Total pages in book: 31
Estimated words: 28599 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 143(@200wpm)___ 114(@250wpm)___ 95(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 28599 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 143(@200wpm)___ 114(@250wpm)___ 95(@300wpm)
13
Hunter
Alex is pissed because it was his idea to use Find My Phone to locate Elle, but I insisted that we take my truck. I can tell he was irked, but I don’t really care. Not in comparison to how much I care about making sure that Elle is safe. That’s what really matters. End of story.
Besides, it’s clear that Alex cares about Elle just as much as I do, and as soon as we pull up outside the City of Enlightenment in Somerville, he’s seemingly forgotten all about our conflict. All that matters now is making sure that our curvy girl is safe. On that, at least, we’re of one mind.
“Do you think she stayed the night here?” I ask as my adopted son jumps down out of the passenger seat and surveys the campus. Alex looks at his phone pensively as he fidgets with the Find My Phone app.
“It looks like it,” he grunts. “At least, her phone stayed the night because it hasn’t moved since last night.”
Suddenly, there’s a shift in the air and I turn around.
“Hello,” says a Buddhist nun, her round face serene. “Welcome to the City of Enlightenment. Can I help you?”
“Um yeah, hi,” I grunt awkwardly.
“Are you here to worship with us?” the nun asks, her drab grey robes reaching almost to the floor to reveal sandaled feet.
“Not exactly,” I reply, “we’re actually looking for my stepdaughter. Have you seen her?” I hold up one of the pictures I downloaded onto my phone from Elle’s social media last night, when I was getting ready to report her missing. That’s when Alex intervened and presented the idea of using the Find My Phone app. I was able to relax slightly when the app showed her cell in nearby Somerville because that’s not so far away. Yet, both of us were raring to go, and it took a lot of restraint not to drive out straight away.
But we wanted to give Elle time, and as a result, Alex and I both spent a sleepless night trying to hold out until morning, to at least give her a full 24 hours at this place. If Elle’s driven all the way to some monastery in Pennsylvania, she must have really craved distance. But 24 hours is the most we can give her - we both need her back where she belongs. With us. With whichever one of us precisely, we can argue about later.
“Is she expecting you?” the nun asks, taking in the beaming photo of Elle. My stepdaughter looks gorgeous, with her brown hair in flowing waves and a big smile for the camera.
“Not exactly,” I growl.
“What are your names, please?”
“I’m Hunter,” I reply begrudgingly, annoyed at being interrogated. “And this is Alex.”
“Please wait here,” the nun requests. “I’ll be back shortly.” Then, the middle-aged woman disappears, her bald head gleaming in the sun.
“She’s being polite, but it’s clear she doesn’t trust us,” grunts Alex. “We’ll probably never see her again.”
“Relax,” I order. “Don’t rush to conclusions. We’re on their territory, after all.” Alex considers this and nods, sniffing as he crosses his muscular arms across his chest. Not for the first time, I notice how much he’s grown since becoming a man. He’s got broad shoulders, a wide chest, and masculine, arresting features. I don’t blame Elle for wanting Alex, even if it does enrage me somewhat.
But who am I kidding? Alex is a handsome man and my cock twitches in my pants. For fuck’s sake, you’re at a monastery, the voice in my head scoffs. Are you kidding me?
I shrug. It is what it is, but I make sure to have my jeans adjusted so that my bulge is discreet. I don’t want to scare the monks and nuns at this place.
I’m expecting to have to wait a while, but after just a few minutes, the monastery doors open and Elle, blinking, steps out into the sunlight. Just seeing her angelic face makes my heart race and I take an involuntary step towards her. Alex must feel the same because his reaction is identical. But Elle’s beautiful brown eyes are wide with surprise, her perfect, pink lips parted breathlessly.
“Hunter, Alex,” she breathes, looking at us. “What are you doing here?” She’s wearing a white linen tunic and matching linen pants, which completely shroud the curves I love so much. Yet she looks absolutely stunning anyways, her brown curly hair gleaming in the sun.
“We were worried about you, Elle,” I say in a rough tone. “Are you okay?” Her cheeks flush as she nervously tugs on her sleeves. The curvy girl is flustered that we’re here, but it’s also clear that she enjoys seeing how much we care, even our presence does take her aback somewhat.
“Yes,” she says, “I’m fine, thanks.”
But my adopted son is impatient.