AllFreeNovel
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I’m expecting her usual, for her to fight me back, or in the very least, to call me a grump and tell me to kiss off. But she does none of that. She nods her head, looking so damn tired and defeated, then asks me to wait while she puts on some make-up. I nod, confused for a second because she never wears much on her face, but then realize she wants to hide the fact that she’s probably been up crying half the night.
When we pull up outside she says, “Wait here.”
“I don’t feel comfortable with that.” This place is an absolute disgrace. An eyesore on a block where maybe the houses aren’t upscale, but it’s obvious that the neighbors are house proud. I already hate this girl Holly. “I won’t make a scene. I promise.”
Again, no words of protest. She lets herself out of my car and I follow her, kicking trash out of my way as I take the front stairs up to the porch. She doesn’t even need a key to open the front door. Great, anyone can just walk in.
There’s a guy sleeping on the couch, complete with one hand shoved inside his boxers, and a girl sprawled out on a recliner wearing an oversized shirt with nothing on underneath. I know this because she’s sleeping on her side and one entire ass cheek is exposed. Half-empty takeout containers, beer bottles and bongs litter every surface, and the place smells like weed mixed with sweat.
“No air conditioning?”
Sky turns to me. “He’s a mechanicanda comedian.”
She goes to the back room and opens the door. I follow and watch, dumbfounded as she starts stacking her books into a milk crate, oblivious to the guy who’s taken up residence on her bed.
I kick the mattress. “Get up, asshole.”
Sky shoots me a wide-eyed warning. “Leo!”
“What the fuck does this guy think he’s doing crashing on your bed?”
I kickhimthis time and he wakes with a start. “What the fuck, man?”
“Get up and get out.” I hear voices in the main room after he stumbles out, and can’t help but call after him, “Does anyone wear clothes in this goddamn flophouse?”
I take the pink sheets off the mattress, wrapping all the bedding up with it, and then check on Skylar to see that she’s packing the last of her things into another crate.
“What are you doing?” some snotty bitch calls from the doorway.
“Are you Holly?” Skylar digs her nails into my forearm but I’m not having it. When the girl nods, I tell her, “Skylar’s moving out andyouare returning every cent she paid you in rent right now. Cash or Venmo, your choice.”
“Like hell I am.”
“You might have given me a heads up, Holly. I haven’t been here in days because you have people coming in and out of here all the time. Maybe you could have told me about your boyfriend’s side hustle before I handed you a thousand dollars.” Sky walks right up to her. “So you heard the man…Walk your skinny ass upstairs right now and get my money.”
I can see thefuck youforming on Holly’s lips when a familiar face pokes his head into the room. “What’s up?” His eyes go wide. “Hey, Mr. Hale. Uh, what are you doing here?”
“Helping Sky move out and getting her money back.”
“Oh, that’s cool. It didn’t work out?”
“No.” Sky glares at him. “It didn’t work out. Now tell your babe to go get my money.”
He gestures for his girl to go upstairs and follow orders. “Are you kidding me right now? She paid the rent and there’s no fucking refund policy.”
“Get the money, Holly.” He raises his voice and clamps a hand down on her shoulder. “Now.”
A minute later we’re walking back to the car with Greg following after us carrying the last of Skylar’s things. Once everything is in the trunk I turn to him when he says, “I’ll see you in a few weeks, Mr. Hale.”
“I might have to rethink that.” I look around the property and then back to him. “I don’t like your act, don’t like your girlfriend, and I don’t want anyone on my team who treats his neighbors the way you do. This is a fucking disgrace. Clean this shit up, and then maybe we’ll talk.”
Yes, I’ve becomethatguy.
We both start laughing once we pull away from the curb.
“Clean this shit up?” She pretty much snorts and then says, “I can overlook the fact that you’re a drug dealer, but the broken front door and the poor landscaping? Deal breaker.”
“Do we have concrete proof that he’s dealing? Doesn’t matter because he’s off my research team anyway.”
