Charity's Storm (Charity Series Book 4) (7 page)

             
The police quickly arrived, taking Jason Franco with them. Justice was served and my father’s killers were now all behind bars. Jason Franco would end up serving ten years for his crime, but I had still lost something irreplaceable—my dad—and now my mom. Just when I thought my mom was going to pick me over Frank, his heroic deed was enough to ensure his place in her heart—and whether intended or not, I would take a backseat, something I would learn to accept—with bitterness and heartbreak.

* * * * * *

The next day, during my last period health class, I was looking toward the chalkboard but not listening to the teacher’s words when Kevin Hayes did something I once longed for him to do. He turned around and spoke to me.

His voice was a whisper
, “I’m sorry about your dad, Charity.”

             
I was slightly surprised. He had never even acknowledged my existence before, and my dad had been gone for months.

             
I shrugged but didn’t respond.

After class, Kevin approached me as I was stuffing my book in my backpack. “Umm, Charity, I was wondering if you would like to go to the dance with me?”

I glanced up at him, suddenly feeling sick. “I’m sorry, Kevin, but I’m not interested. In fact, I’m not interested in guys—period. Make sure you spread the word.” And with that, I left the room without a backward glance or regret.

Ashle
y observed the conversation and ran down the hallway after me. “Why in the world would you turn Kevin down?” she asked, stopping me in the middle of the hallway. “You’ve been wanting to go out with him all year. Please tell me it’s because you weren’t thinking clearly and that you’re gonna go back there right now and tell him you changed your mind.”

I looked her directly in the eyes. “No, I’m not. For the first time in a long time I
am
thinking clearly. Men are jerks, and I don’t want anything to do with any of them. Not now, not ever.”

I started to walk off when she stopped me again. “Please tell me you’re joking.”

I narrowed my eyes, staring at her intently. “No, I’m not joking, Ash. I never want to have anything to do with any of them. Ever!”

She shook her head. “But what about love?”

I laughed mockingly. “Love? Love stinks!” And with that I left her standing there as my declaration to remain alone forever began to sink into the deepest parts of me, parts that no man would ever reach.

Until a miracle happened—Levi.

Charity Redeemed

Chapter Ten

“Until you,” I said, stroking Levi’s face in a gentle, sweet manner. “You saved me. You chipped away at the brick wall that had become my heart until finally it crumbled. Thank you.”

             
He took hold of my hand and kissed a trail along the inside of my palm and wrist. He gazed up intently into my eyes. “No, Charity, it was you that saved me. I thought I was going to have to pick a wife from Wesley’s pack, remember? I would have been miserable for the rest of my life if I hadn’t found you. My pack is awesome—because of you.”

             
I laughed. “I think you mean your pack is crazy because of me.”

             
He laughed too. “No, that’s Grandmammy you’re thinking of. And yes, you have added more beauty, color, and flavor to the bunch, but you have saved all of us. We wouldn’t have the faith we have and peace with the Windsor pack if it weren’t for you, and I wouldn’t have a relationship with my brother if it weren’t for you. Hector wouldn’t be a part of our family if it weren’t for you. And don’t forget that Raven would probably have found a way to destroy me if you hadn’t turned his heart toward us. You are truly an amazing woman, and I’ve never been more proud to be your husband than right this minute. Thank you for sharing the details of those painful memories with me. I don’t take it lightly.”

“Oh, puppy, thank you.” I hugged him tightly. “But I have something else to tell you, and I don’t think you’re gonna like it.” I felt him stiffen.

              He pulled back to study me. “What is it?”

             
I took a deep breath. “I think I need to go visit my dad’s killers in prison.”

             
He shook his head. “Oh no, Charity. I don’t think that’s a good idea at all.”

             
“Levi, I have to do it. Telling you the story alone has begun the healing process. I can feel it. Now I need to finish it. I need to forgive those men.”

             
Levi was still protesting when I took his face in my hands. “It’s what God would want me to do…to forgive them…to take back the power I have given them all these years. Will you go with me?”

             
“Oh, baby, of course I’ll go with you,” he said as he pulled me into his arms again. And so we would make plans to visit my dad’s killers—and I would have peace.

             
The next morning when I woke, it wasn’t morning at all but noon. Obviously, Levi let me sleep in and must have taken the boys to school by himself again. Well, I did need the sleep after that long, tough ordeal of spilling my guts to Levi. But as I sat on the side of the bed and stretched, I suddenly realized that I felt lighter, as if a heavy burden had been lifted from me, as of course it had. I smiled, said a prayer of gratitude, and went into the bathroom to freshen up. After washing my face and brushing my teeth, I pulled my dark locks up into at tight ponytail, applied my lip balm, and headed out the door.

             
The layout of the Drake house had always reminded me of a crab. The lobby was somewhat round with eight wings extending from it. Each wing was elegantly labeled. For example, the L Wing was where the library and laundry area were located, the A Wing was where the alpha’s office and living quarters were located, and the R Wing was the recreation area, and so on and so forth.

I took a turn down the D Wing and went into the dining hall to find Levi and the others. There was an air of excitement in the room as I curiously approached the table Levi was standing in front of.

“What’s up, puppy love?” I asked Levi, standing on my tiptoes and giving him a peck on the cheek. “Oh hey, Wesley,” I then said in surprise, just spotting the alpha of the Windsor pack sitting in front of me, along with some of the others of his pack.

             
“Hey, Charity. How you doin’?” he asked with a lazy grin.

             
“I’m good. How’s Hope? Is she feeling any better?” I had been concerned to hear that she was having serious morning sickness…going on three whole months now. This was a total change from her first pregnancy.

             
“I think she’s starting to come out of it. I’m so glad too. I don’t know how much more I can take. She’s driving me crazy, bossing me around all over the place. And she’s had me redecorate the nursery twice already!”

“Hence why you’re here?” My eyebrows rose, questioning.
Everyone knew he adored her, but we had also taken notice of his presence becoming more frequent.

He smirked. “Yeah. By the way, she told me to tell you to call her,” he said, jotting down a number on a napkin and handing it to me. “She has a new cell phone after she threw the last one in the toilet. Here’s the number.”

              I laughed to myself. Hope was a tough cookie, that was for sure, and a flaming redhead to boot. “I’ll call her later today,” I responded, folding the napkin meticulously and sticking it into the front pocket of my jeans. “So, what are you all doing here?”

I suddenly squealed as someone came up from behind me and poked me in the
back ribs. I spun to see the brilliant smile of my playful brother-in-law, Eli, Levi’s twin brother, and bane of my existence…sort of. The only way I could tell them apart was the streak of red he continued to regularly have dyed in his wavy brown locks. After the embarrassing mix up the last time, it was vital, on my part, to tell them apart. I think his wife, Destiny agreed.

             
“Hey, sis. Where you been hiding the last couple of days? Haven’t seen ya around much.”

             
I shrugged. “Oh, you know, the usual, boring stuff.”
Reliving painful memories that turned me from a sweet, innocent girl who liked boys to an angry, sarcastic girl who hated anyone of the opposite sex.
Until your pushy brother pestered me to death and I had to relent.
I smiled at my inner dialog.
Is it sad that I’m amused by my own thoughts?
“So what’s up with all you wookies in the same room?”

             
He laughed. “Oh, we’re gonna play a game of football in the clearing today. We’re just discussing what our prize will be when we win.”

             
I crossed my arms over my chest and challenged, “So certain are you? Well, what if you lose?” There was a taunting in my voice he was sure to recognize.

             
He laughed again; this time a full-bellied laugh that shook the entire room, though no one else seemed to notice. “Losing isn’t an option, Bell. We’re the Drake pack after all.”

             
I rolled my eyes. “How silly of me to forget,” I said under my breath. “And stop calling me Bell.” Though I knew it would never happen. He’d been calling me Bell since we first knew each other years ago, but it never stopped me from telling him to quit.

             
He leaned over and whispered in my ear. “Never.”

             
“Hey, stop pawin’ my woman,” Levi teased, pushing Eli aside and taking me into his strong arms and planting a seductive kiss on my lips.

             
“Yuck!” Eli barked, making the vomiting noises as he leaned over in mock sickness.

             
This only made Levi kiss me with more intensity, and I matched his kiss with equal fervor as our lips parted simultaneously and ushered the kiss deeper and deeper still. I was almost lost to all sanity when both packs starting making cackling mixed with howling sounds. We both rolled our eyes as we reluctantly broke our embrace.

Hector was the only one not joining in with the teasing. No matter what happened, he never crossed the line of disrespect for Levi.
I wish I could say the same for myself.
That’s just one of the many reasons I love that big guy. Of course, at seven feet tall, big is a slight understatement.

Levi took my hand and brought it up to his lips, kissing it gently and leaving a line of moisture where his lips had been.
I would’ve thought ‘yuck’ if he wasn’t so dang sexy. He’d been doing the kissing-the-hand thing more frequently lately, and it had me wondering what movie he’d recently watched to give him the idea, or perhaps he’d been watching Hector. Hector loved to kiss Tosha on the hand. He was a romantic at heart—our very own giant with a marshmallow center.

Levi planted another kiss to my lips and whispered, “Wanna play
Explorer
?”

I sighed. “Levi, it’s in the middle of the day. Can we pick this back up later?”

He wiggled his eyebrows, being silly. “You don’t want to be finifugal, do ya?” he asked, using my own new word against me.
See if I ever share new words with him again.
Before I could think of a good comeback, he scooped me up and over his shoulder as he took off in a sprint down the hall toward home.

Chapter Eleven

That evening at supper in the dining hall, the boys chowed down on Chef Barney’s famous chicken chili while Levi, Josh, Eli, and Joseph talked business. I tried to keep up with what they were talking about, but my mind seemed far away, and I just wasn’t interested.

“Hey, Annabelle. How are you?” My mom said as she took the seat next to me.

“Oh, hey Mom. I’m doing good. How are you and Doc today?”

“We’re fine, but I sense that you’re not. Wanna talk about it?”

She was always so good at sensing when things were off with me, although she didn’t often say anything. She usually just let me work it out on my own. I sighed heavily. “I told Levi about Dad. You know, the night he was killed. I’ve been thinking a lot about him lately. Do you ever think about him?”

She took hold of my hand and squeezed. “I think about him a lot actually. He was a great man. Losing him changed things for both of us, but I’m happy now…with Doc.” She turned and glanced at him sitting across the room from us, bandaging one of the toddler’s scrapes. I could tell in her gaze that she and Doc were very happy. He was a great man, and she deserved him…and vice-versa. It warmed my heart every time I saw her smile at him.