Total pages in book: 69
Estimated words: 65346 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 327(@200wpm)___ 261(@250wpm)___ 218(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 65346 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 327(@200wpm)___ 261(@250wpm)___ 218(@300wpm)
I expected Maverick’s name, which didn’t show up. Another name appeared on my screen instead:
Gavin Madison.
I swiped to answer. “Hi, Dad.”
23
Benjamin Gold
“Hey, Ma.”
“Benji, come sit.” Mia pulled out a chair and patted the beige cushion. She sat outside on a blanket next to the small animal house. Two volunteers sat on either side of her, Furonda with her bright smile and Tarrek with his permanent frown, both of them holding bottles for their suckling deer. My sister, Kaitlyn, was also there, wearing on old college sweatshirt that had milk spilled all down the front.
“Hey, guys.” I planned on heading to my room and pacing a hole in the carpet. Rex storming away worried the hell out of me. This felt like a house of cards on the precipice of crumbling, and that scared me like nothing else. I wanted to follow him and reassure him that I couldn’t give any fucks about the video. All I cared about was him, his health and his happiness. Point-blank, period.
But I didn’t follow him. I did yell after him, but he didn’t even slow down. He made a beeline for the guesthouse, leaving me in a wake of worry.
So maybe hanging out with my mom and some baby deer under the beaming sun would be better than going to my dark room.
I sat down across from Tarrek, who gave me a slanted smirk before turning his attention back to the deer. If I wasn’t mistaken, the white mark on her side told me it was Isabella. And Tarrek handled her as if she were his own baby. There was a tenderness and care that surprised me. I didn’t imagine many people seeing him out on the street, with his rugged beard and pin-up girl tattoos, would think he would be this maternal toward some orphaned animals.
“Everything okay?” my mom asked. She had a way of sensing when something was off without me ever even saying a word.
“Not really.” I looked to the two volunteers and decided to be as vague as possible. “Some outside drama is really messing with Rex right now.”
“I saw him rush past.”
“Yeah, it’s—it’s pretty bad.”
My mom put a hand on my shoulder, a silent move that spoke volumes. My mom’s touch always comforted me, and she understood how much I needed it right now.
“I’m sure he’ll be okay.” I said it more so for myself than anyone else, but my mom entertained me.
“I’m sure he will, too.” She waved to someone behind me.
“Look who I found at the front gate!” my mom, Ashley, called from behind. I turned and saw her walking over with Helena Ramsey at her side, another girl walking hand in hand with her.
Helena used to be a volunteer at the sanctuary for as long as I could remember. It had been a few months since she last visited, so it served as a good distraction to what currently clattered around inside my head.
“Everyone, meet my girlfriend, Leah!”
Helena stepped to the side as Leah lifted a shy hand and waved at the small group, her attention quickly pulled toward the baby deer. She squatted down so she could get a better look at the one closest to her, the typical “awws” and “ohhs” coming from her as she gently scratched the deer’s head. Helena got down with her, and they both cooed at the deer, making Tarrek seem slightly uncomfortable. I noticed him grow tense, his eye contact jumping around the crowd and rarely settling.
“I’m surprised we were even let in,” Helena said, standing back up. “It’s like getting into the Mint to get in here now.”
Mia gave a deprecating chuckle and said, “That’s what we’re aiming for.”
Helena’s eyebrows rose. “No… The Dove?”
Both my moms nodded. The name had a toxic feel to it, tinging the air.
“But I thought they caught him.”
“Yeah, we did, too,” Ashley said, sighing, brushing a strand of hair back from her freckled face. “There was another threat a few weeks ago. They got Tammy.”
Helena’s gasp was audible. Her hands swung up to her lips, covering the scar. “Oh God, is she okay?”
“She is, she is. Shaken but okay. They broke in and shaved a dove symbol into her hair and left a note tied to her leg. Thankfully Benji and Rex found her in time. They were able to pump the poison out.”
“Poison?” She looked around the yard. “Is she around?”
“I don’t know—last time she was in the house. Let me see if she wants to come out and say hi.” Ashley got up, spooking the deer in Tarrek’s lap. He rubbed those big ears and whispered something that did the trick, Isabella calming right down and going back to emptying the bottle of milk.
Mia clapped her thighs, her frown working back into a smile. “How’ve you been, Helena? We’ve missed you here.”