Total pages in book: 103
Estimated words: 95906 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 480(@200wpm)___ 384(@250wpm)___ 320(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 95906 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 480(@200wpm)___ 384(@250wpm)___ 320(@300wpm)
I hadn’t been naïve to how hard such a future would be, especially since I had no legal standing to keep either child, but having Con verbalize my own fears had been enough to keep me silent as he’d laid out his plan to give me and the kids the life we craved. The last thing I wanted was to have to look over my shoulder the rest of my life, or have the kids constantly be afraid of Ricky showing up to take them back to the only home they’d ever known. And Con’s reminder that there were sick fucks like Barry around every corner just waiting for their chance to get to Rory or Christopher had made me want to throw up then and there.
The incident with Ricky and Barry had been proof enough that as much as I wanted to get the kids to a place where Ricky couldn’t touch them, the reality was that I couldn't do it by myself, not under the current circumstances, anyway. I’d always intended to have Con’s last guilt payment as part of my stash of cash to get us to Alaska, but without that, my funds had been beyond meager. And truth be told, even if I'd put my pride aside and just asked him for the money—which no doubt he would have given me—the three of us were vulnerable other than just our finances. As much as I hated to admit it, I just didn't know enough about the world beyond my own walls to really get it. I could learn, but I needed time. I hated needing to rely on the man who'd destroyed my life, but I had to play this thing smart. Rory’s and Christopher's futures depended on it.
So I could take the awkward encounters and painful silence between myself and Con. It was how it should be. And I was certain my body would ultimately settle down whenever I was around the man… I was probably still on some weird adrenaline rush from Ricky’s attack and my brain was doing that whole white-knight thing.
Forcing myself to sit up, I watched Rory collect rocks along the shoreline as Christopher sat on a huge flat rock above the water. His eyes were glued to his ereader so I had no doubt he was lost in a book.
Both kids had settled in surprisingly well, though Christopher was still on edge whenever Con was around. Despite each of us having our own bedrooms, Christopher always slept in my room. Rory, on the other hand, had pitched a fit when I’d tried to insist she sleep in my room so I could keep an eye on her. It wasn’t that I didn’t trust Con around her… I just didn’t like having her out of my sight for any extended period of time.
But Rory was Rory and when I’d put my foot down, she’d done quite a bit of her own stomping. And when Con had come upstairs to investigate, Rory had dramatically thrown herself into his arms like the little diva that she was and had begged him to make it so she could have her own room. I’d fully expected Con to side with the child, but to my surprise, he’d calmly explained to Rory that I had my reasons for wanting us to all share a room and reminded her that all I’d ever done was protect her and her brother. Mollified, my niece had shed genuine tears and apologized to me as Con had handed her to me. She’d wrapped her tiny body around me and cried softly all while begging me not to be mad at her.
It had been a hard moment in which I’d never felt more alone or more tired. My eyes had connected with Con’s and I’d wanted nothing more than for him to step forward and invade my personal space like he had so many times before when I’d been vulnerable and scared. But there’d been no gentle reassurances, no promises that everything would be okay. Con had simply turned on his heel and returned downstairs and I’d once again been left to handle things just like I had since Brady lost the use of his legs.
Alone.
I’d ultimately relented and let Rory stay in the room next to mine and had only gone to check on her throughout the night once or twice.
Or a dozen.
I sighed as I glanced from one child to another. They were so very different and yet so similar. While I wouldn’t change being the closest thing to a father either of them had, I would have given anything for someone to tell me I was doing it right. That I wasn’t making a mess of things.
“Come on, guys, let’s head back and make some dinner,” I called as a soft but cool breeze flitted over my skin. The reminder that it was getting late had me climbing to my feet even as Rory gave me the usual fussing while Christopher quickly hurried off the rock and hugged his ereader close to his chest as he made his way to me.