Total pages in book: 25
Estimated words: 23100 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 116(@200wpm)___ 92(@250wpm)___ 77(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 23100 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 116(@200wpm)___ 92(@250wpm)___ 77(@300wpm)
He’s crazed and there’s a wild look in his eyes. He screams my name over and over again. His normally wavy brown hair is matted and his eyes are bloodshot. He’s dressed in pure white like he always is but now his clothes are stained and he’s filthy. He was meticulous about his appearance while on the compound, but now he looks like he’s been living under a bridge.
Two of the bodyguards go for him, but Reed barks for them to stop. They hesitate but do as he commands. Reed doesn't stop, though, and faster than a man his size should be able to move, he’s on Eugene.
Reed grabs him by the throat, and as if he weighs nothing more than a rag doll, Reed slams Eugene down onto the concrete. I hear a loud crack of something breaking and I have to look away. A few more grunts and I peek back to see Reed going to town on Eugene. I know I have to stop him or he’s going to kill him with his bare hands.
I walk over and place my hand on his back. At my touch he stops. Eugene makes a choking sound, but I don’t look at him. I keep my eyes on Reed as he leans down close to Eugene so he can hear him. When he speaks it’s low but deadly and for only Eugene and me to hear.
“They think I’m not killing you because I’m a better man than that. That I’m showing you mercy,” Reed says as he looks back at me. “There is a fate worse than death and I know it because I’ve lived it. It’s knowing she’s out there but not with you.” He turns back to Eugene and squeezes his hand around his neck. “You’ll know she’s out there and she belongs to me. She always has and always will. You’ll sit in your cell and pray for death.” His dark words are scary, but they also mean so much to me.
Reed stands up and steps over Eugene. His breathing is slowing as police cars pull up. I hadn't heard the sirens until now.
“You scared of me?” Reed asks.
“Scared of the boy who can’t even beat me at dodgeball?” I challenge. He wouldn’t ever throw the ball at me, but that was his problem not mine.
“You got me there,” he says and grabs me by the waist and lifts me up.
“It’s time to go home,” he tells me.
“Does this mean no lunch?” Kathy asks. “She should really be eating extra for the baby.”
I laugh as Reed kisses me and carries me away from everything I want to leave behind.
Epilogue
Reed
One week later…
She’s struggling with the zipper on her dress and I have to bite my lip to keep from laughing. In the week since she’s been back, my mom has probably made her put on about ten pounds. The dress fit when she first tried it on and now it’s stretched across her like a second skin.
I love it because it shows off her growing curves and makes her look sexy as fuck. Also, she’s cute as hell when she’s aggravated and she hates how much I like it.
“You’re enjoying this,” she says and lets out a frustrated growl.
“Of course, I am,” I say as I walk over to her and help her with it.
“This is all Kathy’s fault.”
“Are you going to tell her that?”
“No!” she protests and turns around. “Don’t you dare say that to her either.” I laugh as she turns in the mirror and smooths out the fabric. “This will probably be the only time I get to wear this dress with the rate I’m gaining weight.”
“I hope so,” I say as I come up behind her and put my hand on her belly and kiss her neck.
I rub her there and think about our baby that I know is on the way. She keeps telling me it’s too soon to tell, but we both know it would be nearly impossible for her not to be pregnant after all the sex we’ve been having.
“Are you going to tell me where we’re going tonight?” she asks, turning in my arms and looking at me.
“It’s a surprise,” I say as I kiss her on the nose and then grab my jacket off the bed.
We’ve been home just over a week and we’ve settled in beautifully just like I knew we would. It’s like no time has passed and yet we’re all new at the same time. Mostly we’ve been making love on every surface in this place and against most of the walls. In between we visit my parents and let them feed us until we have to sleep.
It was nice going back to their place with her and talking about old memories. One afternoon we walked through the field to her old house. She was quiet the whole way and when we got there she just stood outside for a while. She said she didn’t want to go in, but I think she might one day. I still forget that the parts of her childhood that didn’t have me in them are hard for her to think about. I don’t want to keep pulling those memories back up, but I think it’s important for her to make peace with her father and what he did.