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)
“You know that’s coming up?”
“Yeah, it happens to us all.”
“Did you graduate?”
“Yep. With the help of my aunt, I aced that shit, why?”
“I just, it seems odd for you to even go to high school. You have this presence around you that makes you dangerous. Scary?”
“I am dangerous and scary. Doesn’t mean I didn’t have a normal life for a time.”
“What changed, Dwayne?” she asked.
He walked back toward her. “I grew up.”
“When boys grow up they want normal things. A family, a good job, sex, and you know, not to kill people.”
Dwayne laughed. “I was having sex all the time. I had a job, and I happen to like killing people.”
“I’m starting to think you say things to see how I react.”
“It’s refreshing. A lot of women would be running away scared.”
“Are we talking about the kinds of women you’ve not saved?”
“Pretty much.”
“Come back to me when they’ve been rescued by you.” When they’ve had you standing in the shower, helping wash the crazy away, then come back and talk to me.
Dwayne took her hand, and once again they were walking back toward the beaten path.
“What college are you going to?”
“I don’t know. I’m thinking a gap year is more important, seeing as I missed all the enrollment times and I don’t just want to be one of these that pick one after my grades come in. You know, when they’re moving people around because grades have been less than perfect. My parents are pressuring me to either do that or go to Europe for the year. To explore.”
“What do you want to do?”
“Work, take some time, think about my life, you know.”
“I may be able to help you with that.”
“Not get killed before I turn nineteen,” she said.
“Damn, you take all the fun out of everything.”
“Was that a joke? Did Dwayne just make a joke?”
“You bet I did. Also, how do you feel about meeting my uncles this Sunday?”
This made her stop and pause. As she did, Dwayne also couldn’t go anywhere as she tugged on her hand.
“What?”
“Will they kill me?”
“Nope. Their wives will be present, so you’ll be safe. Also, kids will be there as well. You’ll be safe.”
Chapter Seven
Charity may be safe, but he sure as hell wasn’t. Caleb and Beast looked like they had itchy trigger fingers right now, and if it wasn’t for Hope serving up the mashed potatoes, Dwayne’s brains would be splattered across the dining room wall.
“Where are the kids, honey?” Hope asked.
“In the yard. Probably fighting with water,” Beast said.
“Want to go and give them a call?” Faith asked, looking toward Caleb.
“Just need to talk to Dwayne about something, babe. Will you do it? I’ll make it up to you later.”
“Charity?” Hope asked. “Would you like to come along? We’ll bring out drinks when we get back.”
“It’s okay, I can—okay, that wasn’t a suggestion. I’ll be back,” she said, smiling at him. Dwayne winked at her, trying to show her that he was fine.
Beast had told him to go after her, so he didn’t see what the problem was.
“What have I done now?” Dwayne asked. He may as well just get down to business, as otherwise they’d never eat.
“You brought her here?” Caleb asked.
“Beast encouraged me to go after her.”
“I don’t have a problem with you coming here.”
“What’s the problem now?” Dwayne asked, bored with Caleb’s attitude.
Beast looked toward Caleb. “What is your problem with the girl?”
“She knows nothing about our life. For all you know, she could be feeding this crap to the cops.”
“You need to learn to relax.”
“Relax? He’s going across the city, killing a lot of people—”
“People that would quite happily take your family out, might I add. Faith, your kids, you want that?”
“What I don’t want is to keep on cleaning up your messes.”
“Uncle Caleb, you’ve not cleaned up one of my messes in a long time, so don’t start trying to play that card with me.”
“What is it with this girl?”
He glanced in the direction of the kitchen, but he didn’t catch a single sight of her. “What about Faith? What was it about her?” He stared at Caleb. His uncle showed no signs of backing down. “Wasn’t it just a feeling? Something that you seemed to crave, that just made you tick over and over again? I don’t know what it is about Charity. I can’t shake her, and I don’t want to either. I like being around her. She makes me forget all the horrible shit I’ve done, and she doesn’t care. She knows the worst of what I’ve done. I’m sorry I can’t be this picture-perfect killer for you, Caleb. It doesn’t fucking work that way. You want to argue with me about all the men I’ve killed, go right ahead. The last group of men I killed were heading toward your house, did you know that?” He saw Caleb visibly pale. “I got a call about a group of men wanting to take out a Carson. Going for what they considered the weakest when it came to security. I intercepted their van, took them out. There were ten of them, heavily armed, and two vans. I don’t think you’d have been sitting down to this dinner with Faith getting your kids. You may hate me, Caleb, and the numbers I kill, but I do what I have to do to keep this family safe.” He slammed his hand down on the table, his point finally made.