The Complete Quake Series Boxset

by Jacob Chance

  I smile. “I can’t seem to help myself. You get more beautiful each day, Leoncita.”

  “And you get sweeter. What happened to my big, bad, alpha husband? Are you turning into a softie now?”

  “He’s still in here. I promise to give you a demonstration in five weeks,” I reply, mentioning the date we can resume lovemaking. My dick and I will be counting down the seemingly endless days between now and then.

  Turning my attention back to my two sons… two sons. God, I can’t believe I’m a father to these boys. I’m not sure what I did to deserve them. I swear too much, I’m impatient at times, and I have no tolerance for assholes. But there’s no father on this planet who could love them more than I do.

  Derek Jr.

  Fifteen years later

  My hands shove against his chest rocketing him back two steps. “You better watch what you say asshole before I watch it for you.”

  Paul holds up his hands in front of him. “Dude, calm down.”

  “Don’t tell me to calm down. You disrespected Andi. Apologize to her, now.” I grit out the final word with my teeth clenched. If he can’t tell he’s one second away from getting his ass kicked, he’s as dumb as I know he is.

  “Derek, it’s okay.” Andi’s soothing voice comes from behind me. I won’t turn around to see where she is. I’m not taking my eyes from this asshole. He’s the type who’d hit me when my back is turned. That’s how much of a punk he is.

  Narrowing my eyes at Paul, I send a final message to him. Apologize now or I’m going to fuck you up.

  “Andi, I’m sorry I disrespected you. It was wrong of me.”

  I guess he received my message after all.

  “I won’t do it again and if I do, I know that D.J. will make me regret it,” I coach him.

  “I won’t disrespect you again and if I do, I know D.J. will make me regret it,” Paul continues, repeating my words almost verbatim.

  I step forward until my chest almost bumps his. “You can go now. But if I hear one whisper from anyone about you treating Andi poorly, I’m coming for you.”

  He gives a sharp nod before stepping backward two steps. His eyes sweep to Andi before he turns and walks away.

  “D.J.” Andi’s small hand briefly lands on my arm as she stops beside me. “Why did you do that?”

  My eyes follow Paul across the school parking lot until he’s out of sight and then I turn to her. “Why did I do that? He was being a dick to you. Do you like it when your boyfriend treats you like shit?”

  She shakes her head. “No. Of course not.”

  “Then why do you allow it?”

  She rolls her berry colored lips inward, rubbing them together and shifts her hold on the books in her arms. “I don’t know. I care about him and I don’t want him to break up with me.”

  I exhale sharply from my nose and rake my hair back with my fingers. “If he really cared about you, he would treat you better. He would protect you and make you feel like the most important girl in the world. He would want to spend time with you and he’d be grateful for every moment you spend with him.”

  “He does all those things,” she says the words without conviction because deep down she knows she’s lying to both of us.

  “Oh really? Because I’m pretty sure he just told you to go the fuck home and he might call you later if you’re lucky. That doesn’t sound like someone who’s grateful to have you as his girlfriend.” Just repeating what he said makes my blood boil all over again. I’m sorry I didn’t kick his pussy ass while I had the opportunity. If I catch him being a shit to her again, I won’t give him another chance.

  Andi scowls. “D.J. I appreciate that you were defending me, but next time stay out of my business. You know nothing about what Paul and my relationship is like. And you don’t need to.”

  “I’m not blind. I can see what it’s like.”

  “You’re the guy who won’t commit to any girl and yet you want me to take relationship advice from you?” She arches an elegant eyebrow. “Pfft, that’s rich.”

  What I won’t say, what I can’t say is the only girl I want to commit to I can’t have. Andi’s my best friend, Gage’s little sister, and she thinks of me as another older brother. The three of us have grown up next door to each other and spent more time together than I can remember. I favorably remember long summer days spent splashing in the pool or playing manhunt with the other neighborhood kids at night. What started out as simple infatuation for her has grown deeper over the years until it’s developed into a painful unrequited love. Just looking at her hurts my heart, but not seeing her at all would be much more devastating.

  I’m coming up to the end of my senior year in high school and I can’t imagine going off to college in the fall without her. She’s two years younger than Gage and I. I’m not sure how I’ll be able to survive without being around her every day. She’s the brightest part of my life and she has no idea. No one does. Not even my younger brother, Thomas, and certainly not Gage. If he knew I was in love with Andi, he’d beat my ass up, down, and all around our neighborhood and then never speak to me again.

  “Andi, we’re not talking about me, we’re talking about Paul and the lack of respect he shows you.”

  “Of course, we’re not talking about your love life. Whatever would we talk about? Hmm, let’s see,” she pauses and taps her lips with her fingertip. “Should we talk about which Johnson twin you fucked last week? Because some say it was Darla and others think it was Dora.”

  Shit. My chest tightens that she knows I was with one of them. I don’t flaunt my sex life in her face, but I’m not going to apologize for it either. She’s had boyfriends and I don’t hold that against her. I don’t know what she’s done with them. She and Paul could be screwing for all I know. I hope the fuck not, but it’s out of my hands.

  It’s unsettling to think about what she might be doing because I want to be the only guy in her life, but it’s never going to happen. Which is another reason why I take what I can get from girls and make no promises.

  “I don’t have a love life, I have a sex life. And if you want to know who I fucked, you should just ask me.”

  Andi curls her upper lip in repugnance. “That’s the thing, I don’t want to know.” She tosses her long hair over her shoulder and stalks away.

  Goddammit. I didn’t mean to say that to her. I was angry thinking about her possibly being with other guys and I let my mouth get ahead of me.

  “What’s going on, man?” Gage questions as he stops beside me.

  “I had to put the fear of God in Paul. He was being his typical asshole self, but this time it was Andi.”

  Gage scowls. “You took care of it?”

  “I did. I wish I would’ve put my hands on him, but I didn’t have to.”

  “Hey, there’s always next time,” Gage offers.

  “That’s what I’m banking on.”

  Until next time.

  Want to read more about D.J. and Andi?

  Click HERE to add their book to your TBR.

  Delude

  Prologue

  Zack

  Ten years ago

  Sobs fill the silence of the room. “Dad, leave mom alone,” I shout, pushing on his chest and shoving him back a couple of feet. Like a tenacious pit bull after a chew toy - this fucker just keeps coming.

  Each time he comes back harder, finally snaking by me. Gripping her upper arm in his meaty fist, he digs his fingers deep into her skin, and uses his other arm to block me.

  Cries from the pain and the fear he instills mix with the stench of alcohol emanating from his body. His other hand goes to her neck, gripping under her chin. The shriek piercing my ears is cut off when he squeezes.

  Her face changes color.

  Red. Then purple. Finally, heading into the blue family. Blue’s always been my favorite color, but I can’t say I’ve ever seen this exact shade before. It’s the color of sadness and the ocean of tears my mom has cried over this asshole.

  Eve
rything happens fast. Her eyes open wide and bulge as the pressure of his fingers increases.

  She can’t breathe and I’m paralyzed standing behind him, watching it happen.

  Transfixed with fascination, I stare. Her eyes lock on me, her love shining through the agony she’s experiencing. The terror and pleading in her eyes fades to acceptance.

  She knows this time she’s going to die.

  Tears flow uncontrolled down her cheeks and a sense of relief washes over me.

  This is the last time he’ll ever make her cry.

  Chapter One

  Zack

  SEPTEMBER

  I can’t wait to take this fucker by surprise. He won’t know what hit him.

  The hour is late. They should be asleep by now. Standing in front of the door to Janny’s apartment, I carefully jimmy the lock. I’m confident they’ll sleep through the faint sound the pick is making. I smile as the lock turns.

  Tentatively gripping the knob, I begin turning it to the right. The faintest noise on the other side of the door has me pausing.

  I never ignore my instincts or talk myself out of what they’re telling me. When you grow up with an abusive father like mine, you learn to listen better than most. Things that went bump in the night at my house were scarier than you could imagine.

  Kyle’s standing on the other side of the door; I know this with the utmost certainty. I breathe deep, to settle the adrenaline rushing through my veins.

  There’s power in knowing I’m willing and prepared to do whatever it takes to come out of this fight the victor.

  After a moment of complete quiet inside the apartment, I quickly turn the knob and swing the door open. The glint of the knife in my hand reflects the light from the hallway.

  He rushes forward, striking me in the chest and chin with the palm heels of his hands. I take three unsteady steps backward out of the apartment and swing the knife across his midsection as I stumble from the force of his blows. I smile when I feel the blade slice along the surface of his stomach.

  Motherfucker. He must have heard me picking the lock.

  I can’t wait to kill him.

  The flesh wound doesn’t slow him down at all.

  I’m still off balance as Kyle moves forward, striking my chest and face again. He drives me further back into the hallway. I can’t recover fast enough and he secures the hand holding the knife with both of his.

  He wraps his left arm under mine then spins back around, snapping my wrist inward, forcing me to drop the knife onto the floor. Fuck. I’m losing patience. I can’t catch up. He’s one step ahead of me always.

  He kicks the knife across the hall with his heel, then snaps his leg forward, sweeping the inside of my right leg out. I drop face first to the carpet. I instantly react rolling aside as he tries to stomp a heel onto the side of my face.

  I jump to my feet just as fast as he put me down and we move slowly in a tight circle, each of us searching for an opening. I’m favoring my wrist and breathing heavy with pain and fatigue. This fight isn’t going how I planned.

  My plan to approach sleeping victims and face no resistance is no longer an option.

  I lunge forward in desperation, attempting a double leg takedown, as Kyle slides back and sprawls out of reach. He drops an elbow straight down into the base of my neck. I’m disoriented, on all fours, and I scream when he stomps on one of my ankles, turning it sideways. I know serious damage has been done.

  He kicks me a second time directly in the face, while I lay on my side holding my ankle.

  Janny unexpectedly appears in the open doorway. She’s shocked at first, taking everything in. Once she recognizes me she leaps in my direction. Kyle jumps in between us to stop her from joining the fight.

  “Goddamn it, Janny. Get back. Lock the door and call the police,” Kyle yells at her, carrying her back inside. She struggles, fighting to launch herself over his shoulder to get to me.

  He drops her down inside the door. Her eyes are wide open staring directly behind him as I quietly approach.

  “Kyle.” She screams out too late.

  I take advantage of his distraction, lower my shoulder and dive forward. I spear him in the small of the back and slam him into the wall beside the door.

  By the time, he recovers, I’m in the doorway, gripping Janny’s hair in one hand and my knife in the other.

  Waves of nausea wash over me from the intense pain. Through sheer will I’m able to stand on my injured ankle while Janny fights, giving me all I can handle.

  She struggles to free herself, scratching at my eyes and digging furrows in my flesh in the process.

  I’m through with this asshole, and if hurting her is the best way to get my revenge then so be it.

  Three can keep a secret if two of them are dead.

  I raise the knife overhead, prepared to swing it down at Janny, when Kyle steps in. He forces me to free her by grabbing my injured wrist. She falls onto the floor. He uses the momentum of my swing to bury the knife in my stomach up to the hilt.

  The impact of the blow makes me stagger back to the top of the stairwell. I try to speak, but I can’t form any words. The sight of the knife buried in my gut is surreal. The hardwood of the handle feels cool and smooth under my fingertips as my mind races with incoherent thoughts and my body tries to compensate for the trauma.

  The pain is excruciating.

  I can barely breathe.

  My heart pounds faster than it ever has.

  Blood trickles from the corner of my mouth, warm and metallic, as I stare at Kyle in disbelief. He walks straight over and kicks me in the chest.

  The tumble backward down the long flight of stairs seems as if it’s happening in slow motion. Each crack and thump of my body is muted in my foggy head until I hit the landing, my broken body contorted in an unnatural position.

  My eyelids are so fucking heavy. Through the slits, I see him watching and waiting for movement. I’m smarter than that. I hold absolutely still.

  Janny slumps against him with a sob. He wraps his arms around her.

  Poor little Janny. Try having a knife in your gut.

  “Is he dead?” she asks, her voice muffled against his blood-splattered chest. Her thin arms cling to him like she’s never going to let go.

  “Yeah. I don’t think anyone can survive a knife wound like that to the abdomen.”

  Stupid move. He should know better than to underestimate me.

  I wait until they’re gone, out of sight, back into the safety of Janny’s apartment, before I make my move.

  One foot, two feet...blood pools around me leaving a trail on the concrete floor as I slowly drag myself. Three feet, four feet...fuck. Death is not an option. Five feet, six feet...gripping the edge of the wall I brace myself against it and unsteadily rise to my feet.

  The burning pain in my stomach has me gasping for breath.

  I pull my cellphone out of my pocket and send a text to an old friend. He’ll have help here for me in no time.

  By sheer will and determination alone that Kyle McKenzie will die by my own hand, I manage to make it inside the door of the service elevator.

  So much blood. It seeps through my fingertips. I push the button to bring me to the garage level, leaving a bright red smudge, and try to catch my breath. It’s no use.

  Shit, it’s so cold. At least the blood pouring out of my wound is warm.

  I know I’m in the first stages of shock, my body’s shutting down from the loss of blood.

  When the elevator doors open, I carefully move along the hallway until I’m standing in front of the back exit. Leaning my head on the cold steel, I rest for a moment, but I know I’m running out of time.

  When I push open the metal door, Anthony, an old friend, is waiting for me. We’ve known each other since I first moved to New York eight years ago.

  I met him at a bar one night, and we hit it off. Since then I’ve come to learn he’s mob connected and deeply so. If there’s anything I need, Anthony will take
care of it. And I mean anything.

  Maybe I should have hired him to kill Kyle. Fuck that. I’ll get him next time.

  “Fuck, dude. You’re all kinds of fucked up,” he says, stating the obvious.

  “I need…you to…do…me a…favor.” I struggle with each breath I take and each word I say. “Wipe…any…trace of…me.”

  Anthony’s eyes briefly flick to me. “Consider it done brother.”

  I don’t answer. All my focus is on each inhale of air into my lungs and living long enough to get retribution. He slings my arm around his shoulder and assists me to his car. Once inside, I lean my head back and close my eyes. Five minutes later, we’re at the back door of a surgical clinic.

  Being involved with the mob has its perks. Including getting medical treatment from doctors who owe your friend favors. Gloves snap on, orders are shouted, and I’m wheeled on a stretcher down the stark white hallway to the operating room.

  And lucky for Hell, I’ll live to see another day.

  Chapter Two

  Lana

  SEPTEMBER

  My vision blurs as I endlessly stare at the computer screen. It’s not easy finding the right John Smith. It’s a common name. There are over two thousand of them in the six New England states alone. Glancing at the clock I realize I’ve been at this for four hours now. Time for a lunch break.

  Pushing back my chair, I rise, grabbing my purse and cellphone.

  My shoes are silent on the hallway carpet as I head toward the front reception area. I’m the only one in the office today. Kyle, one of my bosses is in New York City with his girlfriend, Janny, and Derek, my other boss had a few appointments this morning.

  Pushing open the glass door of the office building, I take in the late September day here in Boston. The temps are mild and the sun is out, perfect weather for walking to my favorite pizza place.