Battle: BWWM Dystopian Interracial Sci-Fi Romance (Betwixt Chocolate Book 2) Read Free

pronounced.
    Mercy and Melvin waved. While they were a bit old for traveling outside the walls, neither could be stopped from attempting to return to House Ballmore where they were born so many years earlier. Once they were beyond the gate, it closed and locked. I sighed, thinking of all the improvements we needed to make for better security.
    “What’s wrong?” Ree asked.
    “Oh, just stressed,” I said.
    “About what?”
    “A little of everything,” I said then chuckled.
    “Things are going so well. I think we have a chance.”
    “Yeah?”
    She nodded her head. I leaned forward and kissed her on the lips. Instead of resisting, she parted her lips. My heart beat faster as her tongue slid into my mouth, dancing against mine. I wrapped my hands around her waist, pulling her closer. We both became wrapped up in the passion of the moment until someone cleared their throat. I pulled back and turned to my left.
    “Sorry, Gov. We have new news.”
    “It’s okay, Terry,” I said, smiling. “Give me a minute, okay?”
    He nodded and headed toward the left factory. I turned my attention back to Ree.
    “I have to go.”
    “I know. It’s okay. I’m busy too.”
    “Maybe we can have dinner again later.”
    “That’s a possibility.”
    “Teaching math today, are you?” I asked.
    She smiled. “Yeah. See you later, okay?”
    I watched as she walked away. The way her full hips swung back and forth was mesmerizing. When she turned a corner, I took a deep breath and headed toward the left factory, which was having power and production problems. The problem would likely be easy to fix, but a lot of little things were adding up. Most of my time was putting out fires rather than planning for the community’s future, which was a shame. Dinner with Ree later that night did put a bounce in my step.

Three

Tony
     
    A week after Cricket, Mercy and Melvin left, I received word of someone approaching the main gate. They weren’t supposed to be back so soon, which worried me. I rushed out of the factory and climbed one of the towers we had constructed recently. When I reached the top, I looked out at the clearing and the man approaching. From his size, I could tell it wasn’t Cricket or one of the other two.
    “Who approaches?” I called out.
    The figure removed the hood of the weathered cloak he wore. His hair was pure white. A full beard fell halfway down his chest. He looked up at me, shielding his eyes from the sun with his left hand.
    “Greetings. I am Curtis, a traveler who asks for sanctuary for a night or three,” he shouted.
    “Are you armed?”
    “You’re kidding right? It’s dangerous out here.”
    “Fair enough. We’re opening the gate. Don’t try anything funny.”
    I descended the ladder of the tower as the gate slowly swung open. The old man walked over. When he reached me, he held out his hand. I shook it. His firm was grip, which was surprising for his age.
    “Where are you coming from exactly? Do you have any news?”
    “Might I rest my feet and get some nourishment first?”
    “Of course,” I said. “Follow me.”
    We made our way to the cafeteria, which served food for everyone throughout the day because it was one of the basic necessities of life - like chocolate. Once he had a plate piled high, we found a seat at a table. Ree walked in and sat down next to him.
    “Welcome,” she said.
    The man smiled, nodded, then took a bite of a biscuit.
    “This is Curtis. He has information for us,” I said.
    “I have information for everyone. I’m not tied to any single factory-city. And let me tell you, there’s some crazy stuff out there in the world right now.”
    “Like what?” Ree asked.
    “Let the man eat,” I joked.
    “I’m fine. And there’s a lot to tell with little time before I have to move on. I have a lot of other places to go and people to see.”
    “What’s the biggest news?” Ree asked.
    “War is on the horizon. A lot of governors and presidents and kings are thinking