Protector: Doms of Mountain Bend Book 1 by BJ Wane (good books to read for 12 year olds .txt) 📕

anything else except her safety. As much as she would miss this place, and those who understood why she came here, maybe it would be best if she stayed away for a while. Although, if whoever was targeting her made good on his threats, she wouldn’t survive long enough to miss anything.

“I’ll try harder next time, if you still want to scene with me,” she told him.

“Of course.” Taking her arm, he steered her toward the entrance. “But do yourself a favor and invest in some honest soul-searching before you return. You have to be honest with yourself before you can be totally open with any Dom. You’re always welcome here, Lisa.”

Master Wade kissed her, a soft brush of his lips that left her aching for the hard, masterful possession she knew he preferred. As she walked out the door he held open for her, she vowed not to return until she could earn his time and respect again. She wound her way through the packed parking lot toward the yellow Volkswagen she’d scrimped and saved for, slid behind the wheel and flipped on the AC. Early spring was still cool in most places, but in Arizona the temperatures were already soaring into the nineties. Before pulling onto the highway, she checked her phone, releasing her held breath when she saw no new texts or messages from the stranger intent on causing her grief. Even after she changed her number twice, he managed to find her.

His persistence scared the hell out of her.

Lisa shuddered, recalling a vague memory of the heavy weight and foul breath of another man the last time she experienced this kind of fear. The terror that man and her stalker instilled was different from the heart-wrenching uncertainty she could still remember from the night police had awoken her and taken her to a stranger’s house, saying only that her mother wasn’t coming home. It had taken weeks of counseling before she’d understood the finality of the car accident that had taken her mother’s life as she’d driven home from work. Lisa had only been in that first foster home one week before being uprooted again and delivered into the hands of that now faceless man.

As always, whenever that foggy memory made an unwelcome return, a wave of anxiety caused her heartbeat to speed up, and her mind automatically pulled up a clearer image of smokey gray eyes filled with concern. Unlike the man who had frightened her that night, his face, voice, and comforting hold were easy to recall. Even now, all these years later, he was her go-to guy when she needed a good memory to divert her from her troubles. Knowing there was someone out there who had once found her worth saving always helped calm her rioting thoughts.

Approaching the city limits, Lisa attempted to apply the brakes, her heart jumping to her throat as the pedal went to the floor without slowing the car. Gripping the wheel, she tried again to no avail and turned nauseous. He’s done threatening. Her palms turned sweaty from her struggle with the wheel, and she racked her brain for options. Shaking inside and out, she spotted a flat grassy area up ahead, praying she survived the sudden jolt as she veered off the road before reaching to shut off the ignition.

She gasped as the seat belt dug into her shoulder and waist with the abrupt, jarring halt of the compact, fast-moving car. The sudden silence in the pitch-black surroundings scared her as much as the close call. She knew with gut-clenching certainty her brakes had been tampered with and who was responsible. He, whoever he was, was no longer content with tormenting phone messages.

As soon as she could pry her fingers loose from the steering wheel, she reached for her phone and called the tow service her insurance would pay for. Then she dialed the only person left whom she would trust with her life, her voice trembling with residual fear when he answered and she asked, “Father, can you come get me?”

****

“What’s wrong, child?”

Father Joe’s heart ached watching Lisa pace his living room, her face pale, hands still trembling from that near accident. He’d kept in touch with his children over the past twenty years, even though he’d known it wasn’t wise to let himself become not only attached to her and the boys but invested in their lives. They might not have sprung from his body, but his close bond with his childhood friend, Patrick McDuff, had ensured his love and support of Patrick’s son, Shawn, especially after Patrick’s untimely death. When Shawn had showed up late that night all those years ago, bruised and carrying the traumatized child, there had been no turning any of them away.

“Something has been bothering you for a while now.” He handed her a Coke, her favorite drink, and nodded toward the sofa. “Sit down and tell me.”

She sank onto the couch and looked at him with haunted eyes, the same heartbreaking gaze she’d given him the night Shawn had rescued her from their abusive foster parent. One of his biggest regrets would always be not stepping in sooner to see that Shawn was placed in a decent home instead of trusting the system to do right by him.

Joe could tell from the three boys’ faces they wouldn’t stay put in another foster home, and he’d decided to take matters into his own hands. After putting a quick call in to a good friend of his, he’d contacted the authorities and had a “come to Jesus” talk about the children’s safety. Between Lisa’s traumatized state and Shawn’s accounting of that night’s events, they’d agreed to the relocation of the boys to Buck Cooper’s ranch, and the family in his parish Joe knew well and had suggested for the young girl.

“Someone, I don’t know who, has been leaving threatening messages on my phone and