Total pages in book: 118
Estimated words: 108868 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 544(@200wpm)___ 435(@250wpm)___ 363(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 108868 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 544(@200wpm)___ 435(@250wpm)___ 363(@300wpm)
GABRIEL
There was misery and distrust in the fleeting glance she gave me, and that just twisted the knot in my gut even tighter. I’m not sure what she saw in my own eyes that had her reaching out her hand to take the hand that she’d left hanging between us, but as soon as her fingers touched mine, it felt like I’d been electro-shocked. It was so unexpected I almost jerked my hand away. The fuck was that about?
I started to pull her away, already forgetting the others and all kinds of lost in my own head, wondering about my strange behavior. For as long as I’ve known myself unless something involved my nearest and dearest, I steered clear of other people’s shit.
“Where are you taking my sister?” My steps didn’t falter, but I did look back to find the ringleader looking as if she was about to follow us. “Is she your sister?” I turned back to my captive. She didn’t say a word, just hung her head even lower as she clutched the folder closer to her chest. There’s a story there for sure.
The girl didn’t look anything like her, though they shared the same dark locks; that’s where the similarities ended. Plus, her shit brown hair was no match for the ink-black sable of beauty’s curly mane, so I kept walking, pulling her along behind me.
“What was that about back there?” I looked down at her bent head as I took more of her hand into mine, which seemed to spook her because there was now a slight tremble in hers. My heart felt weird as heck, and I sincerely want to know what gives with this shit.
Maybe she’s a long-lost cousin or some shit, uncle Garrett was known for running wild in the past, but no, I can’t imagine my hero of an uncle leaving a child to be raised outside the family.
I was grabbing at straws, but I needed an explanation for the sudden feeling of protectiveness for this total stranger when I’ve never felt anything even close to it before, not for anyone outside my family and Lance’s anyway. That’s why I was finding this shit damn near unbelievable; even me getting involved is a stretch. I’ve walked past bloodshed without missing a step because I’m that guy. If it’s not my circus, not my monkey, I’m out.
I’ve especially made it a point not to get involved with females because I know my life expectancy is short as fuck. Not for lack of trying on their part, I’m a handsome fuck if I do say so myself, or so I’ve been told though my sisters never cease to remind me of my good looks, which are somehow the bane of their existence. I keep telling them it’s not my fault that their horny ass friends like to moon over me and would rather spend their time trying to break into my room than play sleepover games when they have them over.
I don’t see it. When I look into the mirror, I just see black wild as fuck hair that’s always in my face and piercing green eyes with almost black pupils. It kinda reminds me of a painting I once saw of a black panther on the prowl. Whatever! I wanted to see her eyes again, see if she’d zap me like before. “You gonna answer me or not?” I think her hand shook a little in mine again, but it was too fleeting for me to be sure.
“It was nothing; thanks for coming to my rescue.” She tried pulling her hand out of mine, and it was then I heard the footsteps approaching. I put her behind me before turning to face the threat and saw Lance coming up on us. “Gabe, did something happen?” He looked from me to her then his face broke into a smile.
“Hey, Gia, long time no see.” He looked at her like he knew her, which I found strange since I know everyone he knows.
“Gia?” The name was okay, but it didn’t suit her somehow.
“Gianna, but everyone calls me Gia.” I could tell from the look on her face that she wasn’t too pleased by that but didn’t press it in front of company. I tried glaring Lance the fuck into leaving, but his ass just smirked like he’d caught me red-handed doing some shady shit.
I ignored him and looked around for a place that wasn’t crowded with the noisy ass misfits I go to school with and found a bench beneath a tree that wasn’t occupied minutes before those same girls returned. I’m not sure if they’d planned to approach, but the kill glare I sent them had them rethinking that shit real quick.
I could tell she wasn’t comfortable and was torn between keeping her by my side and letting her escape. Somehow doing what was best for her seemed more important than fulfilling whatever alien need was growing in me to keep her near. She wasn’t talking anyway, so I decided now wasn’t the time. “Do you wanna leave now that they’re gone, or do you need me to stay with you?”