Read Love Thief for Free Online

boy downstairs, and he eats boogers.”
    “Ew.” Charmaine shivered in disgust. “Don’t call him ‘that fat boy.’ It’s mean.”
    She actually sounded like a parent and was proud of herself. Then she forgot about everything when an error popped up on the screen. Groaning, she ran back through the steps she had just taken. Nothing seemed to have caused it. Pouring over her manuals, she couldn’t get to the bottom of things and dug deeper. She wouldn’t give up.
    When her eyes began to ache, Charmaine rubbed them. She realized the room was dimmer. More time had passed than she noticed. When she stood, she almost fell down again because both her feet were asleep. Amaya’s little squeal sounded muffled, and Charmaine went to see what she was up to. Amaya was crouched down on the floor holding Charmaine’s cell phone in her hand.
    “What are you doing?” she demanded.
    Wide round eyes blinked up at her. “Playing a game.”
    Charmaine gestured. “Hand it over.”
    She took the phone and noticed the game, an app she hadn’t had on her phone before. After she exited out of it, a message popped up under Elliot’s name. She noted there were several she had missed.
    “I found a game Amaya might like.”
    “Are you there?”
    “Yes.” This one was from her. She never answered because she didn’t realize she got the message.
    “Sending link. Click it.”
    Charmaine assumed the rest was history. Amaya and not her had downloaded the game from Elliot. Her chest ached, and she wasn’t sure what to do. This was Elliot’s fault. She dialed his number, and he answered on the second ring.
    “Hey, is this Amaya or Charmaine?”
    “Get your ass to my apartment right now!”
    “I have my answer.” A few seconds later, he knocked on the door, and she wrenched it open and dragged him into the apartment. She slammed the door behind him and faced him with her hands on her hips.
    Amaya stood beside her, head bowed and chewing on one of her ponytails. She ought to be feel guilty, but the bastard in front of Charmaine should feel worse.
    “You’ve got three seconds to explain to me why I shouldn’t call the police on your ass.”
    He appeared shocked. “What did I do? And I know you’re angry, but I beg you not to talk like that in front of her.”
    Charmaine scowled harder. “You lured her into playing a game.”
    “What do you mean lured? I asked you. You said yes, and I assume you downloaded it.”
    “No, I didn’t. I didn’t talk to you at all.”
    He paled and glanced at Amaya. Now the sneaky miss was rocking back and forth, looking everywhere but at them and singing some weird song about a purple turtle. Charmaine wasn’t going for it.
    “Amaya, look at me.”
    The little girl whimpered and looked up.
    “Can you read?”
    “Of course.”
    Charmaine looked at Elliot, but she was glad to note he seemed just as surprised. Four-year-olds didn’t all know how, so her thinking Amaya was unusual wasn’t crazy. Plus, they were in the middle of summer, so Charmaine hadn’t had the opportunity to learn where Amaya was in school. Was she even old enough for school? This was another area she was lacking. They seemed to be endless.
    “Show me,” Charmaine insisted and held out her phone.
    Amaya pointed. “Amaya…like…game.”
    “Ah, it’s making sense now.” Elliot looked proud as if he had something to do with the girl’s smarts. “She can read a few words, and if she’s played on electronics before, it’s only natural to click a link. The game was simple enough for her to figure out how to play it on her own.”
    “That doesn’t change the fact that you got her to play it. I don’t know how much else you’ve done or what you planned.”
    This time he appeared offended. “Is that what you think of me?”
    “I don’t know you very well.”
    He said nothing and started to turn away. “I won’t contact you again unless you—”
    “Uh-uhn, you’re not getting off that easy.” She grasped the