Claiming Menace (Ruthless Sinners MC 5)

“Just go, Parker,” Christina had pushed. “I’ll keep an eye on Mom until you get back.”

“I don’t feel right leaving when she’s so upset.”

My sister had glanced over her shoulder and let out a defeated sigh as she looked at our mother bundled up with her favorite blanket on the sofa. “She’ll be okay. She’s just ticked off at Dad.”

“Yeah, I don’t blame her considering Dad forgot their anniversary.”

A year and a half ago, my father’s law firm had taken on a client they shouldn’t have. My dad had been determined to get the guy off the hook and was spending hours upon hours at the office—and his legal aid, Janice, had been right there with him. Mom had been worried he was having an affair with her, but Christina and I knew he’d never cheat on her. Dad loved her too much for that.

“Well, he’s never forgotten before.”

“Maybe not, but you can understand why Mom is so upset.”

“Yes, but she’s worrying over the wrong thing. He doesn’t have any interest in Janice. He’s just obsessed with winning this case. It’s all he’s been able to think about, and I hate to break it to him, but I’m not sure it can be won. Everyone knows the guy did it.” Then Christina had turned her attention back to me. “But that doesn’t matter right now. You have a date, and if you don’t leave right this second, you’re going to be late.”

“But—”

“I don’t want to hear it, Parker. You haven’t been on a date in months, and you said it yourself that David is a great guy.” She’d crossed her arms and given me one of her looks. “You’ve been looking forward to this all week, and I’m not going to let Dad’s crappy memory ruin your chance to have a great time.”

I’d glanced back at Mom, and my heart ached as I stood there watching her stare at the blank wall. The man she loved most in the world had forgotten about their special day, but I knew Dad would do everything in his power to make it up to her. With that in mind, I’d smiled at my sister and said, “Okay, I’ll go, but I’m coming back early.”

“You really don’t have to.”

“I want to.” I’d rushed over to Mom and given her a big hug. “I’ll be back in a bit.”

“Okay, honey. Have fun.”

I walked out of that house never realizing it would be the last time I’d ever speak to my mother or my sister. I often wondered if things would’ve been different if I’d just skipped my date and stayed home.

I could feel a knot growing in the pit of my stomach as Marlowe pulled up to her apartment complex. I was pleased to see that the place was actually nice—really nice. I parked behind her, then followed her up to the front steps. As she unlocked the door, Marlowe looked over to me and said, “It’s not much, but this is a good area, and the neighbors are super sweet.”

“I’m sure it’ll be great.” When she opened the door, I was surprised to see a small table in the kitchen and a sofa in the living room. “It’s furnished?”

“Not exactly. I haven’t had a chance to move all my stuff out, but I can get the guys to come grab it if it’s in your way.”

“No, don’t,” I answered too quickly. “I haven’t had a chance to buy any furniture yet, so this is a huge help. All of it is.”

“Well, I’m glad.” She took the keys off her ring, then offered them to me. “It’s all yours.”

“I don’t know how I’ll ever be able to thank you.” I was still in a state of disbelief as I reached over and took the keys from her hand. “You’re really saving me here. If you hadn’t come along, I probably would’ve been living out of my car for the next month.”

“I guess it’s a good thing you came to Stilettos today.”

“Yes, it was.” I thought back to my interview with Menace and how terribly it had all gone. I was shocked that he’d hired me as a waitress, and even more shocked that he’d given me a place to stay. I wanted to make sure I hadn’t misunderstood her earlier, so I asked, “And this was all Menace’s idea?”

“Sure was. He’s a great guy. You’ll see.” She gave me a warm smile, then said, “I’ll get going and let you settle in. If you need anything, just let me know.”

With that, she walked out of the apartment, leaving me alone in my new home. I took a quick look around, and I simply couldn’t believe it. I’d spent the last few weeks either in roach motels or the back seat of my car, and it seemed so surreal that I was actually in an apartment with furniture and a king-sized bed. For a moment, I thought I might actually survive this whole ordeal. I went back into the bedroom and lay across the bed. It wasn’t long before my nightmare came creeping back.