Total pages in book: 150
Estimated words: 136791 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 684(@200wpm)___ 547(@250wpm)___ 456(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 136791 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 684(@200wpm)___ 547(@250wpm)___ 456(@300wpm)
She's going to be my family now since I don't have one.
"Titan!"
I look over at Titan’s house to see a tiny girl running toward us, her blonde hair bouncing as she runs toward us. Her blue dress flutters around her chubby legs, and the buttons on her black shoes shine in the sunlight. Even though it's cold outside, she doesn't have on a coat. Her little legs are moving too fast for her body, and she keeps stumbling.
I take a step in her direction, worried she's going to fall. Before I can tell her to slow down, her feet tangle on a tree root, and she loses her balance. A scared cry leaves her lips, and then she hits the ground hard, landing on her knees.
"That's my baby sister, January," Titan says as the little girl throws her head back and starts to cry. He starts walking toward her. "She's four, and she follows me everywhere."
She's really little, and her knee is bleeding.
I jog over and then crouch down beside her before Titan gets there. She looks up at me. Her eyes are a brighter green than Titan's, but they're filled with tears. She's pale, like those pretty dolls with the big eyes. Her and Titan have different skin colors, but they still look a lot alike.
There's a smudge of dirt on her nose and another on her dress, but she's still adorable. She really does look like a doll.
I bet my mom would have liked her.
"It hurts," January whimpers, two big tears running down her cheeks.
The sight makes my heart feel funny. I don't like that she's crying. It makes me feel like I should watch out for her and make sure she doesn't get hurt anymore. I decide that I'll take care of her like I do Ma Lucia. I'll keep her safe cause she's too little to do it by herself.
"It's okay, baby girl." I'm not sure why I call her that, but it fits her. Once I stand up, I pick her up off the ground. She's a lot smaller than me, but it's still hard to carry her. I'm not very strong yet, but I will be one day. Then I can carry her all over the place so she won't fall anymore. “I’ll take care of you.”
She wraps her arms around me and lays her head on my shoulder. “Okay.”
Jesus.
I shake off the memory, shoving it down into a dark corner of my mind—the same one where I store all my memories of January.
"She's in trouble," Roman says, ignoring my warning. He speaks softly, his voice level. It’s like he knows he’s picking his way through a minefield, but he’s determined to fucking do it anyway. "Thought you might want to handle it while you're in Los Angeles."
I grip the edge of the table so hard my knuckles turn white, worry for her rushing through me. The stitches on my arm pull taut, the fresh cut threatening to rip open. I welcome the pain, letting it ground me. “What kind of trouble?”
Tristan keeps a hand on my shoulder, though I'm not sure if he's trying to console me or keep me from launching at Roman. He's my fucking ride-or-die, but this isn't our city. It's Roman's. We both know damn well if I hit him, it'll be my badge they pull.
I want to plow my fist into his face anyway for talking about her like he has some fucking right.
"Curtis Kaleo wants her block, and she's fighting him on it." Roman's eyes don't leave my face. "There have been a few accidents. Nothing major yet, but he's getting impatient. She's going to get hurt if she keeps refusing him."
Curtis Kaleo. I should have killed that motherfucker when I had the chance. I warned him seven years ago to leave her alone and stay out of my territory. I guess he’s decided the rules no longer apply.
He’s wrong.
Fuck.
I knew this fucking city would keep me alive long enough to make me regret bringing my sorry ass back. It’s not like I had a choice—Tristan’s wife was kidnapped by a cartel. I couldn’t leave him hanging. But I know damn well that seven years isn't long enough for January to have forgiven me. I'll be waiting a fucking eternity for that.
"Fuck," I mutter, dropping my head in defeat.
"She won't listen to anyone else," Roman murmurs, his voice still soft. "I can try if you want me to do it, but I figure with your history, you have a better chance of convincing her to let it go."
Yeah, right. No one convinces January of anything she doesn’t want to do. She was stubborn as hell growing up. And I’m guessing she’s even more fucking stubborn now.
The only thing I’m liable to do is piss her off to the point she sets my ass the fuck on fire. But it’s January. No one threatens her, least of all Curtis motherfucking Kaleo.