Total pages in book: 149
Estimated words: 141255 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 706(@200wpm)___ 565(@250wpm)___ 471(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 141255 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 706(@200wpm)___ 565(@250wpm)___ 471(@300wpm)
“Sorry, Master,” she whispered in the dark. “I had a nightmare. I got scared. May I sleep beside you?”
“Felicia,” I let go of her and shook the sleep off, “I’m not your Master.”
“Please?” Her voice was shaky. “I can sleep on the floor. I just need you near, if…if that’s okay.”
I got to my feet and grabbed for her hand in the dark. “If that’s what you need, we’re sleeping in my bed. This futon is shit.”
I grabbed the gun and took her back to my room in the dark.
“Nothing to be afraid of, baby. You’re safe,” I told her and tucked the gun under my side between the mattress and box spring.
I got under the covers and as I did, I felt her shuffling beside me in the dark. I figured she was getting her dress off and then before I knew it, she was snuggled up against me, her head on my shoulder. She draped an arm over me and nuzzled in. Yep, skin on skin.
Whoa.
This was wrong. This was looking like some hero worship and I couldn’t allow it. This was indicative of what they’d turned her into. I couldn’t deconstruct it right now, though. I needed to crash. I was absolutely exhausted. I started to drift, thinking I should move her off me, set some boundaries. But then she softly said, “Thank you for saving me.”
Before I thought through what I was doing, I leaned down and kissed the top of her head. “You’re welcome.”
Tommy had been jittery, constantly checking his computer, which was on the coffee table in front of him.
“You not into this movie, baby?” I asked.
“Hm?” He looked up at me but did so distractedly.
“What’s so exciting on that screen? You get sucked in by one of those candy games, too?”
“Naw. I’m just waiting to hear from Dare. He should be back from a trip any time now and I need an update.” He put an arm around me.
I snuggled into him. “Is everything okay?”
He shook his head. “No, it’s kind of messed.”
“Wanna talk about it?”
“Not sure you wanna be burdened with this kinda shit, baby girl.” He leaned forward and grabbed his can of Coke and drank some.”
“Kay. If you change your mind…”
His phone made a noise and he grabbed it.
“Kay, he’s home. I can breathe now.”
“That bad?”
“Oh baby, you have no idea.” He shook his head with a grave expression and I felt ice pierce my veins.
“Talk to me,” I urged.
He told me about Dario’s problem. Dario’s female problem. It was bad.
Several times now since Tom Sr. died either Tommy or Dario found out about a new lie or new secret that rocked their world in a bad way. And it wasn’t easy for Tommy. I could see that he was feeling guilty about leaving his brother to deal with things and I could guess that he was mulling over us going back so that he could help out more.
Dario and he had been working together remotely but I knew Tommy was itchy, itchy to get things over with and itchy to be doing something.
He was building wooden patio furniture out back and alternately working on stripping and redoing a canoe as well during the day in a workshop to keep busy. He did beautiful work. Intricate designs, everything done painstakingly. But I could tell it wasn’t enough for him.
That night he made love tenderly to me, holding me close while staring into my eyes the whole time and being my ice cream parlor hottie. It was beautiful. But during pillow talk he told me something that had also been discovered about Tom Sr. that completely shocked me and when the rest of the family found out about it, things might never be the same.
A few hours later he woke up out of breath and covered in sweat. He went up to the rooftop and beat up his punching bag, refusing to come back to bed, and refusing to talk about whatever he’d dreamt about.
When I woke up, Felicia was lying beside me, snuggled into my side with her head on my shoulder and she was awake, looking up at me.
I stretched a little, not enough to make her move. Her warmth felt nice. Too nice.
“Mornin’,” I said.
“Hi,” she whispered.
“Sleep okay?” I asked.
“Yeah,” she replied.
And the way she was looking at me, a little star struck or something, made me uncomfortable.
“You want coffee? I want coffee.” I motioned to get up so she’d shift. I grabbed a robe from the hook on the door to the master bathroom and put it on the end of the bed, motioning to her so she’d know to put it on. She was just in her bra and panties. I got into a pair of jeans and threw on a tee and headed to the den to get my phone from the charger. I was gonna text Zack and get him over here to check her things as well as mine. I got the coffee started and headed out to the terrace for a smoke with my phone so I could check my messages.