Total pages in book: 58
Estimated words: 55738 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 279(@200wpm)___ 223(@250wpm)___ 186(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 55738 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 279(@200wpm)___ 223(@250wpm)___ 186(@300wpm)
Holding the phone to my ear, it rings a couple more times before James answers. “Dad?”
“Evening, son,” I say.
“You painting the town red tonight or something? It’s almost midnight.”
I try to make my voice sound lighthearted, as though none of this has affected me. “Something like that,” I reply. “I won’t be home tonight.”
“You’re being very mysterious,” he says, laughing. “Are you with a lady?”
I grit my teeth and repress a sigh. Life would be far better if this weren’t so damn complicated. “Something like that.”
“Is that your new catchphrase?”
I try to laugh, but it comes out sounding so fake. “Maybe it is. Anyway, I just wanted to let you know.”
“Okay, uh, cool. If you are with a lady, I hope I can meet her. It’s not like you to date. She must be pretty special if you’re making an exception.”
“I’ll keep that in mind,” I say vaguely. “Love you, James.”
“Love you too, Dad.”
I hang up the phone and then join Samantha in the seating area. Loki finishes his food and leaps up into my lap. I gently stroke my hand over his body, emotion pounding into me when I feel his warmth, anxiety, and fear like he’s wondering if he’ll have to return to that place.
“The news stories have started,” Samantha whispers, looking shell-shocked. She’s had a shower, her hair tied up, looking beautiful despite the chaos. She nods to the laptop on the coffee table. “Unknown Vigilante Frees Captive Dogs. Three Men Tied Up–One Injured in War on Dog Farm… There are more.”
I nod. “So the man didn’t die, then.”
“That’s good, right?” Samantha looks at me with so much pain in her eyes. She didn’t deserve any of this.
“It’s good because the police won’t be looking for a killer. It’s bad because any man who tries to hurt you deserves to be in the fucking ground.” I lower my intensity when Loki whines. “Sorry, boy,” I whisper, stroking him under the chin.
“Will the men talk to the cops? Describe us?”
“I doubt it,” I reply, “but it’s possible. Luckily, I don’t have any tattoos, and there was so much mayhem. I’d be surprised if the cops came knocking on my door. I’d be surprised if the cops cared enough to launch a full-scale investigation into this.”
“What will they do with the dogs?” she asks.
“Shelters. Those with chips will go back to their owners.”
Samantha stands up and paces nervously around the coffee table. Every movement of hers shows the aftershocks of what happened. It’s like she can still hear the gunshots. She sits next to me and shuffles close. I lift my arm and wrap it around her, holding her tightly, wondering what I would’ve done if I’d lost her.
“How’s my girlfriend feeling, hmm?” I whisper, kissing the top of her head.
When her laughter comes, it’s a gift, even if she sounds choked up and ready to burst into tears, scream, or get up and run again. “So that was serious, huh? I thought that might’ve been in-the-moment talk.”
“Is that a yes?” I ask.
She looks up at me, eyes sparkling with emotion, a soft smile on my woman’s face. “You didn’t ask me, but it’s a yes.” She frowns.
“What’s wrong?” I shake my head. “Sorry, stupid question.”
“I just… It’s just the way I reacted when all that stuff happened. I never thought about how I’d handle myself in a crisis like that. I guess I hoped I’d be a bit more useful.”
“You were useful. You drove Charles’ car.”
“Whoopee!”
“Don’t downplay it,” I growl. “You’re a civilian with no military training or experience in violence or gunfights. It’s different from the movies. People think they’ll behave a certain way, but they rarely do. It’s not your fault. Hell, it’s better not to be experienced in that stuff.”
“Thank God you were there,” she says softly.
I always will be, I almost reply, but then Loki leaps down and starts running in anxious circles. He whines and moves toward the door.
“I think somebody needs the bathroom,” I say.
“Can I come?” she asks. “I don’t want to be alone.”
I think about it for a moment, not seeing any risks. I’m taking the pistol, just in case. After seeing my woman so close to the end, I know I can’t let her go. Hell, I knew before, but this is a different type of knowing. This is destiny. This is love.
“What’s wrong?” she asks as we walk toward the door together, her hand in mine. She must’ve felt my hand go suddenly tight.
“Nothing’s wrong,” I tell her honestly. “You’re safe. Loki’s safe. Maybe everything’s going to work out.”
I probably shouldn’t add the maybe, but I can’t speak with the level of confidence I wish I could. My son and his so-called love for Samantha are still the issue. He watched her from afar, nursing his desire for my woman. I’ll never get over the confusing sensation of feeling protective of Samantha when it comes to my own son.