Total pages in book: 35
Estimated words: 32859 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 164(@200wpm)___ 131(@250wpm)___ 110(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 32859 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 164(@200wpm)___ 131(@250wpm)___ 110(@300wpm)
Leah tensed up whenever he touched her. She didn’t recoil from his touch, but he’d come to realize she wasn’t used to finding comfort from other people. He was going to change all of that.
She listened to his instructions, moved to where he needed her, then back again. There was such an intense frown on her face.
“You know this is stupid,” she said.
He chuckled. “I have come to see that anything a little too hard for you is stupid.”
“Not on purpose, but this is very stupid.”
Again, he offered her a smile, and they took a break at lunch. One of his staff came down to his gym to let him know that food was waiting.
With a hand at her back, he walked with her up toward the dining room. They passed a few of his staff, and he noticed how Leah greeted them. Everyone smiled at Leah.
He was surprised his staff had become so open to her. Usually, they were very reserved, certainly if he brought a guest home. He rarely did, but they never smiled or offered a welcome.
“The staff like you,” he said, taking a seat at the head of the table.
“Not at first,” Leah said.
“They didn’t?”
“No, at first they thought I was one of your many dates, only here for a good time. When I told them you had hired me because I beat the crap out of your son, it had been a conversation starter.”
“Ah, going back to putting Danny in his place. I’ve been meaning to ask you … where did you learn to fight like that?” he asked.
He had a rough idea. There was a document in her file that stated she’d been there when a young man had died in a drive-by shooting that had turned into a hit-and-run. There were no great details. Just a statement taken from a fifteen-year-old girl. He had no idea who the man was to her, but the man—Ben he believed the name was—had also been in his early twenties.
Leah sat down, and he saw how tense she got, and at first she didn’t say a word. Just stared at the empty plate in front of her.
She nibbled her lip. “I knew someone. A fighter.”
“A fighter?” he asked.
She looked up and he saw her press her lips together and then shrug. “Ugh, this is … I ran away. I tended to do that from time to time, it was just easier than putting up with all the crap. Anyway, I met a guy. He was a fighter. I don’t think it was legal but he had a name and was building a name for himself—Savage. It was what he was called, and he’d been undefeated. He saw me on the streets and a pimp was trying to bully me. Ben, or Savage, came to my rescue. He was a real good guy. Rare. He took me back to his place and said I could stay there as long as I needed, as long as I didn’t do drugs or bring any bad shit to the place.”
There was a smile and Cain, for the first time in his life, felt jealousy. He wasn’t used to this feeling.
“He didn’t ask me for anything, but he told me I reminded him of his sister. He lost her when she was young in the system. She had it bad and … killed herself. He couldn’t help her. He knew how bad it was, and one day he said it was time for me to learn to be able to take care of myself. The world was full of bad men and women, and I needed to be able to handle whatever life threw at me. He taught me to fight dirty. Sometimes, that was all that was going to keep me alive. So I learned, and one day we were out, and that was when it happened. I don’t know if it was one of his enemies, which seems insane because everyone liked him. He was fair. He was honest. Apart from in the ring, when he was a savage.”
“You miss him?” he asked.
“Yeah. I do. He died in my arms, and he told me to never be afraid. He’d always be there for me.”
Chapter Three
Leah moved downstairs, but she wasn’t impressed with her outfit. In fact, she was a little pissed. It felt too low-cut and in all honesty a little tight. This had to be the most revealing dress he’d made her wear. It was also bright red, like he wished to make a statement.
It was frustrating, but she refused to give him the satisfaction of refusing or complaining. So far, it didn’t matter what outfit he chose, she’d worn it without a single complaint. She wasn’t about to ruin her track record. Besides, what was wrong with showing a little flesh? She certainly didn’t mind.