Total pages in book: 69
Estimated words: 72156 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 361(@200wpm)___ 289(@250wpm)___ 241(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 72156 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 361(@200wpm)___ 289(@250wpm)___ 241(@300wpm)
“Where can I find Blanche?” I ask Debby, the receptionist. “I need to give her these.”
“She’s down the hall to your right. Corner office.” Debby smiles.
“Thanks.”
I drop off the documents and head back to my cubicle, grabbing the next file.
And my jaw drops.
6
FALCON
I don’t belong here.
I’m sitting here with criminals, waiting to see my parole officer, and I don’t fucking belong here.
It’s crazy, how everything went down all those years ago. How I copped to manslaughter for the sake of my brother.
How I got out a few months early because Raven is ill.
And now…I’m forced to talk to some government hack when I’ve been innocent all along.
Life…
“Falcon Bellamy.”
That voice. I know that voice.
I look up.
And my groin responds.
Damn.
It’s Vannah.
I rise and walk toward her.
“I’m Savannah Gallo,” she says. “Come with me.”
“Sa-vannah, huh?”
“That’s right.”
“Where’s Michael Bennett? That’s who I met before my release.”
She clears her throat. “You mean Michael Barrett. Mr. Barrett was in an accident, and I’m taking over his caseload.”
I follow Savannah, never taking my eyes off her long and shapely legs and her ass in a tight-ass navy skirt, to a cubicle near the back of a large office area.
She gestures to the folding chair across from her desk. “Have a seat.”
I sit, nearly too big for the chair.
Damn. I never thought I’d see the woman again, and God knows I don’t need anyone complicating my life right now, but a certain part of my anatomy is damned happy with this circumstance.
“So…Mr. Bellamy.”
I lean forward and place my elbows on her desk. “Falcon. I think we’re beyond the Mr. Bellamy thing, since we’ve had our tongues in each other’s mouths.”
She blushes, and damn…that rosiness creeps down her neck. I’m betting her luscious tits are pink right about now. Pink, with brownish red nipples.
“Mr. Bellamy,” she says, enunciating in a patronizing way, “I’ll be your parole officer. And I feel it’s my duty to inform you that you’ve already violated your parole.”
I nod. “The drink last night.”
“Yes. As a condition of your parole, you’re to abstain from all drugs and alcohol.”
“So I’m in trouble now?”
Little does she know that drink was a last hurrah for me. I have to abstain from alcohol until after the bone marrow procedure. I chose the dive on purpose. I wanted something other than toilet hooch, but nothing so good that I’d remember what I’ve been missing. That will have to wait.
She clears her throat again. “Tell me a little about yourself, Mr. Bellamy.”
Is she serious? She’s got my record right in front of her.
“I’ve got a nine inch—”
“Oh my God…”
“…hammer.” I chuckle.
“Let’s be serious, please. I take this job seriously, and I’m new here, so I’m not going to screw this up.”
I furrow my brow. “I haven’t seen you around before. Of course, I haven’t been around lately, except when I was out on furlough last year for my grandma’s funeral.”
“I just moved here from Austin.”
“Oh? What’d you do there?”
“Uh…I was a parole officer.”
“What’d you want to leave the big city for?”
She doesn’t reply.
Instead—
“What are your goals for your parole?”
“To get to know you better.”
I’m not sure where those words came from. I need a girlfriend like I need a bash to the head, but something about her makes me want her.
“Please be serious, Falcon.”
I smile. “You called me Falcon. Should I still call you Vannah? Or Savvy maybe?”
“I detest Savvy, and no one calls me Vannah.”
“Then I will. After all, it’s the name you gave me.”
“Savannah, please. Or Ms. Gallo.”
“Ms. Gallo’s not happening.” I chuckle. “We’ll make it Savannah. That’s a gorgeous name. Are you from Savannah?”
“No.” Another throat clear. “Falcon, this isn’t about me. We need to get through this initial meeting and map out your goals. Now…another condition of your parole is that you’ll find employment.”
“Done.”
“Oh?”
“Yeah. I work on my ranch. Bellamy Ranch.”
Her eyes widen into circles. “You’re that Falcon Bellamy?”
“Not sure there are too many of us.”
“Right.” She shuffles some papers, her cheeks flushing. “I don’t know why I didn’t make the connection. I’m new on the job and I’m just… It doesn’t matter anyway.”
“I’m that Falcon Bellamy. Son of Austin and Starling Bellamy of Bellamy Ranch.”
“Right. Your grandmother who just passed away…”
“Patricia Cooper Bellamy, of Cooper Steel.” I smile. “That’s right. You’re looking at a steel heir. I’ve got a hefty trust fund and everything.”
Another throat clear.
“You coming down with something?” I ask.
“I’m fine.”
“That’s a lot of throat clearing, Savannah. I’m beginning to think I make you uncomfortable.”
“What kind of work do you do on the ranch?” she asks, ignoring my comment.
“Everything. My father taught my brothers, sisters, and me everything about beef ranching.”
“So you’re not an executive?”
“Technically, yeah, but we have paid suits to do the shitty administrative work. My brothers and I like to be outside.”
Never more accurate. I sure missed the days beneath the hot Texas sun when I was on the inside. We got an hour a day outdoors, but that wasn’t near enough, especially because it was on asphalt with nothing more than a couple basketball hoops and a few balls to occupy us. Most of the guys ended up fighting with all their pent-up aggression. I kept clear of them…but only after I proved myself as Savage.