Total pages in book: 77
Estimated words: 73208 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 366(@200wpm)___ 293(@250wpm)___ 244(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 73208 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 366(@200wpm)___ 293(@250wpm)___ 244(@300wpm)
I watched as Maeme walked with her toward the sidewalk.
“We are gonna get on just fine. I’ve been wondering about you since the day I visited your apartment.”
I paused and glanced over at Storm, who seemed confused by her comment as well.
Maeme smiled back at me as if she hadn’t just insinuated she knew about Dovie from her visit to our apartment. “Don’t go looking so surprised. I knew there was a reason you had to get home that night. You were too adamant about leaving. So, I came and checked things out. Saw the food in your fridge, and I had an inkling then, but it wasn’t until I saw the faded pink Converse tennis shoes sitting neatly beside the door that I knew for sure. They were at least two sizes larger than your feet. I knew then that you weren’t alone. Easy enough to guess there was someone important to you that you were hiding.”
Storm interrupted her, “You knew she was hiding someone and said nothing?”
Maeme cut her eyes to him. “Wasn’t anyone’s business but hers. Now, stop acting like you’ve been wronged and go get their things.”
“They don’t have any here. You walked off before I could finish explaining. They had to leave their car at the exit. Wilder is handling getting it to them here.”
Maeme nodded. “Well, we can work around that. Not a problem at all.”
We reached the front porch, and Maeme waved for Dovie to go inside, then followed behind her. I started to take another step when Storm’s hand wrapped around my arm, stopping me.
“We will be right in,” he informed Maeme.
She looked between the two of us, then gave Storm a look that felt like an unspoken warning and he dropped his hold on me. Once I was free of him she turned back to Dovie and started talking about the food options. Did she know Dovie didn’t speak? I needed to go with them. Turning back to Storm, I started to tell him that, but he took a step closer to me.
“Don’t try and run. Think of Dovie’s safety.”
Narrowing my eyes, I pointed my finger, shoving my nail into his chest. “I always think about her safety. I don’t need you or anyone telling me what to do when it comes to her.”
He clenched his teeth as he looked down at my finger. “You’ve had a kid on the run for four years. That’s not a life.”
How dare he?! Sure, Dovie hadn’t lived a normal life, and, yes, I had kept her on the run, but I’d also busted my ass to give her more than she’d have had with her mom and Roger.
“Every decision I’ve made since the day I took Dovie from that hellhole has been for her.”
His gaze lifted and locked with mine. “Doesn’t look that way from where I’m standing.”
Anger flared inside me, and if I could effectively punch him in the face, I would. “You have no right to judge me!”
His hand wrapped around my wrist, and he pulled it away, squeezing hard. “You saved her from a monster, but your lifestyle hasn’t been fair to her either.”
My lifestyle! He was back to the men. Judging me for what he didn’t understand. I wasn’t doing this. I would not argue with this man here. Dovie was inside, and she needed me. He had saved us today, and I was thankful for that, but I didn’t owe him an explanation. Even if I tried, I doubted he’d see it my way. He had never had to live my life.
“Unless Maeme knows sign language, I need to get inside,” I said, jerking my arm free of his hold and hurrying inside before he could say anything more to me.
Seeing the disgust in his eyes as he looked my way was difficult. I hated that I cared how he saw me. What he thought about me should be of no significance. But I cared. He’d opened up some emotion inside of me that sex or sexual activities had never done before. He’d made me feel.
However, hearing him say that I had failed Dovie, that she deserved more, it hit a nerve because I feared that very thing every day. Anyone else confirming my fear would be hard, but coming from Storm, it was more painful than a sledgehammer to my chest.
• Twenty-Four •
“Like you’re one to judge someone’s sanity.”
Storm
Sitting outside in the dark, watching the window where I knew Maeme had put Briar, was borderline obsessive, but it didn’t hold a fucking candle to the other insane shit I’d done today. My hand tightened on the flask I was holding. Some switch had flipped, and I’d not even seen it coming. Until today, I wouldn’t have believed I could do the messed-up shit I’d done. And all for a woman.