Unbreakable by Alison Kent Read Free Book Online Page A

though most of his six-packs were made up of longnecks instead of aluminum cans. The dog food, not so much. He couldn’t see them buying a story that he’d developed a soft heart for a stray.
    Ah, truth. You ironic bitch.
    Clay shrugged, sucked down the rest of his milkshake, then belched. “You act like I’ve got a problem being on my own.”
    The kid was fourteen. He should have a problem with it. Casper sure as hell did, but he knew this wasn’t the time to start digging into what had driven the boy to Crow Hill when he’d had a world of places to choose from.
    That, more than anything, was getting Casper’s goat. What the hell impression had he given the boy in Albuquerque?
    And how was he going to reverse it without making things worse? “What I mean is that you’re going to have to get started cleaning up without me here.”
    “Here to help?” Clay asked, tossing his head to get his lank and overlong hair out of his eyes. “Or to look over my shoulder?”
    “Both, but since I won’t be here, then neither. I’m going to stop and put in orders to have the water and power and gas turned on, but you can start with the obvious trash in the meantime. I bought an industrial-sized box of garbage bags.”
    “Garbage detail. Got it.”
    “And stay out of sight.”
    “Got that one, too.”
    “Good, because we could both be in deep shit if you’re discovered before I can figure out what to do with you.”
    That had Clay backing up a couple of steps. “I don’t need you to do anything with me. You don’t want me here, say the word and I’m gone.”
    Jesus. Casper closed his eyes, rubbed the grit away instead of snatching up the kid and shaking him. “Just stay out of sight. If anyone comes around, find a closet or something.”
    “No one has to come in to check the utilities are working?”
    “Shouldn’t. Well, maybe the gas, but they can wait till I’m here if that’s the case. Water’ll get turned on at the meter, and the electric box is on the rear of the house. Just keep Kevin off the porch.”
    “And you’ll be back when?”
    He thought of all the things at the ranch he’d already put off too long. Thought of letting down Boone and Dax, not holding up his third of the partnership. He thought about Faith. Then he thought about growing up and having no one watching his back.
    He grabbed one last plastic fork from the floor along with a wedge-shaped container that had held a slice of pie, and headed for the kitchen, calling back, “As soon as I can in the morning. I’ll work out a schedule for the things that need doing.”
    “I can pretty much figure out what needs doing,” Clay said, following.
    “Yeah, smart-ass, I know. But some things take priority.”
    “How much are you going to pay me?”
    “Over your room and board?”
    “This isn’t much of a room, and Vienna sausages with cheese crackers and Coke doesn’t count as much in the way of board.”
    “Vienna sausages with cheese crackers don’t require cooking or digging through restaurant trash. And it’s only for the rest of the day. I’ll get you a microwave and figure out what to do about a fridge once I see if that one,” he said, nodding toward the ancient appliance, “has any life left in it.”
    Clay screwed up his mouth. “You saying I can’t use the stove? I do know how to cook.”
    “Without setting the house on fire?”
    “I used to cook for my mom. Really cook, not just heating up cans of soup and nuking pizza bites.”
    Huh. Interesting. “We’ll cross that bridge. Best to keep things simple for now.”
    “Whatever.”
    Jesus H. A teenager complaining about eating junk for a few days? “I’ll pick up kolaches or breakfast tacos in the morning, okay?”
    “Thanks,” Clay said with a nod, his gaze finding Kevin as if he needed a friend. “I like eggs.”
    “I’ll pick up a fan, too. There’s a window unit in what’s supposed to be the master bedroom, but I imagine it’s nothing but a big nest for