UNTOUCHED (Midwest Alphas) (Book 1) Read Free Page B

for your own protection.”
    “Protection?” I scoff.
    “Yes.”
    “Why do I need protection?”
    “We both know why.”
    I glare up at him with annoyance. “So, I’m a prisoner?” I ask, pulling on another teat.
    “No, you’re my guest — a guest with no privileges. The more work you do, the more privileges you earn.”
    “What exactly is the point of this again?”
    “The point, Claire, is to teach you responsibility. Nothing worth having in this world comes easy. Patience and hard work will earn you more than laziness and entitlement.”
    I look up at him. “Then how many cows do I have to milk to get my phone back?”
    He smirks. “More than I have, that’s for sure.”
    “Oh, goody.”
    “It won’t be just milking cows,” he continues. “After this, we gotta lay some more hay down in here, feed the chickens, and tend to the horses.”
    “You have horses?” I ask.
    “Two of ‘em,” he nods. “You do as you’re told and you’ll earn a few rides, if you want.”
    I nod. It’s the first bit of goodness I’ve felt since I got here, but it’s enough to keep me going for now. My eyes fall past him and I look at the motorbike again.
    Charlie follows my gaze and shakes his head. “You won’t be earning any rides on that thing,” he says. “It’s my son’s.”
    “Yeah,” I say, looking back to the cow. “I met him last night.”
    “What were you doing out of bed?” he asks, his voice stern.
    “I heard someone wandering around outside my room,” I say. “I thought I’d check it out…”
    He seems satisfied with the response. “He comes in pretty late sometimes.”
    “Where does he work?” I ask.
    “The factory across town.”
    “What kind of factory is it?”
    “Automobile parts.”
    I scoff. “Of course…” I try to think of a way his response could have been any more boring, but I come up with next to nothing.
    “I don’t want you bothering Tobias, Claire,” he says.
    I look up to find his eyes fixed on me. “Okay…”
    “He’s a good kid. He doesn’t need someone like you being an influence on him.”
    “Jeez, calm down,” I say. “I get it. I’ll stay away from him.”
    Charlie watches me in silence for a few more minutes. “She’s good,” he finally says. “Let’s move on to Betty. Don’t kick the bucket when you stand up.”
    I spend the next several hours following Charlie around his farm, taking instructions from him on all the various chores I’ll have to partake in during my stay here, from spreading chicken feed to cleaning out the horse stables. I hate every moment of it, but there’s not much I can do about it. I’d do anything to be sitting in a coffee shop, or going to the mall, or sneaking out to a party with Rick.
    Just one month of this torture and I’ll be back to that life.
    I will admit that this place is quite beautiful — for a farm, anyway. Last night, it was dark and almost scary, but now, with the bright sun and the colorful flora painting everything green, I kind of like it. I can’t stand the fucking mosquitos though, and don’t get me started on the humidity.
    “That’s it for today,” Charlie says after I meet the horses.
    I reach out and brush my fingers along the neck of a tall black horse named Orion. He’s easily my favorite. The other one, brown and spotted white, is named Leo and wanted nothing to do with me when I tried to touch him. Orion, on the other hand, hasn’t shied away from my touch once. “I’m done?” I ask.
    “For today…” he repeats. “Should be about noon now. Good time to get some lunch.”
    I nod. “Can I take a shower first?” I ask in desperation.
    “Go for it,” he says. “Then I can take you into town and show you around.”
    “Do I have a choice?”
    “Not really.”
    I take off for the house, eager to get out of the mosquito feeding grounds. My entire body feels gross, like I’m covered in a thick layer of toxic sweat and fecal matter. I’ve never felt so worn out in all