Total pages in book: 47
Estimated words: 46344 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 232(@200wpm)___ 185(@250wpm)___ 154(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 46344 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 232(@200wpm)___ 185(@250wpm)___ 154(@300wpm)
Only he didn’t go back home. Instead, he drove back to Beast’s place. The home he’d known after his father had died. This was now the home Beast shared with Hope and their five children.
He never thought he’d see the day that Beast allowed himself to have children. There had been many a night that Beast seemed completely clueless about what to do with Dwayne himself. Caleb, not so much. He recalled many times offering to kill him, but that was later in life when he turned eighteen and upwards.
Dwayne smiled, recalling the fond memories. Caleb wouldn’t shoot him. For all of their faults they were a family, and in a way, he’d come to step in for his father.
Caleb and Beast were the only family he had.
Climbing out of the car, he didn’t bother going inside but instead walked toward the garden. Hope wasn’t much of a gardener, but she liked to make things pretty. The roses were all out in bloom, and as he made his way toward the small swing that was in the garden, he sat down and admired the view. It was the only element of his life that he considered beautiful.
He didn’t own a house, preferring the confines of an apartment. With the work he had to do, he wasn’t interested in having his home shot up, and he didn’t trust guards.
As far as he was concerned, guards could be paid better and their loyalty was down to a cost. He would never allow himself to depend on guards.
“I thought I saw you arrive,” Hope said, coming toward him.
She’d been his tutor for a short time in high school, and now it was kind of weird to think of her as his aunt. They were the same age.
“What are you doing out here?”
“I came to see you. You looked troubled.”
“Where’s Beast? He’s not coming to yell at me about something.”
“Why do you make it sound like a good thing that he’ll yell at you?”
“Because I’m not doing my job properly if he’s not got a good reason.”
She sighed. “Beast told me about your latest job. The girl.”
“Don’t worry, Hope. She’s home. Safe and sound.”
“I’m not an idiot, Dwayne. I know what you’re called. I hear the guards whispering your name. The reputation that you have, it’s scary.”
“Again, nothing to worry about.”
Her arms were folded, and she looked the part of the scolding mom.
“What happened to the kid in high school?” she asked.
“You mean the jock that wouldn’t give you the time of day until he needed it?”
She rolled her eyes. “I’m talking about the fun guy that just took life and laughed as he did.”
“That kid grew up. You can’t expect me to live in the past forever, Hope. We all change, and I did as well.”
****
Three months later
Everything was different.
Charity wasn’t the most popular girl in school, but she was well-liked. She was known for helping out, being there, and offering support to everyone. After coming home, it had been hard to just settle back into a routine. Her parents had made her go to a doctor then to a therapist for her to talk about her ordeal.
She didn’t talk about it, no matter how many questions the woman asked.
The only person she wanted to remember from it all was Dwayne. He’d come out of nowhere, risked his life, and saved her.
No one seemed to get that, and when she asked her parents about him, they wouldn’t allow her to even call him, which was just so infuriating. She wanted to know that he was okay. That he felt safe, that he was happy.
How messed up was that?
He’d probably forgotten her.
Moved on to some other damsel and here she was worried about him.
It confused her.
Moving down the long hall, she stopped at her locker, grabbing a few books. Everything seemed mechanical now. She went about school, moving from one class to another, and she felt … withdrawn from it all. Nothing made any sense to her. Not the classes, not her friends, or even her teachers.
Everything no longer mattered. Her life could have been over if it hadn’t been for Dwayne. She’d have been sold to the highest bidder, her life filled with rape and misery. The men who’d taken her had taunted her by what would have happened. First, they suggested she’d have to go on a diet. The man who took her would want her to look her best, and being fat was not allowed.
She didn’t care about that as she was happy with who she was.
Diets were not her thing, and if she wanted to eat fried chicken, then she would. Or even some salad; no one was ever going to hold her to anything anymore. She was done playing that game.
With her books in her bag for studying over the weekend, she walked outside. Several of her peers were lurking in the parking lot in small groups, laughing and joking, making plans.