All Chapters of Soft For The Predators : Chapter 1 - Chapter 4

Chapter One: The DebtOhh goodness!I've never imagined myself to be in a situation like this. But here I am, in the hospital room and everywhere smelled like antiseptic and dying dreams.My father lay in the bed like a broken thing, his once-strong frame now skeletal beneath white sheets, his breathing shallow and labored. The heart attack had come three weeks ago at work, sudden and devastating, and the medical bills had started stacking up immediately—thousands of dollars we didn’t have, couldn’t even conceive of having.My mother sat in the uncomfortable chair beside him, her hand clasped in his, dark circles under her eyes that matched my own. My little brother, Silas —just fifteen-year-old. Sat in the corner trying to look like this wasn’t destroying him.I stood at the window, watching the city below, trying not to think about my shifts at The Crimson Pearl, trying not to calculate how many double shifts it would take to cover even one week of hospital costs.“Amanda.” My fa

Chapter Three: The ClaimThe car shot forward so fast I was pressed back into the seat. Streetlights blurred into long yellow lines. Jayden’s hand stayed near my knee, not quite touching, but close enough that I could feel the heat from his skin.“Who’s following us?” I asked. My voice sounded small.“People who think they already own you,” he said. His eyes stayed on the road ahead, then flicked to the side mirror. “They were watching the restaurant. The moment you walked out with me, they moved.”My stomach twisted. “Because of my father’s debt.”“Yes.”I turned toward the front. The driver kept his eyes on the road, but I could not forget the flash of gold I had seen in the mirror. Whatever he was, he was not only human.Jayden’s phone buzzed again. He answered without greeting. “How many?” A pause. His jaw tightened. “Keep them busy. We’re going dark.” He hung up and looked at me. “Give me your phone.”I hesitated, then handed it over. He powered it off and slipped it into h