Read Awakened for Free Online Page A

decided it was a good idea to
hire a security staff. Charles has been very good.” He took another
drink. I saw him look down at his watch and then look back up at
me.
    “ Do you have somewhere you
need to be?”
    “ I have a meeting at 3. I’m
really enjoying talking to you.” He smiled at me and I couldn’t
help but smile back.
    “ Any more questions
rattling your brain?” I saw a smile form at the edge of his lips as
he took another drink of his coffee.
    “ How did your dad die? Can
I ask you that?” He hung his head down; it looked like someone had
just punched him in the stomach. I suddenly felt bad for asking the
question and wished I could take it back. He raised his eyes and
looked out the window.
    “ He had to stay late at the
office one day; he called my mom to tell her to go ahead and start
dinner without him. My mom tried to object saying we’d do it
another night, but he insisted, saying he wouldn’t be too late. He
never came home that night. My two sisters went home and I stayed
behind with my mom trying to ease her worry. After many tried calls
to my dad my mom finally called the police. When they got there, it
was too late. He was already dead. According to the police, the
intruder got through the night security, which he ended up killing
him, and got into my dad’s office and shot him in the head.” He
squeezed his eyes. My whole body ached for him.
    He looked at me; his eyes danced with
flames.
    “ We still don’t know who
killed him, but one day I’ll cross paths with that bastard and
he’ll wish he would’ve killed himself that night.” He took a deep
breath before taking another drink of is coffee.
    “ I am so sorry Stefan that
is awful!”
    Stefan just shrugged. “So, what about
your folks?” He had trusted me with the information about his dad;
I think I deserved him an explanation about my parents.
    Well, not a lot to know. My dad has
been a drunk all my life; practically killed my mom when I was 14
and he’s still a drunk now.” I shrugged, trying to appear as
unemotional as possible. It still hurt to talk about my mom and it
still made me mad as hell to talk about my dad.
    “ My dad has always been an
alcoholic. I remember hiding behind the couch in our living room
crying and begging him to stop beating my mother. Eventually, he
beat her really bad and put her in the hospital.”
    “ So two days after my
14 th birthday, I was in the living room watching TV and my dad came
home from the bar smelling like pure liquor. He started touching me
and I’d finally had enough so I started fighting back. I knew he’d
probably beat me, but I didn’t care. My mom saw what was going on
and came into the living room, trying to protect me but it was too
late. My dad pulled out a knife and stabbed my mom; he just kept
stabbing her. Eventually he stopped and realized what he had done.
He blames me and has never forgiven me.” I tried to hold back the
tears from my eyes, but a couple escaped. He leaned over and wiped
my eyes with his thumb. His touch made me feel better; I felt like
crawling up in his lap and just letting it all out. Talking about
that awful night made me miss my mom. It was a very bittersweet
moment.
    “ Jennifer, I can’t even
imagine what that must feel like. I am so sorry.” His look into my
eyes was very sincere. I knew he felt for me.
    “ My dad made it look like
my mom came after me with a gun and that he protected me by killing
her. He told me if I talked to the police he’d kill me. After that
he kicked me out, said he never wanted to see me again. I’ve been
pretty much living with Kennedy ever since. I never had the heart
to actually go to the police. I figured I would just let him drink
himself to death. It would be a much more painful death than
throwing him in jail. I moved to Oklahoma to get away from him, and
so far, that has worked out fine.”
    “ Jennifer, he is a
worthless asshole who doesn’t deserve somebody as amazing as you.
What happened