Betrayed, I Rise novel · Chapter 4 of 32

Chapter 4: Hatcher Marine

The phone died in my hand.

I stood there holding a black screen.

"No," I said to it. "No, I'm not."

The clerk looked up from her crossword.

"Hon, you want me to call somebody?"

There wasn't anybody.

That was the first time I really understood it.

My father was on Vincent's side. My best friend was wearing my mother's coat. Every person I'd have called was sitting under that awning.

I walked out of the office.

Vincent had picked up his chair and was eating again.

"Well?" he said. "Room service?"

Skylar snorted.

I didn't look at them.

Troy was leaning on the tailgate of his truck with his arms crossed. The dog was asleep on the seat.

"I don't have any money," I said. "And I don't have a phone. And I'm not getting in that RV."

He looked at my wrist.

Then he looked at Vincent, for a long moment.

"There's a room over my office," he said. "Bed, shower, a door that locks from the inside. Only key's yours."

"You don't know me."

"I know you walked nine miles in the wrong direction and didn't cry about it."

Behind me, Skylar called out, "Carly! You're seriously leaving with Mr. Boat?"

I got in the truck.

Vincent shouted something as we pulled out.

I didn't catch it.

The room over the office was small and clean. A single bed with a quilt.

A window that looked out over the yard.

A shelf of old tide tables and paperbacks with cracked spines.

Troy plugged my phone into a charger on the dresser.

"Towels in the cabinet. I'm downstairs if you need anything. The dog'll probably come up. You can kick him out."

"Thank you."

"Lock the door," he said, and went.

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