Total pages in book: 187
Estimated words: 174623 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 873(@200wpm)___ 698(@250wpm)___ 582(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 174623 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 873(@200wpm)___ 698(@250wpm)___ 582(@300wpm)
My father was violent even on the days she hadn't been drinking, but she could never understand that reasoning either.
"Go ahead and go back to your safe space," Slick urges.
As if controlled by her words, the memories of my mother fade. In my mind, it takes a plane ride, a train trip, and then a boat to get back to my island. My breathing slows as I mentally feel the warm sand under my bare feet.
I glance up at her once I'm inside the bunker.
"I wanted to stop before we got too far into those new memories," she explains.
"Can we have another session tomorrow?" I ask, wanting to get to the bottom of why I remembered her hitting me when it's not something I ever remember thinking back on.
She shakes her head. "Four days between sessions, remember? It takes a lot out of a person."
"I can handle it," I assure her.
"You can't be as successful if you don't space it out. I know you don't want to regress."
The warning is in what she's not saying. I want to get through this therapy shit as fast as possible, and moving backward would do nothing but irritate the shit out of me.
"I'll see you then," I tell her as I stand and leave her office.
Exhaustion swims in my bones, but I don't have the luxury of heading to my room and taking a nap.
Today is my first day at the women's shelter, and although it's not going to be a full shift, I need to focus on what matters, and it certainly isn't getting lost in memories that no longer matter.
"We're just waiting on Holler," Oracle says as I approach the small group right outside the clubhouse.
I nod, standing off to the side. Recon and Mischief seem to vibrate, as if this is going to be the most exciting day of their lives. I know it's their very first job with Cerberus, so I guess I can see why they seem to be looking forward to it.
"Hey there, handsome," Beth says as she walks down the front steps from the clubhouse, her eyes locked on her husband.
Without a care in the world or worry of what the men standing around may think, he wraps her up in his arms and holds her tight to his chest. I look away, giving them some privacy.
I've seen a lot of men worried about what other men would say if they showed too much affection toward their partner. They would pull away quickly, even if they hadn't seen them in months during a deployment.
The men and women of Cerberus love relentlessly, and I haven't seen a single couple yet who were afraid or even a little standoffish to show their partners that attention.
"Am I riding with you today?" she asks.
"Not today," Oracle answers. "You're riding with Kincaid and his crew. I have to talk to these guys like men."
Just as he mentions him, Kincaid walks out the front door with his wife Emmalyn, Shadow, and his wife Misty.
Oracle gives Beth one last squeeze and a kiss on the lips before she walks away and joins the other women at a black SUV.
"Holler is right behind us," Kincaid says. "I had him working on something for me. See you guys there."
"Be safe," Oracle urges.
"Always," Kincaid assures him before climbing into the passenger side of the SUV.
Less than a minute later, Holler clears the front door and rushes down the stairs. He doesn't make excuses for his tardiness or explain how he got held up, and I think I like that about the man. He doesn't assume there's an issue unless someone brings it up.
"We're over here," Oracle says, pointing toward another SUV.
We all follow Oracle, with Holler taking the passenger seat as if he's the designated second-in-command on this trip today, but it doesn't bother me.
There's too much pressure being the one in the passenger seat, and after my little trip down memory lane, I can't handle too much else.
I sit behind Oracle, letting Recon and Mischief decide who's going to end up in the third row.
"Everyone’s prepared?" Oracle asks, his eyes meeting all of ours in the rearview mirror before pulling away from the clubhouse.
"Yes," I say, adding to the echo around the vehicle.
He doesn't have to say the words for us to understand.
We're all armed, with our firearms hidden under our clothes. We have to be prepared for anything, but Cerberus also doesn't want to scare the women any more than our presence on the property may already.
"I know you all received and read the rules and policies for this assignment, but my wife is inside that house, so we're going to go over them again. Any questions? Don't be afraid to ask because saying ‘I didn't know them’ if shit hits the fan isn't going to cut it. Understood?"