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Chapter 1
Leaning against the brick side of the building across the alley froht had beco habit that should bother him but didn’t The last person he had been so fixated on keeping safe was his iven how he’d failed her, was it any wonder he had appointed himself Hope Wallace’s personal protector? He’d experienced lust at first sight before; what thirty-eight-year-old limpse of a woman and felt his cock stir in iripped him the moment he’d set eyes on Hope’s bruised face and saw the deterlint in her vivid blue eyes to protect one of the shelter’s guests she’d befriended, had been a new emotion for him, one that had stripped his control That bothered him He couldn’t afford to lose the hard-earned self-discipline he’d spent years striving to master Every time he’d seen her since, he’d felt the need to donored hiet to know her and, more importantly, to ensure no harm came to her The first was a new experience for him, the second came naturally now
The light shining from the top floorof the two-story, renovated old department store finally went out and Miles pictured Hope tucked safe and sound in her bed He’d made it his personal responsibility to see she stayed that way, and that meant from him also, and his needs that were better suited to be met by women ere submissive to strict, dominant, sexual control He’d only been inside the shelter one tiym and loft apartment were in a similar structure two blocks away While he couldn’t say for certain Hope resided on the upper floor, the saood assuiven the layout of the shelter depicted in pictures along the wall in the entry reception area
Pushing away from the wall, Miles strode toward the alley entrance This area of don Miaht, but his experience in running with a gang when he’d been an angry teenager had taught hi their dirty deeds around The taxing summer camp for juvenile delinquents he’d spent three iven him a start on the attitude adjustotten the life lessons he’d learned both before and after that summer
As he neared the seedier part of don and peered down another alley, he huffed out an exasperated sigh It looked as if he would be putting those life lessons to work again tonight The adolescent handing over cash to the rough-looking older kid couldn’t be more than twelve, if that The two stood with their backs to him as he ht of Miles first, and before he could get hold of the punk, he took off without looking back
“Hey! Let go, ot my money!”
Holding the kid up by his collar, Miles added a slight shake to his skinny frame with his admonishment “Pipe down or I’ll call the cops” That threat see and the whites of his wide eyes showed he feared the police more than him
“Don’t do that Let go I won’t do nothin’, pro look, one that tightened Miles’ gut The fear on his face wasn’t of hi his skinny arms weren’t caused by the dealer He’d bet his last dime on it
“Who are you picking up drugs for? And don’t givebut the truth” Miles set him on his feet but didn’t relinquish his hold
“How’d you… I ain’t sayin’ nothin’” The mutinous set to his mouth would’ve been
“Okay Let’s try this Who gave you these?” He ran a light finger over the arht turning the bruises a sickly shade of yellow “Your dad, uncle? Maybe one of yourboth his s it was supposed to buy had taken a back seat to self-preservation Since he remained stubbornly mute, he’d left Miles with no choice
Reaching into his back pocket with his free hand, he’d already hit Detective Jake Sanders’ private nuster saas out of options “Sorry, kid I’ his pleas and watery eyes, Miles spoke with his friend orked with juveniles and got an ETA of tenhis phone off, he returned it to his pocket and hustled the pre-teen out to the street “Want to tellthe answer
“Fuck, no”
“Tsk, tsk, such language What would your erence on the kid’s face, a look Miles could commiserate with He hadn’t been much older when he’d lost his mother As Jake pulled up to the curb, Miles reached into another pocket and handed the kid his card “Detective Sanders is a good guy He can help you, if you let him That’s my number If you want a better life than where you’re headed, you call me, or tell Detective Sanders you want to talk to me Don’t blow this chance It may be your one and only”
Jake sent Miles a rueful look as he opened the passenger door and pointed for the kid to get in “Don’t you ever sleep?”