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“She did,” I confirm.
“The landlord was in here yesterday, said that if she doesn’t pay her rent, he’s going to sell the place.”
“Sell?” I ask.
She nods a couple of times, then gives me a small smile. “Sell. He said he was going to start selling all the buildings he owns downtown, one by one.”
Thanking her, I lift my hand in a wave and walk out of the building straight toward my bike. With each step, I can’t stop thinking about the salon building. Sinking my teeth into my bottom lip, I turn back to the café.
The barista behind the counter gives me a wide smile, her eyes searching mine. “Back already?” she asks. “Miss me?”
With a snort, I move closer to the counter. “Yes, and yes, but I do have a purpose.” Her brow arches as she waits for me to ask my question. “You got the landlord’s number from across the street?”
Her lips press together, then she releases them. “I have his card,” she replies. “Are you going to buy the place for your girl?”
This little barista is nosy as fuck, but she’s also got all the information on the area. And she’s cute as shit for a young kid. I watch as she digs around in her drawer, then lifts her hand with a small card between her fingers, a big smile playing on her lips. It’s knowing, and I feel as if I don’t even have to fucking answer her.
“Well?” she asks. “Are you?”
“We’ll see.”
Taking the card from her hand, I give her a wink, then turn and walk out of the café, climb onto my bike, and take my phone out of my pocket. I call the fucker while I drink my coffee. Because the last thing I want him to do is sell Reese’s dream.
Usually, I would possibly sit out on the sidewalk and drink my brew unless Reese was at her place, then I would hang with her. Today, I straddle my bike and call the landlord. I don’t know what’s gotten into me, but I can’t see her shop sold and turned into something else.
The conversation is short. I don’t want to shoot the shit. I only have one question for him and nothing else. I ask him how much for the salon. Thankfully, he understands me and shoots me a number. Taking a sip from my cup, I clear my throat.
“How much for all cash?”
“Cash?” he asks.
“Cash,” I confirm.
There is a moment of silence as I continue to drink my coffee. Waiting for that word—cash—to sink in. On the outside, I’m nonchalant as fuck, but inside, I’m fucking nervous about this.
I probably shouldn’t even do it, but if she comes back, I want to make sure she still has her place. I don’t know why this is so important to me. It’s not like she gave a shit about me when she bounced, but I can’t let it go.
“Meet me at my office?”
“You there now?” I ask.
“I am.”
He gives me the address; it’s close enough that I can walk, so I throw my leg over my bike, bring my coffee to my lips, take a sip, and walk down to the landlord’s office. I guess I’m buying a fucking salon today.
REESE
Something causes me to pause, a sensation… a feeling of uneasiness. Looking over my shoulder, I check to see if someone is there. Then I glance around, left and right, taking in my surroundings and looking back again before shifting my attention straight ahead.
Nothing.
Nobody.
But I know what it feels like to be watched.
And right now, I’m being watched. I’m just not sure if it’shimor someone else.
It’s been a week since I called Agony and Thunder answered. A week of wondering how the fuck I’m going to do all of this on my own, on the run… alone. I don’t think I can have a baby on the run, not with how careful I have to be with my name and records. Checking into a hospital, going to a doctor, that’s going to create a digital copy of my existence and whereabouts, and I can’t have that.
