Total pages in book: 36
Estimated words: 35349 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 177(@200wpm)___ 141(@250wpm)___ 118(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 35349 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 177(@200wpm)___ 141(@250wpm)___ 118(@300wpm)
“Alex, you’re too young to feel this way. I know you don’t want to hear that, but you are.”
“All Rose does is take from you.”
As he spoke, she knew she should defend her sister, but all she could see was the look in her sister’s eyes the moment she dropped that paving stone. The agony couldn’t hide the glee in her sister’s eyes.
Alex sat beside her, and rather than argue with him, she rested her head on his shoulder.
At least he didn’t smell.
****
Damon was pissed. Really, seriously pissed. Rex, until further notice, was fired. He didn’t give a shit if the man had to take a dump, he did it on his own time. One moment his eyes were off Meghan, and she ran.
He wasn’t really surprised.
She’d been looking outside longingly.
From the moment he took her, he’d not intended to keep her locked up in his apartment block. It had only happened like that because he didn’t want to share her with anyone. If he was being completely honest with himself, he didn’t like sharing her with his men either. They could look at her, and he hated that. He didn’t want anyone to even get a glimpse of the beauty he’d managed to get.
He also wasn’t under any illusions either. The only reason at this moment Meghan was with him was her sister.
Rose was a fucking bitch.
He’d gone to see her into the second week with Meghan and he’d asked her a couple of questions. She admitted to him that she’d done it on purpose, that she hated her sister getting all of the attention, so she made sure her sister could no longer be the perfect little dancer.
Damon had never wanted to end someone’s life as much as he did hers. So instead, he made sure she didn’t have any of the comforts in life or the luxury. She was there to earn a living, and she didn’t need to be happy doing it.
He spotted Rex’s car in the parking lot, but he had no doubt Meghan was here. Alex had texted him earlier to say he was with her. He’d been making sure the kid was well looked after because he figured something like this would happen.
Running a hand down his face, he crossed over toward the building and made his way up the steps.
She better not put up a fight with him. She’d been in his life a month, and there was no way he was ready to let her go.
Not yet.
Not ever.
He gritted his teeth, and as he got to her floor, he paused. Her head rested on Alex’s shoulder as the young boy told some kind of joke about school. He watched her, listening. She looked relaxed, which he rarely got to see when he was in her company unless he’d given her a dozen orgasms before.
Once Alex was finished, Damon cleared his throat, and Meghan jumped, getting to her feet.
“I wasn’t running away,” she said.
“You weren’t?”
“No. I was here to … check on things. I wanted to make sure Alex was okay.” She stopped as she looked behind her at her old apartment. “Check on things.” She repeated herself.
Turning his attention to Alex, he smiled. “Thank you for letting me know and keeping her company.”
“Any time.”
“You told him?” Meghan asked.
“He had a right to know if you were okay.”
“You traitor, I thought we were friends?”
“We are friends, and part of that is making sure you’re okay. Damon’s a good guy.” She snorted. “He’s the one that has been giving me money and making sure I’m fed and I’ve got a roof over my head, Meghan. He’s a good guy, regardless of what others say. You always told me not to judge someone before you got to know them.”
This kid was totally getting a bonus.
“Remember what I said.” Damon looked at the kid, waiting.
“The better grades I get, you’ll throw in a bonus. I got it, and I’m working on it.”
He nodded at the boy before turning back to Meghan. “Are you coming?”
“If I say no?”
“You don’t get to walk back to the car.”
He saw her gritting her teeth, the clench of her jaw, but she didn’t argue with him. She gave Alex a quick hug and then turned toward him.
He took her hand, not caring in that moment if anyone saw.
“I wasn’t running away. I meant that. I just needed to make sure everything was okay. I can’t believe someone else is already living in my old place though. Damn landlord, he was always money-hungry.”
“Alex is living there,” Damon said.
“What?”
“Alex, he lives there. I cleaned out the place, got it redecorated, put some new furniture in and then told him to live in it. Didn’t you notice he was carrying a bag? He was heading home from school.”
“Oh, I had no idea. I didn’t even ask him how school was going. He nearly got suspended once for fighting. I told him no matter how much he wanted to hit someone, to go tell a teacher. His education would get him a good start in life.”