Chapter 4
Rosa stood under the warm spray in the shower.
How long could she stay in here before Street came to demand she stop wasting water?
Her previous bathing option had consisted of a small bathroom sink in the corner of her room.
She’d had to scrub that until her hands bled to feel safe using the basin for splash baths and to wash her clothes.
The previous resident hadn’t been averse to living in squalor.
The landlord would at least have a much cleaner place to rent after she left—even if the Ravagers had ripped up the furniture searching for something valuable, or maybe they thought destroying her things would harm her.
Either way, her deposit was gone, and she needed to move.
Rosa shook the thoughts of where she would head next out of her head. That decision was for another day.
Finally, she forced herself to turn off the shower.
To her dismay, a grimy ring circled the bottom of the tub.
She couldn’t leave the previously spotless porcelain like that.
She was horrified that despite her best efforts to stay clean so much filth had rolled off her, but Rosa didn’t want to cause Street any problems. She’d follow his rules for as long as she could to let the heat die down.
Rosa grimaced at herself in the mirror. Who was she kidding?
She could get herself out of town by hitchhiking today.
Street fascinated her. He was totally hot with those hard muscles and a handsome face, and he was a Daddy.
“If only he was my Daddy,” popped into her mind, and she immediately pushed that ridiculous wish away.
Sadness flooded her. Street deserved someone much better than her.
She dried her skin and wrapped her hair in the same towel, trying to leave the least impact on his home.
She searched under the sink for some type of cleanser for the tub but couldn’t find anything.
Using her shirt and a bit of shampoo, she started scrubbing.
Thankfully, the traces of grime vanished quickly with some vigorous cleaning.
Gathering her clothes, she headed for the bedroom he had given her to collect everything in her duffel.
She hesitated for a minute about what to do with Inky. Finally, she set him on the pillows where he could sleep and recover from his abdominal surgery. He really needed to take life easy for a while.
A flash of anger struck her when the memory blazed into her brain that the Ravagers had sliced her stuffie open and pulled out his fluff.
She swore vengeance on the MC while realizing she was powerless to make them pay.
Someday, if she could ever turn her life around, Rosa vowed to punish them for the terror they’d inflicted on her best friend.
With that promise made, she forced herself to leave the beautiful room, hesitating only when she spotted her tennis shoes. Street had to think she’d run away or slipped down the drain. Impetuously, she grabbed her stained footwear and the canvas duffel and added them to the pile in her hands.
“Hey, sorry I took so long,” she apologized as she hesitated at the kitchen doorway. “I hope you ate.”
“No problem, Rosa. I’m glad you enjoyed your shower. Let me throw these into the washer for you.” He looked at the pile and nodded. “Good idea. I can toss these sneakers and the bag in as well.”
“Hey. This shirt’s soaked? Did you forget and wear your clothes into the shower?” he teased, grinning at her.
Her heart had flip-flopped in her chest at his handsome face. That smile was dangerous. “I used that to tidy up my mess. You know, sop up the water,” she improvised.
“Little girls and guests don’t clean,” he said sternly.
Could she like his serious face even better? In the future, she guessed she’d fantasize that Street would actually care enough about her to be upset that she’d scrubbed the tub. When she didn’t answer, that strict look intensified.
“Just trying to help,” she said quickly. “I can put my clothes in.”
“I’ve already got my clothes in the tub. Do you care if our things commingle?”
“No. Of course not. That is if you don’t mind. Mine may need some intense cleaning.”
“Not a problem. I have some special detergent that gets out the grime from working in the warehouse. I can’t believe what I get into sometimes.
” He plucked the clothes and shoes from her hands and carried them into a small room off the kitchen.
Street returned a few minutes later and waved her toward the rear porch.
“It’s nice outside. Go take a seat. I’ll grab the sandwiches. ”
Letting herself out the door, she chose a chair at the table. Rosa smoothed his borrowed T-shirt over her thighs. Remember. He’s just being nice. He’s not your boyfriend. But he had shared his clothing with her.
To stop herself from reading something more than niceness into his actions, Rosa glanced around the table. Ice water sat at each spot. She grabbed a glass and almost drained the contents in one gulp.
“Good thing I brought the pitcher. I was thirsty. I figured you would be as well,” Street announced, joining her with a laden tray. When she pressed her hands on the table to stand, he added, “I’m good. Stay where you are.”
Soon, she had a huge sandwich in front of her along with cut-up veggies and ranch dressing for dip. “This looks amazing. I can’t eat all this. How about if I cut the sandwich in half? Then you can have the rest later.”
“Eat what you wish, Rosa. If you’d like to save some for later, we can definitely wrap your leftovers up when you’re full.”
Street took a huge bite out of his sandwich and waved it at her to encourage her to eat.
Rosa picked up the sub and tried it. The bread was fresh and toasty, filled with meat, lettuce, pickles, and tomatoes.
Rosa could have existed on this alone for a week.
She made herself slow down and enjoy every flavor.
Who knew when she’d have a treat like this again?
“Stop thinking. Just enjoy your meal, Little girl.”
Her gaze jolted up from the treat in her hands to meet Street’s. Instantly, she suspected he had followed her thoughts. Rosa opted to change the subject. “This is really good. You could make sandwiches for a living.”
“The warehouse might miss me. I run a forklift there.”
She could see him driving a large piece of equipment.
Those arm muscles hadn’t come from chopping tomatoes.
Rosa took another big bite and chewed happily.
Street didn’t make idle talk. He allowed her to eat in peace.
To her surprise, being here calmed her nerves.
Sitting with him in the fresh air, she couldn’t remember a time she hadn’t needed to be alert and wary.
“Do all the Devil Daddies have jobs at the warehouse?”
“Not everyone. But a lot of us. Every member supports the club.”
“What’s the club like?” Rosa asked. Working in the dives she’d landed jobs at without an ID or a phone. She figured the MC’s place would be a step above the squalor she’d never gotten used to.
While Rosa had been young before taking off from home, she did remember how the rooms had looked. Maybe that had made it worse. Bugs didn’t always infest rooms, and trash didn’t pile up in all hallways. Rosa couldn’t see the Devil Daddies putting up with sticky floors and overflowing toilets.
“Wraith controls the door. He’s got an expert eye for screening people as they come in.
He welcomes everyone as long as they don’t make trouble.
The number of men and women who come to live on the wild side always amuses me.
Scythe’s Little girl is a teacher. We’ve banned a few of the district’s leadership team, much to her amusement. ”
“What’s her name?” Rosa asked, reluctantly putting down the last two inches of her sandwich. Her stomach pouched out against the T-shirt. Another bite wouldn’t fit in there.
“Winnie.”
“She sounds nice. It’s hard to imagine Wraith with a teacher. What grade?”
“Second grade. She loves the kids. I’m sure they treasure her,” Street said. “Ready for a nap?”
“I don’t nap.”
“You do while you’re here. Go brush your teeth and let’s get you in bed.”
“Really, Street. I don’t sleep during the day. I guess I don’t need the same amount of rest as others,” Rosa lied. Her apartment was loud, thanks to the neighbors. She’d gotten used to a few hours each night or morning.
“Then you can stretch out and read,” he said. “Choose any book from the shelves.”
The thought of her few tattered Little books popped into her mind. She was sure the Ravagers had ripped those apart when they’d ransacked her apartment. Hiding her sorrow, she wondered how she could repay Street’s kindness.
“If you have something to do, I could clean your house to repay you for my stay.” When his expression turned stern, she added, “I mean your house is already tidy, but I could dust or scrub the kitchen. No one has time to do everything.”
“Lucien made me take the day off today. If I have to be lazy, so do you.”
“Oh, definitely. You can nap. I’ll be quiet.”
“Go brush your teeth and lie down. If you’re still awake when I check on you, I’ll have an alternative plan. Okay?”
How could she argue with that? She’d definitely be alert. “Okay.”
He hadn’t allowed her to help with the dishes and had shooed her down the hallway.
Rosa stopped in the bathroom and used the toilet.
Trusting that Street meant for her to use the things in the drawers after he hadn’t said a word about her long shower, Rosa chose a yellow toothbrush.
The new bristles were crisp and efficient, along with the cinnamon toothpaste she’d selected.
She hadn’t tasted that kind since childhood.
Her mouth tingled with happiness when she finished.
Returning to the room Street had designated as hers, Rosa then climbed between the crisp sheets and relaxed on the pillows.
She couldn’t remember ever sleeping in a bed this comfortable.
Surrounded by the silence of the beautiful space, her eyes drifted shut after a few minutes, and Rosa tumbled into sleep.