Total pages in book: 25
Estimated words: 23891 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 119(@200wpm)___ 96(@250wpm)___ 80(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 23891 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 119(@200wpm)___ 96(@250wpm)___ 80(@300wpm)
I stare at her.
“You’re talking murder, honey.”
She sniffles and tears come to her eyes again.
“Yeah, but I wouldn’t put it past Jerry because he’s that kind of guy. Honestly, I wouldn’t be surprised if there are snuff videos in his porn collection.”
Red rage clouds my vision again.
“I’m going to kick his ass again next time I see him,” I growl, shaking my head. “And then he’s going to a maximum security prison where he’ll learn the hard way what ‘pain in the ass’ means.”
Janie giggles but then sighs.
“Thanks Brand, but it’s not necessary,” she murmurs.
I raise my eyebrows.
“Why not?”
My girl throws me a half-smile.
“Well, because I’m still alive and because Sheena’s going to want a piece of Jerry after this. Trust me, my mom knows how to give a good beat-down, so Jerry’s going to be toast when she finds out. So don’t do anything, okay? Let my mom have the last word.”
I let out a low growl and can’t help but smile as Janie gives me a hard look making it clear that I don’t have a choice in the matter. After a few moments, I nod and take her hand.
“Okay, we’ll see what happens,” I grunt. “But if Sheena doesn’t kick his ass, then I will. Besides, are you okay, baby? I’m worried about you.”
Janie smiles and gently presses her lips to mine before pulling back.
“I wasn’t when it was happening, Brand, but now that I’m with you, everything’s going to be fine. I know it. I can feel it.”
With those words, my heart soars because Janie is my woman, and she’ll always be safe with me. What happened in the locker room was a crime, but if Janie is comfortable with her mom meting out the appropriate punishment to that asshole, then so am I. After all, I just want my woman to be happy, and I pull her close once more.
“I love you,” I whisper into her hair. But Janie’s already fallen asleep in my arms, and I smile contentedly as she snuggles closer.
11
Janie
It’s the end of Brand’s six-week haul, and we’re finally back in New Jersey. I have to admit that I don’t look forward to seeing Sheena, even if I’ve already come clean about what I’ve really been doing.
At first, my mom was pissed – Sheena was mighty angry that I’m not actually at a six week nail tech course. But when I told her about the incident with Jerry, that was all forgotten and she really lost it. Sheena was screaming and hollering, and it sounded like she was giving Jerry a couple good slaps right there with me on the other side of the line. But I don’t know, and I don’t want to know what happened to Jerry because Sheena is a tough cookie that you don’t fuck with.
But now, we’re sitting at the kitchen table in my mom’s house sipping on tea as she shakes her head.
“I knew that asshole was a good for nothing freeloader, but I didn’t know that he would be crazy enough to attack my own daughter,” Sheena huffs, growing red in the face. “He’s lucky you’re okay or else I would have left his body in a ditch a few states away! Instead, I went easy on him.”
Brand and I share looks.
“And by going easy on him you mean…?”
“Don’t you worry about it,” my mom says in a careless voice. “You won’t be seeing him again, and if you do you’ll hardly be able to recognize him.” She leaves it at that, and Brand and I share another look. I warned him what to expect, and he knows better than to ask further questions.
“Well, I’m glad he’s gone. I hated living with that disgusting man because he never took baths! Honestly, I have no idea what you saw in him.”
Sheena nods, her blue eyes regretful.
“Yeah, I feel like I lost my mind for a while there. I mean, Jerry’s a smooth talker when he wants to be, and he’s got a knack for making people pity him. He gave me a long story about his disability, and I didn’t want him to end up homeless, but you know how that turned out.” Then, my mom turns to me with remorse in her eyes. “Honey, I’m so sorry again for what he did to you. I should have known—”
“It’s okay, Mom, really,” I tell her quickly. “How could you have known? I mean, poor hygiene doesn’t mean that you’re going to be violent. Besides, everything’s alright now anyway. Brand saved me, so we’re lucky he was there.”
My mom nods and looks down with tears in her eyes.
“I know, and I guess that’s why I’m okay with you two being together. I mean, no one wants their daughter to hook up with an old man but if Brand hadn’t been there, I can’t imagine what would have happened.”