Total pages in book: 42
Estimated words: 39641 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 198(@200wpm)___ 159(@250wpm)___ 132(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 39641 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 198(@200wpm)___ 159(@250wpm)___ 132(@300wpm)
"I mean the cellar, of course,” she continues, trying to lay it on thick, but I’m over it. I want this bitch off my property and in custody. I’m betting she and her sidekick butchered her parents before leaving.
“Enough. Put your hands up.” He’s reaching for his gun. “I said put your hands up,” Law shouts, no longer protected by his car. I undo the latch on the lock ever so slowly, holding the twist so it doesn’t make a sound as I open the door. I just need to get him on the ground and unarmed before he pulls that trigger. Law sees my movements, warning the guy one more time. Frankly, I’ve had enough. Tossing the door wide open, I tackle the fucker to the ground, but then she runs past me into the house. I toss my blade at her leg, catching her calf and causing her to fall. She’s not going to die from that injury, but I stopped her from going after Jules.
Ten minutes later, they’re all cuffed in the back of a patrol car, headed to the Steeleville Police Station. Detective Mathers commends me for not killing the guys, but I’m just grateful that they didn’t get to my wife. She’s all that matters, along with my tiny little baby growing inside of her.
Epilogue
Blade
It’s been six months since her parents’ death and the arrest of her stepsister and her drugged-out boyfriend. Both finally went to jail for the rest of their natural lives. The guy confessed and entered a plea deal to avoid the death penalty, but she wasn’t smart enough. Her refusal to see the reality of the situation is the reason she’s on death row along with Brandon. The State Senator is serving fifteen years for his part in the attempted abduction of Jules.
The stepsister’s motives were as old as time: pure greed. She’d grown jealous of her sister’s beauty and she wanted her father’s inheritance, and with Jules out of the way, she hoped to have it all. What she didn’t realize was that they were broke and were willing to kill Jules to get her life insurance. Fuck, they took out a two-million-dollar policy on a college student. I could have killed them if they weren’t already dead.
Jules, on the other hand, is flourishing. Working alongside Elle and Penny has gotten her through some of the most difficult days when the weight of the past sneaks up on her. Then she and Sophia are really getting the concept for the bookstore down. They meet at least twice a week for treats and a look at the plans for the storefront along with their catalog of favorite authors. I’m simply happy to see her smiling face on a daily basis. She’s even started driving herself to and from, although I do have to say that she’s followed by at least one of the members or prospects, sometimes even myself. I love my wife and do whatever I can to protect her even if it means trailing her.
“Are you following me today, or is it one of the others?”
“You know I have been too?”
“Yes. Of course, I know. Please. I can feel you in my bones, Anthony. I love it because there are days when I’m still scared. Maybe in another year it’ll get old, but for now it’s perfect.
Jules
Three years later…
My stomach rumbles and growls, and I wonder if it's my son who's hungry because we just finished eating an... I look at my phone to check the time. Holy crap—it's been four hours since I sat down. I'm almost done with my debut novel. It's been optioned, but I've chosen to go the indie route. As much as I'd love to be a superstar, I don't want the recognition and attention that comes with it. I love my life in Steeleville now that everything has settled down, and I plan to keep it calm. My stomach rumbles again. "Okay. Okay."
I rub my five-month round belly and stand to stretch. The door to my office opens and there's my handsome husband with our one-and-a-half-year-old son on one arm and a plate in his hand.
"I made lunch."
"What a lifesaver! I was just getting up to snack."
"How's the writing coming along?"
"Good. I'll need you to read over a couple of scenes that I flagged so that you can tell me if I hit the mark on the weapons technique."
I'm at your service for the next twenty-four hours, but I want to read the whole thing."
"When it's done. I promise."
"Fine. Say hi to this one and eat."
"Give me my squishy. Mommy missed you this morning."
"We've been playing, and he napped so I got some sketching done."
"Thanks, Anthony. I really need this."
"We're in this together. I love you. Shit, watch your plate." Our son picked that moment to grab onto the plate; I pry his fingers from it. It's amazing how much grip strength babies have. I give him a piece of my cucumber, and he gnaws on it with his front teeth. He has most of his uppers, but only four on the bottom. He's growing well. I snuggle with him a bit more, sharing my cucumbers with him before daddy scoops him up.