by Chloe Walsh
I stared blankly before shaking my head. "Okay, it's not often that I'm out of the loop, but please, can someone explain what's going on?"
"Presley," Noah said, coming to stand beside me. "Meet Nathan Cole. Resident cardiologist at St. Luke's hospital, Boulder, and my wife's cousin."
"Any criminal record?" I whispered.
Noah smirked. "Nope."
"Really. And no synchronized jail time?"
"Nope, just an honest, hardworking doctor."
"Well hello, Dr. Cole," I said with a grin.
"Just a very married, hardworking doctor."
"Typical." I sighed. "Just typical."
"Come on, cowboy," Lucky chuckled, throwing an arm over my shoulder. "Let me fill up that big brain of yours. You won't believe half the shit I've unearthed."
"I'd prefer if you filled my–"
"Don’t push it, cowboy."
"Okie-dokie."
15
Sketch
The sound of incessant beeping was making the ache in my right temple grow to epic proportions.
Beep.
Beep.
Beep.
Motherfucker…
Seriously, I did not need this shit right now. I was having a bomb-ass dream involving Romi, some lube, and that pretty little pink bullet hidden in the third drawer of her nightstand.
"Beep, beep, beep, wake up…" someone whispered in my ear. Someone who sounded awfully like a fake-ass robot.
"Beep, beep, beep... any day now, beep, beep, beep… I need your help, beep, beep, beep… hurry the hell up, beep, beep, be–"
"Would you shut that creature up, Bolillo?" another voice barked. "Before I do it. Permanently."
"Now, now, Jenny, don’t be hasty."
"Bolillo! Did your new pet just call me Jenny?"
"It's the name of a Paulo Nutini song. I was making a…uh, never mind," another voice said and this time I recognized it.
Or should I say him.
Ah hell.
With a great deal of effort, I cracked an eyelid open and locked eyes on the nerd leaning over me. "You better not have taken advantage of me while I was out."
"Oh, maybe just a tad." Presley grinned down at me. "Welcome back to the land of the living."
I smirked. "Asshole."
He winked. "Yours or mine?"
My laugh turned into a painful fit of coughing. "Too sore to joke, Pres."
He winced and patted my arm. "I'll refrain until you're back on your feet.
"Appreciate it." Speaking of back on my feet. "Where the fuck am I?" Feeling groggy, I craned my neck from side to side, trying to get my bearings. "Am I…" I turned back to look at him. "Pres, am I in a bar?"
"Technically, you're on a bar," he replied, hands flailing around as he spoke. "It's a really long, really drawn out story –"
"I don’t care. I just want Romi." Feeling hoarse, I looked around me, anxiously seeking her out. "Where the hell's Romi, man?"
"You had to go there right away, didn’t you?" A nervous laugh escaped his lips. "Oh dear." Yanking off his glasses, Pres wiped them on his shirt. "Can someone step in here? Please?"
"Where is she?" Heart bucking wildly, I dragged myself up on my elbows and looked around what I could only describe as a clubhouse for criminals. "Where the fuck is Romi, dammit!"
"Do you remember what happened, fullback?"
The familiar voice had me snapping my attention to the blond prick sitting on the bar. "You."
Exhaling a cloud of smoke, he smirked. "Me."
"You stuck me with a damn needle." I narrowed my eyes. "You goddamn kidnapped me!"
"Guilty as charged." His smile deepened. "But at least I didn’t stick you with the bullet they dug out of your chest, kid."
"Bullet?" I frowned and shook my head. "The hell are you talking about…" Without permission, my hand moved to my chest to soothe the tightening sensation and I stilled when I felt the bandage.
Like a goddamn wrecking ball, my memories came flooding back with a vengeance.
"Pull that trigger and all hell will break loose…"
"You'll start a war you can't win…"
"I'm already at war…"
He shot me.
Years of threats and Cal Dillon actually fucking shot me.
With a loaded gun.
What. A. Dick.
"That motherfucker!" Teeth clenched together, I dragged myself into a sitting position, breathing hard and labored. "Goddammit to hell!" Pain was scorching me and I felt as weak as a child. Fighting through the grogginess, I dragged in a mouthful of air and threw the blanket draped over my body away.
Great.
I was in a goddamn gown.
"Whoa, maybe you should lie back down, miracle man," Presley suggested, tone laced with concern. "You were loaded with lead just a few short weeks ago."
"Presley," I growled, sliding my feet over the side of the bar. "Are you telling me that I've been out for weeks?" Barefoot, I attempted to climb down but ended up toppling onto my knees.
"Sketch, you really should lie back down –"
"Where is she?" I sounded feral, even to my own ears, as I dragged myself to my feet. "With that pyscho freak?" Bare-assed for the world to see and breathing through the pain, I staggered straight for the curly-haired fucker. "Tell me you got her out of there!"
"She's gone, dude," Presley blurted out, backing away from me.
"Gone?" I continued to stumble after him, ignoring the pain in my chest. "Gone where?"
Fluttering around like a damn butterfly, he kept backing up. "Her, ah, psycho father took her?" he offered before diving behind a pool table.
"What the fuck do you mean he took her, Presley?" Adrenalin coursed through my veins and I balled my hands into fists. "Took her goddamn where!"
"Funny story." Chuckling nervously, Pres reached for a pool cue and wielded it in front of his body like a weapon. "Mind if I tell it from another room, or state…or heck, maybe another continent?"
I narrowed my eyes. "Presley."
"Go back, beast."
"Did you just swing that thing at me?"
"Maybe?"
"I'm gonna fuck you up."
"The power of Christ compels you!"
"You little bastard."
"Quit coming at me!"
"Quit swinging that damn thing at me."
"I'm nervous, dammit! You minus Romi makes for an unpredictable –"
"If you don’t start talking, you're gonna meet an unpredictable end, fucker."
"Ah hell, Sketch, don’t put me in this position –"
"Quinton!"
"Alright! Fine. I'll tell you!" Whimpering, he flailed the pool cue wildly. "Hey, Lucky, you don’t happen to have any more of those needles you stuck him with? Or a straitjacket?"
"Goddammit, Presley, just tell me already!"
"Then hold on tight, buddy. Because I'm about to blow your world – and not in the fun way."
16
Romi
Several days passed before Raffaele sent one of his henchmen to summon me from my room.
Cold to the bone, I allowed his guard to lead me back to the room of horror without a fight.
There was no point in defying him.
I didn’t stand a chance against these monsters.
I was underprepared and unprotected.
"Good evening, Ramona," he acknowledged from behind the huge desk when I stepped inside. "Have a seat."
Weary to the bone, I hobbled over to the desk and took the chair opposite his, just about ready to get whatever came next over with.
"What is the matter with your leg?" he asked, eyeing me with curiosity. "You walk with a limp."
"Last month, I jumped out of my treehouse and tried to kill myself."
His brows pinched together. "Why would you do that?"
I stared blankly. "Because I wanted to die."
My honesty must have taken him aback because he leaned back in his chair and stroked his jaw, expression thoughtful.
"And now?"
Unsure of what to he wanted to hear, I simply shrugged.
"What do you want now, Ramona?"
"Sketch."
"Sketch?" He arched a dark brow. "You want to draw?"
"No."
"Then what –"
"Boyfriend."
"Ah." A smile ghosted his lips. "I see."
I doubted it. I leaned back in my seat, feeling lifeless and numb. "He might be dead by now." It was the first time that I allowed myself to think the words, let alone say them out loud.
"Your boyfriend?"
Numb, I nodded. "He shot him, too."
"Your father?"
Another nod. "He likes to do that."
"Yes." Sympathy flickered in his eyes. "I am aware."
"So, did you kill him?" I asked, drumming my fingers on the arm rest of the chair.
"Who?"
"My father."
"I am a man of my word," he replied. "Your father walked free eleven nights ago, along with your brother."
"That was a mistake."
His brow arched. "You think?"
"I know." I looked him straight in the eyes. "He'll come back and kill you first chance he gets."
Raffaele's lips twitched. "To save his daughter?"
"No." I shook my head. "He doesn’t care what happens to me. He cares about his pride and you wounded it. You made a spectacle of him. He'll be furious and vengeful."
"That is true," he agreed. "And he can come when he is ready to finish this. I will be waiting to settle the score."
I shrugged. "It's your funeral."
What did I care anymore?
I didn’t.
I couldn’t.
I didn’t have anything left inside me to give.
"I remember you as a much happier child," he mused in a melancholy tone.
"I don’t remember you at all," I replied, lifeless.
"You were three years old the last time I saw you."
I stared blankly back at him.
"I am saddened by how your life turned out, Ramona." He sighed heavily. "You had such a different future ahead of you."
I stiffened. "With your dead son?"
"You loved Giacobbe and he loved you." He smiled. "From the moment you laid eyes on one another, you were inseparable. It was fate. A solid match. Two of the most powerful Catalinian families coming together." A soft laugh escaped him. "You even held hands in the crib as bambinos."
I narrowed my eyes. "You're sick."
"You really do not remember him, do you?"
"How could I?" I hissed. "I was a baby."
"My wife, Carmella, adored you." Pain flickered in his eyes. "She would be heartbroken to see you now."
"How long has it been?"
Raffaele arched a brow. "Since?"
"Since my father took me."
"I am not sure," he replied. "You would have to ask your father that, Ramona."
Fingers tingling, I pressed them to my temple. "What month is it?"
"December."
"December the what?"
"The twelfth."
"He's eighteen now," I mumbled, rocking back and forth, still clutching my head between my hands. "I've never missed his birthday before."
"Who?"
"Are you going to rape me?" the words were out of my mouth before I had a chance to take them back.
Raffaele stiffened. "You think I would rape my son's intended?"
"Your dead son," I replied flatly. "And I heard what my father said about you needing to make another heir."
"My family is not replaceable," he snarled, slamming his fist down on the table. "So, no, child, I do not plan to rape you." He spat out the words, eyes burning with fire. "I have no intention of creating a new family to replace my old one."
"What about kill me?" I looked him dead in the eye. "Do you plan to do that? Because if you do, I could really use a nine-month hall pass."
Confusion encompassed his features. "What are you saying, Ramona?"
"I'm saying that I think I might be pregnant."
Thank you so much for reading!
Sketch and Romi's story concludes in
Pocketful of Us,
Book four,
coming in the next few weeks.
Want more Noah and Lucky?
Curious to learn more about Lucky and Noah?
Read all about them in
The Carter Kids series by Chloe Walsh
Available now.
Other Books by Chloe Walsh
The Pocket Series:
Pocketful of Blame
Pocketful of Shame
Pocketful of You
Pocketful of Us
Standalones:
Endgame
The Faking it Series:
Off Limits – Faking it #1
Off the Cards – Faking it #2
Off the Hook – Faking it #3
The Broken Series:
Break my Fall – Broken #1
Fall to Pieces – Broken #2
Fall on Me – Broken #3
Forever we Fall – Broken #4
Breaking Point – Broken #4.5 (TBR)
The Carter Kids Series:
Treacherous – Carter Kids #1
Always – Carter Kids #1.5
Thorn – Carter Kids #2
Tame – Carter Kids #3
Avenged – Carter Kids #3.5 (TBR)
Torment – Carter Kids #4
Cameron – Carter Kids #4.5 (TBR)
Inevitable – Carter Kids #5
Trust – Carter Kids #5.5 (TBR)
Altered – Carter Kids #6
Addicted – Carter Kids #6.5 (TBR)
The DiMarco Dynasty:
DiMarco’s Secret Love Child: Part One
DiMarco’s Secret Love Child: Part Two
The Blurred Lines Duet:
Blurring Lines – Book #1
Never Let me Go – Book #2
Boys of Tommen:
Binding 13 – Book #1
Keeping 13 – Book #2
Saving 6 – Book #3 (TBR)
Crellids:
The Bastard Prince
Titles Available as Audiobooks:
Treacherous – Carter Kids #1
Thorn – Carter Kids #2
Tame – Carter Kids #3
Binding 13 – Boys of Tommen #1 (Part One)
Binding 13 – Boys of Tommen #1 (Part Two)
Pocketful of Blame & Pocketful of Shame (Books 1&2)
Pocketful of You & Pocketful of Us (Books 3&4)
For more information on audiobooks, please check out Chloe's website here.
Social Media Links
To keep up to date with Chloe's upcoming releases, you can follow her on any of the platforms listed below:
Mailing List
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Spotify
Amazon
Website
Songs for Romi
Check out Sketch and Romi's full playlist on Spotify here.
Songs for Romi:
Colbie Caillat – I Never Told You
Natalie Taylor – Surrender
Ellie Goulding – Dead In The Water
Katy Perry – Roar
Beyoncé – Halo
P!nk – Try
Taylor Swift – This Love
Jessie J – Flashlight
Colbie Caillat – I Never Told You
Kellie Pickler – Didn’t You Know How Much I Loved You
Heather Janssen – Checkers
No Doubt – Underneath It All <- (All the Romi & Sketch feels)
Taylor Swift – All Too Well
Halsey – 11 Minutes
Jess Glynne – Take Me Home
Kate Nash – Nicest Thing
Taylor Swift – The Way I Loved You <- (Romi when she was with Chris and thinking of Sketch)
Emma White – My Ex
&nbs
p; Hannah Trigwell – Wide Awake
En Vogue – Don't Let Go
The Cardigans – Love Fool
Evanescence – Bring Me To Life
Cam – Burning House
Sixpence None The Richer – Kiss Me <- (so damn cute for them)
Natalie Merchant – My Skin
Jasmine Thompson – Old Friends
P!nk – Who Knew
Halsey – Without Me
The Chainsmokers – Don’t Let Me Down
Skylar Grey – Stand By Me
Freya Ridings – Lost Without You
Camila Cabello – In the Dark
Grace Grundy – Ocean
Ellie Goulding – Army <- (Ro & Sketch's BFF song)
Songs for Sketch
Dermot Kennedy – Lost (his feelings for Romi)
Gavin Mikhail – The Night We Met
David Gray – This Year's Love
2Pac – Until The End Of Time
Ron Pope – In My Bones
The Verve – Bitter Sweet Symphony
Radiohead – Creep
George Ezra – Hold My Girl
Strays Don't Sleep – For Blue Skies <- (Sketch to Romi)
Bruno Mars – Grenade
Wyclef Jean, Mary J. Blige – 911 <- (Sketch & Ro)
Nickelback – Trying Not to Love You
