Mason remembered returning home after a long day at the yard. He'd taken a cool shower in the guestroom that had become his before jogging downstairs to microwave his share of meal. One of the very few times he'd absented family dinner and last.While he ate the delicious yet, insipid meal on the kitchen counter in the late hours of the evening, he wondered where Gianna had gone to that afternoon and how she came about with the old cigarette case. Too many questions, too many worries, little rest, and no peace within. He let the fork clatter on his plate as he leaned back with a heavy sigh. He needed help, he needed a shoulder to lean on, someone to talk to and despite how often his mother's image popped up in his mind, Mason bit back. The troubles drastically weighed on him that the solutions in his head webbed.His mama would've been of tremendous help, no doubt, but Mason being Mason determined to be a man."Okay, about time to call it a da—ouuchh," His backbone misplaced midway up
"Where are we going?" Gianna asked for the thirty-third time in the space of ten minutes. True to a once-upon-a-time, they'd planned a girl's day out just the both of them. But with the lashes of events that had been unfolding, Gianna decided to bury it in the back of her mind. "You'll see," the glowing red-haired said. Her mother's glow was a sight for sore eyes. Last she saw the lady that way, was anyone's guess. So much she wanted to ask but the notion of not being close to the woman battered her. The trunk was stocked with two tiny suitcases, hers and her mum's, just enough for a day or two's trip. Not exactly giving her a microscopic field of vision to fish from. "C'mon mum, that's all you've been saying since we left home," Gianna pouted. "It's getting annoying; I hate the suspense. I hate that I can't figure out where we going or what we'll be doing." Of course, they were neither going camping, relaxing at a spa, touring a Museum, viewing a comedy show, going on a shopping
"He confessed," Gianna said, in the midst of her parents readying to the field. Mason was rounding up with folding his wife's jeans slightly above her ankle."He did?" He was flabbergasted.Gianna nodded as she looked at her mother briefly. "We were right about them. Kelly McCarthy sent him.""I knew it! This is great enough evidence to incriminate them.""No, it's not, Dad," Gianna defended. She didn't want to put Jerome into any form of trouble. He was a victim too. "I mean, it's just this one thing that they can easily worm their way out of. And we're not even sure of Jerome spilling out the same beans.""Hmmm," Mason reconsidered. "So what do you suggest?""Well, I suggest we let it off the hook until we have enough solid evidence, and by enough Dad, I mean like two, three, and why not four?""Honey, Gianna's right," Louisa shocked them. "I doubt they'll try anything with all the security measures we've taken otherwise, they
Tears galloped down Gianna's cheeks like vying racehorses. "Do me a favor." "Yeah?" "Go to hell!" Adam bellowed. Kelly scoffed, "I've lived there my entire life. And I'm not being metaphoric. Imagine what it will look like now that your father fired mine." "Let's leave this place," Adam stamped more bills than necessary on the table and addressed Kelly one last time, with a piercing whisper, "Think of me when next you ever seed the idea of hurting Gianna again, be it psychologically, physically, or through someone else. I'll do your head the favor of flying it through a basketball hoop, I promise. I left enough to order some for your fam, or you might as well feast on our leftovers." With that, he dislodged Gianna, who had been transfixed since Kelly's last speech, with a slight force and gently pulled her to his car. "You did not eat your food. I'll take you to Mackhie's." "I lost my appetite. Take me home instead." Honestly, she wanted to be left alone. But knowing Adam, he wo
What had come over her? What exactly?! To think she had gone as far as sneaking into her mother's purse for something she had and would have never dreamt of doing, even in her dead bed. Yes, that was the extent of the urgency. And luck being on her side, successfully procuring the phone number she'd been outlining meticulous strategies to obtain was like hitting a jackpot. It wasn't entirely a miracle that her mother still kept Sean's number. Yet, it was worth jubilating for. It took every atom of strength for Gianna to message him. So much so that, she'd even lost count of the number of times her phone's screen had blacked out as the constant results of her fingers idly hovering over the keyboard for too long. Every time she thought of a friendly way to approach him: to write him, the cruel past events he'd made her go through surfaced, churned her gut, changed her mind, and made her type a series of profanities and an application letter of abuses that will end up being deleted in
Reaching up close to Gianna, Sean snatched the tee from her hand and flung it on his shoulder, shamelessly and slowly eye-raking every constituent of her upper body. He found her even more flawless up close. So many things he failed to notice in his mission to make her life miserable; her latte skin was buttery smooth, her cocoa eyes were small, fierce, and yearning beneath a thick display of brows. Her small nose sat between long and short above the most mesmerizing pair of lips he'd seen and tasted. Tasted. That reminded him. They were the sweetest, most delicate pair he'd ever had. Soon enough, he found himself envying the one who tasted it often. Sean touched her injured arm with such tenderness that she would have thought him to be someone else if she had been deprived of sight. To Sean, no one had ever worn a scar so beautifully in his entire life. Regardless, nothing ever amplified his guilt and thirst for vengeance. Sean traced his fingers up to the scar on her forearm. "D
"Mmmm. Mmm. Mmm," Gianna struggled to speak."Rude! Bitch, I'm still talking.""Mmm. Mmmm," she persistently continued, her eyes turning glassy. "Mhmm. Mmm mmm."Exasperated, Sean ripped the tape off her mouth so harshly that it seemed like lip waxing. "Yes?"Gianna squeezed her eyes to absorb the pain before yelling, "Do with me whatever you want, but do not go anywhere close to my family!""I can't guarantee that. For all I know, I might want to kill you all," he chuckled. "When that time comes, do well to succumb.""I won't! You snoozed, you lost. Fuckin' deal with it." Gianna's mouth was sealed once again the next second. Nonetheless, her defiant eyes battled his. Sean remained silent for a while until he glanced at his crotch. If she proceeded in that light he feared his growth wouldn't go unnoticed. Thankful for her extreme lack of vigilance, he said, "Despise is a strong word, someone once told me. But what if this very word turns out to be the only tool this someone needs to s
"Where are you going at this time of the night?" Kelly asked. "Not worth your bother," Sean fastened his shoelace ready to dash into the night. "Go back to bed.""Okay, but when do we resume the way forward scheme? The book has been on hold for way too long don't you think? Plus, your departure is in a little less than four days.""You're smart enough to formulate an entire scheme on your own, Kelly. All I do is abide where possible.""Why 'where possible'? You're to abide by them all by all possible means. Unless—""Go to bed. I won't be long.""Oh my God, Sean, I hope you're not having second thoughts about this. I hope you're not getting emotionally distracted. You can't let—" He quietly shut the door behind him, threw his hood over his head, and walked in silence through silence with a cold little heart still heavy with guilt. Heavy with worry. Heavy with love. So much love.It sure was impossible for Sean to walk all the way to Sand Park reason why Ephraim and Draken patiently w