Chapter 8

• “What?” I stopped. I couldn’t believe it. That meant my dad’s mind wasn’t the only one I read.
• Ash pulled me forward forcing me to walk. “After you eat and you get checked out, we’ll talk.”
• I wanted to talk about it right now, but I knew Ash wouldn’t say a word unless I did what he said. He was bossy and stubborn—not as stubborn as I was but close enough.
• * * * *
• “So what’s the verdict?” Ann stood by the door, far away from the smell of the raw meat. Maria sat across from me with Joe next to her.
• Billy and Dad had gone out. I asked Ash where they had disappeared to, but he wasn’t offering any explanations. That only meant they had either gone hunting for food or Sabrina.
• Ash brought another plate of peppered steak and replaced it with the empty one I had. I cut into it, relishing its bloody taste. Maria was getting used to all the strangeness in the house faster than Ann was. I thought it could be because Ann was out cold when the attack in New York happened. Either way, it was very difficult for her not to be in control of everything.
• “I’m not sure. You still have the bruise. I expected it to have healed by now, but the bump is rock solid and it’s gotten a few inches bigger since we left New York.”
• “What!” Ash’s booming voice startled me. It made me choke on the meat in my mouth. I coughed and drank some water to send it down.
• “I really don’t want to add choking to my long list of ailments.”
• Ash rubbed in circular motions on my back. “Sorry.”
• “I think her digestive system is trying to get used to the new changes. Maybe, if we feed her more cooked food than the not so cooked meat, it may smooth the transition? I doubt the pains will come again, in your stomach at least. Give it a couple of days, you’ll be okay.”
• “Oh goodie, which part of my body will be next?” I whined. Ash griped my shoulder and squeezed gently.
• “What about the fainting?” Ann still sounded upset from the argument earlier on. I knew she was worried and would stay that way until she was sure I would be fine.
• “Her whole body is still trying to adapt to the new agent in her system. She’ll be fine when everything inside her settles,” Joe responded cheerfully. I was hoping Ann would be reassured by his positivity, but I knew better than that. She wouldn’t believe it until she saw it for herself.
• “I’m so sorry. This is entirely my fault.” Ash spoke behind me. This was one thing I really didn’t want. I couldn’t stand it when he blamed himself for everything.
• I turned around on my stool to face him. He had his head down and his face looked sad and angry at the same time. “Hey, don’t blame yourself. It’s not going to change anything. All we can do now is deal with it, and Joe says I’ll be okay, so don’t fret.”
• He looked up angry, then after a few seconds his face relaxed. His lips were tight and his eyes reflected the anger he was controlling. Recently he was always mad at me, but I knew it was out of frustration because of my don’t care attitude.
• I wasn’t going to live my new life in constant fear. I’d spent the last thirteen years afraid to live and love because of the fear of losing someone else. I wasn’t going to let it rule over me anymore. Now that I have found love with Ash, and my dad was back in my life, I was going to live each day happy.
• “Why are you so complacent with everything that’s going on? I bring danger and pain into your life and you act like I bought you a pony!” Ash bit out.
• “You did buy me a diamond pendant, which I bet is worth a lot more than a pony.” I smiled at him, but he looked at me like he trying very hard to be patient with me. “One, you gave me back my dad, thank you. Two, my life is a lot more eventful. No offense girls, but it was getting kind of boring.”
• Ash growled. The anger he was holding was seeping through his pores. “Lee…” His voice was low and prickly.
• I smiled as I stared into his harsh eyes. He looked so cute when he was angry. “You didn’t let me finish. Three, I don’t like ponies, horses yes. And four you brought love into my life. I can finally say that I know what true love is.” His face softened, his gaze felt more loving and his lips curved into a crooked smile. All the anger had disappeared.
• He held my arms and lifted me up, bringing me up to his eye level. “Have I kissed you today?” His voice was soft and velvety.
• I could feel my heart beat faster. His sweet voice woke every nerve inside me. He pulled me closer to him and grazed his lips across mine. “Lee, did you hear me?” he whispered on my lips.
• I was frozen. I couldn’t even find the words to answer him. There was a whirl of emotions inside me, I was craving to taste him and do a lot more after that. It would be a great time since my dad wasn’t in the house, but Ash’s historic morals would certainly get in the way.
• He pulled back then held my waist. “Are you okay?” He sounded worried, the enticement gone from his voice.