A little shiver ran through her. Derek was nothing if not intense.
Tugging his hand once again, she pulled him out of the alley and onto the street, heading toward home.
Even at four in the morning, the city wasn't silent. The last of the late night crowd, reveling in their debauched behaviors, were heading home, looking a little worse for wear. At the same time, the early morning workers were just starting to grace the streets, either driving in to work or walking to the subway. There weren't many people, but enough to break up the silence; enough that you were never truly alone.
Jade glanced around her, taking note of her surroundings in an ingrained attempt at self-preservation. Downtown Detroit in the middle of the night was not what one might call a safe neighborhood, and it was best to be on guard.
She looked at all the buildings, fading from run down industrial to run down apartments, a never-ending sea of concrete. It should be depressing, creepy even, especially in the pervasive darkness that was predawn. But she loved every crack in every building; signs of the life these walls had seen.
Her eyes rolled over a tall blonde man, leaning casually against one of those very walls, a raven-haired woman leaning into him, obviously striving for his attention. He ignored her advances, his eyes following Jade, instead.
A niggling sense of foreboding rolled through her, the feeling finally making it to the front of her mind, giving her the will to look away. Shaking off the little shiver of nerves, she turned again to smile at the man next to her.
Derek squeezed her hand, giving a little tug until his lips met hers. After a brief brush, she felt him whisper against her mouth, "Hurry up. I want to get you home."
Jade wasn't entirely sure what little imp made her do it, then again, she never was. But turning quickly, she raised her shirt, flashing the blonde that had been watching her.
She had no idea whether he noticed or not, didn't really care one way or another, because Derek noticed. She heard his growl just before she took off running down the street.
His laugh echoed hers, bouncing off the concrete as she raced toward home with Derek hot on her heels.
If she were lucky, he'd catch her.
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About the Author
First and foremost I am a father and a husband. Beyond that I belong to the fraternal Brotherhood of the United States Marine Corps. I have earned a living as an industrial electrician, welder, mechanic, carpenter, CNC machinist, and dozens of other jobs that gave me a wide scope of blue collar life. I have lived in more places than most people, though I grew up primarily in Michigan. I graduated high school in Mason Michigan, and went to college in Lansing Michigan. After joining the USMC I spent time living in Pensacola and Jacksonville Florida, and then moved on to spend four more years in North Carolina. After serving in Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation Enduring Freedom, and the military’s humanitarian effort in Liberia I received an honorable discharge and returned to live in Jackson Michigan near my family who still reside there. I now live in southern Louisiana with my wife and children.
I have been writing stories since I began writing and still have examples of short stories I wrote beginning in first grade. In my mid-teens, I began to write in earnest, dreaming of one day seeing my work on a bookstore shelf. It is and remains an unfulfilled dream, as I never attempted in my earlier years to publish any of my work besides a few stray poems or short stories. However, at present I felt that I had to make some effort to publish my books. As a father I tell my children that any one of them can live their dreams if they put in the time and effort required. To which they of course reply by asking if I have lived all my dreams. So it is through their urging that I prove to them that they, like I, can do anything we set our minds to.
I appreciate any and all feedback from my readers. Please drop in to say hello, or leave a message on any of my social media sites, my website, or my blog. You can find easy access to them all at:
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Table of Contents
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
The Champions Page 19
