Total pages in book: 68
Estimated words: 67468 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 337(@200wpm)___ 270(@250wpm)___ 225(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 67468 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 337(@200wpm)___ 270(@250wpm)___ 225(@300wpm)
That’s when I pulled her into my arms and said, “Mom, do you think that anything you could ever do would make me hate you so much that I would stay away?”
My mom started crying then. Knowing that she needed to get out for some air, I took her by the shoulder and started to guide her outside, with Alice in front of me.
But then Oberon noticed us going, and whatever control Karen had vanished.
“She’s mine!” Oberon cried. “You can’t take her!”
That’s when a struggle broke out.
Though he’d lied to everyone and told us that she was missing and falsified claims that she was gone, I knew that Oberon was likely just as fucked up in the head as his son.
I mean, it wasn’t as if being that way was truly a learned behavior. Coran had to have gotten some of his mannerisms from somewhere.
His creepiness definitely came from his father.
“Sir, I’m going to need you to sit down!” Karen barked, using her authoritative, obey me now voice.
Honestly, had I been a lesser man, it might’ve even intimidated me.
But Oberon was too far gone at the thought of losing my mother, his plaything.
Oberon moved then, ripping himself from Karen’s hands and throwing himself toward the loaded weapon that’d been placed on the kitchen table.
Karen took one quick glance, and that’s when we saw Karen in action. In one smooth, swift move, Karen tripped Oberon. When he went down, she smoothly followed him down, easily yanked his arms behind his back, and had him cuffed and on the ground rolling around at her feet in a matter of a few seconds.
I walked with the two best ladies in the world right out of the house.
“I actually have tried to leave before,” she admitted quietly. “A few times, actually. But he would get me to stay by riling me up about you. I just… I’m so sorry for trusting Oberon. I can’t believe I allowed that to happen. I’ve wasted years of our lives based on his lies.”
“He’s a manipulative bastard,” Alice said softly, her eyes wide with worry for my mom. “He…”
With the door open and my eyes still partially on what was going on inside, I knew the moment that Coran woke back up from taking that punch to his face.
He twitched, and I could practically see the calculations moving through his brain at the thought of what he would do next. No outward signs were forthcoming, except for the rate of his breathing.
I held up my hand, my body already moving toward where Coran lay on the floor, only inches away from where Karen was reading Oberon his rights.
Coran made a move, but I got there and stepped on his long hair, forcing him right back down to the ground, before he could make whatever physical move toward Karen that he was going to make.
He cried out, his cuffed hands going to his hair, and started clawing.
I stayed where I was, thankful that my boots were leather and fairly protective.
Seconds later, both men were on the ground, restrained, and glaring daggers at the two of us.
“Want to tell me what’s going on?” Karen asked, sounding pissed and out of breath.
“That’s my mom.” I pointed at the back door where she and Alice were standing, watching the activity in the living room.
“I thought I heard from Alice that your mom was dead?” Karen asked.
I nodded grimly. “She was supposed to be. I spent days searching for her body because this motherfucker”—I pointed at Oberon, who was glaring daggers at me—“said she fell overboard while out on his yacht one day. I even went to jail because of his ass.”
“Because you kicked it,” Karen nodded, her eyes taking in Oberon. “So you’re saying that both of these two need taken into the station?”
I nodded.
“I already called backup,” she said. “How about you take those two home? I’m not sure that boat of yours…”
She didn’t need to tell me twice.
She was right.
That boat needed to go back where it was sitting before it was found out that I’d been using it. Illegally at that.
“But your mom can’t get onto a boat!” Oberon started to say. “She’ll never make it. The water is…”
I kicked him in the jaw accidentally as I turned around.
Well, not so accidentally, but I doubted Karen would say anything.
Coran was by far too far gone in losing his shit to notice, and the two women at my side would have my back no matter what.
“I can, and I will, motherfucker!” I heard my mom say.
“You heard her,” I said as Oberon cursed. “She can and she will, motherfucker.”
And she did.
After ensuring that Karen could handle her own, I left with my mom and Alice.
Alice looked rough, but my mom looked… free.
It took me ten minutes to get home, because I was trying to make it less traumatic for her. But I think I did us all a disservice, because she seemed to do just fine.