Page 35 of Clean Slade
In all the madness of the last few days, I’d completely neglected my family back in New York. They must be worried sick. Especially after Mom warned me about returning to this world after my injury.
Instead of answering my brother, I clicked his name and called him.
He picked up straight away.
“Well, well, well. Long time no speak, douchebag. Remembered your family finally?” His voice may be full of snark, but I could tell he was also annoyed with me.
And ifhewas annoyed, the man that never got irritated by anything, then Mom must be fuming.
“I know. I know. Sorry. I’m an idiot.”
“Oh, you’re much more than an idiot.”
“Yup. Yeah. I know.”
“Is that Slade? Tell him next time I see him, I’ll whoop his ass, and I don’t care how old he is,” I heard Mom shout from afar. She was probably in the kitchen making dinner.
“You heard that?” Rhett asked.
“Loud and clear.”
“So…what made you go MIA on us? Please tell me you at least got yourself a new boyfriend because then I’ll forgive you. Mom too, probably.”
I rolled my eyes and scanned the store. I may be in deep shit with them, but I couldn’t forget where I was or what I was supposed to be doing.
Mac was standing in front of the register, going through all the candy in deep concentration, and other than her, there were no other customers in the store or anyone filling up outside. The coast was clear.
“No. I didn’t get myself a new boyfriend. Although now I’m tempted to say I did if it gets me in the good books.”
I tried to shake the mental image of King so close to kissing me and focus on the phone call. There was no point fantasizing about something thathadn’thappened, right?
Even if the thought of it, the simple memory, made my whole body light up with need and desire.
And goosebumps.
So many goosebumps.
“Nah. Too late. You’re on speaker, idiot.” Of course I was. “Now spill. What’s going on?”
“Are you okay?” Mom added.
“Hi, Mom. I’m fine. Yeah. I’m on a job, so I got distracted. I can’t say much, but there’s this guy that neede—”
“So thereisa guy!” Rhett exclaimed. “See? I told you, Momma. Someone’s too busy getting theD.”
“I hope you’re being careful,” Mom added instead of telling her other son off for being crude in front of her. But, of course, she hadn’t. Rhett was her favorite. And as her favorite, he enjoyed certain privileges the rest of us didn’t.
“There’s no guy!” I told them. “I’m just trying to keep him and his daughter safe.”
Both Rhett and Mom exclaimed.
“O.M.G, Momma. He ain’t wasting no time.”
“Good. Good. Package deals are good,” Mom said, and I rolled my eyes.
“It’s not like that.”
“So you don’t like the guy?” Rhett asked.
