Total pages in book: 41
Estimated words: 38800 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 194(@200wpm)___ 155(@250wpm)___ 129(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 38800 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 194(@200wpm)___ 155(@250wpm)___ 129(@300wpm)
I let my family think I was dead for fifteen years. There were multiple reasons. Not the least of which was securing a steady income for my father after Danny blew through everything he had. I tried to keep tabs on them, especially after Mom died, but I didn’t dig deep enough. As a result, Danny’s girlfriend, Evelyn, is in the crosshairs of something very sinister. Once I find out who’s responsible, there will be hell to pay. No matter who brought death to those I love, I will make them pay. When I do, I’ll be putting the loyalty of my club to the test. When it’s all over, I hope Evelyn will be able to forgive me. Because I’ve fallen in love with my brother’s woman and no one will come between us. No one.
Knox includes scenes of graphic violence and adult situations including those that may be triggers for some readers. There’s also a protective hero, a determined heroine, and an eventual happy ending. No cheating, as always.
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Chapter One
Evelyn
Fire.
Smoke.
I clung to Luke and Aneshya, trying my best to shield them from the chaos around us. We coughed as we tried to make our way down the hall, but the smoke was so thick, it was pitch-black inside the cramped space.
“We’ve gotta get out of here!” Mr. Knoxville from across the hall was the children’s grandfather. The man always looked out for us, even when his son couldn’t. “Evelyn!”
“We’re over here!” I clutched my children close. We had a damp bed sheet over the three of us, but it wouldn’t do much for long. The smoke was getting thicker and there was no way a bed sheet was going to protect us from fire. “I can’t find Danny! He was just here!” I coughed and coughed as I sucked in a lungful of smoke with every breath. Luke tried to push me down, but I resisted. I needed to get my family to safety and that included Danny.
“Mommy, we need to go!” Aneshya sounded frantic, a round of coughing taking her as well. Luke stopped shoving at me and blanketed his sister, taking her to the floor.
“Crawl, Aneshya! Mom! Come on! Now!” Luke was only twelve, but he was protective of both me and his sister. “Grandpa! Make Mom follow us!” He tried to take charge and I knew he was right. But my long-term boyfriend and the kids’ father, Danny, had been beside me only a moment before. I couldn’t just leave him.
Mr. Knoxville suddenly appeared in front of me. He was in his late seventies, but the man was fit and strong as an ox. And protective as they came. I thought it might be where Luke learned it from. If Danny had inherited the trait from his father, he never showed it to me. Or the kids, really. As evidenced by the fact that it was his father and son trying to take care of me and Aneshya instead of Danny.
“Don’t worry about him, Evelyn.” Mr. Knoxville looked hard and almost dangerous. When he looked like this, it made me want to do anything he said without question. “He’s a grown man. You’ve got to get the children out. Now!”
“But Danny --”
“Will be fine. Or he won’t. Your first priority -- my first priority -- is you and the children.” I’d never heard Mr. Knoxville speak so harshly to me. He was always the one to help me when Danny didn’t come home. Or when Danny got mean. The kids were older, but I didn’t like leaving them alone. Mr. Knoxville was always so sweet and kind. But then, this situation didn’t call for sweet and kind. “Now get them and yourself out of here, Evelyn! Now!”
Luke and Aneshya were crawling on the floor down the hallway of our apartment building. Mr. Knoxville pushed me to my belly and urged me to crawl after the kids. The smoke was more tolerable low to the ground but still surrounding us. I choked with every breath. The fire was mostly behind us, but it was spreading. I thought I could hear sirens off in the distance.