Page 5 of Baked
Rachel’s hand automatically shot out and went to his arm, gently pulling him back to her and rubbing circles on his skin in a soothing motion. “Hey, it’s okay. Let him talk.”
Cody’s eyes went to their connection before flying back to her. “I’m sure you’re aware that your dad likes to gamble.”
That earned him a snort.All too aware, I’d say.
“Yes, well, like most gamblers, they borrow to feed their addiction. Which is what your dad did,” Cody continued.
Here we go.
She heard Hunter suck in a breath. Yeah. This was going to be bad.
They waited for Cody’s next words. “Unfortunately, the people he borrowed from aren’t good guys.”No shit, Sherlock.“Although he isn’t certain they know about you, we can’t rule out the fact they might. And while they’re looking for him—”
“They might find me,” she finished his sentence. This was not her first rodeo. “I get it, Cody. They want their money, and if they can’t get it from him, they’ll try and get it from me. How much are we talking?”
Facts before freaking out. Always.
Oh no. Cody’s hand was scrubbing his face, all the way down to his beard. Another terrible sign. “Twenty.”
“Thousand?” she felt the need to clarify.
A nod from Cody. A curse from Hunter. And a big old sigh from her.
Shit. That’s the biggest debt yet.
In an ideal world, she’d have the money in the bank to give to these thugs and send them on their merry way. But running a business in a small town, even a successful one, didn’t do much more than pay her bills.
“I don’t have the money. I mean, I could probably scramble together six or seven, but no way I could find twenty.” She looked between Hunter and Cody. Both men were looking at her as if she’d grown a second head. A look so incredulous on Hunter’s face, it was bordering on rude. “What?”
“You’re not giving those motherfuckers your money,” Hunter answered. “This is your dad’s debt. Not yours.”
In an ideal world? Yes. In the real one? Not so much. She knew it didn’t work like that. Growing up with a man like Leo as your father made a girl learn really quick that life isn’t always fair.
“I’ve been through this before.” She breathed out another sigh. “You pay, they go away. You don’t, then trouble finds you. The kind of trouble I don’t want or need. Maybe I can get a loan.” Her gaze flicked back to Cody. “If I can get the money, do you think you can help me find these guys? Settle the debt?”
A weird noise came out of Hunter. It wasn’t so much a growl but was more like a guttural rumble that seemed to vibrate around the room.
“Are you okay?” she asked, despite knowing the answer.
“No, I’m not okay. There’s no way on this fucking planet that you’re getting a goddamn loan to pay off your asshole dad’s gambling debts.”
Wow. That was a lot of cursing. Abruptly, Hunter came to his feet and tugged Rachel’s hand, pulling her to standing.
He wasn’t done talking though. This time, he directed his words at Cody. “Send all the information you have on these guys over to me. Who they are. Where they were last seen. Everything. Rachel will be staying with me until they’re found and in police custody.”
What? The fuck I will!
***
“Do you hear me, Hunter? There’s no way on God’s green earth that I’m moving in with you!” She’d resorted to yelling now.
Silence. Nothing. Not even a facial muscle was twitching. The man was infuriating.
“You can stand there all ape-like for as long as you want. Short of a lobotomy, I’m not about to change my mind.”
They’d arrived back at her apartment five minutes ago. Their conversation hadn’t yet graduated from the one they’d had during the car ride over. If you could call this a conversation. It was as one-way as they came, with only grunts leaving Hunter’s mouth. The only difference between here and the car being that he was standing in her bedroom doorway after ordering her to pack. She was not packing.
“So help me God, if you grunt at me one more time, I’m going to beat you with my shoe.”