I fix my gaze on her and flash a cunning smile. “That was me buying peace. Now, he’ll no longer give Toxic shit.”
Her hands clench into fists. “Atmyexpense?”
“I would be very careful with the tone you take with me.”
She laughs mockingly. “Is that so?”
“I’ve been aboard the bus for a week, and I’ve already secured several sponsors for the Hunks, many of which are offering five-figure deals. Now tell me, Vanessa, if that’s what I’m capable ofwhen I’m being nice, what do you think I could do when I’m really fucking pissed?”
She blinks at me as she mulls over my threat.
Taking a bold step forward, I force my face into a neutral expression. “The answer is: I-fuck-things-up. So please, reap the benefits of having me aboard your damn bus without drawing my ire, because I swear to God and Satan alike, you are not prepared for what I can do.”
TWENTY-FIVE
Samantha
In the midst of chaos,I do my best work.
What I’ve accomplished aboard this bus for the Hunks is nothing short of amazing. Just last night, I confirmed a booking at the Monet Elise, a hotel so prestigious that you can’t sleep there for less than a grand a night.
Carl is on cloud nine. When I left him last night, he was shopping online for finer tearaway clothes for the guys and rehearsing interview questions.
My cloud nine is in the very bunk I’m cuddling in with Toxic.
He nuzzles my neck, burying his face in my hair, his hand cupping my ever-growing stomach.
You have to understand. I never wanted this…
Taking a deep breath, I close my eyes and will my mother’s soft voice away. But in the back of my mind, her words always linger.
Soon, Toxic will see the lengths I’m willing to go to for him. That I’m willing to take on his family’s issues and make them my own.
Maybe then he’ll…he’ll what? Love me?
The concept is so foreign; I don’t know how to feel.
For most of my life, I didn’t believe in the existence of love because love existing meant that I was unlovable.
But now, it’s not so easy to dismiss the emotion because I see its shadow. The way I feel about Toxic is terrifying, but it’s very real. And it grows with each passing day.
My phone pings with an email from the hospital I’ve been corresponding with on Toxic’s mother’s behalf. Already, they’ve slashed the hospital bill to a fraction of what it was.
But that’s not enough for me, especially after reading through her medical records.
I slide out of the bunk, move to the lounge, and forward the correspondence to Maria, reminding her to keep it a secret until I’m able to reduce the bill to zero, which I most certainly will, because this isn’t my first rodeo, and when I sniff fraud, I’m a damn bloodhound.
And Toxic’s mother’s situation reeks of it.
She didn’t have to go to an out-of-network hospital, and after a little digging, I found the referring physician’s brother-in-law is a major stakeholder in the facility she was sent to.
See, bloodhound.
On top of that, I had a medical expert look at her records and discovered there was no reason to keep her overnight.
And don’t get me started on the ambiguous charges.
I fire off a text to my father and find that I’m still blocked, which bothers me more than I care to admit. When I left home, I’d been so sure of myself. Now I realize I was foolish.
