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How do you keep breathing when your family hates you and you've lost so much?

I had a new respect for this man. He was stronger than I could ever be.

Porter wasn't a man who backed down, he didn't plan on giving up.

And now he wanted to protect me.

I was lucky to have someone like him looking out for me.

Chapter Ten

Porter

Three months earlier

Ring Ring

Glancing down at my phone, I didn't recognize the number lighting up the screen. Picking it up, I hit the button and answered. “Hello?”

“Porter?” The sound of my father's voice rattled my ears, forcing a cold shiver to glide up my spine. “Something's happened and I thought you should know.”

“What? What happened? Is Mom alright?” Keeping my voice steady and controlled, I waited for an answer.

My father would never call me, he knew better than to ever try and pick up the phone and dial my number. Hearing his voice at the other end of the speaker, I knew whatever had happened had to be serious.

Waiting as patiently as I could for him to spit it out, my heart sped up as a nervous sweat dampened my forehead. The tips of my fingers pierced the phone, pushing it harder against my ear. His silence was killing me.

If something happened to my mother, I didn't know what I would do.

There was only one feeling that I knew better than I knew myself—anger.

Anger was what made my blood flow and my heart pound. It was the only feeling I truly understood. For too long I kept it locked up, allowing it to brew inside, to live silently, growing and waiting for the moment it could be unleashed.

If they fucking hurt her. . . If they did anything to my mother, I'll fucking kill them all.

“Well,” I snapped, balling my fist so tightly the skin on my knuckles struggled to not snap open. “Is she okay?”