last night,” Sloane revealed loudly, a scowl on her face. “And that I’ll talk to her in August.”

“Did you hear that?” Perk demanded.

“I did. Asshole.” The line went dead.

So much for motherly love.

Perk threw the phone on the mattress and grimaced at Sloane.

“Fuck, Sloane. I’m sorry you had to be witness to all that.”

She shrugged. “It’s nothing I haven’t heard before,” she admitted, then smiled, albeit a bit sadly as she placed a hand on Perk’s arm. “Thank you, though.”

“For what?”

“Talking to her so I didn’t have to.” Sloane acknowledged. “She would have kept me on the phone for an hour, trying to convince me she needs more than what I give her.”

Perk wanted to punch something, or call the bitch back and rip her a new one, but for Sloane’s sake he tamped his impulses down. “Well, next time you see her number come up, hand the phone to me and I’ll be glad to run interference again.”

He raised a brow at her when she smirked. “What?” he asked.

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