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He was on his knees in front of me with his arms wrapped around me in the next heartbeat and finally I letto be able to get to h him first
My forehead hit his throat andharsh breaths into the side of ry, swollen skin at my throat I tried to tell hi but a scratchy squeak caainst me and I felt his hands ball into fists at my back His head lifted and looked over to wherein the hold of the other two young ly saved ot two nize the voice, but when I looked up at the asped and did a double take He looked just like Wheeler, only older, with salt-and-pepper hair and darker skin that was sun-weathered and set with attractive lines around his eyes
"Two h they were cracked and onna let Zak hold on to you for a e washis eyes electric and his freckles pop on his cheeks I kneouldn’t let o if I asked him not to, but the wild inside of hio The wolf that prowled around inside of him wanted to protect its mate and I needed to let it
"He’s not worth it, Wheeler" I let the older man help ave out The words were nothing more than a puff of air that sounded like sandpaper and smoke My throat felt like it was on fire
"No, but you are" Wheeler’s words were barked out as he took striding, stalking steps toherehis approach with trepidation clear on his face Wheeler jerked his chin at the other ht me into this world and had done his best to take o"
They complied immediately and took a few steps to the side so that there was no way they would get caught in the torrent of pure, unadulterated fury that was pouring off Wheeler in waves
A ically appear to the back of ood, didn’t he, sweetheart?" The stranger with Wheeler’s eyes gave me a little squeeze and I closed my eyes as I heard Wheeler tell et anywhere near the woly body was inacross er who felt like I had known hi I needed the co flesh suddenly filled the air around me
I wanted to tell Wheeler that h because I was still here, still standing and willing to fight He had never been good enough to take ht my way back The words rattled around my head but they couldn’t find their way out of my battered throat
I heard a screa for the mercy he had refused to showand histles as the witnesses to this entire ordeal happily encouraged Wheeler to takewith ease if the horrific sounds that were hitting ood with his hands It’s good you gave this ave me a squeeze and Happy barked up happily at him as he reached out to rub the puppy’s head between his ears "It’s gonna eat at him that he wasn’t here when your old , to prove he can take care of you, he needs that We like to think we’ll be able to take on anything, tackle anyone that threatens e love The truth is we can’t always be there, but ill always protect e love" He swore as blood started to seep through the towel he was holding in a cri tiet to show him why you don’t put your hands on women, why you don’t put your hands on anyone that doesn’t want theht I didn’t think there was any way to end violence withto make my dad any kinder or more tolerant But Wheeler obviously had a point to le bone in my father’s hands In those two ain also earned himself a broken jaw, knocked-out teeth, twin black eyes, split and broken lips, a dislocated shoulder, a sprained ankle from where he fell when he tried to run away, and a plethora of other bruises and scrapes he collected while trying to get away froeful boyfriend
The sirens were suddenly upon us and I was enveloped in a swarm of police and paramedic uniforms Someone shouted and pulled Wheeler off my dad and I cried out when Happy was pulled fro ambulance The older man that called himself Zak took hold of the puppy and prouy Out of the corner ofwith a police officer and I was all set to push away froash on the back of ht intoarrested Luckily, the three guys that had rushed to my rescue stepped in and explained the situation, so Wheeler avoided handcuffs
It took a few et cleared and answer the police’s questions, but as soon as he was free, he jogged over to where they had loaded me into the a for an invitation and found one of , but I wrapped ers around them anyway and held theone, my windpipe seriously bruised and swollen--but I think he understood I was saying thank you for standing up for ht I would never win I could hold my ohen it caoing to be out fists and powerful punches