Total pages in book: 32
Estimated words: 29845 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 149(@200wpm)___ 119(@250wpm)___ 99(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 29845 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 149(@200wpm)___ 119(@250wpm)___ 99(@300wpm)
I look up at the only window of the building that’s illuminated to see if I can make out what’s happening in there.
I gasp when I see a big man in the window looking down at me. He’s staring at me, hands shoved into his pockets. This must be him because even at this distance, danger comes off him in waves. He’s the kind of guy no one wants to mess with and no one wants to make an enemy of.
If this is really him, then my father doesn’t even stand a chance.
A part of me thinks I should be terrified at the way he seems to be checking me out. I’m the only one around here, so clearly, his eyes are focused on me and me alone. The other part of me wonders how it would feel to have someone like him on my side. He doesn’t come across as a man who takes anyone else’s shit, and he seems perfectly capable of winning fights.
Sighing, I think about how safe I’d feel beside him. No one can and will hurt me ever again.
The streetlight begins to flicker, and I put the kitten back on the ground. I like to take it home with me, but my father will never have it. It’s another mouth to feed and that will take money away from his drinking and gambling.
As I stand and flick the tiny tufts of fur from my dress, four men exit the building and walk my way. My heart hammers in my chest, my hand flying to my mouth.
My father looks like he’s been beaten up but not as bad as I feared. He still looks like he got off easy. The big man is walking behind my father and the other two. He has his head down but is still more than a foot taller than the other men.
They reach me and stop. I lower my hand and glance at my father, but he refuses to look at me, turning his head to the side, shoulders hunched.
“What’s going on? Can we leave now?” I ask him.
He looks up at me and shakes his head. He swallows hard, lips pressed to a thin line. “Listen. I’m sorry kid but…but you have to go with them.”
A cold chill runs up my spine and my pulse jumps in my throat. Everything fades into the background, noises muffled, and all I can hear is my ever-increasing heartbeat. My mind is racing with visions of what could happen, all the worst-case scenarios my brain can conjure. “Go with them? What do you mean go with them? Where are they taking me?”
“I’m sorry, kid. Take care of yourself.” My father doesn’t give me a chance to reply and practically sprints to the driver’s side of the truck. He leaps inside and starts the engine. Things are happening so fast that I feel like I’m getting a whiplash.
I want to hop in beside him and tell him to floor it, but my legs just won’t work. I’m still coming to terms with what he did. Did my father just trade me to get out of paying his debts? How could he do this to me? He was never going to win the “Father of the Year” award, but this…this is low even for him.
The truck speeds off, leaving me standing in complete disbelief. I watch his taillights fade into the distance, the engine’s roar still echoing in my ears. Oh god. What did he do? I feel so small and helpless as I look up at these men. The two who held my father step aside, and the big one comes toward me. What are they planning? Is my life about to end? Am I about to be shipped to another continent and sold off?
“You need to come with me now. I’ll explain everything.”
The little white kitten rubs against my leg and I look down at it.
“Can I take this one with me?” I don’t know why I’m asking. Maybe if he says yes, it means he’s a better man than my father.
“I don’t think so. She won’t be safe where we’re going.”
“Will I be safe where we’re going?” I ask as my eyes fill up with tears.
He stares at me, a muscle in his jaw ticking, and nods. “Take the cat. Let’s go.”
Afraid he might change his mind, I pluck the kitten off the ground and hold it in my arms. He walks closer to me and takes my arm gently, leading me to a limo parked two blocks away. His touch is supposed to scare me. Instead, I resist the urge to lean on to him. Somehow, I feel safer with him than I ever was with my own father…even if this guy still hasn’t told me where he plans to take me.