Finding Home © K L Humphreys
First Edition published in 2019
All rights reserved.
The moral right of the author has been asserted.
Cover Design by Danielle Dickson of Vixen Designs.
Formatter Lee Ching of Undercover Designs.
Editing by Kay Springsteen Tate of Word Whisperer.
Proofread by Gemma Woolley of Gem’s Precise Proofreads.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise), nor be otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published without the prior written permission of the author. Any person who does any unauthorized act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.
All characters in this publication are fictitious and any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.
CONTENTS
Other books by K.L. Humphreys
1. Trent
2. Michelle
3. Trent
4. Michelle
5. Trent
6. Michelle
7. Trent
8. Michelle
9. Trent
10. Michelle
11. Trent
12. Michelle
13. Trent
14. Michelle
15. Trent
16. Michelle
17. Trent
18. Michelle
19. Trent
20. Michelle
21. Trent
22. Michelle
23. Trent
24. Michelle
25. Trent
26. Michelle
27. Trent
28. Michelle
29. Trent
30. Michelle
31. Trent
32. Michelle
Epilogue
Help Line
About the Author
Acknowledgments
The Deadly Series:
Deadly Hunt
Deadly Obsession
Deadly Past
Deadly Encounter
Deadly Mistake
* * *
The Working Girls Series:
The Secrets of Life
The Scandals of Life
* * *
Co-writes:
The Hitman Series with Pavan Kaur
Bounty
Captured
* * *
One Night - with Rachel M Storm
It is during our darkest moments that we must focus to see the light ~ Aristotle Onassis
For Morris and Shanika Bennett
* * *
Without you this book wouldn’t be what it is.
Thank you both from the bottom of my heart.
“When you leave here son, remember, Michelle will look after you,” Dustin tells me.
I hate feeling useless, I hate being dependent on others. But right now, I have no choice. My family have turned their backs on me; I have no one on the outside. I’ve been in here for five years and not once had a visitor, even though I’m in the same damn state as where I grew up. Maine isn’t the biggest state, and I’m mad that none of my family came to visit.
See, my sister, Tina is married to a man who likes to drink. He also loves to use his fists, and she is his favorite target. I witnessed this first hand while out with the boys. I walked into the men’s room in time to catch my brother-in-law backhanding Tina across her face. I lost it completely, beating the ever loving shit out of the fucking asshole.
What took me by complete surprise was my family. My sister stood up for her husband, saying he didn’t mean it, that it was an accident. My parents disowned me; apparently, I shouldn’t get involved in other people’s marital problems. Yep, that’s right I’m the douchebag, not the bastard who raised his hand to my sister.
I’m getting released today, after five years of no contact with anyone outside these fucking walls, I’m about to go live with someone I know nothing about. My cellmate told me someone owes him a favor, and he’s cashing in on that favor for me to live there. I’ll be living with a woman who owns an apartment complex. It does well apparently, and as I have nowhere to live, she has said I can work and stay with her.
“Trent, are you listening?” Dustin Small asks, his name is quite ironic, seeing as the man’s well over six feet.
I turn and face Dustin. I don’t think I would have survived the last five years without him, and he’s kept me from going stir crazy in here. “Yeah Dust, I heard ya, Michelle will look after me.”
Sighing, he sits on his bunk. “Hey Trent, I didn’t mean anything by it. Michelle, well she’s soft and compassionate, she would do anything for anyone, and she didn’t even hesitate to put you up. Everything will be fine. Trust me, yeah?”
Footsteps outside our cell, followed by the jangling of keys indicate that the guards are approaching, and I nod. “Lawrence, you’re shipping out.”
I’m fucking nervous. I’ve been in here for five years, and the world didn’t stop. I start walking toward the cell doors, when fingers grip my arm, tugging it until I turn around.
“Be safe out there, kid, and watch out for my Michelle, yeah?” He comes in and gives me a man hug. Whoever this Michelle is, he seems to care about her.
“Yeah man, I’ll keep an eye on her. See ya around Dust, it’s been real.” Swallowing past the lump in my throat, trying my best to act nonchalant, even to appear happy that I’m getting out when I’m dreading it.
He nods, and a sad expression dims the light in his eyes. “See ya around, kid.” I have to laugh. Dust has always called me a kid even though I’m thirty-one.
I walk out of the cell and into my new life.
Passing through the prison gates, the sun shining down on me, I inhale deeply trying to see what freedom feels like. I don’t feel any different, and I pray to God that I never end up back here. Across the parking lot, I spot a woman standing beside a BMW 4 series convertible; it’s a sweet ride. No one else is around, so could this be Michelle? The woman strides toward me, her head down as she stares at her wrist, her fingers gently rubbing over the area, before glancing up.
She takes me in, from my crumpled up clothing to the tattoos peeking from under the sleeves of my shirt. “Trent? Trent Lawrence?” A shy smile spreads across her face.
“Yeah, who wants to know?” My tone is clipped, I’m being rude, and if my mom gave a shit, she’d tan my hide.
“I’m Michelle, Michelle Nelson. Dustin said you were coming to live at the apartment complex.” Oh fuck me, this is not good. I thought Michelle would be old and butt-ugly. Seeing her standing here, she’s anything but. How the hell is she acquainted with Dust?
“Yeah, if that’s still okay?” Part of me hopes she says no. She looks gorgeous; her body is the perfect hourglass figure not to mention that beautiful shy smile she has given me. She’s a walking wet dream and I’m screwed if we live together. My groin stirs to life proving the point. Closing my eyes, I try to think of anything but her beauty. This is not the time to be lusting after her, I need her. Without her I wouldn’t have anywhere to live. It’s shit, I have never needed anyone in my life, especially someone I’ve never met. I hate owing people, and this chick will be the second person I owe something to.
She rolls her eyes. They’re bright blue, like the sea and they sparkle. Her skin has a golden touch to it, and her hair is fucking light purple. “I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t. Sorry Trent, you’re stuck with me.” She giggles, and my dick stirs.
Damn.
“Come on Trent, let’s get on the road.” She walks back toward the car, her hips swaying as she d
oes. Her ass is something of pure beauty, as though it’s been sculpted. Kim Kardashian can eat her heart out.
Once we get into the car, she lets the top down. The engine growls as she revs the engine and I’m thrown back into the seat as we rocket out of the parking lot. We’ve been driving for about twenty minutes when she pulls over, gets out, and goes to the trunk. A few minutes later, she comes back, her hoodie has been removed leaving her in just a black tank. I can’t take my eyes off her as she reaches for her seatbelt, making her tank top stretch across her chest, revealing the swell of her tits.
Instantly, my dick starts to stir, I grab hold of the door handle, my knuckles turning white with the tight grip. I bite my lip hard to stop the groan and turn my head to stare out the window, taking my eyes off her tits that will fit perfectly in my hands. Fuck, I need to get laid.
She grabs an elastic band off her wrist and ties her hair up. Damn, why is it everything that this woman does I find sexy?
“Sorry, the wind was blowing my hair everywhere.” She smiles shyly, starting to drive again. I’m confused, why didn’t she just put the top up? She glances at me, and now she acts confused. “Is everything okay?”
“Why didn’t you just close the top if your hair was annoying you?” It comes out rough and with a bite, not what I had intended at all.
She returns her gaze to the road, sighing. “You’ve been inside a building all day, every day for five years, I thought having fresh air would be good, so I got a hair tie, and tied my hair up.” Shrugging like it’s no big deal, she reaches over and turns the radio on, leaving me in shock.
I glance at her out of the corner of my eye, still in shock. She thought I would like to have the top down. I’ve not had someone do something so thoughtful before. She doesn’t know me. Why would she be so sweet? No one other than Dustin has ever been kind to me, but I knew he was nice because he didn’t really have a choice, with me being his cellmate. I sneak another glance at her. Dustin didn’t really say much about her, all he said is she owes him a favor. She seems very sweet too sweet to know someone like Dustin.
“How do you know Dustin?” I can’t resist asking.
She gives a sad laugh. “I should have known that he’d still be an asshole. Dustin is my father.” She doesn’t even look at me, her eyes are glued to the road.
“Wait, what?” I’m in total shock. He never said she was his daughter. “Why didn’t you visit him inside?”
Her eyes narrow at me as she purses her lips. “The same reason I hadn’t seen him since he was locked up. He’s a piece of shit. Mom wanted to visit him, but he told her he never wanted to see her again.” Her tone has a bite to it; the chick is pissed.
“You hate him?” It’s a fact. I’m not judging her. When it comes to families, there can’t be any judgments. We’re all different.
She flicks a glance my way. Her eyes have a hard expression, but then she apparently takes pity on me and drops the attitude, and her features soften. She sighs. “Just how well do you know my father?” A defeated expression settles over her face, and weariness fills her gaze as she glances at me out of the corner of her eye. Her body is tense as if she is waiting for a fight.
“I’ve lived with him for the past five years, so I guess as well as I can.” I shrug. I don’t even want to have this conversation, but if I’m going to live with her, I’m going to have to learn everything about her. That way I can’t make any mistakes. Also keeping my promise to Dustin to watch out for her, which makes a hell lot more sense now.
Michelle laughs and casts a gaze of mild astonishment at me like I’m naive. Like she can’t believe what I just said. “What has my father told you about me?” Her brows raised; she should be part of the Spanish inquisition, the way she’s drilling me.
“Not much. I didn’t know he had a daughter. All he said was you owed him a favor.”
Her chin wobbles just before she clamps her jaw shut, and it seems as if she’s about to cry. “That’s about right. My dad.” She spits out the word. “Only does things that benefit him. Whatever game he’s playing, we’re all pawns. He needs you for something, and Trent, whatever it is, keep me out of it.”
“So you haven’t seen him at all?” Maybe the Dustin I know isn’t the real Dustin at all.
A bitter laugh escapes her lips. “Up until three months ago, when he rang to ask if I would put you up, I hadn’t spoken to my father since the day he went to prison for murder.”
That brought on an involuntary double take. The hatred in her voice startles me. How can someone so innocent have so much hate? She reaches over and turns the radio up, effectively shutting down our conversation.
Three hours later, she pulls up outside a complex. It’s a hell of a lot better than I had ever imagined. We’re in Bar Harbor, Maine. This town is beautiful. It’s one of the places I’ve wanted to visit for years, since before my conviction even, so it’s particularly special that I’m coming here now. Maine runs through my veins, it’s where I was born, where I grew up and it’ll be where I die, there isn’t anywhere else I want to be. The smell of the ocean, the salty air, everything about this calm place calls to me.
The complex seems well kept. It’s been painted white and not long ago. It must have at least twenty apartments if not more. A smile tugs on my lips when I glance up and see three elderly ladies staring out three different windows, curious expressions on their faces as they scrutinize me, trying to see what they can find out from my appearance. Sorry ladies, I’m not an open book. But they’ll judge me on my appearance, I’m five feet eleven inches tall, and I have tattoos covering over half of my body. I’m used to being judged based on my tattoos. People see them and immediately decide that I’m an asshole, that I’m bad news and generally go out of their way to avoid me. It’s one of the things that surprised me about Michelle. She didn’t even bat an eyelid at my appearance; she seemed to be at ease with me and didn’t give off any vibes that she was scared.
“I’ll show you around the complex and then I’ll take you to your apartment. It’s not the biggest…” Her tone is apologetic, and I have no idea why. The chick’s helping me out. Hell, right now, I’d be happy with the boiler room, as long as I get to sleep
As she leads the way, I wait for her to walk ahead of me so I can watch her magnificent ass sway some more.
The main doors are locked, and Michelle plugs in a code to gain access. It’s all secure, and a sign on the wall says guests need to wait to be buzzed in. Silently, I follow behind her, only taking my eyes off her ass to glance at the sleek, modern décor. As we turn a corner, the scent of fresh pine lingers beneath my nostrils. Running my finger across the banister as we reach the stairs, it comes back without a speck of dust, it’s the most immaculate place I’ve ever stayed.
Her laughter ignites something inside, warmth spreads outward as my dick twitches. “I have a cleaner, I couldn’t keep the place this damn clean. Mary-Rose keeps me sane, she helps out so much.” This is the first time I’ve heard her talk about someone with love and affection. Even when she spoke about her mom, she didn’t resonate happiness, if anything there was bitterness in her voice.
“Okay, so what do you need from me? I’m happy to help out with anything.” It’s true. Michelle has gone out of her way to give me a place to stay and a job, so the least I can do is help in any way possible.
“You’ll be the new maintenance guy. The last one left a few months ago, and I’ve been hiring contractors and other people to come and fix things.” She gives me a reassuring smile. “I’m going to introduce you to everyone in the building.”
“Everyone?” I think back to the old ladies who were staring at me as I got out of the car.
“Yeah, this complex has a lot of elderly people living here along with parents and kids. You’ll be fine.” Again, she’s trying to reassure me.
“Michelle, I’m a convicted felon. They might not want to meet me. Hell, as soon as they find out I was inside, they won’t want to live here anymore.” Fuc
k, this isn’t a good idea. I knew I should have just gone it alone, when the occupants of this complex find out I’m a convict, they’re going to cause a ruckus, and Michelle is going to be in the firing line.
“Trent, relax. I’ve spoken to all the tenants individually and collectively. They’ve known for three months that you’ll be coming here to stay. I’ve also told them that if anything happens, you’re gone. They’re all ready to welcome you with open arms, though they’ll probably want to know what you were in for.” She starts walking up the stairs, she’s not worried.
There’s a threat in there, and I understand that I’m on thin ice already. I’m not sure if it’s because I was in prison or because I’m a friend of her old man’s either way I’ve got to be on my best behavior.
Something strikes me, and I figure I should clear the air. “You never asked me what I was in for. Do you already know?”
She turns her head to stare at me. “No, I don’t. All I asked was if you were a danger to society. Dad said you weren’t, that it was a mistake as to why you were in prison. I believed him…and now I’m wondering if I should have?”
“Yes, you should have. I will not hurt anyone. I put a man in hospital for hitting a woman. I was drunk, and I resisted arrest.” I try to put her at ease, I won’t let her down; there’s absolutely no way.
“I’m glad, although I did have a cop friend of mine make sure you weren’t on the sex offender list.” She continues up the stairs, and I’m not sure if she’s joking or not. She’s already near the next flight of stairs, and I’ve yet to start climbing. Taking the stairs two at a time so that I can catch up to her. As I do, she’s already waiting for me, she’s standing at the elevator, either side of which is a front door.
“You ready? You’re about to meet Ethel and Agnes.” She has a smirk on her face, and I’m instantly dreading it. She knocks on both doors, and we wait for the women to come out.
The right door opens first, and I’m greeted by an elderly woman who raises her brow then gives me a wink. When the second door opens, blue eyes peer up at me from behind thick rimmed glasses. Ethel and Agnes. The same two women who were watching me like hawks when I arrived. “Ethel, Agnes. This is Trent Lawrence. Our new maintenance guy.” Michelle introduces us with a smile. That damn smile lights up this place, and I enjoy it, but I also know that she’s smiling because something’s about to happen.
Finding Home Page 1