Total pages in book: 28
Estimated words: 26479 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 132(@200wpm)___ 106(@250wpm)___ 88(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 26479 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 132(@200wpm)___ 106(@250wpm)___ 88(@300wpm)
I punch him hard in the face. Blood spurts out of his broken nose. It splatters all over the floor. He starts crying as the thick red blood leaks down his chin and onto his shirt.
I feel the weight go out of his body. He doesn’t fall down because I’m still holding him up by his hair.
“Don’t lie to me again,” I growl as I tighten my grip.
“I’m sorry!” he cries. “It was an asshole thing to do. I didn’t know it would go around the whole school!”
He’s shaking and sobbing as I clench my fist.
“But when it did, you didn’t tell anyone it was a lie. Did you?”
He’s trembling as he looks up at me. “Please…”
“Did you?”
A sob bubbles out of him as he bleeds all over himself. “No.”
I crack him in the face again. His head snaps back and this time I let him go. He falls to the ground, moaning and crying like a little bitch. I kick him in the ribs and he curls up in the fetal position.
“I should kill you for what you did to my girl,” I growl at him. “You made her life a living hell.”
I kick him again.
“Calling my innocent little angel a slut,” I say as I grab him and hold him an inch away from my face. He can’t even look at me. His eyes are closed as he begs me to stop. “You’re lucky I don’t pull my grizzly out and let him maul you to death.”
My grizzly is pacing inside angrily, begging me to let him out. A few months ago, I wouldn’t have been able to stop him, but everything is different now. I’m the one in control.
“If you ever utter her name again,” I say as I grab his neck and squeeze it, “I’ll come back. And I won’t go so easy on you the next time.”
I launch him across the court and he slams into the rack of tennis rackets. They tumble down on him as I turn to leave.
The girl he was giving the lesson to is standing outside the door, staring at me in horror.
“Get a new instructor,” I say as I walk by her. “That guy’s a creep.”
I return home a few days later and my whole body is aching to see my girl.
She answers the door in her bathrobe with nothing on underneath.
“Welcome home,” she says with a seductive smile as she lets it fall open. I growl as I lunge on her, pick her up, and carry her to the bedroom.
When we’re finished making up for lost time, both of us lying on the bed and breathing heavily, she turns to me with a smile.
“I have something to tell you.”
I smile back at her. I feel like my heart is so full it’s going to explode every time I look at her.
I’ll tell her about Tanner eventually, but it won’t be today. I’m not sure how she’ll react and I don’t want to ruin the moment. Especially since I’ve been dying to see her for the past four days.
“Well…” she begins as she slides her hands on her bare stomach.
I know immediately. My whole body perks up as I sit up on the bed. “You’re pregnant?”
Her face lights up in a smile. She nods. “I am. I took the test this morning. It was positive.”
I’m in shock, even though it shouldn’t be too surprising. We’ve been making love multiple times a day with no protection since we met.
I wrap my big arms around her and hold her tight, thrilled for this new chapter in our lives.
“I’m so happy,” I whisper in her ear.
She holds me back. “Me too. I can’t wait to see you as a father.”
Me. A father.
It’s mind-blowing to think about.
Months ago, I was a lost cause. I was marked to be put down.
My life was over. It was a complete disaster.
And in walks this amazing woman and everything has changed.
Now it’s about to change even more.
And I can’t freaking wait!
EPILOGUE
Hazel
Twenty-five years later…
“Hey, Kathy!” I say with a big smile as I walk into the diner with August following close behind.
She smiles when she sees us. “I reserved your favorite booth for your special day.”
I laugh when I walk through the restaurant and see a dozen red roses on the table. “You didn’t…”
August is behind me, grinning. “I did. Happy anniversary.”
I step on my toes and plant a kiss on those irresistible lips. “Thank you, honey.”
We slip into the booth for lunch and I have a permanent smile on my face as I look at my man. It was twenty-five years ago on this day that I was working in this diner and first laid eyes on my mate. I can still remember it perfectly, lifting up that dumpster and seeing him lying naked inside. I mean, how could I forget that?