Total pages in book: 178
Estimated words: 170884 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 854(@200wpm)___ 684(@250wpm)___ 570(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 170884 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 854(@200wpm)___ 684(@250wpm)___ 570(@300wpm)
My ethnicity was part Maori, part Aboriginal. As a child, I thought I’d have the best of both worlds, but the rude awakening was neither group wanted me for their own. When I asked why, I was told that as I got older, my loyalties would be skewed. What they hadn’t known was by not accepting me, they—by definition—were against me. And I’d never forget it.
If one person made me want to forget my bruised ego, it was Tama.
Tama, who took me into his home, his bed, and his heart. He vouched for me, fought for me, and I betrayed him.
Everyone had one, that one person who taught them never to trust their heart. I was Tama’s. I heard he was never the same after I left, and that played on me something fierce.
Fuck, you’re an idiot.
I was. No denying it.
A long breath escaped me and I ran a hand down my face before acknowledging the man in front of me. “Tama, you don’t have to stay—”
He cut me off with a barked laugh. When he sobered, he leant down into my face and spoke quietly but viciously, “I’m not here for you.”
Of course he wasn’t.
So why did that statement hurt me as much as it did?
“I know that,” I said, trying not to let my frown show. Checking my watch quickly, I told them both, “We’ve got eight minutes before the bell goes.”
An awkward silence fell over us. Hemi, of course, was completely oblivious to it, playing a game on his phone. Minutes passed before Tama lost his cool indifference.
“From cutthroat to nanny.” Tama smirked, and he meant for it to be as mean as it came across. “How the mighty fall, hey?”
A moment’s pause.
“If you knew that little boy....” My heart wrenched.
Asshole.
I didn’t need to explain myself to him.
My eyes slid down to the ground and I held them there. I wasn’t daring enough to look at Tama, whose eyes were boring holes into me. Those laser beams prepared to blind me with violent, volatile rage. I wasn’t strong enough to fight him or the affect he had on me, so like the coward I was, I pretended to ignore him.
After the longest eight minutes of my life, the bell sounded and we got into position. Tama stood tall, his arms crossed over his chest, and Hemi mirrored him. I stood between the two giants, pulled my sunglasses down from my forehead, and leant my shoulder against Hemi’s massive frame.
We were an alarming sight. It was almost a shame to waste such a picture on a bunch of five-year-olds.
It didn’t escape my notice that A.J. was the first to leave his classroom, head down, face solemn, rushing toward the gate we occupied.
Oh, sweetheart. What has she done to you?
I wouldn’t run to him. I wouldn’t comfort him, not until we were out of view of everyone else. I wasn’t here to play. This was serious shit.
He looked up a second, then did a double-take. He stood there a long moment, long enough for his classmates to gather and pause in their tracks as they openly stared at us. Some kids’ mouths dropped. I noticed Zoe Braemore was one of those kids.
A.J.’s eyes widened comically, and his reaction to these scary-looking dudes surrounding me was priceless.
He smiled.
The little shit.
God, I loved him. He was fearless where it counted. A warrior at heart.
Picking up pace, he started to run toward us, his school bag slapping his back harshly with every stride. When he reached us, I held out my hand to him but was rudely interrupted when Tama snatched up my ward, lifting him high, clutching him to his side. And Tama glared at him.
It wasn’t personal. Tama just hated everyone. Yet even though I knew this, my inner mum had me on the defensive. I knew Tama would never hurt a child, but when it came to this child, I would never give anyone the chance.
A.J. lost his smile and stared back at Tama. A fierce protectiveness lit inside me, even wilder than before, and just as I went to warn Tama to put him down or lose a limb, A.J. reached out with little hands and touched his tiny fingertips to Tama’s tattooed nose. He spoke and my heart ached.
“My daddy has tattoos. Lots of them. Not on his face though. When I’m older, I’m getting them too, just like him.” He pawed Tama’s face without fear, looking closely at the artwork there. “Did it hurt?”
I watched the ice melt in Tama’s eyes. The sternness on his face, however, remained unchanged. “Yeah.”
Hemi stood unmoving. Without looking at A.J., he said loudly, “Hey, A.J., know what I hate?”
A.J. twisted his torso to look back at Hemi. He shook his head. “No.”
“Bullies.” Hemi’s mouth twisted. “Hate me some bullies, bruh.”
Okay then.