“Satisfaction” is a strange word, a word that is defined as “fulfillment of one’s wishes, expectations, or needs, or the pleasure derived from this”. As I look around the room, I see a wish fulfilled on each face that looks down on their expectation. “Let’s go.” With less than three minutes left, we need to run. We all head out to the car. I take Austin’s hand and pull her to me. “I’ll be right behind you, but I need to get something first.”
“Dace, we don’t have time to wait.”
“I know, that’s why I am telling you to go. Don’t worry, I will meet you at the boat. I promise.” She shakes her head and won’t let go of my hand. “You trust me, right?” She sighs, and I smile, kissing her as I push her into the car. “Go!”
Chapter 25
Austin
I don’t understand what has happened to Dace since his father died, but he has changed, and I am not sure if it’s for the better. He’s more confident but to the point of reckless. Even as our car is speeding down the road, I can hear the blasts of gunfire behind us. I cringe, not understanding what could possibly be so important that he had to risk his life to stay past the time we were supposed to go. He set the time, he set the rules, yet he was the one that broke them. The police that were following us are now lost along the path, but it is uncertain for how long. By the time we get to the boat dock, I have small hopes that Dace will somehow walk out to meet us, but he doesn’t. We load up and the captain warns us. “We need to go!”
“”Two minutes!” Antony yells. He grabs my hand and nods. We won’t leave without him. I won’t leave without him.
Aaron approaches my back and wraps his arms around me. “We can’t wait. You know this, and you can’t stay.”
“Yes, I can. I know how to help him.”
“We both do,” Antony says, reassuring me.
“No, you can’t. You have a baby boy waiting for you and needing you, and Antony has a little girl who needs her father. Dace would never want either of you to let those children be left without a parent to watch over them. You know there is nothing you can do. This place doesn’t play by the same rules. If we have to, we will find another way, but we must get you both out of here safely. Dace made me promise to make sure you stay in the boat and get home safely.”
“He knew he wasn’t going to make it back?” I cry to him.
“No, but he had the fear, and he knew I would do what he couldn’t and that’s to protect you at all costs because your little boy needs you, Austin.”
“He needs his father,” I cry, pushing everyone away from me and reaching for the edge of the boat. Aaron and Antony both grab hold of me and keep me from leaving. I watch the men let go of the dock, push away, and let the boat begin to set away from the only path he could have taken to get here. “No. No! Dace is coming. I know it. We have to wait!” No one seems to want to listen. “No wait! Wait!” I scream, racing towards the back of the boat, searching for him through my tears. “Dace!” I scream repeatedly, pleading for them to not give up on him, but the dock gets further and further away and still no sign of him. I am numb by the time I can no longer see it. I cry, holding my stomach, wondering if our last time would be another child to remember him by, to force his memory into my head every day of my life. Then, I hear a raging motor above. The boat is closing in on a bridge, and there is a motorcycle rapidly approaching. The men and I quickly take aim, assuming the worst, especially when gunfire is heard in the distance. When we get closer, the motorcycle revs up and jumps over the edge of the bridge as it raises to let us go by. I watch in shock, waiting for the impact with the water, but it doesn’t hit the water. It hits the boat and comes to a screeching halt before the man on it takes off his helmet and smiles at me.
“Hey, Trouble. Glad to see you made it okay.”
“Dace, you fucking asshole!” I scream at him, cursing him all the while kissing him like a crazy woman.
“Are you mad, because it’s hard to tell with all the kissing?” he says with a cocky raise of his eyebrows. He knows damn well what he did. The worst part is he has people chasing him with guns, and we have to fire back until we are safely out of range. Before they can reorganize, another boat comes into the picture, a large ship which ends up blocking their view and their ability to organize their own boats to get to us. We sail off with no issue. No one follows or sends out a helicopter or another ship to come after us. It seems the Cuban government allows us to leave with their permission. I fully expected a challenge of some sort but nothing. I look at Dace and his confident demeanor and wonder, who is he now? “So why did you go back?”
“He had my motorcycle. You know I love this baby. I couldn’t let it sit and rot there.”
“Dace, I swear!” I spit out at him, but he turns to me with his cute, innocent expression, and I can’t help but wrap my arms around him. “You stupid fuck! I thought you were dead.”
“No way, I can’t believe you would think I would leave you that easily.” I sink into his arms and exhale against his chest. “So, do you feel better?”
“Yes, actually. I’m glad he knows we got him and he didn’t have a chance to put up a fight. I feel great actually.” I smile up at him.
“Good. Now maybe we can get started on that long life together.”
“Yeah, so how do you feel about that?”
“I feel …” He hesitates before speaking as he eyeballs a helicopter flying overhead. I would be alarmed, but he is so calm, and his smile in my direction makes me believe he has complete control of everything.
Maybe he’s hurt or delusional. His pause makes me question him again. “Dace, how do you feel?”
With a wink he says, “I feel like a King.”
About the Author
@JenniferLorenDE
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Table of Contents
Dethroning the King
Books by Jennifer Loren
Acknowledgements
Prologue
Chapter 1
Austin
(Untitled)
(Untitled)
Chapter 2
Dace
(Untitled)
(Untitled)
(Untitled)
Chapter 3
Austin
(Untitled)
(Untitled)
Chapter 4
Dace
(Untitled)
(Untitled)
Chapter 5
Austin
(Untitled)
Chapter 6
Dace
(Untitled)
(Untitled)
(Untitled)
Chapter 7
Austin
(Untitled)
(Untitled)
(Untitled)
(Untitled)
Chapter 8
Austin
Chapter 9
Dace
(Untitled)
Chapter 10
Michael
Chapter 11
Antony
(Untitled)
Chapter 12
Dace
(Untitled)
(Untitled)
(Untitled)
Chapter 13
Michael
(Untitled)
(Untitled)
Chapter 14
Michael
(Untitled)
(Untitled)
Chapter 15
Austin
Chapter 16
Antony
(Untitled)
(Untitled)
(Untitled)
Chapter 17
Dace
(Untitled)
(Untitled)
(Untitled)
(Untitled)
Chapter 18
Austin
(Untitled)
(Untitled)
Chapter 19
Dace
(Untitled)
(Untitled)
Chapter 20
Dace
Chapter 21
Austin
Chapter 22
Dace
(Untitled)
(Untitled)
(Untitled)
Chapter 23
Dace
(Untitled)
(Untitled)
Chapter 24
Dace
(Untitled)
(Untitled)
(Untitled)
(Untitled)
(Untitled)
Chapter 25
Austin
About the Author
Jennifer Loren, Dethroning the King
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