Marked Heart (Marked Heart #3)

by M. Sembera

  Marked Heart

  A Marked Heart Novel

  M. Sembera

  Marked Heart

  Copyright 2015 © M. Sembera

  Kindle Edition

  Edited by Lucii Grubb

  Cover Design Copyright 2015

  © M. Sembera

  g-stockstudio, R-O-M-A/Shutterstock

  Published by

  Broken Bird Media

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in articles and reviews.

  For more information contact:

  M.Sembera@brokenbirdmedia.com

  Marked Heart is a work of fiction. All names, Characters, places and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination.

  Place name and any resemblance to events or actual persons, living or dead, are entirely coincidental.

  Lily vector art featured with quote provided by Naddya/Shutterstock

  The Wren and Celtic Heart logo is an original piece of art created specifically for M. Sembera.

  All Rights reserved by Broken Bird Media.

  'We're not good for each other.' ~Liv

  'Let's be bad then.' ~Braden

  To my Mom, for showing me how to survive, overcome, and find the strength to persevere with love.

  Table of Contents

  Prologue

  M1H

  M2H

  M3H

  M4H

  M5H

  M6H

  M7H

  M8H

  M9H

  M10H

  M11H

  M12H

  M13H

  M14H

  M15H

  M16H

  M17H

  M18H

  M19H

  M20H

  M21H

  M22H

  M23H

  M24H

  M25H

  M26H

  M27H

  M28H

  M29H

  M30H

  M31H

  M32H

  M33H

  M34H

  M35H

  M36H

  M37H

  M38H

  M39H

  Marked Heart Series - Epilogue

  Playlist

  Marked Heart Series

  Acknowledgements

  About the Author

  Work in Progress

  A marked heart, longing for the one is nothing more than a restless heart, burdened by a lie.

  Prologue

  The street lights flickered on as Braden came to a stop. Just ahead of him was The Dog House; the bar his family owned, his oldest brother Auggie tended, his sister in law Charlotte managed and the location of his sister Penny's engagement party. There he had his first drink, his heart broken, his ass kicked and his last performance as a musician. Taking a deep breath, he shook his head at himself. So much had changed over the last year. In a family where everyone has their place, he honestly couldn't see where he fit into it anymore.

  Braden felt lost in the shuffle of life. All he ever wanted to do was sing and play guitar. He had been in love with the same girl since high school. Time after time he had listened to her lie, took her back after she had cheated and believed her when she said she loved him. But, he finally saw the light the night her husband gave him the beating of his life. He held it together for as long as he could but after his drummer and best friend betrayed him, by cheating on his sister with the very girl who had made a career out of breaking his heart, he didn't have the heart for it anymore. Even something as simple as listening to the radio became unbearable.

  If it weren't for the fact that it was Penny and Seth's party, he wouldn't have shown up at all.

  It started to drizzle, causing Braden to glance up and mentally reply, 'Alright, I'm going,' as he made his way to the open doors of the bar. He had only taken two steps when he saw his cousin's wife, Liv, walk out.

  His sister Penny's voice echoed out of the doors, "Liv!" before he saw her step out of the bar.

  Unaffected by Penny's shout, Liv continued swiftly walking in his direction.

  "Braden, stop her!" she exclaimed before ducking back into the bar.

  The moment his sister disappeared, Liv was right beside him. Before she could pass him by, he reached his hand out and caught the top of her arm.

  Liv stopped. She continued to stare straight ahead, without moving or speaking, she just stood there. Braden let go of her arm, since it was clear she wasn't going anywhere, and stepped in front of her. She didn't have to say a word for him to know she was wounded. Liv blinked twice before glancing up at him. Even though her face held no expression, the look in her eyes made is chest burn and his stomach hurt.

  In a split second, they were surrounded by his family. As they crowded around, the drizzle turned into a light mist of rain. Braden noticed Penny crying and Charlotte had tears in her eyes. Seth's expression was anguished as he kept his head down, staring at the ground with his arms around Penny. Looking to Auggie for an explanation, it took his brother several minutes to get the words out.

  Wearing the same sorrowful scowl as when they lost their dad and when their brother Will passed, Auggie cleared his throat, informing, "Oran was on his way here and saw Kieran's truck rolled over a mile out from the farmhouse." Braden's heart sank as his brother shook his head and continued, "He took most of the guard rail with him but ya know, it's a pretty steep drop off."

  Nodding, Braden glanced back at Liv just as their cousin Jackson walked up.

  "They're fairly certain it was instant. The impact..." Jackson paused as his wife, Ren, stepped next to Liv saying, "I'm going to take you to our house." Placing her arm around Liv's shoulders.

  There was no response from Liv, not even a flinch as she silently walked away with Ren while Penny and Charlotte followed close behind them.

  The second, the girls were out of ear shot, Jackson continued.

  "Most of his upper body was crushed on impact. He wasn't wearing a seatbelt."

  Seth spoke up, asking, "Do they know what caused it?"

  With a heavy sigh, Jackson replied, "They are assuming he was texting and driving. His phone was a few feet from the truck. It showed a partial unsent message from him and then a few from another number asking why he wasn't answering her."

  "Her?" Seth questioned before asking, "He was texting Liv when it happened?"

  "No." Jackson stated with a hint of disappointment in his eyes.

  Instantly furious, Braden glared at Auggie as he questioned, "Is there anything we can do to keep Liv from finding out?"

  "Ren could call in a favor, but I would prefer to take another route. They took it to the station as evidence for the police report. Anybody know somebody?"

  Staring at all of them in disbelief as Seth replied, "If they let one of us pick it up, we could just erase it." Braden couldn't believe what he was hearing.

  "That bastard was cheating on her and y'all are gonna cover his ass so she doesn't find out?"

  "I never said that he was cheating." Jackson clarified before saying, "But, from what the officer read me, he was assuring whoever it was that he was going to leave Liv."

  "And that's not cheating?"

  Auggie quickly turned to him, griping, "Her husband is dead. How hurt do you want her?"

  Irritation settled inside of Braden as he realized they were right. He disagreed with their decision completely. However, knowing that if she found out it would only cause her more pain, he relented.

  ~

  Six months after his cousin Kieran's funeral, things had somewhat gone back to normal. Braden took a job at Stockman's Superior Warehouse and S
upply, after his old friend, Pat Stockman, came back to town to take over his family's business. The job was boring and monotonous but the pay was great and more than enough to get him off of Penny's couch and into his own apartment.

  Everyone seemed impressed with how well Liv was taking the loss. She was at Legacy Ink, the tattoo shop that now belonged to her since her husband was dead, all day every day with the exception of Sundays. Since Kieran's death, the shop thrived in his absence. He was happy for them although he could have done without knowing why it was suddenly so popular. Apparently, getting tattooed by a skilled red head, while enjoying the view of the dark haired assistant with criminally tight pants and full sleeve tattoos, was a huge turn on. He guessed he would have seen the draw himself, had it not been for the fact that it was his sister Penny and Liv.

  No matter what everyone else thought, he felt differently. Her voice wasn't the same and even though he hadn't seen her since the funeral, somehow he felt like he was carrying her sadness with him. Braden made a habit of calling Liv to check on her every evening on the way home from work. Each time hoping he would hear something that would alleviate the heaviness in his heart.

  Blowing in his hands to keep them warm, he knew he should have warmed up his car before getting in. Braden's 1970 Chevrolet El Camino was his baby but on cold nights like tonight she really showed her age. It was April for cryin' out loud, and only forty two degrees. Pulling the hood of his dark gray hoodie over his head as he crossed his arms across his chest, Braden mumbled to himself about how much he hated cold weather.

  When warmth finally started to flow from the vents into the cab, he shook off the stiffness from his shivering, pulled his cell phone out of his pocket, and dialed Liv's number.

  After seven rings he heard her voicemail, "Speak your peace."

  Even though their nightly conversations mostly consisted of 'Hey', 'You need anything', 'Nah', 'Later', it bothered him that she hadn't answered. He tried again.

  "Speak your peace."

  Why wasn't she answering?

  "Speak your peace."

  She always answered.

  "Speak your peace."

  Heated from frustration, Braden flipped the vent away from him and sent her a text.

  B: Answer your phone.

  L:

  B: Hello! Liv!

  L:

  He made one last attempt to call her.

  "Speak your peace."

  Hot enough to feel himself starting to sweat, Braden cracked the window, allowing cold air to rush in, before backing out of the parking lot. Switching between feeling panicked and being pissed off as he drove, he headed straight to her house.

  All of the lights in the house appeared to be on and her car was there. Stepping onto the porch a twinge of uncomfortableness made him pause. He could hear music muffled by the house, coming from inside. What if she had company? He tried to shake the thought off, then laughed to himself as he decided, if he walked in on her getting down with some guy, it would be her fault for not sending a courtesy text. He leaned down, grabbed the spare key from inside a pair of cement boots that sat right next to the welcome mat, and unlocked the door. '21 Guns' by Green Day assaulted him the moment he opened the door. Now he had two missions.

  "Liv!" he tried hollering over the music before deciding she would never hear him.

  He could barely hear himself when he yelled.

  Glaring at the closed door of the old marking room where Kieran had marked a lily on the left side of his chest, because sometimes, Braden really was a dumbass, he noticed the music wasn't as loud in the back of the house. Her bedroom door was cracked and the light was off. Leaning his head close to the opening, he listened for any extra sounds. If she was with someone and it was that quiet, the guy obviously wasn't doing a good job. Really, he'd be doing her a favor and as a reward he might 'accidentally' see her naked. Pushing the door open, he stepped in and found it empty.

  Standing in Liv's dark and empty bedroom, he suddenly noticed how cold it was in the house. Where the hell was she? Sticking his hand in his pocket to give calling her another try, he came up empty and realized he'd left his cell phone in the car. Turning to walk out, he noticed something flash by the bathroom door. Making his way over, Braden saw a thick hot pink sweater and pair of jeans lying on the floor with her cell phone hanging out of the pocket.

  Mission number two was accomplished as he picked up her phone and swiped her play list closed. The instant silence relaxed him. Until, he stepped into the bathroom and flipped the light on.

  "Liv!" he blurted, seeing broken glass on the floor and her slumped over in the bathtub.

  Her skin was blotchy and had a purple tint to it. With only her underwear, a black tank top and long socks that went to the bottom of her knees on, he started to feel sick. She was way too thin, making him wonder when was the last time she ate. How had anyone not noticed this? Crunching over the broken glass with his shoes, he crouched down and placed his hand on her shoulder. She was freezing. An empty bottle of Ever Clear rolled from her lap down her legs as he gave her a little shove.

  "What are you doin' to yourself?" Braden questioned as she came to, reaching for the empty bottle.

  Quickly pulling his hoodie off, he draped it over her back and around her shoulders.

  Braden stood up and grabbed a towel off the rack before stepping to the side and laying it over the broken glass. Leaning back down, he pulled her up and out of the bathtub. Doing his best to carry her, as thin as she was, she was drunk, and a drunk person is nothing but dead weight. Her feet drug across the bathroom floor, until, they reached the carpet of her bedroom. He stopped for a moment to get a better hold on her. Heaving her into the air, he held her against himself as he walked her to the bed. After dropping her on her bed, Braden reached over to pull the comforter around her when he felt her pull the front of his shirt. Looking down at her, the light from the bathroom allowed him to see all the pain and anguish in her eyes.

  "Braden," she breathed before tears rolled down her cheeks.

  He was so stunned, it took him a minute to react. In all the years he'd know Liv, he'd never seen her even look like she might cry, not even at Kieran's funeral.

  Pushing her farther onto the bed, Braden sat down, pulling Liv onto his lap and the comforter around them both. He wrapped his arms and legs around her trying to warm and sooth her at the same time as she curled up against him. Her body shook as she cried and he couldn't help the sting in his own eyes. For the first time in what seemed like forever, Braden felt like his life had meaning. He had a purpose.

  M1H

  1yr & 8 mo. Later...

  Leaning back in his rolling desk chair, Braden shifted his feet, swaying himself from side to side. He didn't hate his job, but he didn't like it either. It could hardly be considered work, all he did was sit in his office and stare at the wall most of the day. Occasionally, he would print out a work order and take it to the warehouse supervisor. Aside from that, being the manager of Stockman's Superior Warehouse and Supply was no work at all. It was just a job. A place he went to five days a week, from nine to seven, in order to draw a paycheck.

  At least it was Thursday, which meant he'd meet Liv out at the farmhouse right after work for beer and pizza night. It wasn't that he didn't enjoy going out or spending time with his girlfriend Mina, she was great, but Thursday nights with Liv were what he looked forward to the most each week. Those were the nights where he felt like he belonged. Mina never questioned his friendship with Liv, although he was sure she wanted to. She never pushed the issue though, and he was glad. For someone on the outside, it was more than likely hard to understand, Liv was a constant in his life.

  They had, to be perfectly honest, Braden wasn't sure what they had. But it was deep, whatever it was. She saw past his ability to sabotage his own self and took pity on him when his heart was broken. In turn, he mourned for her when she was losing herself. There was no doubt in his mind that the heartaches and tragedies of life would hav
e suffocated them both, had it not been for the connection they had with each other. While the world and everyone he knew was moving on, he was standing still and Liv was the only one right there beside him.

  A tap on his office door pulled Braden away from his thoughts.

  "My man." Pat, greeted, swinging the door open as he walked in.

  Braden sat up and rolled himself back up to his desk.

  Running his hand through his already slicked back dirty blonde hair, Pat shared, "Remember that deal I was telling you about?"

  "The sure thing?" Braden replied, knowing it was bust just like every other risky venture his boss took.

  "Yeah, well, turns out it wasn't as rock solid as I thought."

  "Ya don't say." Braden patronized before asking, "How much did they get you for this time?"

  With a smug expression, Pat assured, "My bank account is fine."

  "But..."

  "The company took a pretty big hit."

  Shaking his head, Braden stood up, questioning, "How big?"

  "Nothing I can't handle. I just need you to go lay off Pete."

  "Pete from the warehouse? Why?"

  Smiling as if he was a genius, Pat explained, "I did some figuring and the money I'll save by laying him off will cover the debt in six months."

  "Didn't his wife just have a baby?"

  "Twins. Last month."

  Thinking this was low, even for Pat, Braden asked, "He'll get unemployment though, right?"

  "For sure." Pat replied before laughing, "I mean he'll be lucky to get half of what he makes now but I'll rehire him as soon as all the money's put back."

  "You can't do that." Braden snapped, irritated by his lack of thought for anyone other than himself.

  Pat Stockman was a slick, fast talking, bigger better deal kind of guy. He always reminded Braden of a stereotypical used car salesman. Although they were old friends, the term friend was used loosely. Very loosely. Pat always had big plans, or grand schemes depending on how you looked at it. He considered himself an entrepreneur but in reality he was more like a swindler. He spent most of his time, wheeling and dealing other peoples talents and skills for the right price.