“It takes five minutes to get down your driveway!”
I shrug. “Not my problem you’re slow.”
“I—Fine. Maybe I’ll just stay here forever then.” She throws herself down on one of the cushions and looks at me with belligerence. I cover my mouth with the back of my hand so she can’t see my smile.
“Better start earning some money then. I charge rent.”
“Oh, and I bet you’ll want me to pay for it with my body, right?” she says bitterly.
Yeah, someone mistreated her bad, and soon I’m gonna find who that asshole is and I’m going to reach down his throat and rip his dick out backwards. Until then, though, the goal here is to make her as comfortable with me as possible. I don’t know why. I’m not into helping people. I’m a dick. Anyone who knows me would tell you that. Yet the need to protect her is overwhelming me. I summon a little self-control and a little sarcasm, enough to make her mad, which is when she’s not fearful.
“What makes you think I’m attracted to you enough to pay for sex? Do I look like someone who needs to buy my partners?”
“It’s not about looks.”
I give her a scathing once-over. “It is for me.”
With that, I go to bed.
Chapter 6
Mallory
Deuce’s last words resonate with me long after he leaves the room to go to sleep. For a minute I felt self-conscious, but then I remembered that only a few hours ago he was in his bathroom jerking off to what I’m guessing were mental images of me. At least that’s what my mind had secretly wanted him to be thinking about while he touched himself.
His words should have settled me instead of almost bringing tears to my eyes. I should be happy that he doesn’t want me in that way but what he said and the way he looked at me still isn’t sitting right with me. It made me feel as though I was less than. Everything about this place does. The only time I feel at ease is in the rare moments when Carter flashes his kindness. I think he’s more taking pity on me. I don’t want his pity. I have enough of my own.
I should have said something sarcastic back to him but he shocked me. I hate when I think of a good retort after the person leaves. I wish I would have said something along the lines of you didn’t mind my looks when you were getting off in the bathroom. I would have loved to see the look on his face if I could have gotten myself to call him out on it. I might talk a big game but I’m not sure I would have said it without turning five shades of red. He would have seen right through my tough exterior and been clued in to how shy I can be about some things.
I lie on the sofa that is more comfortable than any bed I’ve ever slept in and continue to stare up at the ceiling. His warning about the security system is another thing I’m not sure how to handle. It sort of makes me feel safe knowing that all I would have to do if I needed help is open a window and the cops would come immediately. The only downside would be that they might actually be looking for me, so that may not work out in my favor. If my mom’s boyfriend followed through with his threats then they definitely are. I can’t imagine Ricky walking into a police station and trying to press charges against me for stealing his wallet. I bet he wouldn’t go near that station because I wouldn’t be surprised if he has a record or a warrant. My mom’s love interests aren’t exactly stand-up guys.
He doesn’t actually have proof I stole the wallet. I did but no one saw me do it. I don’t feel guilty over it either. He is the reason I took it to begin with. I needed the money so I could get away from him. Who knew Ricky would have over a grand stuffed inside of it? I roll off the sofa to head toward my bag. Thankfully Carter didn’t hit the light on his way out. I hate the dark more than anything else. You can never see what is coming when the lights are out. A lesson I learned the hard way.
I dig into my bag, pulling out my phone and powering it on. I probably don’t have service. My mom would have shut it off by now. I powered it off earlier because I didn’t know when I might get a chance to charge it. I wanted to preserve the battery in case I needed it in a jam. When I power it on, I don’t see any missed calls or texts from my mom. There are, however, ten from Ricky.