Page 25 of Hot as Hell (Royal Bastards MC, Montreal, Canada #2)

Chapter Twenty-Two

Pulling into the driveway, Charlie was exhausted from working a double at the bar and grill.

She’d been suspended from her job at the library for a week and had managed to pick up some extra shifts while two of the other waitresses were out for various reasons.

She stared at the house, knowing the large tub awaited her along with the leftovers she’d brought home from work.

The entire car smelled like wings and onion rings.

To make up for having food in Hemlock’s car, she’d made sure to bring some for him.

Heaving a deep sigh she opened the car door.

Just thinking of the short walk to the door seemed miles away.

Grabbing her purse and food bag, she climbed out of the car.

Closing the door, she scanned the area. Across the street she noticed a strange car parked in the neighbor’s driveway.

The older couple had mentioned being gone for a two-week vacation.

They hadn’t mentioned anyone staying at their home.

Shrugging it off, Charlie knew how neighbors were.

It could be someone at another house utilizing the empty drive.

Unlocking the door, Charlie reached in, flipping on the lights before heading inside the condo.

When she turned around, she expected to see Hemlock home from the clinic.

But all she saw was the dim light in the kitchen, and she realized he wasn’t there.

If she didn’t know how much Hemlock worked, she’d think he was avoiding her.

Closing the door, Charlie slumped against it.

Well, with him being at work, she could take that hot bath and enjoy the silence.

Shoving away from the door, she headed into the kitchen to plate up her food.

An hour later, with her stomach full, Charlie sat cross-legged on the bed, counting her tips from work.

They were slowly adding up. She still had a ways to go before she could buy her way out of the apartment’s lease.

Once she paid off the apartment, the noose around her neck would be gone.

Trying not to think about the apartment and what it was costing her.

One of these days, she would have her say when it came to Crispen and Ashley.

And when that day came, she’d unleash all her anger on the couple.

She knew they wouldn’t stay at the apartment and Charlie hoped she was a witness to their eviction.

Staring at the money, Charlie reminded herself she needed to buy some new clothes, well new to her anyway.

The one thing she was good at was being frugal.

Pulling fifty dollars from the little piles of money, she put it aside for clothes.

She didn’t want to go shopping, what she wanted was not to work three jobs.

If she could pick up two more shifts at Sudz and Suds Carwash and Grill, she would be golden.

She could give up the job at the library, after all she couldn’t make money there like the money she made at the carwash. Hell, even working one double at the dinner didn’t equal what she made in a single shift at the carwash.

Charlie reminded herself she had to do her due diligence if she wanted more hours at Sudz and Suds. Climbing off the queen size bed, she stuffed the money into an envelope, then taped it at the back of one of the dresser drawers.

Exhausted from working all day, she stripped off her work clothes and headed to the bathroom and a hot bath.

She’d been dreaming of a good soak since the twenty-minute drive from her day job to her evening one.

Stretching her arms over her head, Charlie tried getting the knots to relax in her shoulder blades.

Rolling dough for bread was taxing on her arms, shoulders, and hands.

Then working six hours lifting and hauling loaded down trays at the diner had her lower back hurting.

When she’d gotten out of the car, she looked like a drunken sailor from the back spasms that plagued her.

Turning on the water, Charlie walked back out into the bedroom.

Grabbing her night clothes and a robe, she was halfway to the bathroom when she turned around and headed for the door.

With everything that had happened, sometimes she got weirded out when home alone.

Locking the door, she dragged the ladder-back chair over and tucked the back under the doorknob.

That would keep an intruder out. For a minute at least.

Quickly turning around, she made quick work of retracing her steps to the bathroom.

Dropping her clothes on the bathroom counter, Charlie stepped into the tub and sank into the hot water.

Laying back, she rested her head on the tub and sighed.

It was the best feeling at the end of a long day.

The only way it would be better was if she had a cup of hot tea, a good book, a little music, and bubbles in the bathe.

But she didn’t have all of that, so she’d just enjoyed the hot water.

Charlie closed her eyes enjoying the silence.

All day she heard miss, honey, hey baby, and every other term customers used to flirt with her at the carwash.

It was nothing to have them get frisky with her.

It never failed when she was carrying a tray laden with plates someone would smack her ass or pinch it.

Most of the time she carried a small bar tray and used it as a shield against the unwanted touching. She knew how to handle a crowd; she knew how to handle herself in those situations. She never missed a step when the customers got handsy.

The diner was different. The Tenth street diner had a more laid-back crowd, well, until after the bars closed. Then it got hectic with drunks. Either they were fun, or they were nasty. Still the money was too good to quit.

Pulling the bun out, she let her long hair down.

Sliding down under the water, Charlie ran her hands through her hair, loosening it and giving her scalp a good massage.

After a few minutes, Charlie pulled the stopper letting the water drain as she turned on the water.

Sticking her hand under the water she waited for it to warm up.

After which she stood and turned on the shower.

It was a quick shampoo and conditioner, then she quickly bathed.

She had barely stepped out of the shower when a noise coming from downstairs caught her attention.

Hemlock must have gotten home. Drying off, Charlie pulled on a pair of lounge pants and a sweatshirt.

After wrapping her hair into a head wrap, she stuffed her feet into her slippers and walked out of the bedroom.

Charlie headed downstairs excited to see Hemlock.

With their work schedules they barely had time together in the past two weeks.

The last time they’d spent time together was when they went out to the Mull-hallow Hall for dinner and drinks.

Halfway down the stairs, she noticed the only light on was the one in the kitchen area and she didn’t hear Hemlock moving around.

Her foot had barely hit the bottom step when she heard a noise by the front door.

“Did you forget your house key again?” she called out as she headed for the door.

Halfway there, Charlie stopped in her tracks.

No one had answered her, which panicked her.

Hemlock would have responded to her calling out to him.

She knew this because in the past, he’d done just that.

Before she could move, a loud thud slammed into the door then another.

Running towards the door, Charlie grabbed the car keys from the wooden bowl, knocking it onto the floor.

Everything from the bowl scattered across the floor.

Just then, a loud crashing sound caused her to scream.

On the floor of the entryway lay a brick amongst the broken glass.

Hitting the panic button on the car’s fob, she ran back towards the living room and snatched up her phone.

She could hear the car alarm going off as she opened the phone to call Hemlock.

The next sounds she heard was screeching tires.

Clicking the key fob she turned off the car alarm and ran upstairs, locking herself in the bedroom.