 by Mia Brody.jpg)
Total pages in book: 31
Estimated words: 28678 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 143(@200wpm)___ 115(@250wpm)___ 96(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 28678 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 143(@200wpm)___ 115(@250wpm)___ 96(@300wpm)
Sierra
I needed a guardian to protect me so I went to the only man I know I can trust—my dad’s best friend, Colt Winters. He’s a retired Army Ranger turned grumpy cowboy. He’s a man of courage and honor. He’ll protect me with his life.
But while he’s busy rescuing me, I have to remember rule #1: protect my heart. Because falling for this grumpy cowboy who ignites my body would be all too easy.
Colt
I was looking forward to a peaceful life after my retirement from the Rangers. I didn’t need Sierra showing up with her sunshine smile and her tempting innocence. She’s my best friend’s daughter and I’ve sworn to protect her.
But now she’s at my ranch, staying under my roof, and sparking fantasies I definitely shouldn’t be having about the innocent college student. All I have to do is keep my hands to myself while I neutralize the threat against her. Because falling for this sweet curvy woman who has captured my heart would be all too easy.
*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************
1
SIERRA
I’ve been listening to a symphony of snores for the past hour. It sounds like the sleeping pill in my stepdad’s food finally took effect. The only problem is now I have to get away without rousing him.
My hands shake as I carefully pick the lock he installed on my door. He said there were motion detectors in the hallway, but I don’t think he was telling the truth. Because when he let me out last night for gym class, I listened carefully and didn’t hear anything clicking off. Please don’t let me be wrong.
I never expected my life to turn out like this, to become a prisoner in my own home at nineteen. If I don’t leave soon, a worse fate than being my stepdad’s live-in cook and maid is waiting for me. One that sends a shudder down my spine and fills my throat with bile.
I don’t have a lot of options or even any friends that I can reach out to for help. Albert has kept me too isolated to allow me much contact with the outside world. But there’s one man that I can count on. My dad’s best friend, Colt Winters.
Just thinking his name has me touching the black onyx necklace that I always wear. He gave it to me after my dad’s funeral. He said it would protect me from evil and bring healing.
Now, Colt sends my stepdad a check every month and even though the funds are meant to help with my living costs, I never see a dime of that money. But I have seen the checks which means I’ve had the chance to memorize Colt’s address. He lives in a little bitty town in North Carolina. An area called Courage County. I hope it’s the kind of place where I can get help and finally live free. I don’t want to spend the rest of my life looking over my shoulder, terrified that my stepfather will show up at any moment.
But first, I have to find my way to him and that means, testing out my motion sensor theory. Taking a water bottle, I roll it across the carpeted hallway floor that’s stained from beer spills and littered with cigarette butts. No matter how many times I clean up the place, Albert always has his disgusting friends over.
I hold my breath as the water bottle moves. Albert has been keeping me on a steady diet of old carrot sticks and water. It’s another part of his plan to make Sierra skinny because apparently a skinny girl will be worth more to the right buyer. I almost threw up when he told me that.
I listen for a long moment and there are no sirens or alerts. Albert doesn’t stop snoring. He doesn’t so much as stir, and I send up a silent prayer of thanks that my mom left the sleeping pills behind when she ducked out of here eight years ago. I mean, she also left me so she’s not winning any awards for parenting.
Stealthily, I move down the thirteen steps, careful to avoid the one that squeaks. The entire time, the hair on the back of my neck is standing up and I’m fighting not to hyperventilate. Stay calm. You’re almost there.
If Albert catches me trying to leave, he might move up the timetable. He might sell me off to any bidder instead of waiting for a rich one. The thought has my skin crawling as I slip out the back door. I adjust my backpack on my shoulders before crouching down. Albert is too cheap to get a camera for the back door so at least that’s working in my favor tonight.
Creeping through the backyards in the shitty neighborhood where I live takes me almost an hour. I have to be careful not to bump into the guys that run these streets late at night. While they mainly deal in drugs and guns, I know that seeing the wrong thing will get me killed too.
My life used to make sense. I used to be one of those little girls who went to Sunday school and whose mom put her hair in braids. I used to sing hymns and believe that God cared about me.
Then my dad who was deployed overseas came back in a box. They draped a flag over his casket and said some nice things. They gave him a salute and told me he was a hero. Then they left and everything fell apart.
My mom remarried Albert within a few months. He’s a chronic gambler so my dad’s life insurance was gone within a matter of weeks. Mom decided it was all too much and left one day. I came home early from school to find her packing. I tried to pack my suitcase too but turns out, this was her little escape. Not mine.