Priceless (Forbidden Men 8)

I must’ve waited too long to answer because Sarah snickered. “Coward.”

Unable to back down now, I scowled. “Fine. Twenty bucks.”

Less than a month later, I lost that twenty dollars, but that was okay because Ten paid me one fifty to keep my trap shut about him and Caroline so Noel wouldn’t find out, even though Noel found out, anyway.

I never did ask Colton about Mom, though.

I just couldn’t.

Eventually, his nightmares went away, with some help from Aspen’s best friend, Felicity. But I still had to wonder if Daisy had gotten to him too.

Didn’t matter. He seemed better, and I knew I was better.

Because I had Sarah. She was the one thing I knew I could always rely on.

SARAH

AGE 15

I didn’t hate my mother. But I couldn’t say I loved her.

She’d killed any affection I might’ve felt for her when I’d watched her sell my brother off to the wicked neighbor lady.

It had happened years ago, back when we’d been living in Florida. But it still haunted me to this day.

We’d been a couple months behind on the rent, so Mrs. Garrison had come to collect it since she owned the house we lived in. She and Mom had gone a few rounds, Mrs. Garrison threatening eviction, and Mom begging for leniency.

“Patricia, please. There has to be something I can do to convince you to give me just a little more time. Our next check from the state comes in this—”

“I’m sorry, Dawn.” Mrs. Garrison lifted her hands to cut Mom off. “But I’ve already allowed you to get this far behind. I’m not running a charity case here. You can’t just—”

This time, she cut herself off when Mason entered the kitchen in his car wash uniform. It wasn’t much of a job. He doled out change, scrubbed tires, refilled vending machines, and kept the place clean. But Mason took pride in any job he did. He looked nice in his outfit, and Mrs. Garrison noticed.

Pausing uncertainly in the doorway when he saw that we had company and he was interrupting something, he glanced between Mom and Mrs. Garrison before whipping off his ball cap and murmuring, “Sorry. Excuse me. I was just going to grab a bottle of water before I headed off to work.”

Mrs. Garrison smiled widely at him. “Why, by all means, don’t let us stop you.” She waved for him to pass, even though it was our kitchen and not hers. “It’s nice to see you again, Mason. Having a nice summer?”

He seemed leery as he glanced at her. “Yes, ma’am. Thank you.”

Then he darted by her and yanked open the refrigerator to retrieve his drink. Pointedly ignoring the landlady, though she openly watched him, he glanced at Mom before telling her goodbye. When he finally turned my way, his smile warmed and his shoulders relaxed.

“Be good, squirt.” He teasingly tugged on a piece of my hair before ambling out the back door.

Mrs. Garrison continued to watch the door before she licked her lips and turned to my mother. “My goodness, he’s certainly grown up nice this last year.”

Mom had the grace to scowl at the totally inappropriate comment, but she didn’t say a word in rebuke.

Rubbing her hands together, the landlady gave a delighted sigh. “I’ll tell you what, Dawn. Why don’t you take a little trip this Saturday, leave your boy home alone, and maybe then, if my day goes well, I’ll consider giving you a bit longer of a grace period.”

My mouth fell open. I mean, literally jaw-droppingly open. I couldn’t believe the woman had just said that. To my mom. She was so totally off her rocker.

I expected Mom to ream her up one wall and down the other to stay away from her son. I waited for her to throw the bitch out on her ass. But my mother only pinched up her lips tight with disapproval, narrowed her eyes but then regretfully answered, “Fine.”

I whirled to gape at her, certain I’d misheard her, but no. No, she’d said fine, clear as day.

Mrs. Garrison smiled her approval before clasping her hands to her chest and murmuring, “Good. We’ll talk again on Sunday.” Then she’d strolled out the door like the regal wicked witch she was.

After watching the door click shut, I spun to Mom, hoping to hear some ulteri