AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I’m still processing,” I say after an extended silence.
He rubs a soothing hand over my back. “Take all the time you need.”
I nuzzle into his chest, breathing in his unique gasoline scent that always goes straight to my head.
“Those things you said up there,” I begin hesitantly. “Do you genuinely believe them?”
“I do. We can only demand respect from others if we give it in return. Our actions have consequences, and it is not God who will determine our fate when we are dead. We are the ones who decide how we live, who determine how others treat us and what slights we can live with and which require retribution.”
“How do you decide which wrongs to let go of?”
“It’s up to you. Some are small and insignificant, barely affecting us, but others—like what happened to Dara—have a greater impact on our souls and psyche. If we don’t confront them, they will embed within us and become part of who we are. Like heavy stones in our pockets, we end up carrying those slights with us, and they determine our actions forevermore.”
“And if you acknowledge it?”
“You felt the energy in that room when Dara confronted that man, didn’t you?”
I tilt my head back so I can look into Don’s face. “I did. It was… empowering. I’ve never felt anything like that before.”
Don nods. “That’s what it feels like to overcome your injustices and grow stronger as a person.”
I swallow nervously, licking my lips before I dare to say, “I think I want to right the wrongs of my past, too.”
Don’s dark eyes bore into mine and I can feel him searching for any trace of a lie in my words. He won’t find one, however. Dara’s energy still clings to me, making me strong and driving me forward. I want to feel that for myself. I want to be brave like Dara, and fierce like Don. I want to live a life with him unencumbered by my trauma, and having witnessed what I did tonight, I have come to realize that simply running away from my past is not enough. Running is what cowards do, and I no longer want to be a coward. I want to be a warrior. The queen Don says I am.
And queens conquer their fears.
Join R.A. Smyth’s facebook reader group to remain in the loop for when the rest of Kali’s story will be available (hopefully later this year).
STALKER LINKS
Facebook Page
Facebook Group
Instagram
Goodreads
Amazon
Newsletter
Bookbub
Tiktok
ABOUT R.A. SMYTH
R.A. Smyth is best known for writing contemporary dark romance filled with unexpected twists, mystery, and plenty of steam. Rachel lives in the UK with her husband and two golden retrievers, and when she’s not busy thinking up crazy cliffhangers to drive her readers insane, she enjoys inflicting the same torture on herself by reading incomplete series.
She has always been an avid reader, starting from the Harry Potter books as a kid. It’s an interest that has grown into an obsession over the years and becoming an author has been a secret lifelong dream of hers.
FORGIVE ME, FATHER
MIKA LANE
CHAPTER ONE
