Sinners' Playground (The Harlequin Crew #1) - Caroline Peckham Page 0,80

on it or hand it over direct."

Lyla pointed at a hole in the door as I gave her a horrified look and I blew out a relieved breath.

"Okay, sounds good," I agreed.

"You're number twenty-two. Here you go." He handed me a key with a blue surfboard keychain on it and the number twenty-two painted on the base. "You got money to put on the electric meter? I can get you running with all the facilities like water, propane, etcetera if you got another hundred to start you off?"

"Yeah. Facilities sound good," I agreed, rummaging for another hundred in my bag and handing it over.

Joe eyed me like he was wondering where I'd gotten all of that cash then seemed to realise he didn't give a shit. "Come on then, I'll get all your needs filled."

Lyla gave me an excited grin and we turned to follow Joe out into the park.

"You gotta watch out for rattlesnakes gettin' beneath your trailer," he said casually as we walked. "The fences keep the coyotes out but there ain't nothin' I can do for a snake."

"Great. I'll keep an eye out," I assured him with a shudder.

"I got some anti-venom up at my place if you do get bit, but I gotta charge a pretty penny for it. That stuff ain't cheap, you understand?"

"I bet not," I agreed.

"That's me," Lyla said, pointing out a trailer with a pink door and cute fairy lights hanging all around the little porch that was constructed out the front of it. "Come over any time - but if only the blue lights are lit then I'm with a client."

"Got it," I agreed as Joe approached a trailer a few down from hers and gestured for me to unlock it.

I moved forward with way too much anticipation as I looked at the blue and white trailer, stepping up onto the wooden deck in front of it and imagining getting my own set of lights to string up outside - probably better check that there isn't some signal system in use for the hookers here first.

I unlocked it and tried to tug the door open, but it got stuck.

"You gotta jiggle it," Joe grunted, leaning around me to grab the door handle and jiggling it as his chest pressed to my back.

I cringed away from him but the door burst open before I needed to deploy the elbows, which was probably for the best as he was my new landlord and all.

"Gimme a sec to get the electric going," Joe said, heading around the side of the trailer while I stepped inside.

Mutt shot past me, racing around the dark space excitedly, his little tail wagging as he went.

There was a faint smell of shea hanging in the air and I could just make out the kitchen cupboards and sink in front of me.

I squinted around as I tried to figure out the layout and the lights suddenly blinked to life as the power came on.

I sucked in a sharp breath as the inside of the trailer was revealed to me. The whole thing had been decorated in a retro style with pale blue cupboard doors and white surrounds. The oven was baby pink and there were blue cushions on the chairs either side of the table to my right. The whole thing was seriously cute and about a million times better than I'd been expecting.

A few doors led off of the main space at the far end of the trailer to my left and I moved down to open them up, finding a shower room, toilet and finally a bedroom. I stepped into the small space, grinning at the unmade bed which took up almost the entire space with the little blue curtains hanging by the window.

I’d never had a place that was entirely mine before. I could actually see myself liking it here.

"You gotta watch for this window," Joe said suddenly, making me shriek in alarm as he pushed the window at the foot of my bed open from outside and stuck his head through. "The lock is dodgy and folk can see right in here and get a look at whatever you're up to if you don't make sure to pull the curtains."

"Noted," I said, reaching out to slam the window as he retreated and laughing breathily as my racing heart began to slow.

I headed back out into the main part of the trailer, finding Lyla smiling at me in the kitchen. "Cute, isn't it? A girl named Dotty