Page 110 of Rastor

What the hell? So Chloe's dad was living high on the hog while his daughter was practically homeless? That whole ass-beating idea was sounding better every minute.

In the front window, I caught movement. I cut the engine and looked to Chloe, letting her set the pace. As pissed off as I was, I had to remind myself of everything else she had told me. If I created a scene, I wouldn't be doing Chloe or her little brother any favors.

And beating her dad's ass definitely qualified as a scene. Unfortunately. So I waited, trying to fake a civility that I wasn't feeling.

Chloe blew out a nervous breath. "C'mon," she said, shoving open the passenger's side door. Salad in hand, she jumped out of the car and waited as I circled around to grab the two desserts from the back.

By the time we reached the front door, it was already open. A skinny kid, Josh, obviously, was standing in the open doorway. He was dressed in dark slacks, a white dress shirt, and damn, even a tie. Boy, they reallydiddress up, didn't they? Shit, when I'd been twelve, I didn't evenowna tie.

Josh was giving Chloe a worried look. With a quick glance over his shoulder, he stepped out of the house and shut the door behind him. "You made it," he said.

Chloe gave him a smile that looked a little too nervous for my liking. "Told you I would."

Josh lowered his voice. "She was just about to lock you out."

He didn't say whoshewas, but I had a pretty good guess.

Chloe's smile was still plastered in place. "Good thing I found myself a fast driver then." She cleared her throat. "Speaking of which, this is Lawton, my, uh, friend." She turned to me and said, "This is Josh."

I held out my free hand. "So you're the genius Chloe's always talking about."

"Aw, I don’t know about that," Josh said, looking down at his shoes.

Chloe leaned closer to Josh and said, "You look good."

Josh looked up. "Thanks. So do you." He reached up to tug at his tie. "I wanted to wear jeans." He shrugged. "But you know."

Chloe nodded like she knew exactly what he meant. And then, as if she and her brother were thinking the same thing, they both turned to look at me. They paused, like they didn't know what to say.

I was still holding the dessert boxes. They were a decent size, but not nearly big enough to hide the obvious. Unlike Chloe and her brother, I sure as hell wasn't dressed up.

My clothes were trash, and my sleeves were short. I glanced down, taking in my tattoos, the grease stains on my white T-shirt, and the rips in my ancient jeans. If I were meeting Chloe's dad under any other circumstance, I'd be embarrassed as hell.

But the way I saw it, the guy had a lot more to be ashamed of than I did. And besides, if my ratty-ass appearance took the negative attention off Josh, that was fine by me.

Josh was staring down at my bare knees, visible through the shredded denim. He blew out a low whistle. "She's gonna totally chew you up."

Loretta? Eh, she could try. Looking to make the point, I grinned over at him. "Who?"

Behind Josh, the door swung open fast and hard, hitting the doorstopper with a loud clang.

"Her," Chloe muttered under her breath.

Standing in the open doorway was a thin, middle-aged woman with short brown hair, Loretta, obviously. She gave Chloe a cold look. "You think I can't hear you?"

Chloe froze like a deer in headlights. She didn't say it, but I could tell what she was thinking.Busted.

Looking to take the attention off Chloe, I shifted the boxes in my hands. Instantly, Loretta's head swiveled in my direction. She gave me a long, disgusted look, starting at the top of my head and finishing at the tattered edges of my grease-stained jeans.

When she finally looked up, her lips were pursed, and her eyes were narrowed to cold, hard slits. She leaned around me and made a show of looking at the driveway. "Who are you?" she said. "The tow truck driver?"

Right, because that busted-up hot-rod was really a tow-truck in disguise.

Next to me, Chloe cleared her throat. "Loretta, I'd like you to meet Lawton. My friend, and uh, my ride."

"I see." Loretta was pursing her lips again. "Lorton, is it?"

Nice try, I thought. I'd played that game myself, and there was no way in hell I was going to give her the reaction she wanted. "Close enough," I said, holding out my hand.