Page 25 of The Love Scam
“Starve and die?” he guessed.
“Or work for your room and board, help me with Lillith, and help us figure out what’s going on. And if all three of those sound like too much, at least the first two.”
“Fine. I’m in.”
She smiled, an utterly wicked grin that was as charming as it was off-putting. Off-charming? “Wise choice. And I’ll tell you something else—you can use the shower first. In fact, I’m gonna have to insist on it.”
Lillith coughed politely. “Me, too.”
He grimaced. By now the vile water had dried and his hair was in clumps he was afraid to touch. The thought of ashower was almost enough to make him sob. Or shout—but a glance over at Lillith, who had somehow dropped off to sleep in the middle of the negotiating—put paid to that idea.
Poor kid,he thought, almost knocking Delaney over in his haste to get to the bathroom.Tough breaks. Tough life.
A sad story, sure. But hopefully not his problem. From a genetic standpoint, anyway.
Sixteen
Drunk Rake was annoying yet fun, and Canal Rake was smelly yet bitchy, and New Dad Rake was intense yet flighty, but Desperate Rake was adorably/selfishly clueless.
There had been, as her employer had warned, considerable whining. But not as much of it after the shower and new clothes, both of which had delighted him. The minute the shower spray hit him, she heard him let out a long, rumbling groan of pleasure, an amazing sound that she felt in her belly, of all places. Gotta give it to him, that voice was verbal velvet, and if his adventures that day had hidden his appeal, they hadn’t obliterated it.
When he’s on his A game, guy’s prob’ly a force to be reckoned with.
Good thing for me he’s not, then, huh?
And, of course, the night before he’d tried to help her, though he’d been falling-down drunk. Cripes, she wished she could get that out of her head. She was not a damsel, and certainly not in distress. And Rake Tarbell was no prince.
She dug up the clothes she’d brought for him, then went to the bathroom door and rapped on it.
“Ohhhhhhhhhhh myyyyyyyyyyyy Gaawwwddd that’s soooooooo gooooooooo—eh? Delaney?”
“I’ve got clean shorts and a T-shirt for you. Okay if I put them on the counter?”
“You’re anangel! Ahhhhhhhhh.” This followed by sputtering as he once again submerged himself. And he was also… gargling? Then: “You shouldn’t have to lend me your clothes.”
I’m not.“S’okay, they’re not mine.” Or his. Rake would probably catch on if the American stranger happened to have a set of his clothes on hand. On the other hand, it was Rake, so who knew? “You want some supper?”
“Ohhhhhhhh myyyyyyyy G—yeah, that’d be great.”
She heard the expected rap on her door and opened it to see Elena framed in the doorway. They’d been friends for years, but Delaney could never get over how Elena always looked sixteen. Odd enough when she was twelve, downright spooky now that she was in her twenties. But it came in handy when they needed to lure in a pedo, or a bully in search of prey. That was how they’d met, actually—Elena was fighting off the worst bully in the school, who was a head taller and had thirty pounds on her. None of which mattered after Delaney came up behind him and drove her foot into his balls.
So satisfying. Like punting a football.
“She’s asleep,” Delaney said, following Elena into the room.
“As expected, poor thing.” She scooped Lillith up and nodded toward the bathroom. “Ooof! How’sthatgoing?”
Delaney made a face.
“It will be over soon.”
“It better. We’re on a tight deadline.” To put it mildly. This job had to go perfectly, which had sounded fine on paper, butRake in real life was a walking, talking monkey wrench. She had exact parameters to stick to, and the family was counting on her. If she pulled this off, she’d have more money than she had made in the last ten years. If she pulled this off, the Big Pipe Dream was a certainty, and not only wouldtheybe safe, they could make others safe, too.
“It will be fine. And you’re not alone.”
You’re not alone.The siren song the Big Pipe Dream was based on.
But Elena chewed her lip when she said it, aware that well-meant platitudes weren’t a guarantee of a positive outcome. Delaney held the door for her—they’d agreed earlier that Lillith would sleep with the girls so she could have eyes on Rake—and out they went.
