Total pages in book: 41
Estimated words: 38284 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 191(@200wpm)___ 153(@250wpm)___ 128(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 38284 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 191(@200wpm)___ 153(@250wpm)___ 128(@300wpm)
“Who the fuck do you think you are?” He spat out those words with an undeniable satisfaction.
“What are you talking about? What the hell’s going on?” A punch to the gut sent me keeling over out of my chair, grunting and wincing. I’d been injected with a sedative, and I knew it wouldn’t be long until I met my maker. My gun, sidepiece, and switchblade that were customized were gone. I had nothing to fight with, and my fists were tied behind my back. He snatched my head back again, leaning down to stare in my face. “Did you think we wouldn’t find out that you’re a cop?”
While I lay crumpled on the ground, they took turns kicking me repeatedly, blow after blow. My face ended up in a bag of cut-open coke, and I did my best not to breathe it in but I was gasping for air. My sinuses and throat burned, but I found myself completely awake again.
I listened to the noise around me. The sound of the waves hitting the side told me I was on one of their drug boats. Fuck. A thousand things ran through my mind, including leaving my siblings behind, hating that they’d suffer another loss. My life was about over. I prayed to God asking for forgiveness for my wrongs while hoping my brothers came to destroy these sons of bitches.
I felt myself being lifted off the ground and then the cold breeze of the night air, followed by another blow to the head. The world turned dark around me, and the sound of a recognizable voice said, “You should have taken my offer.”
Water washed over me as the weight of the brick around my feet dragged me down fast. I did my best to calm down and accept my fate. I knew the scent of my blood in the water would bring the deadliest predators to feast on me.
I landed on a reef below, which saved me from falling into the deep depths of the ocean for my body to never be found. Eventually the gasses from my body would bring my corpse up to the surface if I didn’t get eaten.
Chapter 2
Grace
The day had not been going well. I was pulling a double shift at the hospital with the damn full moon out. Okay, so not going well was an understatement. Batshit crazies were out in full force.
I held a part-time position at the County hospital in Victoria, Texas, working in the emergency department. For one week a month, I worked the ER every day, and then the rest of the time I worked in my father’s clinic that he ran from our home.
Two more days, and I’d be done with my rotation. Unfortunately, the moon’s cycle wasn’t a one-day thing. It lasted anywhere from two to three days, which meant the place would be packed with fools.
“You finally getting out of here, Dr. Holden?”
“Yes, Rose. I need to rest. I picked the worst week to take.”
“They set you up for all the crazies. See you tomorrow.” I waved her off as I exited the main hospital doors to my vehicle. The sun wasn’t even out yet, but I saw the tendrils of light peeking over the horizon.
On my way home, the sun’s orangish-red hue dominated the sky. “A wonderful Texas morning,” I sighed to myself, knowing that I’d be sleeping until dark.
The drive was a half hour long, and the entire ride my thoughts were on my future. I loved being a doctor, but there were moments when it took a toll on me. Still, I ached to help people. Maybe I needed to get out of the emergency department because it wore me down.
When I pulled into the long gravel driveway, a grin spread over my face. I saw my father’s truck and boat gone. He was taking a very much-needed vacation on his boat to do some fishing and diving.
I grabbed my bag from the passenger seat and entered our two-story country home with a perfect wrap-around porch. The front of the house was where the clinic was set up, but it was closed for the next two weeks while he took his vacation.
After a shower and a bowl of oatmeal, I tucked myself into my bed. I had just fallen asleep after seven in the morning when I was stirred awake by my father beeping. He repeatedly pressed on the horn before he even stopped the truck. Honestly, he was lucky we didn’t have neighbors for miles because someone would be over here pitching a fit with all that racket.
When my sleep-deprived mind woke up a little more, a thought struck me that something could be wrong.
I rushed out of our house with just my robe to cover my tiny pajamas and slippers. He opened the flatbed of his truck and gingerly pulled out a man whose face was almost completely black and blue. Setting him on his boat ramp, he grunted, “Hurry, Grace.”