by J. L. Perry
EPILOG
UE
Four years later
Logan
The last four years with my beautiful wife and two children have been the happiest days of my life…until today. Today I feel like my heart is being ripped out of my fucking chest. After kissing me goodbye, she just turns around and skips off, without a backwards glance. Honestly, I am crushed.
I thought she would find it hard to leave me, but she doesn’t seem to mind at all. Every fibre in me wants to chase after her. I’m not ready to let her go yet, but I know I have to.
“Angel!” I call out before she turns the corner. “I love you, princess.”
“I love you, too, daddy!” she yells back, and blows me a kiss. I catch it and tuck it into the pocket of my pants for later. This is something we always do with each other. It makes her smile. Her smile is just like Brooke’s, and makes her whole face light up. I blow her a kiss back. She catches it and does what I did, before disappearing around the corner. I stand there for a few minutes, unable to move.
When I eventually walk back to my car, I try to swallow the golf ball-sized lump that has formed in my throat. I didn’t think it would be this fucking hard.
Today is my baby girl’s first day of “big school”. She is only five-years-old, but I already feel like she is slipping through my fingers. I wish Brooke could have been here with me this morning. I needed her so fucking much. Unfortunately our son, Chris, has the flu. We tried to leave him with Jill, but he wanted his mummy. He is definitely a mama’s boy. Poor Brooke can’t go anywhere without him.
For a while there, he’d been a little cockblocker, too. He went through a stage where he couldn’t sleep unless he had his mother next to him. I knew how he felt, though, because I hate to be away from her, too. For weeks, I had to sneak home during the day just to get a bit of action with my wife. Jill would distract the kids by taking them down to the beach so we could sneak off to our bedroom for a quickie. Thank god he’s finally sleeping on his own, and I have my wife back in my bed, where she belongs.
I stayed true to my word and had a Vasectomy a few weeks after Chris was born. There was no fucking way I was going to put Brooke through that pain again. I’ll never forget that day as long as I live. It killed me to see her in labour, but the end result was so worth it. We both wanted more children, but are happy with our pair. I have my precious little girl and a son to carry on my family name. He is such a good boy, too. Angel adores him. She is a great big sister.
Even though he is a mama’s boy, we are very close. Everyone says he is a little mini me. He already has all the teenage girls at the dance studio falling all over him, and he is only four-years-old. Brooke thinks it’s hilarious. He is definitely going to be a heartbreaker when he grows up. My son, daughter, and wife are my life, my everything. I have the perfect little family.
A few years ago, we moved out of the penthouse. We both agreed the kids needed a yard to play in. Even though the penthouse is closer to the office, we are a lot happier living where we are now.
Just after Michelle gave birth to their son, Isaac, Craig and I bought land right next door to each other. It is on the north side of Sydney harbour, and backs onto our own private beach. It took a year for the houses to be built, but we are all moved in now. It is great living next door to your best friends. We do everything together.
Lara is all grown up and in high school now. She is turning fifteen this year. She has grown into a beautiful young lady, and I am proud to call her my niece. She is still dancing at Brooke’s studio, and is currently training to become a part-time teacher there. Michelle’s still working there, too, and has finally agreed to let Brooke make her an equal partner. They are very successful and make a great team.
Brooke’s dad and Jill finally got married. They are extremely happy together. After the lonely lives they both lead for all those years, it’s great to see them so in love. Jill is still working for us, but only for a few hours a day. They ended up getting married in Fiji, and we all flew over for the wedding and stayed on for a two week holiday. The kids adore their grandparents. Jill is now known as Grandma Jill and they call Brooke’s father Poppy.
My parents are still going strong. Surprisingly, I’ve become very close with my father over the past few years. He is a different man than the one I grew up with. My father loves all his grandchildren, but Angel has him wrapped around her little finger, just like she does me.
My aunt and Kristy both spent time in prison after what they did to me. Kristy turned eighteen a week before her trial, so she had to spend her time in an adult facility. She only served two years, but I am sure she learned her lesson.
As for my aunt, she was given five years for being the mastermind of the whole ordeal. It wasn’t enough, as far as I was concerned, but I think they took her age and clean record into consideration. She’d only been in prison for one year when she had a major stroke. She wasn’t found until the next morning, so the damage she suffered was permanent. She is now completely paralysed down one side of her body and she cannot speak. She is living out her days in a nursing home.
My father never forgave her for what she did to me, but he did visit her when she was first taken to the hospital. My uncle went with him. My mum say that neither of them have been back to visit her since that day. It kind of saddens me that she is all alone, but I’m also thankful that she is no longer in a position to hurt anyone else. As I said before, “Karma is a bitch!”
As for me, Cavanagh and Associates is still a thriving business. Claire is still my P.A., and hopefully it stays that way. We work well together and make a great team. I still have Jim Maloney overseeing my Melbourne office. He ended up marrying Jacinta’s mother. They are now a happy family, along with Jim’s son, Connor. Jacinta’s father is still in prison for what he did to them. It’s nice to see them both truly happy. We catch up with them whenever we are down in Melbourne.
Until last year, we continued to visit Chris’ mother a few times a week. Unfortunately, she lost her battle with Dementia and died peacefully in her sleep. She loved seeing the kids when we visited her. They used to call her Grandma Brown. We were all sad when she passed away because we’d grown very fond of her over the years.
Even though she didn’t know who we were the majority of time, you could tell she loved our visits. She was always very sweet, especially to the kids. Angel and Christopher would take her drawings all the time, which she proudly displayed on her walls. We buried her next to her husband and her son. It gave us some peace to know she was back together with her boys.
****
Brooke is waiting for me when I arrive home. I’d called her when I left the school. I was supposed to go to the office after dropping off Angel, but I was too fucking upset. So I also called Claire and asked her to reschedule all my appointments.
All I wanted was to go home and be with my wife and son. It is still six long hours before I can go and pick Angel up from school. It is going to be a long fucking day.
Brooke told me Chris went back to sleep after she’d given him his medicine, so I was going to go home and, hopefully, make uninterrupted love to my wife. When you have two small children, you have to make the most of any, alone time, you can get.
As soon as I step out of the car, Brooke walks towards me. “How are you feeling hot stuff?”
“Fucking terrible,” I say with a sigh. “I didn’t think it would be so hard.”
Brooke laughs. “How are you going to be when she gets married and moves out of the house?”
“Never going to fucking happen!” I snap. “If she insists on getting married, Angel and her husband can live here. Why do you think I built such a big house?”
Brooke just laughs harder. “You are going to have to let go of her someday, so you may as well start getting used to it.” That comment earns her a dirty look.
“Just think,” she adds, “when the kids are all grown up and moved out of the house, we can start walking around naked again. We can
even have sex wherever and whenever we want.” The idea of the kids moving out suddenly doesn’t sound so bad.
“Where’s Chris?” I ask with a smirk.
“Still sound asleep,” she replies with a smile.
Once we step inside the house, I quickly grab her and wrap my arms around her waist. “How about we start practicing for when the kids move out?” I ask, raising my eyebrows at her.
“I like the way you think, Mr. Cavanagh.” She smiles before she crushes her mouth to mine. I walk her backwards so I have her pinned against the wall. I let out a groan as she wraps her legs around me. I reach down and cup her arse in my hands, then turn and carry her upstairs. I gently lay her on our bed without breaking our kiss, covering her body with mine. It only takes me few minutes to strip us of our clothes.
I gently brush the hair off her face and tell her how much I love her, before I thrust myself deep. After being together for over six years, we still can’t get enough of each other. I position her hands above her head, lacing my fingers through hers as our bodies move in perfect rhythm. The heartache I experienced when I dropped Angel off at school earlier is quickly forgotten. Brooke is, and will always be, my happy place.
We went through so much in the first few years that we were together. They were tough times, but that is all behind us now. It not only made us stronger as individuals, but also as a couple. It taught us to appreciate life and each other. We both knew our undying love for each other was unbreakable. The bond we formed early in our relationship is stronger than ever. Brooke and I love each other to the fullest—nothing can ever break that. We are forever…
THE END
I hope you enjoyed reading Brooke and Logan’s story as much as I enjoyed writing it. You will see tiny snippets of them in Jacinta’s story, as well. I can’t wait to get this story out there. It is, hands-down, my favourite out of the three books. It takes place seven years after Jacinta and her mother move to Melbourne. She is now twenty-years-old. I love her and Mason’s story. It is also told in dual point of view. I think it is important to see what they both think and feel as their story unfolds. There are a few new characters that you will meet, as well. Continue reading for the synopsis and prologue of
Damaged – Jacinta’s Story.
Damaged – Jac
inta’s Story
Jacinta’s story takes place seven years after the day Brooke and Logan Cavanagh save her from the violent clutches of her father. Her mother has now remarried and Jacinta has a new step-brother, Connor, with whom she adores.
Jacinta
After Jacinta’s step-brother, Connor, moves to Sydney, she decides to move back to there to live with him.
She is still so damaged from her violent past that, at twenty years of age, she has never had a serious boyfriend, and is still a virgin. So her best friend, Cassie, convinces her to have a one-night stand with a stranger before her 21st birthday.
The next day, Jacinta is surprised to find she is actually upset that she will never see him again, but would not take back the memories of that night for anything. She also feels that she is way too damaged to ever have a serious relationship anyway.
Unbeknownst to her, their paths will cross again. Will the attraction she felt that night still be there? Or will she regret it ever happened?
Mason
Mason doesn’t do relationships…ever. He has sex with random women, often. When he meets Jacinta, though, things change. He finds there is a deep connection between them that he just can’t explain.
When she does something though, that not only leaves him feeling crushed, but extremely pissed, he is left feeling lost. He doesn’t even know her real name and has no way of finding her.
But when fate brings them together again, will he be able to forgive her for what she did? Or will he forget about that one night they spent together and go back to his playboy ways?
Keep reading for an excerpt of
DAMAGED – JACINTA’S STORY
PROLOGUE
The past
Jacinta
I followed my mum through the front door. She’d just picked me up from school. I love this time of day. It’s my calm before the storm, so to speak. These few hours in the afternoon that I spent with her are the best. It’s the only time I ever feel safe in my own home. It’s also the only time my mum and I can be ourselves. Everything changes around 5:00 p.m. because that’s the time my father comes home from work.
I’m sitting at the table doing my homework, chatting and laughing with my mum while she cooks our dinner. These are the only times I ever see her smile. She’s a totally different person when my father’s not home.
My mum’s always a nervous wreck, but it escalates when he’s around. My father acts like he hates us, but I can assure you that the feeling is mutual. I never understood why he doesn’t love me. I try my best to be a good girl, but nothing I do is ever good enough for him. I remember praying when I was little that something would happen to him on his way home from work. That sounds terrible, I know, but I truly wished for that. My father is cruel. He’s always hurting me and my mum.
Suddenly I hear, “Bang” as the front door slams shut. My mother and I both jump because we know what’s coming. I hate the feeling I get in the pit of my stomach whenever my father comes home from work.
I look up at my mum. The easy-going woman I saw a few minutes ago is now gone. Her hands are shaking violently as she stirs the sauce on the stove. The terrified look on her face breaks my heart. I wish I could protect her from my dad, but she never lets me. She’s scared that he will hurt me, like he’s done more than a couple times over the years when I’ve tried to come to her aid.
With her eyes, she quickly motions for me to leave the room. That’s our secret code. It means that shit’s about to go down. She told me years ago that whenever she gives me that signal, I’m to go straight to my bedroom and lock myself inside. I’m not allowed to come out under any circumstances. No matter what I hear or how scared I am, I have to stay there until she comes and gets me.
The waiting is torture. This has been my life for the last thirteen years. I truly hate living here with my father. I hate all men, actually. They’re horrible and I don’t trust them at all!
I’m never, ever getting married.
Once I’m in the safety of my room, I make my way over to the corner beside my bed. I always go to the same corner. I’m not sure why. Maybe because it’s the one furthest from the door. I sit down and pull my legs up against my chest, wrap my arms tightly around my knees, then start to rock back and forth. This is something I always do. I can’t tell you why I rock like this. It just comforts me somehow.
The first thing I hear is the slap of my father’s hand hitting my mum’s face. That’s followed by something metal clanging on the floor. It’s probably the spoon my mother had been holding in her hand. I want to put my hands over my ears so I can’t hear them, but I don’t. I never do. It would make it so much easier for me if I didn’t have to hear him hitting her, but I have to listen. What if my mum calls out to me? What if she needs me to save her?
“You fucking stupid, lazy, good-for-nothing, bitch!” he screams. “You can’t even cut the grass properly, you useless piece of shit!” Slap…slap.
“I’m sorry. Please stop hurting me!” she cries out. It breaks my heart when she begs like that. I wish I was stronger. I want to hurt him, like he hurts us.
I know exactly what he means when he mentions not cutting the grass properly. It all started yesterday afternoon. My mum had been mowing the lawn when the lawnmower broke down. I could tell she was scared when she had to go and tell my dad about it.
Her tiny body was trembling as she spoke. She always puts her head down when she speaks to him. I don’t know if it’s because she’s scared to look at him, or because she doesn’t want to see what we both know is coming.
Slap. It earned her a backhand, followed by a few more slaps to the side of the head. It wasn’t her fault the lawnmower broke
down, but that never mattered to him.
My father didn’t say much while he ate his dinner last night, but I could tell he was still fuming. I knew that it wouldn’t be the end of it. Later that night, while mum was doing the dishes, he snapped again. He’d been outside trying to fix the mower. When he couldn’t fix it, he came inside to take his frustration out on her.
He grabbed a pair of scissors out of the drawer in the kitchen, then stalked over to my mum. My father grabbed a chunk of her long blond hair and tugged on it, causing her to stumble. He started dragging her towards the back door. My mum didn’t say anything. I could tell by the look on her face, though, that she was terrified. She never, ever fights back because it will only make him rage more.
The fear in my mum’s eyes makes my heart hurt. The tears are already streaming down her beautiful face as she passes me. She’s giving me that signal with her eyes again—the one telling me to go to my room where I will be safe. I can’t move, though. The terror running through my tiny body keeps me planted to my seat. My eyes are glued to the scissors that are in my father’s hand. I wonder if today’s the day…the day he finally goes too far and actually kills her.
She stumbles again as he drags her down the back steps. She tries to regain her footing and stand up, but he doesn’t give her a chance as he continues to drag her across the yard by her hair. I will my small body to move, but I don’t go to my room straight away. I need to know that my mum’s going to be okay. I’m scared he’s going to use the scissors to stab her or something. My body trembles as I watch in horror through the kitchen window.
He throws her to the ground and then kicks her in the stomach. She instinctively put her hands up to protect her face. It’s the only thing she can do. The second time he kicks her in the leg before dropping the scissors beside her.
