Christmas with a Rockstar (Rock Revenge Trilogy 3.50)

“Shit.” He sat up and reached for the oversized garbage bag that contained all his belongings. “Don’t have no place else to go,” he muttered.

And there but for the grace of God go you. Gran’s voice. And that small-town upbringing I had run away from.

I sighed. I couldn’t let him inside the apartment. But the shelter on Peach? I had a token for a bed. I’d gotten one just in case I got kicked out.

Bracelets jangling on my wrist, I dove my hand into the pocket of my skirt. “Here.” I offered the token to Terrance.

“You sure?” he asked even as he stretched out his thin arm to take it.

“I’m sure.”

I fought back the wave of trepidation and got my feet moving again. Traversing the remaining length of the narrow hallway, I pushed open the door to the stairwell. I glanced around inside it to make sure it was clear before I started down.

At the bottom, I pressed the bar to open the heavy steel door but jumped back when a diminutive black woman with an attitude as huge as the Hulk appeared inside the circle of light from the overhead motion sensor.

“Wanda,” I said.

Shit. Shit. Triple shit.

I wobbled on my stilettos. My retreat was cut off as the door to return inside the building snapped closed behind me.

“Thought I might find you here.” In a business suit, her glasses sliding to the tip of her nose, Wanda raked her gaze over me. “You going somewhere, Jewel?”

“Um, yes. I—”

“You conveniently forget that your rent is due?” She arched a brow.

“No, I’m just—”

“Sneaking around. Three days late.” She clucked her tongue. “You’ll pay the late penalty. I’m not floating you a zero-interest loan.”

“I know you won’t. I didn’t expect you to. It’s just that we’re a little short this month.”

“You two are always a little short.

I should have kicked your sorry asses out the first time. Girls like you—”

“Not a single person is on a waiting list to move into your apartments,” I said, my spine stiffening. “Tiny rooms. A/C that’s always fritzing out. No blinds on the windows. Hot water that barely works.” I put a hand on my hip and lifted my chin. “And you don’t know me or the type of girl I am.”

Wanda scoffed. “Girl, I know everything I need to know about you. Cheap-ass hooker. Blaming everyone but yourself for the predicament you find yourself in.” She looked down her nose at me, and even though I stood a half foot taller than her in my stilettos, I was the one who felt small.

I didn’t like her. I didn’t like her at all. Even when the rent wasn’t due, I avoided her.

“I’ll have your money after tonight,” I said, though my stomach churned on nothing but my bravado.

“You will, or I’ll be evicting you first thing tomorrow morning.”

Once she hit me with that ultimatum, she spun around. Her heels clicked on the concrete as she marched the length of the alley. Probably off to her office to roll around on her stacks of cash and polish her broomstick.

Mean. Evil. Spiteful woman.

My eyes burned from within their kohl frame as I watched her go.

Don’t cry, I told myself, curling my hands into fists and focusing on the bite in my skin from my nails rather than on my fear that my roommate and I would likely be on the streets soon.

I squeezed my eyes shut. I couldn’t give up before I even tried. It wasn’t just me. There was Camaro to consider.

Reopening my eyes, I forced my body into motion, navigating the trash strewn in the alley. Crushed aluminum cans. Broken liquor bottles. I stepped gingerly between them, feeling as used up and empty as the abandoned items around me.