Breaking Even (Sterling Shore 5)

It’s sure as hell worth more than a grand now that I’ve added all that shit to it.

“She was missing her spare keys when she moved out. More than likely he had them. All he’d have to do is borrow it from the museum parking lot for long enough to get the appraisal done, and he knows her work hours.”

What a fucking asshole.

I climb back onto my bike, and strap up my helmet as Maggie calls the jerk a string of unsavory names.

“Where does her ex live?” I ask, already turning on my bike as she gives me the address. It’s not too far from here.

“Don’t kill him,” she says loudly, trying to reach my ears over the roar of the engine.

I pretend as though I don’t hear her, because I’m not making any promises.

***

RYE

As soon as the door opens, my fist is connecting with the prick’s face and he’s falling backwards, yelping in surprise as blood spurts from his nose.

He’s not really what I expected. Brin needs a real man, and this weasel is curled up and crying. How did she live with him that long?

“Which pawn shop?” I growl, glaring at him.

“What the fuck are you talking about?” he gasps, trying to crawl away from me when I near him.

“Where’d you pawn Brin’s title?”

I raise my fist up, but he throws both hands up while turning his face away. “Shit! She knows which one it is. It’s the one on Belker Street. Fuck!”

“What else do you owe? Is she paying off any more of your fucking debts?” I snap.

“Just my credit cards. They’re in her name though. Her name, her problem.”

I’d love to throttle this weasel all day long. But Brin needs her car. He’s fucking lucky she needs her car.

I step back as he warily stands, and I make my way toward the door. But it just seems too easy.

“Ah, fuck it,” I mutter before turning around and punching him one more time. As he falls to the ground, tears pouring from his eyes, I smirk. “Fuck with her ever again, and I’ll make sure it hurts a lot worse next time.”

With that, I turn around and head toward Belker Street.

Chapter 18

BRIN

“Sick!” Maggie screams, spewing her coffee everywhere. “When the hell did he do that?”

I shouldn’t be grinning because Rye exchanged the sugar with salt.

“I don’t know, but there’s baby oil in the soap dispensers. And I found a rubber snake in my panty drawer. Also, there’s a present in the living room that I’m scared to unwrap. He left it at the front door.”

I stare at the pretty disguise the present is wearing. Maggie tilts her head with me, and we both gaze curiously at the innocuous looking gift.

He’s not letting me go. He’s fighting. Maybe this is close enough? I’m sick of waiting on him to really let me in, but am I strong enough to let him keep me just close enough?

Maggie curses her cup of coffee as she drops to the couch. “Would it be too cliché to go borrow some sugar from one of the neighbors?”

I laugh lightly, but my eyes don’t move from the present. There’s no telling what masterminded prank lies beneath the red wrapping paper.