Haven from the Storm (Storms of Life #1) Read Online Free PDF Page A
Author: Sarah Dosher
Tags: Contemporary
stop her. “And you, Dean Haven, you get off my property before I personally escort you off.”
“I’m not going anywhere until I know Lily’s safe. You’re sadly mistaken if you think I’ll just voluntarily leave her here for you to hit some more. What the hell is wrong with you?” I tightened my fist, preparing for battle.
“And exactly who do you think you are? You have no right to come here and tell us how to live!”
“Tell you how to live? I’m not telling you how to live. I’m telling you not to beat your daughter, something a sane person wouldn’t need to be told.”
“Sane? What do you know about being sane? You’re a worthless bastard! You’ve already proved you were no better than your shitty parents, so take your sorry ass and get off my property before you regret it.” He started moving toward me and I knew we would fight; I knew neither of us would willingly back down. I didn’t know what he was fighting for, but I was fighting to protect the one I loved.
“Old man, I’m not going anywhere. I may not be better than my parents, but at least no one in my family walks around hitting women. Maybe that’s your problem, maybe you need someone your own size to pick on. That would make it a fair fight, but I’m not sure that’s the kind of fight you’re prepared for.” My body tensed to attack him; I saw his hand clench as he took a swing at me and I easily avoided his punch by leaning to the side.
Before he could regain his footing, I balled up my fist and squared a right hook to the side of his face. He stumbled back several paces, but immediately came back at me with a straight punch. He misjudged the distance between us and his jab didn’t connect. I blocked his left hand with my right and threw a jab over his arm to the center of his face. His head whipped back as blood began to spill from his nose and he stepped toward me, attempting to swing at me again, but stumbled to the ground instead. I grabbed him by his hair, forcing him to look at me. “Give it up old man, you can’t win this fight.” I let go of his hair and his head fell as I backed away from him.
“I will kill you, you worthless piece of shit! I don’t know who you think you’re dealing with, but you will pay for ever stepping foot back in this town. Why don’t you just leave before anything bad happens,” he said between heavy breaths.
I grabbed him again by the face, forcing his eyes back to mine. “I’m not going anywhere and you won’t run me away. I’ll be here every day if I have to. You will never hit Lily again, are we clear?”
He pushed my hand away and slowly stood. He put both hands on my chest to push me away, but I refused to move. Instead I leaned closer into him, staring right into his eyes. What I saw was a man filled with anger and determination; it sent chills up my spine. I realized he wasn’t just a bully, he was intent on inflicting pain on anyone that came near him.
“Just stop! Both of you, stop!” I heard Lily shout as she walked closer to us. “You aren’t solving anything.” She placed her hand on my arm and tried to push me away from her father.
I turned to look at her. “Lily, how can you say that? I saw what he did to you! What else has he done? I can’t just pretend I don’t know about it.”
“Dean, just leave. I’m fine, go. You’ll only make things worse. I don’t want your help. You don’t belong here.” She turned and disappeared through the door leading into the house. That time her father let her leave, so I willingly moved away from him.
“Don’t you ever touch her again, do you hear me? If I hear that you’ve laid a hand on her, I will come back and I will stop you.”
“Get back in your truck and leave. You won’t change anything here. You heard her yourself, she doesn’t want your help,” he said before walking away.
I went back to my truck feeling completely defeated. Even though I’d just won the fight, I’d obviously lost the battle,
“I’m not going anywhere until I know Lily’s safe. You’re sadly mistaken if you think I’ll just voluntarily leave her here for you to hit some more. What the hell is wrong with you?” I tightened my fist, preparing for battle.
“And exactly who do you think you are? You have no right to come here and tell us how to live!”
“Tell you how to live? I’m not telling you how to live. I’m telling you not to beat your daughter, something a sane person wouldn’t need to be told.”
“Sane? What do you know about being sane? You’re a worthless bastard! You’ve already proved you were no better than your shitty parents, so take your sorry ass and get off my property before you regret it.” He started moving toward me and I knew we would fight; I knew neither of us would willingly back down. I didn’t know what he was fighting for, but I was fighting to protect the one I loved.
“Old man, I’m not going anywhere. I may not be better than my parents, but at least no one in my family walks around hitting women. Maybe that’s your problem, maybe you need someone your own size to pick on. That would make it a fair fight, but I’m not sure that’s the kind of fight you’re prepared for.” My body tensed to attack him; I saw his hand clench as he took a swing at me and I easily avoided his punch by leaning to the side.
Before he could regain his footing, I balled up my fist and squared a right hook to the side of his face. He stumbled back several paces, but immediately came back at me with a straight punch. He misjudged the distance between us and his jab didn’t connect. I blocked his left hand with my right and threw a jab over his arm to the center of his face. His head whipped back as blood began to spill from his nose and he stepped toward me, attempting to swing at me again, but stumbled to the ground instead. I grabbed him by his hair, forcing him to look at me. “Give it up old man, you can’t win this fight.” I let go of his hair and his head fell as I backed away from him.
“I will kill you, you worthless piece of shit! I don’t know who you think you’re dealing with, but you will pay for ever stepping foot back in this town. Why don’t you just leave before anything bad happens,” he said between heavy breaths.
I grabbed him again by the face, forcing his eyes back to mine. “I’m not going anywhere and you won’t run me away. I’ll be here every day if I have to. You will never hit Lily again, are we clear?”
He pushed my hand away and slowly stood. He put both hands on my chest to push me away, but I refused to move. Instead I leaned closer into him, staring right into his eyes. What I saw was a man filled with anger and determination; it sent chills up my spine. I realized he wasn’t just a bully, he was intent on inflicting pain on anyone that came near him.
“Just stop! Both of you, stop!” I heard Lily shout as she walked closer to us. “You aren’t solving anything.” She placed her hand on my arm and tried to push me away from her father.
I turned to look at her. “Lily, how can you say that? I saw what he did to you! What else has he done? I can’t just pretend I don’t know about it.”
“Dean, just leave. I’m fine, go. You’ll only make things worse. I don’t want your help. You don’t belong here.” She turned and disappeared through the door leading into the house. That time her father let her leave, so I willingly moved away from him.
“Don’t you ever touch her again, do you hear me? If I hear that you’ve laid a hand on her, I will come back and I will stop you.”
“Get back in your truck and leave. You won’t change anything here. You heard her yourself, she doesn’t want your help,” he said before walking away.
I went back to my truck feeling completely defeated. Even though I’d just won the fight, I’d obviously lost the battle,