Panther Protection

by Gracie Meadows

  Millie woke in bed not aware of how long she had been out, with a stupid ridiculous grin on her face. “Look who's awake.” She turned to her left and found Axel looking down at her smiling as well.

  “Hey, handsome,” she countered. Then turning to her right she found Gage mirroring Axel’s smile as well. “And you too. In case I forgot to tell you, guys, I love you both so much.”

  “Well, that’s good, baby, because we have something huge we need to ask you.” Millie wasn’t sure what it could be, but sat up some and looked at them, expecting Axel to ask but it was Gage who grabbed her hand, slipping something on her finger. When he was done, she looked down and found a large diamond ring. Suddenly tears started to pool as she looked at Gage.

  “Will you marry us, love, carry our name and have our cubs?” She couldn’t even say the words, but a silly giggle left her as she nodded and soon the small “Yes” escaped her. Things couldn’t be better than they were right now. She was marrying two men who she loved, and her best friend was getting married as well, and having twins, she had started to reconnect with her mother, and all she needed was to find someone for Cece. Yup, she had a plan.

  Epilogue

  Cece looked out the window making sure no one followed her. She had been doing so good for so many years, but it seemed her friends were starting to notice issues. They just thought she got moody and went through a period of being cranky, but the truth would have shocked them more and they wouldn’t understand. She walked quietly in the house, but he still heard her.

  “What the fuck took you so long?” Cece froze as Billy came in from the kitchen with another beer in hand.

  “I’m sorry, I couldn’t find the ones you liked,” she countered. He grabbed the bag, then pushed her into the kitchen, making her trip on his shoes, the ones he left there. He laughed at her and sat down drinking beer and smoking his cigarettes. She was glad she wore pants today as the bruises were easy to cover. She went in the kitchen and shook her head at the mess. She needed to hurry and clean, then cook, and he would go to sleep. Mentally counting down the days, she only had forty-five days left until he left again. He would leave to go on some job and be gone for months at a time, only to be with her for two months at the most looking for food, money, and a place to stay. She wanted him gone, but the truth was this was his house, she had nothing. Not even Becky and Cece knew her dirty little secret. When her parents died in a weird car accident, everything was left to Billy and not her.

  He kept saying he was sorry, but it didn’t stop him from having his friends over and them doing whatever they wanted to her. She had been lucky to only take their blows, and they never hit her were someone could see them. But last night it got worse, when the punches turn into touches by his friends, Cece started to get sick. She couldn’t do this anymore. But how to turn away your own brother when he had control of everything, and everyone around her. Forty-five days, that’s all she had left, forty-five days of hell.

  The End

  Books by Gracie Meadows

  The Hidden Pack

  Dreamwalker's Duo

  Awakened by a Dream

  Panther Protection

  Heels for Hire, Inc.

  Covered by Bubbles

  Book Two – Coming Soon

  Stand Alones

  Till My Last Breath

  Valentine's Day Anthology

  Cowboys Candy

  Roping Candy's Heart

  Would love to hear from you!

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  Email: Gracie_meadows@yahoo.com

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  Excerpt from Till My Last Breath

  By Gracie Meadows

  Time was going too quickly for Charlie as October had soon turned into November with December right around the corner. Watching the men finish their game, she thought about the days that had passed and couldn’t helping wondering how many more would she get with her dad. She mentally shook herself from where her thoughts had taken her and focused back in on the men in front of her.

  “How the hell did you win again?” Oliver asked as her dad smiled drinking his coffee.

  “I’m just that good, ain’t that right, Snoopy?” her dad said, smiling at her. She loved the small bantering she had been doing with him lately. Oliver had even been playing along with her and the three of them seemed to be getting along a lot better than she originally thought they would have.

  “Really, Dad. You are so full of yourself today, well pretty much every day," she joked right back. The three of them laughed as they cleaned up the game to get ready for dinner.

&n
bsp; She had been spending more time with her dad, and the last couple of nights her dad had built a fire while she made cocoa with a little Kahlua in it, and Oliver sat on the sofa with his beer as her dad took the joy of reading them a chapter from the children’s story, the Jungle Book. This was a nightly tradition for them. Her mother used to do it, but then her dad took up the interest and so it became an every night thing.

  The thought as to why he was reading to her was sobering. Her dad had only a sixth grade education, which was one reason he had pushed her so hard. He had dropped out as his father grew ill and needed help on the ranch, which was only a third in size at the time. Her dad could barely read when she was little, but he learned quickly along with what feed helped with growth in the cattle, and his math skills came from doing the books. He was an amazing man, he was the smartest man she knew, and she had the years of school behind her, where he had not. She admired him so much. He met her mother one day at a local barbeque. Her mom, Marie, had her dad caught the first time he laid eyes on her, but she didn't give him the time of day. She was attracted to him, but she had heard he was a bit of a ladies man.

  However, he never gave up and did everything he could to try to get her to go out with him. In the end, they both had won. Her parents were so much in love, and it was a love that many dreamed about, even herself. She found herself wondering if Oliver wanted something like that for himself in the future, but Charlie herself didn't know if she could to do something like that. If she could have what her parents had, then maybe so, but how often did that all-consuming love come to someone. Peeking at Oliver from the corner of her eye, she wondered what her parents had done to build the love they showed each other or was it only something that occurred when the right two people came together. Will I ever know, was her last thought as she laid her head back on the couch, letting her dad's voice lull her until she slept.

  *****

  Oliver looked down at the sleeping beauty in his arms. Charlie had fallen asleep once again on his lap. She originally was sitting next to him while Patrick read the story, she'd closed her eyes and leaned her head back only to have it fall on his shoulder. Not soon after she stretched out on his lap sleeping deeply. He loved every minute. He had yet to tell her what she had done almost every time her dad read to them.

  Patrick looked up and smiled before closing the book he was reading, not long after he began talking.

  “Hey, Oliver, can I ask you to do me a favor?” Patrick asked.

  “Sure, Patrick, anything,” he replied, and he meant anything.

  “Thanksgiving is tomorrow and I would like a tree. I don’t know if I have the strength to go out and cut one. It had been a family tradition to put the tree up on Thanksgiving and decorate it. I haven’t done it since Charlie hadn't been home. You and I have never celebrated before so I think it is about time. I know this is my last year, but I would like to see the tree all lit up before I go. Do you think you could do that?”

  Oliver could hear the desperation in his voice. He knew this would be his last Christmas on this earth, and he would do anything to make it special for him, and Charlie. Oliver thought about that as Patrick got up and poked at the fire. Oliver noticed that more wood needed to be brought in as well.

  “Sure, Patrick, we can do that. It is going to be amazing." Patrick smiled at him before patting his shoulder as he went up to bed. Oliver sat a moment longer watching the flames dance around the fireplace while Charlie slept. Not sure if he should wake her, he eased out from under her, then lifted her head and placed the small throw pillow under her before he pulled a blanket over her. He looked down at the small woman sleeping peacefully and he wondered how well she too had been sleeping. He found nights were restless for him, not knowing when he woke if Patrick would be there. With one last look he headed to his room to try to get some sleep because come tomorrow, he would be cutting his very first real Christmas tree.

  Excerpt for Covered by Bubbles

  Heels for Hire, Inc. Book One

  By Gracie Meadows

  “Don’t scream, if you do I will slit your fucking throat. We are going to have a little fun, you and I.” She wasn’t able to turn, but she could see the man through the reflection on her car window, and the knife sparkled from the light of the sun. Bubbles didn’t panic, but now she wished she hadn’t disconnected the mic to the girls. She stumbled back with the man as he started to pull her to a side alley that was blocked by the sun, creating a dark deserted area, perfect for assholes like this one to take unsuspecting women. There was one thing this asshole didn’t know—she was not some helpless woman. She was raised with all men after her mother died in a car accident. Her father was military and she had three older brothers, who right now were in various locations. Needless to say, she learned to shoot and fight better than most men. She just needed the perfect opportunity, and unfortunately next to her car was not one. Looking around, she saw the ground was uneven. Thank you, Rainbow, for the heels, and I promise to buy you a new pair. She found a small crack and dug her heel in, making him jerk when she couldn’t move. He let go of her to grab her boot and lift it out of the hole, and that is when she made her move.

  Bubbles brought her other knee to the man’s nose, making him cry out as blood started to spray her shoes. Bringing her hands together, she struck him in the middle of his back, bringing him down to the ground with a thud. The guy dropped the knife, and she quickly kicked it away, then grabbed hold of his arms and twisted them behind his back. The man yelled in pain as Bubbles pushed her knee into his back trying to keep him in place. The man started yelling numerous curse words that she could almost guarantee he couldn’t spell. She reached over and tried to grab her purse to call the girls, and to call the police, but at the same time the man kicked back, bucking her off and she slipped off him. Fucking dress. She couldn’t move in the damn thing.

  Tumbling back, she scrambled to the ground trying once again to reach her purse, which had her phone and gun. She never left home without both of them. The man jumped and reached for his knife, coming at her just as she reached for her gun. He froze when he saw her shiny Glock pointed right at his dick. Yeah, asshole, move and I will blow your pencil dick into a million pieces, it would only make this day a whole lot better. Keeping her eyes on his, he moved and she kept pace with him with her gun as she twisted and turned on her ass to try to stay with him. She could feel her ass getting scrapped up from the cement, but it was nothing compared to knowing the asshole would have no issues putting a knife in her. Keeping her eyes right on him, she steadied herself.

  “Looks like we are at an impasse, asshole. I say put down the knife before you hurt yourself or I put a bullet in your dick.” She thought maybe rationalizing with him would help, but nope, he seemed a little desperate at that point. Blood still poured out of his nose, which was obviously broken.

  “I don’t think so, bitch. You fucking broke my nose, and now I’m gonna fuckin' gut you.” Just then he lunged and she fired. She was comfortable with her gun, but even the blowback pushed her a little on the ground and the asshat fell to the ground screaming as he dropped the knife and held on to his now blown off dick.

  Scrambling to her feet, she pulled her phone out while she kept the gun pointed at the asshole, but before she could punch the number, another gun pointed at her.

  “Freeze, police, drop the gun.” Fuck, this is all she needed. Putting her hands up, she turned to see two cops with their guns drawn on her. Do they really think I am the bad guy?

  “My name is Brandie Anderson, I’m a private detective for Heels for Hire, Inc.

  Table of Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen<
br />
  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Epilogue