Total pages in book: 73
Estimated words: 69025 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 345(@200wpm)___ 276(@250wpm)___ 230(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 69025 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 345(@200wpm)___ 276(@250wpm)___ 230(@300wpm)
He ran after her and turned her to face him. She hastily wiped away her tears and glared at him. “Let go of my arm. I can’t believe what a fool I’ve been.”
“Are you going to condemn me without a hearing?”
“I already gave you a chance to explain yourself, but you declined, so now I’m asking you to let go of me and get the hell out of my life.”
Mason had no choice but to release her. “I can explain.”
“You know, I don’t care to hear what you have to say.”
“Brandi, how can you tell me you love me one minute and then tell me that you don’t want to see me in the next? I think you at least owe me a chance.”
“I don’t owe you shit.”
“Look me in the eyes and tell me that your feelings have changed. Tell me that you’re willing to walk away from me without at least letting me explain.”
Brandi hesitated, confusion clear on her lovely face. Mason felt his heart breaking with each silent moment that passed between them. Her lips parted. “I—”
“Brandi, don’t listen to him. Whatever he has to say will probably be more lies. If he could do all those other things, what makes you think he would be honest with you?” Rodney walked up behind them.
In his frantic efforts to stop Brandi from walking out of his life, Mason had forgotten about Rodney.
A mutinous expression entered Brandi’s eyes. “You know what? You both can go to hell! I’m through with men.” She flung her arms up before turning and leaving the two men staring at her retreating figure.
Mason whirled around and landed a blow right onto the bastard’s nose this time. There was a loud crack, and Rodney hit the ground, screaming. “My nose!” Blood gushed from Rodney’s nose.
Mason felt murder in his heart. This was the man who had taken away his life, his wife, and his children in the first place. Then, just as he began to make some headway with Brandi in his new life, Rodney was hell-bent on coming between them yet again.
Something had to be done to stop him. Mason would have grabbed the writhing man off the ground, but some force seemed to be holding him back.
A woman in jogging gear who must have witnessed the exchange came rushing over. “Mister, I saw it all. I’ll call the police on this goon if you need me to. At least let me call the ambulance for you.” She knelt down next to Rodney.
“Get the fuck away from me, you stupid bitch!”
The woman gasped at his sharp words. She looked up at Mason, lips pursed. “My mistake. You probably should have hit him harder.” She got up. Mason barely acknowledged her before she jogged off. He kept his focus on his adversary.
“You’re going to pay for this. You’ve hit me three times now. There won’t be another,” Rodney hissed.
“Are you going to have me arrested? Fine. While you’re reporting me to the police, you can explain why you were violating the restraining order, and, oh, yeah, why don’t you tell them what happened to your partner two years ago.”
Rodney’s eyes widened as he slowly got to his feet and took a step back. “What are you talking about?”
“You know what I’m talking about. You think you’re so clever with the way you’ve wormed your way into Brandi’s life, but I know what you did.” Just remembering that night made the blood pound in his head. He tried to advance on the man, but again, something held him back.
Rodney threw him such a look of hatred that Mason should have been dead. Again. He tried to move, but his limbs were frozen. What was going on?
“You’re threatening me?” He laughed abruptly. “Who’s going to believe someone with your history? By the time I’m through with you, you’re going to wish you’d never set eyes on Brandi. She’s mine and nothing and no one will stop me from having her.”
Mason fought against the unseen barrier holding him, but he was still unable to break free. “You’re sick.”
Holding his nose, Rodney glared at Mason. “Watch your back, Collins.”
Mason watched helplessly as his enemy walked past him. “Chicken shit bastard.”
When Rodney was out of eyesight, Mason attempted to move again and still found that he couldn’t.
“If I hadn’t intervened, you would have killed him.”
Paul.
“Do you have any idea how much I want to make that bastard suffer for all he’s done to me and my family? Do you know what it’s like to look into the eyes of your murderer?”
“No, I don’t, but I told you, you aren’t allowed to retaliate against him. And you were getting dangerously close to telling him who you were.”
“You said I couldn’t tell Brandi who I was, not Rodney.”
“Now you’re getting technical. Fine, but I’m warning you to take it easy. He’s a very dangerous man. Letting him guess who you are has put you in even more jeopardy.”