Total pages in book: 79
Estimated words: 74782 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 374(@200wpm)___ 299(@250wpm)___ 249(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 74782 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 374(@200wpm)___ 299(@250wpm)___ 249(@300wpm)
Janelle’s eyes cut to her stepfather. “He’s not my parent.”
Shep’s eyes flash with malice. “Oh, darlin’, don’t say that. I miss you lots.”
Janelle physically trembles from those words, and that is the point where I decide to step in.
I move in front of Janelle, putting myself between her and the people who are causing her fear right now. Raising a hand, I point my finger at the door. “That’s it. You two need to leave. You’re not welcome here.”
Clarke appears in the doorway of her office, watching carefully. I assume she’s called the police.
Sandra glares at me. “We’re here to take Janelle back with us.”
From behind me, Janelle exclaims, “What? No!”
I shake my head at Sandra. “Never going to happen.” I glance over my shoulder at Janelle and reassure her. “It’s never going to happen.”
She lets out a trembling breath and nods at me gratefully as I turn to face the pair again.
“I’m her mother.” Sandra takes a slight step toward me, crossing her arms over her chest. “I have rights.”
“You signed away those rights,” I say calmly.
“We only signed away our rights if Riggs would pay us money. We’re here to collect… so it’s either the money or Janelle.”
This is shocking news, and Janelle gasps behind me. I know Riggs cut them a hefty check already, and I truly don’t care if Riggs promised to give them more, but they are not leaving here with Janelle.
Shep steps forward. “He’s not paying, so we want her back.”
Bile rises in my throat because I know exactly why he wants her back. I glare at them both but repeat calmly, “She’s not leaving with you. Riggs has legal custody.”
Shep leans to the side to make eye contact with Janelle standing behind me. He snaps his fingers and points to the ground beside him. “You get over here right now. You are leaving with me and your mama. If Riggs wants you back, he can pay the money we’re owed.”
“I’m not leaving,” Janelle says, and I’m proud of the strength in her voice. I don’t need to look back at her, but I know her chin is high and her shoulders are thrown back.
“Like she said,” I reiterate for clarity, “she’s not leaving.”
For several seconds, we engage in a stare down. Sandra doesn’t look overly confident, and I take a second to glance at Clarke who is chewing on her lower lip with worry.
It’s Shep who grabs my attention as he steps toward us. “We’ll see about that.”
He attempts to move past me to get to Janelle, but I simply step in his path, blocking him. This guy isn’t big like Riggs, but he’s a good five or six inches taller than I am and outweighs me by a good fifty pounds. I’m not going to survive a fistfight with him, and I’m scared, but there is no way he’s getting his hands on Janelle.
Growling in frustration, Shep grabs my upper arm and slings me away. It happens so quickly, I’m not prepared for it, nor am I able to balance in my high heels, so I slam to the floor.
My head whips around and I push the hair out of my face to see Shep reaching for Janelle. He clamps onto her arm, and it infuriates me that he would dare touch her. With a dexterity I didn’t know I possessed, I lurch up from the ground, take two running steps in my Louboutins, and jump on his back, locking my left arm around his throat. He’s so stunned, he lets Janelle go.
“Janelle!” I order as I squeeze tighter. “Get in the office with Clarke.”
I’m thankful she doesn’t argue but runs around the checkout counter, and while I don’t keep an eye on her past that, I hear the office door slam. She’s safe for now.
“You fucking bitch,” Shep snarls. He reaches a hand over his shoulder, grabs the hair at the back of my head, and pulls so hard I have no choice but to release my hold around his neck. Once again, he slings me away from him and I go flying, but I’m drawn up short because he doesn’t let go of my hair.
I yelp from the pain as he uses my hair to sling me back around to face him. Shep cocks his hand back and launches it straight across my cheekbone with a resounding crack. He releases my hair at the same time, and I once again stumble to the ground, a dizziness overtaking me as my ears ring from the blow.
Shep starts for the office door, and I roll to my knees, intent on taking that fucker down somehow. But then those bells are ringing at the door—sounding like angels just got their wings—and cops burst into the store with guns drawn.
I’m spared a cursory glance before they look at Sandra who holds her hands up in surrender and then to Shep who is frozen in place a few feet from the office door. He looks like the obvious threat, and one of the police officers raises his gun. “Sir… stop and put your hands in the air right now.”