Total pages in book: 20
Estimated words: 18379 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 92(@200wpm)___ 74(@250wpm)___ 61(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 18379 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 92(@200wpm)___ 74(@250wpm)___ 61(@300wpm)
“I won’t. I have some things I have to put in order before we leave. Unless you need me.” God, I swear I can hear her heavy breathing and sense her legs squeezing together.
“No. I don’t need anything.” Liar.
“Excellent. Then I will see you at the airstrip.” Finally, there will be nowhere for her to hide.
CHAPTER
FIVE
APRIL
ONE WEEK LATER
I’m ready to get this trip underway. I have no idea how my sisters did this. Asking Rory in the bar if he donated sperm was the hardest sentence I’ve ever uttered, no pun intended. I’m sure it gets easier, but Lord have mercy. At least I won’t be alone. I don’t know how I ever thought I could do this alone.
The flight to Alexandria was so quick. An hour and thirty minutes was all it took. We rented a car, which Kendrick is driving. I look over at him. His muscular forearms are flexed as he turns the wheel. My pussy clenches as he does so. What the hell is wrong with me? I have got to get this under control.
“What do you want to do first?” he asks.
“What do you mean?”
“We can check into the hotel in twenty minutes, or we can go meet with Jeff Mason. According to his driver’s license, he lives near the hotel.”
“His driver’s license? How do you have access to that?” I ask, stunned.
“I have my ways, baby.” I shiver. Why is everything he does so hot?
“Let’s get settled at the hotel first. I’d like to wash the plane off.”
“Do you need help with that?” he asks.
“No. I think I can manage.” I really, really want to say yes, but I’ll be good for now. I know this trip is going to change my life, but there’s no need to change it on the first day.
“You’re the boss.” Yeah, right.
In the morning, after breakfast at the hotel, we pull up to a small house. I step over a bike and what looks like an Army encampment of toy soldiers to get to the front door. There are children who live in this house. I knock on the door, and a middle-aged man answers.
“Are you Jenny?”
“Uh, no.”
“Oh, sorry. I was expecting Jenny at this time. I must have gotten the times mixed up. Let me just go through the pile for your resume. What’s your name.”
“I’m not here for an interview, Mr. Mason.”
“Ah. How can I help, Miss…”
“Van Houten. April Van Houten. This is Ken.” We all shake hands, but for the first time, I realize that I don’t recall Ken’s last name. I mean, I’m sure I know it. I must have been on his new hire paperwork. Did I even see his paperwork?
“Nice to meet you. Come in. I’m interviewing candidates for a nanny. My wife recently left me for another lawyer in her firm. We share custody, but I work in DC and need the help. You’re not looking for a job, are you?” He leads us to a toy-strewn living room. We sit on the couch while he sits on a chair across from it.
“No, she’s not. She’s the CEO of Van Houten Foods.”
“Oh. Then, do you need legal advice? Criminal legal advice? Did my assistant give you my home address?”
“No, nothing like that. I’m actually wondering if you happened to donate sperm before joining the service?”
“Is this some kind of joke?” he asks, standing. “Did Javier put you up to this?”
“No. It’s not a joke, sir. I swear.”
“What’s this all about?” he asks Ken.
“She’s asking a legitimate question. If you didn’t do it, we won’t take up your time.”
“I didn’t.”
“Then we’ll be going. Let’s go, April,” he says taking my hand and helping me up off of the couch.
“Thank you for your time.”
“Yeah. No problem.”
“Sorry about your wife.”
“Thanks.”
We get outside and into the car. I immediately start giggling as I put my seatbelt on. Well, that was a bust.
“Yes, it was,” he replies, chuckling.
That wasn’t as hard as I thought it was going to be.
CHAPTER
SIX
KENDRICK
We have been in Alexandria for the last four days. Besides Jeff Mason, we went to see Scott Crandle from her list, who turned out not to be the man she was looking for. After that, we did further research, looking for more clues about who it could be. I can tell when she has a nagging feeling about something, but I can also tell when she is not ready to talk about it.
“Are you ready?” I ask her, pulling out the dossier they gave us when we signed out.
“Yep. I have a problem-solving mind, so this will be a piece of cake,” she says, bouncing on her toes. Seeing her so happy and excited makes me feel good, knowing I found something to make her feel better.
A few days ago, while we were out eating, I noticed this flier on the wall of one of the bars we went to eat at. It was an ad for an escape room about twenty minutes from the hotel. I was apprehensive about how she would feel about it, but to my surprise, she was ready for it.