by A. L Long
Contents
Copyright
Title Page
Acknowledgment
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER NINE
CHAPTER TEN
CHAPTER ELEVEN
CHAPTER TWELVE
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
CHAPTER NINETEEN
CHAPTER TWENTY
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
About the Author
Author Notes
Books
Coming Soon!!!!!!
Author Contact
Copyright © 2016 A.L.Long
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in reviews and certain other non-commercial uses permitted by copyright law.
All rights reserved. Except as permitted under the U.S. copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior consent of the author
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or used fictionally, and any resemblance to any actual person, living or dead, events or locales is entirely coincidental.
Interior edited by H. Elaine Roughton
Cover design by Lucas Schmauser
ASIN: B01HMRX1CM
ISBN: 978-1533465849
This book is intended for mature adults only
COP: Jagged Edge Series #2
By A.L. Long
Acknowledgment
To my husband of many wonderful years, who has been so supportive of my writing. If it weren’t for him my dream of writing would have never been fulfilled. I love you, sweetheart. And to my family, whom I also love dearly. Through their love and support, I can continue my passion for writing.
To the many readers, who took a chance on me and purchased my books. I hope that I can continue to fill your hearts with the passion I have grown to love.
A special thanks to all of the people that supported me at SPS. If you would like to learn about what they can offer you to become a self-publisher, please check out the link below. You will be thankful you did.
https://xe172.isrefer.com/go/curcust/allongbooks
CHAPTER ONE
Sabrina
So it doesn’t matter how hard I try, I just can’t get my legs to cooperate with the rest of my body. Maybe it is due to the insecurities that I have had to deal with most of my life or maybe it is the fact that a hunky piece of man candy is standing before me with only a pair of shorts hanging low on his hip. There should be a law against a man showing such a gorgeous body, knocking every woman off her feet.
“If you don’t concentrate on your center, Brie, you are going to end up getting the shit kicked out of you,” Tyler said, releasing me from my naughty thoughts.
“Yeah, yeah, whatever. That’s easy for you to say. Can’t you put on a shirt or something?”
Once Tyler grabs his shirt, I’m finally able to concentrate on the task at hand. Tyler is the self-defense trainer that was assigned to me when I signed up for the course. I was tired of being defenseless against a man. I was tired of being used as a punching bag as well. My ex, Sean Bishop, will never lay another finger on me. Even with the restraining order I had placed on him, he still managed to get to me. I needed to be prepared. So when I heard about a class they were offering for women at the YMCA, I jumped right on joining. What was even nicer was the fact that it was free.
“Okay, one more time, Brie. Concentrate on your center,” Tyler said, taking his stance behind me while wrapping his arm around my neck from behind.
Tyler has at least one hundred pounds on me, so for me to be able to flip him over my shoulder is nearly impossible. Finding my center, I bend my left leg and step back enough to give me the leverage I needed to pull his weight over my shoulder. Closing my eyes and giving it everything I had, I concentrated hard and prayed that I didn’t end up hurting myself in the end. Opening one eye and then the other, his body was lying flat on the mat.
“I did it! Oh my God!” I jumped for joy and did a victory dance around Tyler’s body. When he rose to a sitting position, I could tell he was not one bit amused by my celebration.
Pushing himself to his feet, he said with annoyance, “Are you going to dance around all day or are you going to focus on learning what you came here to learn?”
Being flipped must have hurt his ego because he wasn’t so easy on me the rest of the lesson. By the time I got back to my apartment, my body felt like it had been through the wringer. I didn’t think there was a muscle in my body that didn’t hurt. Matter of fact, I think muscles that I didn’t even know I had were sore.
Throwing my things on the couch, I walked to the fridge and grabbed a bottle of water before I headed to the bathroom for a much-needed soak. I was glad that it was Friday because I knew it would take that long for me to recoup from my defense class. While the tub filled with water, I slowly removed my clothes. Looking in the mirror, I pulled my hair back into a loose bun. Even though I had a fit and toned body, one imperfection was always there right in front of me. It was something that stared back at me every day. Over time it had gotten lighter, but it was still there. The scar stretching from my navel to the right side of my body just above my hip was a reminder of how close I was to losing my life.
Sliding in the tub, I leaned my head back against the spongy bath pillow I bought at one of those bed and bath stores. It was the best investment I had ever made. Another investment I didn’t regret was the Taser that I never went anywhere without. It had been my security blanket for the past seven years. I don’t know what it was, but I always managed to attract the wrong kind of guys. It was that way seven years ago and it’s that way now. At least I was smart enough to break if off with my now ex Sean before I ended up in the morgue. Even though he had only hit me one time, it was one time too many. I was never going to let another man ever hurt me again.
Pulling myself from the lukewarm water, I lifted the lever on the tub and let the water slowly drain out. Once I was dried off, I pulled the miracle ointment from my medicine cabinet and began applying it to the scar. It became a daily ritual for me to apply the ointment once in the morning and once at night. The nurse at the hospital I was taken to, said it would help reduce the signs of the scar. She must have known how ashamed I was of it and how ugly it was. In my eyes it was even uglier than the way I had gotten it, only because I knew how it came to be. That was the day my life changed forever.
Removing the hair tie from my hair, I headed to my bed for some much-needed sleep. Gathering my thoughts, I couldn’t help but wonder what it would feel like to be with someone who actually cared about me. It was something that I had always wanted: to be loved by someone as much as I loved them. I guess I could always dream. I knew that my chances of finding such a person were next to nil. I had a better chance of getting struck by lightning
than ever finding love.
~****~
The next morning, I could hear the birds singing outside my bedroom window as I laid in bed thinking about my life. It was just the beginning of summer and everything was in full bloom, and everything should be cheery and happy. The only problem was that was not the case, at least with me. Yes, I had a wonderful job that I loved and Lilly Davis was the best boss ever. I should be happy, but the one thing I needed more than anything was missing, to have someone love me.
Finished with my pity party, I rose from my bed and decided to make something special of this glorious day. After taking a quick shower, I decided to stop by the Happy Cow and say ‘Hi’ to my ex co-workers. When Lilly offered me the job to be her assistant at Séduire Art Galley, I never thought I would enjoy working there as much as I did. I decided to put in my notice at the Happy Cow and focus my time on being the best assistant ever to Lilly. It was hard saying good-bye to all the people I worked with, who were also the only family I really had. The one benefit of working at the gallery was that the Happy Cow was right across the street so it was almost like I never left.
I would have loved to spend time with Lilly, but I knew that she and Peter were still on vacation in the Bahamas for a week. I told Lilly that I thought Peter was going to pop the question, but Lilly thought I was out of my mind. I will know whether or not I was right in a couple of days.
After Lilly moved out of her condo to live with Peter, I didn’t see the hunk of everything that is man standing in front of her door. Except when he used to come around the gallery, at least until he got called away on some important mission. I wasn’t sure where he went, but I hadn’t seen him around in about a month. It must have been pretty important to take him away for so long. He seemed really nice, someone I wouldn’t mind getting to know, even though I felt like I really wasn’t his type. Not by his caliber of feminine characteristics anyway.
As I headed out the door, I heard a strange noise behind me. Looking over my shoulder, I saw an overweight Siamese cat scratching at the door. I wasn’t sure what was going on, but I knew that Mrs. Jensen would never let Oliver out of her condo. Walking over to him, I picked him up and knocked on her door. When she didn’t answer, I began to worry.
Knocking a little harder, I said, “Mrs Jensen, it's Sabrina from down the hall. I have Oliver. He must have got out. Mrs. Jensen, are you at home?”
There was still no answer. What if something bad happened to her? Walking back to my apartment with Oliver, I decided to call 9-1-1 to see if they could make a courtesy visit. I wasn’t sure if it was a real emergency, but the dispatcher said she would send a unit right over.
While I waited for someone to come, I treated Oliver to a bowl of milk. I wasn’t sure how long he was perched in front of her door, but he seemed to enjoy the warm milk. I never could understand the life of a cat. What a life. Oliver seemed to be content wherever he was. After he finished his milk he jumped on the built-in sitting area below my living room window and began licking himself clean. I guess he was enjoying the heat that the sun was radiating through the window.
Only ten minutes had passed before a response team knocked on my door. Leaving Oliver in the comforting sun, I walked with the two male responders to Mrs. Jensen’s condo. When they were unable to get an answer on the other side of the door, one of the men turned around and kicked the door open right below the doorknob. “That is going to hurt Mrs Jensen’s wallet,” I thought to myself, knowing she was on a fixed income.
As the responders walked into her condo, I followed behind. It wasn’t until I saw her lying lifeless on the kitchen floor in a puddle of water that I began to panic. I wasn’t sure what happened to her. I only hoped it wasn’t anything serious, but when she didn’t respond to their voices, I knew it was bad. The EMT guys began checking for vitals, but it was no use. She didn’t have a pulse, and based on the coldness of her body, she had been lying there for some time. One of the men looked at his watch and said, “I’m calling it. I’ll let dispatch know to send a unit by.”
Even though I didn’t know Mrs. Jensen very well, she was a sweet old lady. I remember her inviting me over for a cup of tea and biscuits. I could listen to her for hours the way she talked about her childhood in London. I just loved the way she talked. Now she was gone. I wasn’t even sure if she had any children. I never did see anyone stop by to visit her. It was sad that she didn’t have anyone.
The police showed up a short time later and I gave my statement, letting them know what had happened. They offered to take Oliver off my hands and to a pet shelter, but I refused to let them take him. I knew exactly what could happen to a cat his age. I loved animals, but really never had the time for them. I guess acquiring a new pet would change that.
Finishing up with the police, I walked back to my condo. When I opened the door, Oliver was still in the same spot that I left him in. Walking over to him, I picked him up and gave him some love. Holding him up so that he was looking at me, I said softly, “Well, Oliver, it looks like you are going to have a new home. Sorry, but your mommy died, but it will be okay. I’ll take care of you.” Somehow I had a feeling he understood every word I said. Either that, or he sensed that I had lost my mom too.
CHAPTER TWO
Sabrina
“God, I’m too young to start getting hot spells,” I said out loud, my body overheating. Throwing the covers off of me, I realized that it wasn’t my body overheating, it was the white and gray fur ball that was nestled against my lower stomach and my hip. Nudging Oliver, I tried everything I could to get him to move. At least I knew that he was still alive, by the way he was purring and digging his claws into my mattress. Giving up all hope of sleeping in, I pushed away from my new roommate and headed to the bathroom. Looking in the mirror, I grabbed my toothbrush while I waited for the water in the shower to warm up. Stripping off my ratty pajamas, I stepped inside the shower and soaked up the hot spray.
As I got ready for the day, I thought about all the things that I needed to do. With Oliver as my new roomy, the first thing I absolutely needed to do was buy him some treats and cat food. I hated the fact that I didn’t have a car and needed to to take the subway or walk nearly two miles to the nearest pet store and market. Grabbing my purse, I decided to endure the walk to the pet store and take the subway on the way back. This way I would be able to kill two birds with one stone. I could get in my morning workout and save money on the subway fare.
When I got to the pet store, I couldn’t believe the variety of pet food they had. I wish I knew what kind of food Mrs Jensen fed Oliver, it would certainly make my life a lot easier. Picking the midrange priced food for adult cats who were overweight, I place the 20 pound bag in my cart, along with some other items, and proceeded to the checkout.
After paying fifty bucks at the pet store and then another thirty at the market, my wallet was bare except for my I.D. and credit card that already reached its purchasing limit. Even though Lilly paid me well at the gallery, it barely covered my monthly house payment and other essential expenses. It was for this reason that I needed to find a new place to live. That and the fact that my ex found out where I lived.
Setting my bags on the counter, I grabbed the bag of cat food and the food and water bowl that I purchased for Oliver, and began filling one bowl with a small amount of food and the other with cold water. Calling for him, I waited as he slowly moved down the hallway in my direction. Once he spotted the food, his pace picked up. I thought it would be best to purchase him a litter box and litter as well. Filling the box with just the right amount of litter, I headed to the bathroom where I placed his box in the corner, out of the way. Hopefully he would figure out where his new box was instead of using the makeshift cardboard box I had stuffed with shredded magazines.
After I put everything away, I took a seat in my favorite spot and booted up my laptop. If I was going to have a chance at saving money, I needed to find a new place to live. There were a lot of apartments to rent. Unfortunately the
y were all out of my price range unless I wanted to live on the lower eastside of Manhattan. The only other option was to see if anyone was looking for a roommate. Changing my search, I waited as the wheel began to spin. My search brought up several possibilities. One was a student looking for someone to share the rent for a two-bedroom apartment near Central Park on Columbus. The only problem was they didn’t accept pets.
Getting discouraged, I decided to put my search on hold and visit my friends at the Happy Cow. Oliver seemed pretty content where he was, so I grabbed my things and headed out the door. Hailing a cab, I headed to the Happy Cow. When I arrived at the small coffee shop, the people I used to work for came at me in a swarm. I guess they really missed me. I've missed them, too. Even though it had only been a couple of months since my departure and I came by almost every day that I worked at the gallery, they acted like they hadn’t seen me in years.
Propping my elbows on the counter I order a small Mocha Latte. Everyone who greeted me went back to what they were doing. I took a seat at one of the high tables against the window and watched the people as they walked by. I was so focused on them, that I didn’t hear Nikki coming up to me with my Mocha.
“Here’s your Mocha, Brie,” she said, placing it on the small table. “This one is on me.”
