18 Floors Above the Apocalypse novel Chapter 337

On the edge of collapse, the thief was barely hanging on to consciousness. Stella, showing a rare streak of mercy, told him to beat it before it was too late. She'd be damned if she'd take the blame for another bite mark.

Anger flaring, Stella laid down the law: no dinner for her two mischievous pups.

It was one thing to defend against a random crook, but this kind of roughhousing could spell trouble if they got too used to it. What if they turned on the innocent folks next?

Dogs shouldn't be in packs. Something was bound to happen if they stayed together for too long.

Always one to stick up for her own, Stella grabbed her walkie-talkie and barked at Bran, "Get your butt over here and take Buddy home. "

It was not Cooper's fault; that rascal led him astray.

Bran played the helpless card. "Aw, Stella, they've got legs; can't tie 'em down."

"Get him now. I owe you dinner."

"Barbecue?"

"Deal."

Bran pulled up in his Land Rover, striking a pose in front of it and whistling for Buddy, who reluctantly climbed into the vehicle.

Stella pretended to care, "How's your cousin's arm? Still in one piece?"

"Nope, broke it again."

Stella sighed. "What about Lindsay? She back?"

Bran shot her a weighted look. "Stella, you're spoken for, remember? Don't be eyeing the goods in someone else's cart."

What the heck? Stella nearly choked on her own spit. The nerve of him, preaching to her when he was the one gallivanting around town, splurging on women like there was no tomorrow. And now he was playing the saint? Sure enough, catastrophe could change a person.

Stella snapped back, "Got rocks in your head?"

Jealousy tinged Bran's complaint, "Why ask about him and not me?"

"You're right here, aren't you?"

She just wanted the gossip, that was all.

Despite his suspicions, Bran spilled the beans. "Yeah, Lindsay's back."

It was like a miracle. Swept away by a hurricane with two broken legs, and she ended up pregnant.

And Bentley, arm broken twice, still dragged her back home, only to get stabbed. The guy was a walking disaster. He even suggested Lindsay could stab him a few more times to get even.

Bran was shocked and silently vowed to steer clear of love and marriage. Too freakin' scary. Heck, he was scared to even hang out with his cousin now.

What if Lindsay missed her mark next time and he ended up with a knife in his back?

Anyway, Bran’s aunt finally gave up on his cousin too. She was now obsessed with cultivating her younger child.

After dinner, still uneasy, Stella asked Jasper to give Cooper some therapy to avoid a repeat incident.

The house across from the station sold like hotcakes.

With the deed in their hands, they made a special trip to the real estate center. They traded it for a variety of seeds, well over a hundred pounds, plus two truckloads of books.