picked up a carton of milk and napkin-wrapped silverware then sat
down like a robot.
Damn she missed Samara’s cooking.
“I swear I’m losing weight.” Makayla pushed the food away
and sighed. She looked around. The other girls had the same
hopeless expression on their faces.
She couldn’t eat. Not this food for one more night. And she
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sure as hell couldn’t stay here for a moment longer.
Makayla stood up and walked away from the table, leaving
her food where it was. She left the dining room and acted like she
was going back up to her room. Peeking over her shoulder,
seeing that no one was really paying attention to her, she dashed
to the back of the convent.
Right when she showed up she heard a few of the girls talking
about this place they would hide at in the boiler rooms. They
would drink and smoke. One even said there was a way outside
from there and Makayla was going to find it. She was getting the
fuck out of here!
Since everyone was eating she didn’t see or hear one person.
She went down to the basement, found the door that led to the
boiler room and headed down deep under the convent. It was hot,
but quiet down here. She also saw the buds of cigarettes from the
girls that snuck down here to smoke.
Deeper into the darkness she went, keeping her fingers on the
walls, her steps slow and quiet. She did stop when she heard the
bell go off over head. She could even hear feet over head running,
and her gut dropped. Fear hit causing Makayla to start running in
the darkness. Something told her that they knew she was gone
and were out looking for her.
Faint light showed itself at the far end. Makayla felt a small
sense of relief at seeing it, and had to swallow down her panic.
She was almost free, but they were looking for her. This wasn’t
the first time someone tried to run away. But that girl was found,
and she didn’t try to leave in the manner that Makayla was trying
either. That girl went out the front door and had been caught in
town. And no one ever said what happened to her after that.
Makayla stopped at the old rusty door which she knew without
a doubt led to the outside. She listened, both in the front and
behind her. She didn’t want to have to rush out and be caught, but
she also didn’t want to be discovered from behind.
Cracking the heavy door open, she peeked outside. Her
position was toward the rear of the convent, right next to the
woods. Now according to memory, they passed those woods
coming here, so the main road was to the left. That gave her a
plan. She could walk the road, and anyone that might be a
threat…well she could lose them in the woods and make her way
back home to Samara.
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Makayla slipped outside, kept herself pressed to the wall and
scooted out. Nuns were out looking for her as were the
groundskeepers.
Time felt like it was standing still. It also felt like it was taking
her forever to make her way to the woods. If she could get there,
then she could make her way to town and call Samara.
She made it about halfway only to stop when she heard a guy
yell her name and her sister’s.
Makayla stopped and stared at the man who was holding
papers in his hand and yelling at the head of the convent. He was
large, easily six foot, had golden brown hair and body language
that screamed power. But it also appeared that the power he
welded wasn’t getting him anywhere at the moment.
“I have the paper work!” he yelled. “I want Makayla Tabor
brought to me right now.”
The nun shook her head and backed away, closing the iron
gate in his face.
Makayla licked her lips and thought for a second about what
she should do. Should she flag him down or let him know? He
could be someone her father knows, but then he wouldn’t be here
without Ryland to get her. Ryland would make sure to collect her
himself if he was bringing her home.
I know him from some place.
He turned away from the gate in anger, and Makayla quickly
When he got into this car and started the engine it hit her.
The grocery store!
Makayla ran for him. She waved her hands in the air and even
yelled at him. For one second she thought he was going to leave
but then he shocked her by stopping, parking, and getting out of
the car. As she ran for him, the ones looking for her ran after her.
The man got back in the car, and the hope of her getting away
left. She screamed, for him to stop, and then he surprised her. He
floored the car, turned it and came right toward her.
Skidding to a stop, the passenger side door opened and he
leaned over. “Get in!”
He didn’t have to tell her twice.
Before she had the chance to fasten her seatbelt, he was
spinning the tires, taking off as fast as the sports car would take
them. She worked at catching her breath and looked behind her.
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With the convent getting further and further behind her she could
relax now.
“Okay who the hell are you?” she snapped, staying sideways
in the seat. “And what the fuck is going on?”
“Hey, watch your language,” he snapped back. “You’re only
sixteen.”
“What? You think you’re my father? I don’t think so.” She
crossed her arms over her chest. “I’m waiting?”
He looked at her quickly with a frown. His attention went back
and forth between her and the road. “You related to Kera Noved
by chance?” She shook her head. “Sure as hell act like you do.”
She started to look around, opening the glove compartment.
“What are you looking for?”
“A phone.”
“For?”
“I need to call my sister.”
“Samara’s fine.” Makayla stopped searching and looked at
him. “Worried about you, but fine.”
“Okay what the hell is going on?” She raised her voice this
time.
He took a deep breath, “My name is Dane Knight. I’m your
sister’s husband and—”
“Wait a damned second.” She held her hand up, stopping him.
“Her husband. When’d that shit happen?”
“I told you to watch your language.”
“I don’t give a damn what you told me.”
The car skidded to a stop in the middle of the road. He parked
and turned in his seat, a finger pointed in her face. “Okay, first off,
work on that mouth of yours. Second, we were married the night
you were sent away. I requested her to be sent to the Compound.”
Makayla snickered, “I bet that so pissed Ryland off.”
Dane turned his head and growled.
She quickly held up her hand. �
�I’m sorry. I’ll work on the
cussing if that will please you, but only if I can see Samara.” She
pointed her finger back at him.
“Where’d you think I was taking you?” He gave her a wink, put
the car back in gear and spun off.
Makayla waited a few before speaking again. “So how did
Ryland take it?” He looked at her quickly. “He doesn’t like to give
up control for sh—nothing.” An eye brow went up when she
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almost swore again.
“I don’t know how he took the news. I wasn’t there when he
was told.”
She laughed. She couldn’t help herself. “Oh, man, I wish I was
there when they came and took her away. That old bastard
deserved it.” He cleared his throat. “Hey he did! You have no idea
what he put us through. What he put Samara through.”
“Yes, I do.” The detachment spoke volumes.
“She told you?” He nodded. “Wow. Have to say didn’t think
she’d tell anyone about that. Hell, I only found out by accident and
boy that wasn’t a fun night.” Makayla looked out the window, the
memory of that night still bothering her. The shame on her face
was enough to have her shivering again at the memory. “So
what’s the game plan?”
“At the moment the only plan I had was to get you out. Didn’t
plan on busting you out.”
“Well, I’m glad you showed up.” She sat back in the leather
seat and sighed. “Can I ask for one thing though?”
“Sure.”
“Can we stop somewhere and get me a big fat hamburger?
That shit they served me in that hell hole could starve the children
in Ethiopia.”
“What did I just say about the swearing?”
“Give me a break here!”
“Do you talk like this around Samara? I swear I think I’d
remember if she said something about a mouth on you.”
“No, I don’t talk like this around Samara,” she huffed. “I rarely
talk around Samara. And she kept me in my room away from
Ryland. Can I please have something to eat? I’m starving.”
“Fine.”
He turned, headed right for town and pulled into an old
fashion drive in diner. Dane ordered and waited. She tapped her
fingers on the side of the door, looking around.
“You don’t have anything I could change into, do you?” she
finally asked. The silence was driving her nuts.
“No.”
“Shit,” she mumbled.
“What’d you say?”
“Nothing.” Again she crossed her arms over her chest. “Are
you going to be this anal all the time? I mean, it’s sort of a drag.”
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The food came, Dane paid for it and Makayla went to work on
it. The first bite of the juicy burger and she was moaning in
pleasure.
* * * *
Dane watched the young girl eat her lunch like it was the last
meal she was ever going to have. Hell, she gave Kera a run for
the money when it came to lobster.
She finished the burger in what he was pretty sure was record
time, and went to work at the fries. The soda was last. He shook
his head when she belched, took the trash and tossed it out the
window.
He pulled out of the diner and got back on the road, heading
for home. Lucky that the convent was only an hour away. He
didn’t want to leave Samara alone for too long. Dane was pretty
sure the convent was going to call Ryland and let him know that
his daughter was missing and that someone showed up claiming
to have papers to take her out.
Makayla fell asleep in her seat. From the looks of things he
would bet she wasn’t sleeping like she needed to or eating. From
the stories Kera had told him about the Compound he could only
imagine what food was like at that convent.
So this what a little sister feels like. Wow! She was a handful.
And a knock out. And only sixteen! He could understand now why
Aundre Esopo wanted to get his hands on the girl. She was petite,
built so small that those men would have no trouble with breaking
her. Long eyelashes, heart shape face, pouty lips and long black
hair.
Yep, Makayla Tabor was a knockout and the first
motherfucker who came to get her was going to have to answer to
him. No doubt about it. This girl was not going to the Compound.
He’d ship her to another school out of this town if he had to. When
the time came for her to marry she could do it on her own, not
have the choice taken out of her hands.
I sound like a damn father!
Dane just couldn’t get over the change in him. Not only was
he falling for his wife—correction, he was in love with her. No
mistaking the feelings he had for Samara. He loved her. Plain and
simple. And it all made sense to him also—how Devon fell so hard
and so fast for Kera.
When one found that perfect girl there just was no mistaking
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the instant attraction. Dane thought about it and decided he’d
fallen for Samara that first time he saw her crossing the street
before him. He knew he had to have her. Knew she was what was
missing in his life.
It was dark by the time he reached the drive to his home. He
nudged Makayla, waking her. “We’re here.”
She slowly straightened up in her seat and rubbed the sleep
from her face. Lights were on in every room of the house,
illuminating the place, breaking the darkness.
He pulled right into the garage, parked and shut everything
off. Makayla got out first stretched and smiled at him.
“Man I can’t wait to see her. Feels like a lifetime ago,” she
said.
“You know, you’re not as I pictured you to be.”
“I’ve changed,” she shrugged. “Think the day Ryland sent me
away, the little girl Samara knew left also. I couldn’t keep crying
myself to sleep each night. The self pity got me nowhere in that
place.”
“So, the little girl grew up quickly.” He shook his head. “That’s
a pity all itself.”
“Huh?”
“Don’t grow up too fast, Makayla. The world isn’t ready for it
quite yet. Come on.”
He led her inside and was a bit surprised at how quiet
everything was. Makayla followed him through the laundry room,
past his office and up the stairs which would take him right into the
kitchen.
“Hello, Dane.” A gun cocked, pressed right up to the side of
his head the second he walked through the door. “We’ve been
waiting for you.”
Dane stood completely still. He stiffened, looked forward and
didn’t move a muscle when someone yanked Makayla away from
him.
“Get your hands off of me!” Makayla yelled.
“Makayla!” Samara rushed into the room, shrugging off the
hand that had her arm. Dane watched the sisters embra
ce.
“Dane Knight,” Cameron Noved strolled into the kitchen like
he owned the place with a cold, malicious smile on his face. In the
couple of years he’d been gone not much had changed on the
man. “Long time no see.” He looked around the room. “Impressive
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home. Much better than Devon’s I have to say.”
“What the hell do you want, Cameron?” Dane tried to keep his
voice even and his anger under control. Thankfully the gun
pointed at his head helped with the anger part.
“I think you know what I want.” Cameron yanked Makayla
from Samara’s arms. The girls cried out. He wrapped his arm
around Makayla’s throat, holding her close. “This little thing is
expected. Big party waiting for you,” he said in her ear, rubbing his
face into her hair.
Makayla started to cry softly. It was strange watching her act
like a frightened girl when a few hours ago she was so tough. Of
course her age had a lot to do with it. She was only sixteen—the
age between childhood and adulthood.
Cameron pressed his face into the back of her hair and
sniffed, “She smells fresh, Dane.”
Dane glanced at Samara. She was holding her mouth with
both hands, tears smeared her face. Got he wanted to go to her,
wrap his arms around her and let her know that everything was
going to be alright.
But he couldn’t, and at the moment things didn’t look alright to
him.
“Devon will kill you for this,” Dane said.
Cameron laughed. “He has to find me first. Say good-bye
sweet thing. You have a very important appointment for which you
can’t be late.”
“Cameron…” Dane warned him and took only one step closer.
The man with the gun pressed harder against his head.
“I would love to stay and chat, Dane, I really would.” Cameron
smiled. “But I have things to do and a boss who doesn’t like to
wait. But don’t worry. I’ll make sure you have something brought
back to you.” He hugged Makayla tightly, his hand flat on her
belly, moving up towards her breasts. “But it won’t be this sweet
peace of ass,” he finished with a laugh.
Dane made to move towards him and was greeted with a hard
hit to the side of his head. Pain ricocheted in his head, dropping
him to the floor. A few kicks to his gut knocked the air right out of
his lungs, and Samara screamed.