Grimm Protector (Book 2) The Grimm Dragons Series

Chapter Ten-Coralee

Hello, Lovelies,

I'm so sorry this is late.  Unfortunately, my computer keeps eating my chapters.  I am getting them out as soon as I write them to prevent this.  So, the schedule is a bit crazy.  I will be getting a new computer in March so hopefully, everything will be back to normal then.

I hope you enjoy this chapter.  If you do, please leave vote and/or comment.  Thank you so much for your patience.  Much love to all of you. 

-XXXX Amanda 

**********

The nightmares always came. No matter what I did, they slid into my brain, torturing me in the hours where I got a reprieve from the life my father gave me. I don't know why I thought tonight would be any different. Maybe I thought Alpha's presence would chase the monsters away. Instead, they came like they always did.

I opened my eyes to my father's voice. "Wake up, you bitch!" I pried open my eyes to find him staring down at me in Alpha's bed. "Or maybe whore would be a better description of someone like you."

He curled his lip in disgust. "We didn't do anything." My voice was feeble and I hated it. Why couldn't I stand up to him? But I knew why. The memory of my mother tumbling down the stairs drifted through my memory. I didn't want to end up like her.

"It's okay, angel," Alpha said from the doorway. An officer was pulling on his wrists to put him in handcuffs. Tears burned my eyes. He wouldn't be arrested if it wasn't for me.

My eyes moved beyond the doorway, finding officers leading John, Leah, and their daughters with Psycho behind them fighting against his restraints.

"What do you want us to do?" The officer cuffing Alpha asked.

"Line them up in front of the bar." My father leaned forward grabbing me by the hair, causing a yelp of pain to move from between my lips.

He tugged, pulling me from the bed and dragging me toward the door. "Get your fucking hands off her!" Alpha called out, anger trembling from his voice.

I raised my eyes to him as the officer slammed a fist into his abdomen. "No!" I cried out, fighting against my father for the first time in years to reach him.

My father tugged me until I faced him, a cold smile formed across his lips. "Oh, you care for him, do you?"

Terror shook through me because I had revealed something to him that would end badly for Alpha. I pressed my lips together, hoping that he would doubt my feelings for him.

A sneer formed over his face. "Just because you don't say it, doesn't mean I don't know."

He nodded toward the police officer who pushed Alpha out the door. My father grabbed my hair again and pulled me toward the landing where I was forced to look down into the clubhouse in front of the bar. Every member of the Grimm Dragons was lined up in front of it.

"Now." My father's voice boomed over the club.

Gunshots rang out as I screamed. Each member shot down because of me.

Hands gripped my shoulders, causing my screams to become louder. Alpha's voice broke through the dream.

"It's just a nightmare, Angel," he said, soothingly. "It's just a nightmare."

My eyes opened, taking in the face of the man who had saved me. Maybe he wasn't a prince in anyone else's eyes but he was in mine. Before I could think about it, my lips pressed against his as tears fell down my cheeks, terrified that because I cared for him, it would end in his death.

**********

He pulled me close to him, kissing me back, his tongue possessing mine with each touch. His fingers moved over my cheek, lovingly and sweet before backing away and pressing his forehead against mine.

"Are you okay?" He whispered, his breath moving over my lips.

"It was just a nightmare." I shivered at the memory of it. "I have them all the time.

He frowned as he moved away taking in my face. "I have those too."

I tilted my head studying the strong man in front of me. "You do?"

He nodded. "My life has always been hard...Especially when I was a kid." He shook his head. "It doesn't really matter. What matters right now is you're okay."

I pursed my lips. "No...The reason for your nightmares do matter just as much as mine."

He stared at me. His blue eyes darkening with pain that seemed so familiar that it pulled me toward him, bonding us further.

"My mother...Sh-She wasn't a nice woman. She abused me and my sister." He shrugged. "Then, she left and it was over."

I was silent for a few moments because as much as he tried to pretend everything was okay, I could see that it wasn't. He waved away any questions I was going to ask.

"It really doesn't matter. What matters is you." He sighed running his hand through his hair. "And what is going on now."

"The nightmare? Those happen all the time-"

"Not just the nightmares." He frowned his eyes shadowing with anger and worry. "We found out some things from your step-sisters. Things that are disturbing."

I had no doubt about that. My father was a disturbing man and the woman he married and her daughters were no better. However, from the way Alpha was acting, I knew whatever he had found out was something I didn't know and that terrified me.

"W-What did they say?" I asked, shifting on the bed.

He swallowed, running his hand over his forehead. "Coralee, did you know your mother left money for you?"

I blinked, surprised. "No. No one told me."

He closed his eyes and shook his head before peering at me again. "She left you twenty million dollars. You are supposed to receive it when you turn twenty-five."

Anger slid through me. My father had kept that from me to keep me with him but all this time, I had a way out...A date to leave him. "My birthday is May 3rd...A month from now."

"Angel, I don't know how to tell you this but you need to know." He swallowed again. "It appears he was going to have you sign over the money to him and kill you."

A tear trickled down my cheek. "I've always known he meant to kill me. I wondered why he kept me around so long. Now, I know why."

"Do you know who your mother's lawyer was?"

I nodded. In all honesty, he was probably the reason why she died. "He's the man she was leaving my father for. He had tried to reach me for years but my father always blocked him from speaking to me."

"I think it's time you spoke to him. We'll figure out a way for that to happen." Alpha ran his hand through his hair. "We'll have to check him out first before you do."

I nodded, my heart aching. "I understand."

"Don't worry, Angel," he said, reaching up and caressing my cheek. "We'll sort this all out. We'll make sure you're safe."

I nodded as he kissed my forehead and moved away from me. "We need to get dressed. John will want to talk to us both."

As I rose from the bed, I realized he didn't say anything about the kiss. I shook my head, realizing he was ignoring that it happened. My heart sank. Of course, he was ignoring it. As nice and protective as he was, he was just a friend. It was something I needed to remember...Just friends so I wouldn't be stupid enough to kiss him again.