AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Good luck with that.
Something about her was already pulling me in. That is when I found my feet moving toward her as she watched my every move until I came to stand right in front of her. Her powdery, soft scent hit my nostrils and I had to shake my head to clear it. Not only did she have the most fabulous eyes, but she smelled good too and I wanted to press my nose into the side of her neck and breathe her in.
What the hell?
Then as fast as those thoughts came, they were forgotten when my eyes caught sight of the yellow tinge of the fading bruise on the side of her face that Braxton mentioned.
Before I could stop myself, my hand instinctively reached out to touch her, but when she flinched and her eyes went wide with alarm, it stopped me dead. I dropped my arm to my side slowly and stepped back a little to give her space, but my gaze was still on the area marked by what could only be the devil. Because who else would hurt not only this woman but possibly the baby too.
This time I couldn’t contain the deep, low growl that rumbled up my throat and seeped from my lips.
ChapterTwo
TEAL
What was it about him?
Kace had walked right up into my personal space, was growling like a bear, and although I freaked when he almost touched me, a feeling in my gut was telling me that it would have been gentle.
It had been ages since I felt a soft touch or caress. Of course, there was a honeymoon period when I first met the deceitful man who convinced me to marry him. I was a naive eighteen-year-old who just wanted to feel loved and not alone. Thad was attentive, sweet, and could be tender, but that didn’t last long.
His true colors came out in full force loud and clear shortly after we were married.
Thinking back, I don’t believe I truly felt a loving touch or truly safe since the day my mother died when I was fourteen. I felt a tear slip down my cheek at the memory.
“You will always be the best part of me and I will be watching over you always,” she’d said, her voice fading as she spoke.
Her thin, fragile hand reached out and stroked my hair and cheek. I closed my eyes knowing I would never feel her touch again after that day and tried soaking up every second.
“I love you so much, momma, what am I going to do without you?” I tried to be strong for her, but I couldn’t control the fat liquid tears that trickled down my face as I sobbed.
I climbed up in the hospital bed that hospice had brought into our home knowing her days were limited and cancer would take her from this earth sooner than it should have. Curling in close, I wrapped my arm around her and let her love sink in.
“Baby girl, I love you too. Be strong, be kind, and be brave.”
Her hand squeezed mine lightly and I heard her take a long breath before everything went silent. And right at that moment without looking up I knew I lost not only my mother but also my best friend.
“Teal, what’s wrong?” Kace’s voice broke in, pulling me from my thoughts.
He didn’t move closer, hadn’t tried touching me again, but his voice was soft and full of concern. I had to work hard to compose myself and not break down even more. I had done a piss poor job of two of the three things my mother asked of me the day she passed.
I may have done okay at being kind, but I hadn’t been strong or brave enough until it sunk in that I was going to be a mother. And as hard as it may be on my own, my baby only had me to count on.
Swiping at my face to clear it of the tears that had fallen, I squared my shoulders. “I’m fine,” I told him, adding nothing more.
The look on his face told me that he wanted me to say more, but I couldn’t trust anyone. Not with my past, present or future. I was all alone again, but soon I would have my baby. It would be the two of us against the world, and somehow I needed to keep us safe while providing the best life for my little one that I could.
A voice in my head whispered,maybe.
Before I could shut it down, Kace chimed in again, reading my mind.
“Maybe not today, and maybe not tomorrow, but someday you will learn to trust me and everyone here.” He backed up toward the door. “We take care of our own and nobody here will hurt you. You may not believe that now, but you will soon enough.”
My mouth opened and then shut. I wasn’t sure what to say, my mind was scrambling to process his words and not get my hopes up that he could be telling the truth. He didn’t wait for me to reply.
“Someone will be back, just wait here.”
Then he was gone.
