Total pages in book: 88
Estimated words: 86126 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 431(@200wpm)___ 345(@250wpm)___ 287(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 86126 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 431(@200wpm)___ 345(@250wpm)___ 287(@300wpm)
I was living with a man that was everything I would ever want. He was kind and thoughtful, protective and strong. He loved me and he loved my girls and he was good for us. He teased us and he played with us and he looked at us like we were the best thing he’d ever seen. I knew down to my bones that he would never hurt us. It had been almost seven years since the first time Titus Hawthorne first held my hand and even though we’d been apart for so long and both of us had separate lives during that time, nothing had really changed.
“Mama, you want a train?” Diana asked, crawling onto my lap.
“No thanks, baby,” I murmured. “That’s a really cool blue train, though.”
I was going to talk to Titus that night. After the girls were in bed, I was just going to say it. I was going to tell him I love him. He deserved to know it. After that, I wasn’t sure what would happen.
“Someone’s at the door,” Flora said, shaking my leg. “Someone’s knocking.”
“Huh,” I murmured, hearing the knock. I must’ve been too distracted to hear it the first time. I set Diana on the floor. “One of the guys probably ordered something and they’re just dropping it off.”
It had happened before and I usually just let the delivery person leave it on the porch. I didn’t think that opening the door and practically announcing that I was at home alone with the girls all the time was a very smart thing to do. We lived with three very capable men, and when they were home I felt more secure than I ever had in my entire life, but we lived in the country and the closest neighbor wasn’t very close, so I figured it was better safe than sorry.
“They’re knocking again,” Ariel announced, like I couldn’t hear the person knocking.
“It’s okay, I’ll get it,” I said, shooting her a look as I crossed the room.
I should’ve looked out the window. It was really stupid of me to just swing the door open. But, I was distracted and happy, so that’s what I did.
My father-in-law didn’t let me say a single word before he pushed into the house, almost knocking me over in the process.
It felt like time slowed down. His hand wrapped around my arm like a vise, keeping me upright, and his gaze swept across the room, taking in ArieAriel, Diana, and Flora were staring at him wide eyed from the floor.
“Grandpa?” Ariel asked in confusion, moving like she was going to stand before dropping back down again. She’d never had reason to fear him, she’d never been around him enough for him to give her a reason, but she did recognize him. I watched as her expression morphed from surprise to caution in the blink of an eye.
“Dirty whore,” Carl hissed, his hand tightening as he shoved me away from the door. “Get your things.”
“Carl,” I murmured, my eyes on the girls.
Flora was wide eyed and she’d wrapped her arm around Diana’s shoulders, either to shield her or to hold her in place, I couldn’t tell.
“Did you think I wouldn’t notice that you’re living in sin with a man?” he spat, giving me a little shake. “My son’s barely cold and you’re already whoring yourself to some scum biker while my granddaughters watch.”
“Mama?” Diana called out, her voice trembling. Flora shushed her.
“It’s not what you think,” I murmured, trying and failing to somehow move us farther from the girls. “I’m the housekeeper, Carl. I’m working here for room and board. The girls and I have our own rooms. I can show you if you want.”
If I could get him upstairs, maybe Flora would know to hide. There was a cupboard in the kitchen with nothing in it. Diana had crawled in there a few days before while I was cooking lunch and I never would’ve found her if I hadn’t heard her giggling. There was also space in the pantry. The raspberry bushes were getting ready to bloom. If they could make it outside, they could hide between the rows. It would give them a little bit of time and if the neighbors saw a stranger creeping around the house, maybe they’d call the police. It was a long shot, but it could happen.
“Lying bitch,” Carl snapped, shoving me away from him.
From the corner of my eye, I noticed Flora moving her arm slowly onto the couch before pulling it back down again.
“I’m not lying,” I gasped, trying to stay on my feet.
“Get your things,” he ordered. “You and the girls are coming home.”
I wasn’t sure what to say. I knew that I couldn’t get into the car with him. That I would never allow my children anywhere near him. But I was so afraid to contradict him.