Doolittle by Harley Wylde

Author:Harley Wylde [Wylde, Harley]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: BIN 010153-03296
Publisher: Changeling Press LLC
Published: 2021-12-20T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Nine

Minnie

I’d been with the Devil’s Boneyard for a week now. They were kind to take me in, give me a place to stay, and none of them had made me feel like trash. There hadn’t been any vacant places for me to use during my stay, but Stripes had opened his home to me. I had my own bedroom and bathroom. Stripes made sure my favorite snacks and drinks were stocked. He’d been so nice to me.

“Morning, zaichik.” Stripes ran his hand down my hair as he passed me, heading for the coffee pot. “Do you have plans for the day?”

“I need to find a job so I can save some money. Otherwise, I’ll never be able to provide for myself.” Or my baby. I hadn’t told the Devil’s Boneyard I was pregnant. I’d only found out three days ago. My period was not only late, but my breasts had become more tender than usual, and seemed a bit larger. I’d taken a home test, then a second. Both came back positive.

“You could go to work with me,” he said, his Russian accent heavy first thing in the morning.

“At the strip club?” I asked with some amusement. “I don’t know how to dance on a pole.”

He scowled. “Not funny, zaichik. You help me in the office. None of those men are putting their hands on you, or watching you dance naked.”

“I guess it wouldn’t hurt. But I meant what I said about needing to save money.”

“I’ll pay you ten dollars an hour if you clean up my office.” He took a swallow of coffee. “But it’s a disaster.”

I didn’t doubt it. I’d seen his organizational skills at work around the house. As in, he didn’t have any. I’d spent the first few days putting the kitchen into some sort of order. Then I’d tackled the hall closet. Stripes had been thrilled. The man was a big softy, and said while I was here, it would be like having a daughter. Apparently, when he called me zaichik, it was a term of endearment. I had to admit it made me feel a little warm and fuzzy. I’d not had a dad growing up.

“Can I start today?” I asked.

“Nyet. We’ll go in tomorrow. Today, we’re going to talk.”

Well, that sounded rather ominous. I couldn’t think of a single conversation that started that way and ended on a positive note. I got up to make a cup of tea. While the water boiled, I busied myself with checking the refrigerator to see if we needed dinner items. Stripes got up and shut the fridge door, trapping me between him and the appliance.

“No avoiding this,” he said. “Get your tea and sit.”

“All right.” The kettle whistled and I poured a mugful before dunking a tea bag. I carried the mug to the table and took a seat. “What’s the bad news?”

He chuckled, swallowing more coffee. “Why is it bad news? I’m simply waiting for the truth.”

My stomach knotted and I looked everywhere but at Stripes.

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