[Forbidden book 02] Forbidden Rapture (19 page)

liked to point out ‘ripe for the picking’. Once Blaine discovered

what his friend was up to, he cut all ties. That pissed his father off

mostly because Owen was from a good family and would do

Blaine good to be a close friend with him instead of the ones he

had back home. He never knew what happened to the girl or her

mother. Only heard rumors that she left in the middle of the night

with her daughter and the stories of her being paid to leave by

Owen’s father flew through the school.

“Can I get you anything, Sir?” Randal asked from the

doorway.

“No, thank you, Randal,” Blaine answered him

“Your luggage is ready and the car out front waiting for you.”

Blaine fisted the photo in his hand as he rolled the cigar in his

mouth. He tossed the photo right into the fire, watching it burn. As

far as he was concerned his past was just that—the past, and

Owen nothing more than a punk who needed to be stopped.

Turning away from the fire, Blaine walked out of the study and

met his butler at the front door. “Randal, I have a job for you.”

“Sir?”

“I need you to look into something for me. A mother and

daughter with the last name of Kabrey. I want to know what

happened to them, where they’re at, everything. And I also need

you to get me everything you can find on Owen Paterio.”

“Yes Sir.”

“Thank you.”

“Have a good trip, Sir.”

Blaine nodded, walked out into the night, got into the back

seat of the car. He drove off but his mind was not on the business

meeting that was coming up. No, his mind thought about his

school days and the girl that Owen wanted. She was the only one

he ever wanted and the one he never got. But for the life of him,

he couldn’t recall her name, or a face for that matter.

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* * * *

was left of his home. It had burnt to the ground. Everything he

owned, worked for, gone. Some of the timbers still stood, nothing

more.

“We can rebuild,” Samara came up behind him, wrapped her

arms around his waist and rested her chin on his back. He

nodded. “I wish I knew what to say, Dane.”

“Hey, it looks like your car made it!” Makayla called out.

Dane turned his head. Makayla stood at what use to be the

garage and sure enough there stood his car. It had some fire

damage but not much.

“Come on, staying at Blaine’s place won’t be so bad,” Samara

said.

“It’s not that,” he sighed. “This was the first thing ever to be

mine. I worked my ass off behind my grandmother’s back to build

this place and now it’s gone.”

Makayla walked up to them, brushing her hands over a pair of

second hand jeans. None of them had clothes when they left the

hospital, so the staff found them something to wear. By the time

Kera came with new things they were already dressed and ready

to get the hell out. Then Blaine called to tell them all he was out of

town once more and if Dane wanted to stay at the house until he

could figure out what he was going to do about this place he was

more than welcomed.

The crunching of gravel and Dane, in Samara’s arms, turned

to see a limo enter his drive. He frowned. It was strange to see the

limo, since the last time he spoke to its owner they left on very

bad terms.

It stopped; the driver got out and opened the back door. With

Samara on his left and Makayla on his right, Dane watched his

grandmother get out of her limo and walk up to him, head held up.

Berdina Knight dressed like she always did in her best when

she went out. A dark gray designer suit, black pumps, hair pulled

back into a bun and her blue eyes crisp and sharp as if she was

still in her early twenties or thirties. She walked up to Dane,

standing face to face with him.

“I just heard about everything,” she said. Those sharp eyes of

hers softened. “I’m sorry. You shouldn’t have had to fight this

battle alone. I’m a stupid old woman, set in her ways, use to

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running things the way they need to be ran. I’m asking you to

come home.” She looked then at
Samara. “All of you.”

Dane thought the Earth had to have stopped. Never in his life

did he think he’d hear his grandmother say the things she just said

now.

“I don’t understand,” he said.

She turned back to him. “Any man that would risk his life for a

woman must love her dearly. I see that now, Dane. And as much

as I might’ve been raised to keep classes in their proper order I

can see now with wiser eyes that change needs to come. Your

grandfather showed me that once. He might’ve had money, but as

far as my father was concerned we were from different worlds.

And to keep this story short, he accepted it, and I’m going to

accept this. And I ask you to come home. Please.”

Dane opened his mouth to tell his grandmother ‘no’, that what

was said couldn’t be undone, but Samara stepped forward and

spoke up first.

“You know, Berdina, I think we all could use a fresh start.” She

smiled first at her then at Dane, and then took his grandmother’s

hand. “And we will be very grateful to you for taking us into your

home.”

Berdina’s face seemed to lighten up and tears came into her

eyes. Tears Dane never thought he’d ever see. Hell, he didn’t

think she knew how to cry.

Dane also knew when he was out numbered. His wife seemed

to be able to bend his grandmother in a way he never thought

possible. “Okay, Grandmother,” he nodded. “We’ll come back to

live with you, but only under one condition.” He held up his finger.

“Anything.”

“That you understand that the only woman I answer to now, is

Samara.” He smiled.

Berdina chuckled, “Oh, I think I can live with that.”

“Now meet my sister,” Samara said, tugging his grandmother

over to where Makayla stood. “Makayla, this is Berdina.”

“Oh, isn’t she lovely.” Berdina’s voice even sounded bright.

Dane shook his head, watching as the three women began

talking. It started first with shopping for clothing that they lost, then

school for Makayla then on to the house and a few changes his

grandmother wanted to make but was unable to handle anymore.

The change in her alone shocked him all the way down to his

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boots.

When they all finally made it home, after a very large

shopping trip, his grandmother handed over the reins to the

kitchen to Samara. She then took Makayla upstairs to a room and

spent what was left in there talking about redecorating it. All Dane

could seem to do was stand around, watching the change with an

open mouth. He never thought he’d see it.

After supper, they all went into the family room. Makayla and

his grandmother chatted away about school, which college would

be the best, all the girl things. Watching them getting along so

well, Dane didn’t have the heart to tell her that her father sold her

to the Compound and that he couldn’t find a way out of it. The

only thing he could think of was to keep her out of town as much

as possible, and with the lingering thought that Darius might want

her also, well, it made keeping her away that much easier.

“You’re too quiet.” Samara snuck up behind him, wrapping her

arms around his waist. “What’s got you so deep in thought?”

“I can’t save her,” he sighed. “If she stays here they will take

her to the Compound and she will be married off.”

“Maybe she’ll get lucky and find someone as great as what I

did.” She slid around to his front, a big smile on her face. “I’m very

lucky to have someone like you in my life, Dane.”

“No, I’m the lucky one.” He hung his arms over her shoulders,

making sure to not press on her back. “You’ve changed

everything in my life—made it so much better. You have no idea.”

He kissed her lightly.

“Why do I get this strange feeling though that you know more

about what’s going to happen to Makayla than what you’re letting

on?”

Dane sighed. “Because I think I do.” He didn’t get to finish.

Makayla turned the television on and there on the news was the

arrest of the people involved in the kidnapping of not only Samara

and Makayla but others as well.

“Police officials have located Cameron Noved along with

Aundre Esopo, who is suspected of not only kidnapping but

underage prostitution and selling of young girls. Cameron Noved

had escaped from prison months ago. Last year he had been

convicted of kidnapping and selling young girls over the border to

men and to brothel houses. Esopo is charged with a list of things,

including kidnapping and trafficking of underage girls. Other

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charges have been filed as well.”

“Karma is a bitch,” Makayla started.

“Young lady!” Berdina gasped.

“What’d I tell you about that mouth of yours?” Dane snapped

also.

“Well she does have a point,” Samara agreed. “Karma sure is

a bitch.”

Out of the blue, Berdina began to laugh. Dane never saw

anything like it and could only stand there in awe over the scene.

“Oh, I got this strange feeling that my sister is going to be very

good for your grandmother,” Samara chuckled.

“This is just way too strange.” Dane shook his head.

“Well, why don’t we use the distraction to our advantage?”

She lowered her voice, pushing at his chest, making him back out

of the room. “I have this hunger that I just
have
to take care of.”

Dane saw the twinkle in her eye. “You can have anything you

want.”

“Good, let’s go upstairs where you can love me properly. I’m

dying to try out this position Kera told me about. Sixty-nine I

believe it’s called?” She backed away from him, turned and ran

towards the stairs.

Dane growled and went after her, tugging at his shirt as he

ran. He chased her right into their room, closed and locked the

door behind him.

“I love you, Dane,” she huffed, taking her clothes off.

“And I’m about to show you just how much I love you, Samara

Knight.”

She smiled, stripped down to nothing before him. “Can hardly

wait.”

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