Total pages in book: 47
Estimated words: 46344 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 232(@200wpm)___ 185(@250wpm)___ 154(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 46344 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 232(@200wpm)___ 185(@250wpm)___ 154(@300wpm)
“Are you lying?” Caleb asked.
He took a deep breath and looked toward his uncle. Caleb had always been on his case to be better, training him at the early hours of the morning, putting him through hell, and he fucking loved him for it. He wouldn’t be who he was today without his uncles, or his father for that matter. “No, I don’t lie.”
“This is serious, Dwayne,” Beast said.
“I’ve not fucking lied. Have you ever thought about it being the two of you in your old age going fucking senile?” he asked, glaring at the two.
Caleb stared at him for a couple of seconds and shrugged. “It’s not him.”
“Nope, it’s not.”
“Are you two being serious right now?”
“You’re right. You don’t lie.”
He rolled his eyes. “I don’t have time for this. Do you two want to take over and do some actual work for a change?”
“Nope, you deal with it.” Beast patted his arm while Caleb winked at him. “It’s up to strapping young men like yourself to do this stuff. We know you didn’t do the body dumps, so we’re all good. There’s nothing that will come back to you.”
He watched them both leave, thankful they hadn’t lingered.
Putting his earbuds in, he got to work packaging the man. He had no intention of burning this body. This was a message to all their enemies.
Once it was perfectly wrapped, he lifted up the weight and carried it out to the bastard’s car. With gloves on his hands again, he drove the car to one of the other warehouses, got out, and left.
He whistled as he walked back to the warehouse where he’d been interrogating. Before he left for the day, he checked to make sure there was no evidence left lying around. Checking the time, he saw it was a little after eleven AM.
Charity would be waiting for him.
Just thinking about her made him smile.
Climbing into his own car, he drove the thirty minutes to see that the woman in question hadn’t left. She leaned against her vehicle, checking her watch.
“You’re late,” she said the moment he joined her.
“Or maybe you’re early.”
“It’s nearly lunchtime.”
“So. You got anywhere special to be?” he asked.
“I could. I have friends.”
“That are not hanging around with you anymore.”
“How do you even know they’re not hanging around with me anymore?”
“I was a schoolkid once. I knew someone who went through something like you did. Not on the same scale, but she was considered an outcast.” He chuckled. “She’s now my auntie.”
“Wait? What?”
“My tutor fell for my uncle. They’re married now, kids and all that. She’s my age. Had a rough time of it when she was younger, a little younger than you. Her father shot her, and she saw him kill her mother and then himself. For a long time, a lot of people gave her a wide berth. Clearly thought something was wrong with her. I know there was. There’s no way falling for my uncle is normal.”
He couldn’t believe he just admitted that to her.
When he discovered Hope and Beast were a thing, he hadn’t really cared. Yeah, it was a little weird, but again, he had his own life to live and he wasn’t about to tell two people not to be together.
Locking the door behind her, he made his way toward the workout mats. Pulling off his jacket, he removed his shirt and faced her wearing a vest and pants.
“Were you on business or something?” she asked.
“Yeah, why?”
“Your clothes.”
He glanced down at his clothes. There hadn’t been any blood on them. “What about them?”
“It’s nothing. Ignore me.”
Folding his arms, he watched as she removed her bag and then turned to face him. Her back was ramrod straight, and neither of them spoke a word. Her hands were clenched at her sides, and he waited.
“Do I need to order you to attack me?” he asked. “Want me to make it easier for you?”
“I don’t … can’t you just show me how to defend myself?”
“Part of defending yourself is knowing how to attack.” He advanced on her, and instead of staying strong, she didn’t. She kept backing up until she hit the wall. He was about to wrap his hands around her neck, but she moved, avoiding him. She ducked under his arm.
Her reactions were so slow, but he’d show her in time. For now, he needed her to build her confidence.
“That makes no sense. Most of the time the people being attacked need to defend themselves because they’re vulnerable. They’re not prepared.”
“Everyone who is not used to being on guard will always get taken. Will always get hurt.”
“Have you taken classes in this before?” she asked, arms folded, looking rather stern. It was really cute.
“No.”
“What can you teach me that no one else can?” She gave him a pointed look.
Dwayne stepped up close to her. “I’m like every other person, but the difference is, I’m not going to teach you how to run away. I’m going to make sure you can take the man down and have plenty of time to get away.”