Page 28 of The Daredevil

Robbie complies like a dog and grips my arm, but I’m a lot taller and bigger than them. I punch Robbie in the face, kicking him in the gut. He rolls to the ground, whimpering.

Dominic jumps at me, and a battle erupts between us. We pound each other, and I twist his arm, hear a crack, smile, and throw more punches to his shoulders, neck, and face.

This is the last time he lays his hands on me, and I don’t give a shit if I go to prison.

Someone probably called the cops because I hear sirens approaching. Robbie winces and waves as the police car and ambulance arrive. I’m sure he’ll probably tell the cops that I started everything.

Dominic and I are both bloodied and bruised. The cops arrest me because Dominic’s family knows them.

Fucking asshole.

I can see that life isn’t fair, but I’m not standing still when some shithead thinks he can jump me and get away with it. I mind my business, but obviously, that doesn’t matter. I’ve ignored his taunts in school, mostly because I don’t want Aunt Klara getting calls from the school officials.

I try to stay out of trouble, but trouble finds me. That ends today.

From the way Dominic’s body lies limp on the stretcher, I hope he will remember the day when I beat the shit out of him and stay away from me.

I sat in jail for a night, and the police let me go the following day. I told the cops I had no parents and lived in a shelter, so they didn’t contact Aunt Klara. Lazy asses. If they had investigated, they would’ve known the truth. Regardless, I was glad they didn’t. Aunt Klara didn’t look for me that night because I was supposed to be at Grayson’s house.

“If you need to reach me, you know how,” Aunt Klara said. “I’ll send over my itinerary and where I’ll be staying.”

“Thanks.”

“Royce?”

“Yeah.”

“Don’t give up on love. It is the only thing worth fighting for. Love is priceless.”

My lips compressed. I didn’t want to make her sad. She was going on vacation, for heaven’s sake.

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

After the call ended, I sat in my office, letting her words sink in. My mind wandered back to Michelle, and I walked back to the window, staring toward her building again.

I didn’t believe in love, but I believed in desire and attraction. They were aspects of love, weren’t they? If I couldn’t have the real thing, I would ensure I got variations of it.

There was one woman who could offer me that.

On a whim, I sent her a text.

CHAPTERTWELVE

MICHELLE

My heart twirledas a message appeared on my phone a second after I had sent him a text.

Royce: Hey. What are you up to?

He was thinking of me. I couldn’t help the smile on my face nor the tiny seed of joy sprouting in my belly.

Pulling out the chair at my kitchen table, I sat down and replied to him.

Michelle: Being a good girl. Staying out of trouble.

Royce:Oh yeah? Define ‘good girl.’ I think my definition is different from yours.

I had no idea why I typed that message. There was no intention of sexual innuendo, but I could see how the conversation could do a one-eighty. My world seemed to shift whenever I had contact with him, whether it was physically or via text. This man stirred my body with all kinds of sensations.

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