Total pages in book: 215
Estimated words: 217988 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1090(@200wpm)___ 872(@250wpm)___ 727(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 217988 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1090(@200wpm)___ 872(@250wpm)___ 727(@300wpm)
“Oh my God!”
“It’s just a balloon!” the man said. “Nothing scary.”
“Why didn’t you warn me?” she cried.
“Sorry. I forgot.” He wiped his handkerchief across his forehead. “You’re scared of balloons too?”
“Don’t be stupid. Why would I be scared of balloons?”
This guy was definitely strange.
“Ah. Right. Well, here it is! Your check! And a stuffed toy.”
She peered down at the check
That . . . couldn’t be right.
Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath and then looked again.
“Two million dollars?” she said in a quiet voice.
“Yep. Congratulations! You won two million dollars!”
“Dude. Do you want to say that a bit louder?” she said in a harsh whisper. “You can’t say shit like that in this neighborhood.”
The man frowned, glancing around. “Why do you live here?”
“Uh, maybe because I don’t have any money.” It wasn’t a choice. Nobody would choose to live in this rundown apartment building that bordered two of the city’s worst areas.
“Well, you do now! Here is your check. And your stuffed fox.”
“A fox? Why would there be a fox?”
“Got to go. Don’t worry, I’ll take the box.” He picked it up, pulled out a small stuffed fox and handed both the toy and the check to her. She took hold of them in her free hand.
This was . . . bizarre.
And considering her life lately, that was definitely saying something.
“Well, goodbye, little lady. Have fun spending that money. Maybe get yourself a place in a better area. With security.”
“Wait!” she said as he walked past. “What’s your name?”
He turned, giving a slight bow. “Ken Jones, ma’am. Enjoy!”
This was so strange.
Could it even be real? It couldn’t be, right? She glanced down at the check, looking it over.
There was an image of a fox in the corner with For Fox Sake written underneath.
Had she really won two million dollars?
If she had, this money was going to be a Godsend. She wouldn’t have to stress about paying the rent or feel pressured into going back to work.
She turned her attention to the toy fox, pulling him tight against her. There was a little card around his neck.
Hug me when you need to feel safe.
Okay, it seemed like someone was reading her mind today.
Ken Jones.
She’d never heard of him before and guessed she’d never see him again. But he’d just been added to her hero list.
2
He scrolled through the dark web, looking for information. Nothing. Irritation filled him.
Who the fuck was Mr. X? He was going to find him. He couldn’t hide forever.
The Fox was like Sherlock Holmes, solving a mystery.
Except way better looking. And much, much smarter.
Plus, he was the best assassin in the world.
He really should get a plaque saying that.
Of course, now he only took out the bad guys. He was becoming a damn hero.
Who’d have thought?
He scrolled through his phone, looking for other articles about Senior.
A noise had him freezing. He turned his phone off and slipped it into his pocket.
“No! No, get away from me!”
Fury filled him. Followed by a wave of protectiveness that was just bizarre.
But she kept drawing him back like a moth to a flame.
He slid himself out from underneath her bed.
Yes, he liked to lie under her bed while she slept. There was nothing weird about that. Standing, he loomed over her.
The first few times she’d had a nightmare while he’d been in her room, he’d had no idea what to do. Looking after others wasn’t something he was familiar with.
So, he’d just stood there like a dummy. But eventually, it had become impossible to just watch her suffer.
Crouching next to the bed, he lightly touched her arm.
“Shh, baby girl. You’re safe. I’m here. I’m going to keep you safe.”
She kept thrashing back and forth, lost in the nightmare of what the senator had put her through. His jaw tightened. He kept telling himself to stay away from her. But he was like a moth to a flame. She just kept pulling him back.
She’d tried to sacrifice herself to save him. Ridiculous, of course. He had skills she couldn’t even dream of. There was no way the senator and his dumb guards would have ever harmed him.
Several times, he’d toyed with the idea of kidnapping her. She was a Little. She needed protection. But he was also aware of how recently she’d been kidnapped. Probably, that wasn’t something she wanted to experience again. Even though he would treat her far better than the senator did.
But for some reason, he didn’t want her to look at him with horror or fear. So he was going to do what he could to make sure she was healthy and safe.
She’d moved into this house and out of that awful apartment. He’d hated that she’d lived in such a shitty place.
See what a good guy he was? He needed a prize.
Really, he was vastly underestimated as the hero of this story.