We're almost there! Thank you all, my dear readers, to have followed this story from the start. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. This is my third novel here, and as I'm going through editing this novel and the two others, I see how much I have grown as an author. If I didn't have readers like you, following me from book to book, I probably would have stopped writing. Don`t forget to leave a review if you liked the story. It will help other readers know to put this book in their library and read it! I also invite you to share it with others. See you at the next update!
I was high from meeting the director at the children’s home. My discussion with the director yielded interesting facts about the home and its desperate need for funds. The government provided what it could, but the man running the establishment informed me it wasn’t enough. It didn't surprise me. More and more children came into their custody, and they had difficulty finding foster homes. I elatedly accepted the director's promise to inform the board members and send me the paperwork in the coming weeks after discussing my plans to donate money and what I would like to help them with. My interest in funding couldn’t have come at a better time. I barely saw the car ride pass; I was already pulling up the small dirt road leading to Lukas’s cabin in the woods. Lexie stayed there for the moment while Lukas crashed either at his house or at my place. We had taken the habit of coming over there for dinner every two or three days to keep Lex company and to unwind. I was the first to arri
It was a moonless sky on the night Lady Ravenwood lay in her bed, riddled with aches and pains from labour. She looked at the heavens and pleaded her child would not be born this night—it was a bad omen, she thought, even more so with everything currently happening. She could feel the child trying to get out of her womb, and she clenched her lower body to prevent the birth. “Has my husband returned yet, Agatha?” Lady Ravenwood called her servant maid. The maid—Agatha, came over to the bed and changed the soiled sheet under her mistress. “I’m afraid not, my lady. I’ll ask William when he comes up. The master should be back soon. Please hold on.” Lady Ravenwood sighed and scrunched the sheets under her fists. Her toes curled from the pain, and sweat poured down her neck and back, soaking the bedsheets. Lady Ravenwood was in hiding and stayed in a safe house outside the city limits. It looked like a small country house, far away from prying eyes. She knew her husband had spared no e
I flipped the corner of the book’s page I was quietly reading on the small café’s exterior terrace. The last rays of the sun shone brightly on what was a perfectly normal day for me. I had ordered my usual—ordering was an exaggeration because I came here every day for the last month, and the server didn’t even have to ask me what I wanted since I always got the same thing. The young man brought my coffee with a smile and quickly dashed to another table to take a customer’s order. Without taking my eyes off the book, I searched for the handle of my mug, and when I found it, I brought the cup to my lips and sipped on the delicious hot liquid. I hummed in delight, then set it back on the table and raised my eyes to survey the terrace. I was technically on duty, but my target had not arrived yet. The sun was setting, and I didn’t care to stay here longer than necessary. If the target didn’t come, I would try again tomorrow. I returned to my paperback book, ignoring the stares of men g
“Evening, gentlemen. The clubs are a little lower on that street. I’m sure they’ll notice all their bouncers took their breaks at the same time.” I snickered. I had said this as a joke, but they looked like bouncers in front of high-end bars and clubs. For some funny reason, the song “I wear my sunglasses at night” by Corey Hart popped into my mind and made me chuckle. I turned to open my car door, but the man behind me pressed his hand on my car’s side, preventing me from following through with my action. This irritated me. “We’re here for Umbridge.” The man’s voice was calm but menacing. I froze. The bouncer-type men could be competition. I mean, Mike was worth a substantial amount. I got him first, so I was not inclined to give him to them. I could see Mike’s once beautiful face through the window. His hair was a mess from my tackle, and he still had gravel stuck on the blood-crusted scratches on his cheek. What surprised me the most were his eyes. They were wide with fear, alm
Jace POV They had ordered me to attend an urgent meeting on the president’s floor. I held my head high when I paced myself to get there in time. I did not want to wrinkle my suit or arouse suspicion from the hard-working staff of my floor. We rarely got called into impromptu meetings, so this must have been serious. When I entered the boardroom, most directors were already there, patiently waiting for the man who called the session. I pulled a chair near the far end and waited for the hostess to bring me something to drink. She left as quickly as she came, never looking me straight in the face. I slowly sipped the content of my glass and purred with satisfaction while swirling the thick red liquid. It was eerily silent in the room. No one understood why we had been called to this impromptu conference. The spacious boardroom could hold all twenty Harrington and Leigh Corporation directors. At least the seats were comfortable. They were made of black leather and cushioned to perfe
I returned home after another unsuccessful surveillance. Moe had given me a new target, and I had stalked the man’s usual habits, but he was nowhere in sight. Usually, before moving to the person’s house, I liked to check the less inconspicuous places. If I went directly to their home, they would be wary, and then they could vanish for a couple of days, even entire weeks. I took that as my last resort. It was simpler for me to catch them in public when they least expected it. After all, who would expect a girl bounty hunter? I locked the door behind me and trailed my fingers on the wall until I hit the light switch. “Honey, I’m home!” I called out humorously into the empty apartment. I lived alone in a small bachelor pad. The living room, kitchen, and bedroom were all in one area. My Murphy bed doubled as a library and storage when I folded it up. As for the kitchen, I had a small bar fridge with a few beer cans and some leftover Chinese food in it, but other than that, there was no
I arrived at Moe’s just as Bea unlocked the door to the shop. She gave me a broad smile and held the door open just as I entered. As suspected, the new guy—Lukas, beating me made my ribs and arms sore. Luckily, Moe’s opened around 9 am, giving me enough time to sleep after my hard night of training at Sal’s. “Want a cup of coffee, Hun?” “Sure, you know how I like it.” I winked at her. She always prepared the coffee machine the day before; that way, she only had to press start in the morning, and coffee would soon come flowing down. I waited for Bea on the chair in front of her desk, and when she returned, she handed me my drink and sat down, typing away on her computer. “Where’s Moe?” I asked, taking a small sip. “Oh, you know how it is with this rainy weather. His leg hurts, and—” “And the shrapnel makes it even worse,” I finished the sentence for her. “Gotcha. Will he come in later this evening?” “Probably. You know it’s hard to keep him away from his business. Speaking of w
I came out of the shower, wrapped a towel around my head, and then patted myself dry. I was going to meet Lukas at a friendly little café downtown. He had offered to pick me up, but I made it my duty not to let anyone know where I lived. I didn’t know who Lukas was, and I didn’t know if he could be trusted. I just knew that he was hot, and I hated how my body responded to him. Why the hell did I even accept his invitation? I didn’t date. I didn’t have the time. Well, that wasn’t true. I had the time, but I just didn’t take it. I had other things to think about. I spent an hour trying on clothes, to the point where I groaned and fell face-first on my bed. I had not gone out with a guy in six years. And I hadn’t dated anyone in ten. The last time I dated someone, dating apps were starting to be popular, but the good old method was meeting people in bars or public spaces, not behind a screen. Which also suited me since I didn’t have a cell phone. Yes, people like me existed in a world