entire street descended on them in a mass attack.
No, what Dee needed to do was get this over with quickly.
“Come on then,” she snapped and got out of the car.
She stood on the street and glared down one end of the block to the other. She saw bodies step back into the darkness, not wanting to be seen by her. No one wanted to be seen by Dee. She didn’t know why specifically, but she didn’t mind. Not around here.
Together they quickly walked up the stairs of the building, Dee finding herself more and more embarrassed as they stepped over trash and filth and a couple of piles that were breathing and smelled like ninety-proof liquor. Trying to be rich or look like she was rich was not something Dee-Ann ever thought about. Normally, what people thought of her or how they saw her, didn’t matter much. But, for the first time that she could remember, Dee was embarrassed. Terribly embarrassed that Ulrich Van Holtz of the mighty Van Holtz Pack was seeing a Smith—any Smith—living like this .
Lord, she hoped her momma never found out about this. That She-wolf would have a fit! Where Dee-Ann and her daddy usually couldn’t care less what people thought, they did care an awful lot what Darla Lewis thought.
Finally at her door, Dee quickly unlocked it. “Thanks,” she said and stepped inside. She turned to close the door behind her but Van Holtz had already walked in. Normally as polite as any Southerner Dee had grown up with, Van Holtz would never do such a thing. But when it came to Dee-Ann, he seemed to be less about polite and more about getting his own damn way.
“Oh, Dee-Ann.”
She could hear the horror in his voice and she forced herself not to cringe. “Look, I ain’t got time to put in fancy furniture and clean up. It’s not like I’ve had much time these last few months.”
“Dee-Ann, a couple of crates does not true furniture make.” He hit the switch for the lights—lights that didn’t come on. “Is the Group not paying you enough?”
Dee cringed. This was getting worse by the second. “Of course, they are. You are. I just haven’t been back here for a while and I haven’t had time to set up the apartment bills to be automatically paid online. It’s not a big deal. I’ll take care of it tomorrow.”
“It’s roasting in here. The middle of summer. No electricity, no AC. You’ll overheat.”
“I’ll pant.”
“You’ll be like a dog locked in some idiot’s car.” He took several steps farther in. “And you’re still living out of your bags?” He faced her, his eyes naturally reflecting the light coming from a streetlamp outside her apartment window, which had no curtains or blinds. “How long have you had this place?”
Months, but she wasn’t about to admit that. “It’ll be fine.”
She walked past him to her window. Her eyes narrowed and she opened the window, leaned out, and gave one of her vicious snarling-barks at the males circling around Van Holtz’s car. They took off running and Dee turned around to find Ric . . . cleaning her floor?
“What in hell are you doin’?”
“You’re not staying here. I am not letting you stay here.”
He wasn’t cleaning her floor, he was shoving the few clothes she had here back into her duffle bag. Dee rolled her eyes in an attempt to hide her mortification at this current situation.
“That’s real sweet of you, Ric,” although she had to work hard not to sound bitter, “but I don’t need you to . . . what are you looking at?”
Still crouched on the floor next to her bag, he was staring off in a dark corner near her barely used closet. Standing, he walked over, spun around, and came right back, picking up her duffle bag.
“We’re out of here.”
“What is it?”
“Vermin. You have vermin.” He looked at her duffle bag, flung it to the floor. “I’ll buy you new clothes.”
“Darlin’, this is New York City. There’s vermin everywhere. They were just circling your car.”
“I’m not talking human
No, what Dee needed to do was get this over with quickly.
“Come on then,” she snapped and got out of the car.
She stood on the street and glared down one end of the block to the other. She saw bodies step back into the darkness, not wanting to be seen by her. No one wanted to be seen by Dee. She didn’t know why specifically, but she didn’t mind. Not around here.
Together they quickly walked up the stairs of the building, Dee finding herself more and more embarrassed as they stepped over trash and filth and a couple of piles that were breathing and smelled like ninety-proof liquor. Trying to be rich or look like she was rich was not something Dee-Ann ever thought about. Normally, what people thought of her or how they saw her, didn’t matter much. But, for the first time that she could remember, Dee was embarrassed. Terribly embarrassed that Ulrich Van Holtz of the mighty Van Holtz Pack was seeing a Smith—any Smith—living like this .
Lord, she hoped her momma never found out about this. That She-wolf would have a fit! Where Dee-Ann and her daddy usually couldn’t care less what people thought, they did care an awful lot what Darla Lewis thought.
Finally at her door, Dee quickly unlocked it. “Thanks,” she said and stepped inside. She turned to close the door behind her but Van Holtz had already walked in. Normally as polite as any Southerner Dee had grown up with, Van Holtz would never do such a thing. But when it came to Dee-Ann, he seemed to be less about polite and more about getting his own damn way.
“Oh, Dee-Ann.”
She could hear the horror in his voice and she forced herself not to cringe. “Look, I ain’t got time to put in fancy furniture and clean up. It’s not like I’ve had much time these last few months.”
“Dee-Ann, a couple of crates does not true furniture make.” He hit the switch for the lights—lights that didn’t come on. “Is the Group not paying you enough?”
Dee cringed. This was getting worse by the second. “Of course, they are. You are. I just haven’t been back here for a while and I haven’t had time to set up the apartment bills to be automatically paid online. It’s not a big deal. I’ll take care of it tomorrow.”
“It’s roasting in here. The middle of summer. No electricity, no AC. You’ll overheat.”
“I’ll pant.”
“You’ll be like a dog locked in some idiot’s car.” He took several steps farther in. “And you’re still living out of your bags?” He faced her, his eyes naturally reflecting the light coming from a streetlamp outside her apartment window, which had no curtains or blinds. “How long have you had this place?”
Months, but she wasn’t about to admit that. “It’ll be fine.”
She walked past him to her window. Her eyes narrowed and she opened the window, leaned out, and gave one of her vicious snarling-barks at the males circling around Van Holtz’s car. They took off running and Dee turned around to find Ric . . . cleaning her floor?
“What in hell are you doin’?”
“You’re not staying here. I am not letting you stay here.”
He wasn’t cleaning her floor, he was shoving the few clothes she had here back into her duffle bag. Dee rolled her eyes in an attempt to hide her mortification at this current situation.
“That’s real sweet of you, Ric,” although she had to work hard not to sound bitter, “but I don’t need you to . . . what are you looking at?”
Still crouched on the floor next to her bag, he was staring off in a dark corner near her barely used closet. Standing, he walked over, spun around, and came right back, picking up her duffle bag.
“We’re out of here.”
“What is it?”
“Vermin. You have vermin.” He looked at her duffle bag, flung it to the floor. “I’ll buy you new clothes.”
“Darlin’, this is New York City. There’s vermin everywhere. They were just circling your car.”
“I’m not talking human
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