James W. Nelson

Daughters: Emma Gets Payback: Emma Gets Payback (Volume 2) James W. Nelson

Emma, 18 (originally appeared in Daughters, Book 1, The Heartbreak of Human Trafficking.) Six months have gone by. She and her new best friend, Alexis, leave the safety of Abundance, Montana, and the home of her foster father, Bailey Forbes, to head 200 miles back out into the cold world. Emma's college goal is Child Psychology and Criminal Justice, so that she can help other young girls in trouble. The University of Montana, Wyman, should be safe. After all, it's a university, with security guards and campus police, and professors, and many other adults to look after the new students. All the other young girls rescued have been living in Bailey's house plus Bailey's employer, Lance's house, while they get their lives back in order. By the end of the six months most of the girls have either returned to their parents, or have a job at Abundance, and have rented a house with the option to buy. Bailey and Heather (now recovered from her bullet wound) are planning their wedding. Everybody is happy and moving forward with their lives. Unfortunately, Emma's past comes back to haunt her right there on the college campus. Alexis tells her she should call Bailey, but Emma determines to take care of things herself. Excerpt from C 12 "Dirk Pays" Due to believing in self-defense, Emma and Alexis have both taken a night class in Taekwondo. "Dirk" is one of the upper classmen, and has no idea what Emma has just experienced, and she's a bit pissed! **** ?Charyeot!? Connor said. Everyone went to attention, then a collective bow by everyone. ?First jumping jacks?begin!? Connor said, and began. Whoever I get, he or she is getting their ass whipped tonight! **** When Emma?s opponent was announced as Dirk, she remained unfazed. So it?s a guy. Big freakin? deal! She remained at attention, staring straight ahead, arms stiff at her sides. After a moment a male student appeared in front of her. He was taller and weighed more, not a lot. His head was shaved but his chin might have had two days black stubble. He had blue eyes, his face appeared to want to smile, appeared to be easy to smile. He was cute, but that didn?t matter. She was going to kick his ass! For just a blink of a second he placed his left hand on his green belt, then made eye contact, as if to be telling her that he would be careful and not hurt her, and his eyes almost smiled. She remained sober. If anything her eyes became daggers, so much so that the almost-smile of Dirk?s went away, being replaced by an obvious question mark. What the hell? Did he think his baby blue eyes and smile were going to sway me, to let him do what he wants? The other black belts arrived with the boxing gloves. Dirk got his first. The moment they were tied tight and secure he looked fixedly toward her and slammed his gloved hands together. Message sent. And received. There would be no holding back until she went down. Then he would step back, bow, and wait?just don?t smirk, buddy! With her eyes she warned him. He answered in kind, then dropped his hands to his sides. The same black belt then arrived with Emma?s gloves, ?Present your left hand please.? She did it. The black belt pushed the glove partially on. Emma lost her balance, fell backward, and almost went down, and instantly threw her eyes to Dirk, who was sending a smirk, just barely, but a smirk nonetheless. I told you not to smirk, buddy! The black belt released the pressure on Emma and she regained her balance. ?Sorry,? he said. ?That?s all right! I just wasn?t expecting?.? ?A lot of things happen when you?re not ?expecting,?? came from Dirk. Keep right on, buddy! She put her left foot forward which stabilized her stance to receive the glove, which then went on easily. Then he came with the right-handed glove and she put her right foot forward. When both gloves were on he tied them. **** Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars Four Stars, July 23, 2014 By Amazon Customer (Kindle Edition) Good