Total pages in book: 80
Estimated words: 78466 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 392(@200wpm)___ 314(@250wpm)___ 262(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 78466 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 392(@200wpm)___ 314(@250wpm)___ 262(@300wpm)
When the guy grabbed hold of the front of Kola’s T-shirt, I scrambled to stand up, spitting out blood as it filled my mouth, wobbled on my feet, bracing myself on the hood of the Prius, and told him to get his hands off my son.
“Well then, maybe he should learn some goddamn manners!”
“Like don’t touch people without permission, right?” Hannah announced before she kicked him in the face, sending him back into the middle of the road on his ass. She then took position in front of me, in her best defensive stance, and I was reminded, again, that she was a black belt, had been for a while, and was now working on the degrees after that.
Another man went to help the fallen one up, and then he turned to face Hannah and all the other kids, who’d made a phalanx around me. Kola was in front, arms crossed, looking so much like Sam that I couldn’t speak around the lump in my throat.
“Leave my father alone,” he warned the guy as he told Jake to call the police over his shoulder.
“I am the police,” the helpful man said, smiling at the kids.
“If that’s true, then you should have protected us,” he said, his voice deeper than I’d realized. “And not let him hit my father.” After a beat he added, “What’s your badge number?”
That changed things. “Listen, you little shit,” he snarled at Kola, drilling his finger into his collarbone.
“Don’t touch him!” I yelled, pushing between the kids to reach my son, stepping in front of him, shielding him. “Don’t you dare!”
“Are you threatening me?” he barked.
“Just walk away,” I stressed.
He grabbed my arm, wrenched it up behind me so I was spun around facing Kola as he breathed against my ear. “I’m taking you in for assault.”
There was a crowd now, people with their phones lifted taking footage.
“And that girl who kicked my buddy is going as well.”
He had to, I knew. It had spiraled, and there was no going back without him losing face.
“The fuck is going on?”
I knew that voice as well as my own.
“Daddy!” Hannah squeaked out, and I could tell then that she’d been scared, because there was such relief when she called out to him.
“You better get your goddamn hands off my husband before I drop your ass right here,” Sam Kage roared as he emerged from the crowd and charged over to me.
People always thought Sam was big in a suit and tie, but really, in a T-shirt and worn jeans where all you saw was all the hard, heavy muscle, he looked massive.
I felt the jolt of fear go through the man holding me, and he let me go and stepped back, reaching behind, I was certain, for his gun.
“Sam!” I cried, scared for him as he put a hand around the side of my neck and drew me up against his big hard body.
“You pull a weapon,” Sam said flatly, easing his badge from his back pocket and flipping it open so the guy could see the star, “and you’re fuckin’ done.”
All the men looked at the badge, the cop, his buddy, and the others, and the sound was at once a low groan of defeat from them and jubilant clapping from the crowd. And for once, my husband didn’t seem to care that he was on video being larger than life. He lifted my chin, checked me over, and then gave me a squeeze as he got on his cell phone. When the police showed minutes later, Jake having called along with, I was sure, countless others, Sam lifted a hand. They did exactly as he directed, took the guy who’d hit me away, and IAD, who Sam had called, showed up to take Officer Burges into custody. Sam went into the crowd and got names and numbers of people who promised to send him their footage. I watched people cluster around him, touch him, smile, nod, and I sighed as Hannah stood beside him, under his arm.
“They’re the same,” Kola told me, his arm around me. “Both of them are superheroes.”
I turned to my son. “So are you, buddy.”
He grunted and turned and kissed my cheek, and it was funny that now he was ducking to do it, the growth spurt a real and frightening thing.
“I don’t need a cape,” he assured me. “Just so I can keep my people safe.”
I sighed as Harper and Jake took their usual spots, flanking him.
“Your holidays are epic, Mr. Harcourt,” Jake assured me. “I can’t wait for Labor Day.”
I snorted as Sam returned, eased me close, and informed me that we were going to the hospital. All in all he’d been gone from my side for only five minutes or so.
“No,” I protested. “The kids.”
But he would not be deterred. I did feel better when I saw Duncan walking toward us through the crowd. He was taking the kids on the yacht where Aaron was, and they were all thrilled. They’d bring them home as soon as Sam called and let them know we were there.