Total pages in book: 94
Estimated words: 88235 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 441(@200wpm)___ 353(@250wpm)___ 294(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 88235 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 441(@200wpm)___ 353(@250wpm)___ 294(@300wpm)
Before it was too late.
Chapter Four
Vicky went around her house, checking all the windows and doors and making sure they were locked twice before she felt safe enough to relax.
The house was big—a two story in Carrollwood, a nice neighborhood in North Tampa—that Kevin had grudgingly allowed her to keep in lieu of any alimony payments. Originally, he’d wanted to sell the house—which was paid for—and split the profits, which would have put Vicky out on the street house-hunting in what was an extremely overcrowded market.
For some reason the Tampa housing market had exploded recently with everyone seemingly determined to move to the Sunshine State despite the looming threat of yearly hurricanes. Vicky was well aware that half the profits of their old house would never have bought her a place anywhere near her work. In fact, she probably wouldn’t have been able to buy a house at all and would have wound up renting in a not-so-nice neighborhood in order to avoid a horrendous commute every morning.
Fortunately, both her daughters had called their father crying and begging him to let Vicky keep the house.
“You’re already destroying our childhood!” Melinda, the youngest and by far the most dramatic of the two had told him. “Now you want to take away any memories we might have left and sell the only place we have to come home to on holidays and breaks! Isn’t leaving mom for your secretary bad enough? Do you really have to throw her out on the street too? I used to be proud you were my father. Now I’m ashamed to even know you,” she’d finished—or so she’d said as she recounted the conversation to Vicky earlier.
“Melli, you shouldn’t have done that,” Vicky had chided gently, though she was secretly glad her daughter had. “If your father wants to move on, let him. Maybe he’ll be happier with his secretary.”
Happier than he was with me, she added mentally, though she didn’t say it aloud.
Kevin had always been a stoic man and not very emotional or loving, so she had never suspected how unhappy he truly was until his dramatic announcement that he was leaving her forever. Of course, Vicky hadn’t been very happy either and to tell the truth, she’d been dreading having an empty nest with no kids to take care of—just her and Kevin alone rattling around in the big old house with nothing to say to each other, now that Jodi and Melli no longer required their constant attention.
But now it’s just me rattling around in here—all by myself, Vicky thought as she wrapped her arms around herself and shivered. February was one of the few cold months they had down here in Tampa and it was actually chilly outside, but that wasn’t why she was shivering.
I’m afraid, Vicky admitted to herself. Afraid to be alone.
Not for the first time, she thought that she needed to get a dog or a cat for company. But their last pet, a cat called Mr. DandyPants, had died over a year ago at the ripe old age of eighteen and Vicky hadn’t felt ready for a new pet yet. Now, however, she wished she had a German Shepherd or some other big, protective dog to keep her safe.
Not that a dog—no matter how big it was—could keep you safe from that awful blue light beam the alien twins had, whispered a little voice in the back of her head. Remember the bartender? Remember how it cut a chunk right out of him, like he was made of Play-Doh?
Vicky shivered again and clutched herself tighter. She hadn’t missed Kevin one minute after finding out that he’d been cheating on her. Better to be alone than with a man who would betray her like that, she’d thought. But she missed him now—missed having another human being to talk to, to tell her fears to. Missed having someone to hold her—not that Kevin had ever been the loving, cuddling, holding type. But still, if he was here, at least she could tell him all the crazy things that had happened to her that night.
If Kevin was still around—if he hadn’t cheated on you and walked out on you—none of this would have happened in the first place, the little voice in her head informed her. You never would have gotten on that dating app or set a date with a man who stood you up or been grabbed by the big Kindred warrior who seemed to have some freaky way of invading people’s bodies at all.
Thinking of the big warrior made her remember the brief kiss they’d shared and she couldn’t help the little twinge of longing that went through her. True, he had come with a heap of trouble, and the fact that he was apparently able to go head-hopping in and out of other people’s heads was weird, but damn could that man kiss!