Invincible (A Kingpin Love Affair Book 3)
Page 23
“Remember what I said, Maggie.” His voice was a whisper in the wind as he got out of the seat and pushed into the line to get off the bus. Those words would be the last he would ever speak to me unless I instigated him.
I couldn’t force myself to move. It was as if I had lost control of my body.
Eventually, I found my bearings and slipped into the back of the line, my mind drifting to Diesel’s words. I can’t be saved… Maybe he didn’t think he could be saved, maybe he didn’t think he was worth it—but I did.
Diesel was worth saving. He just didn’t know it yet.
COMING MAY 2015!!!
Add to your To Be Read List on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24486710-project?ac=1
SNEAK PEAK—FEAR YOU
By B.B. Reid
Chapter One
I’M GOING TO wring her fucking neck.
Of course, it probably wasn’t the fault of the poor fuck whose neck I currently had my hands wrapped around. He just happened to be in my line of fire when I grew sick of smelling her, and feeling her, and seeing her weird fucking eyes taunting me in my head when I couldn’t have her.
Fuck.
I squeezed harder.
“Inmate 960, let go of the other inmate, now!” I heard the command loud and clear behind me, but I couldn’t care less. They were all scared to come in here so they talked shit behind the safety of the bars. Pussies.
“Come on, young blood, you don’t want to give them a reason to keep you in here. Keep it together,” the gruff voice of a well-respected, older inmate said.
Right, I was locked up again.
Only this time, I wasn’t in juvie.
I was heading to the real deal if this shit stuck.
Prison.
I wouldn’t see the light of day for a very long time, and she could escape me forever.
Funny how that last thought made me let go. I was a second too late as I felt the electric volts pass through my body just as I let go of my cellmate’s neck. My muscles locked up and all I could do was grunt as I hit the floor, counting the seconds until it was over. It lasted ten seconds but felt more like ten lifetimes. I guess I deserved it. I looked over at the form of my still gasping cellmate as he tried to catch his breath.
My calves where they hit me burned, and I felt a little weak in the knees when I tried to stand. I let out a laugh when I remembered a promise a certain someone made me when I entered here for the first time.
I guess she kept her promise in a roundabout way, and I wondered what made me harder—thinking about the feeling of her pussy or the fact that she finally fought back.
Dash said my obsession with her was unhealthy. He might be right, but it didn’t mean I had to give a shit. She was mine, and I vowed to do whatever was necessary to remind her who controlled her, but when I saw her face again, I wondered who really owned who. I willed my erection away by thinking of anything other than her.
“Somebody, get him out of there,” one of the guards ordered. I prepared myself for a fight because the one thing I hated was someone thinking I could be handled. When the guard cautiously bypassed me and grabbed onto Jed, my unfortunate cellmate, I relaxed.
I probably shouldn’t have attacked him for simply admiring a picture, but three minutes ago you couldn’t have told me it wasn’t justified. It was who was in the photo he was admiring that set me off. It was the picture of her I swiped the morning after our date.
I don’t know what made me take the picture of her. I just knew I had to have it. I carried it everywhere, always, and didn’t even realize when I’d stopped clinging to Lily’s necklace instead. She looked happy in the photo and my gut told me it was taken while I was gone. My throat burned and my fingers dug into my fists thinking about her being happy. I told myself I didn’t want her happy. I wanted her to pay.
Truth is, as much as I really wanted her to pay for making me feel, when the time had come, I couldn’t bring myself to be as ruthless as I was taught. I know some people would think what I’d done was more than fucked up, but I could and should have done much worse. Even though she turned out to be innocent, I promised myself it was a mistake I wouldn’t make again. This time I wasn’t going to hold back.
Monroe was going to feel me. All the pain, hatred, and anger—I was going to give it to her, one way or another.
Fuck, I’m hard again.
* * *
“WHAT’S HAPPENING TO you, young-blood? I thought you had better sense than these other knuckleheads in here,” Rufus, the older inmate from this morning, gruffly scolded as he sat down with his tray next to me.
It had been a few hours since the incident that morning, and surprisingly, I had escaped it unscathed minus the tasing. Now I was enduring lunch chow, which was food I wouldn’t even insult my dog with if I had a dog.
“Your faith in me is misplaced and unwanted,” I responded. No matter how much I was a dick to the guy, he always came back for more. It reminded me a lot of how Dash and I became friends. I didn’t want friends, but he was intent on showing me he wasn’t afraid of me, which was kind of fucking funny.
The older inmate chuckled, forcing my attention back to him. He rubbed his fingers across his lips, and I took in the markings on the dark skin above his knuckles. I couldn’t really make out whatever the hell it was supposed to mean, but I knew instantly he was a member of a gang. I ran across plenty of them and was even made to train killing a few who crossed my owner. It seemed liked a whole lifetime ago. I also knew this guy wasn’t from around here so he must have gotten caught up.
“I’m not your enemy, and I’m not trying to be, but I imagine you had someone on the outside who kept you levelheaded.”
“Yeah, he had a problem getting lost, too.”
“Well, consider me your guardian angel.”
“Why?” I asked my suspicion and ire rising simultaneously.
“Because you need one, and I hate to see kids fall because they’re too stupid to know when they need to stand down.”
“Is that why you’re in here?” I asked sarcastically.
“You can say that. But I’m not a kid anymore either. It’s too late for me but not for you.” I turned back to my tray of untouched food and dug in. “Why are you in here,” he asked after a few moments of silent eating.
“Suspicion of murder.”
“So if you made it past the holding cell, I imagine they have some kind of evidence on you.”
“A witness,” I answered and immediately wondered why I was confiding in him.
“That can be eradicated.” He shrugged.
“Not this one,” I said, hearing the dangerous level my voice had dropped. He snapped his head back and lifted both his eyebrows in surprise. The thought of someone hurting Monroe brought out a protective instinct in me that I hadn’t been able to feel since Lily. The irony of it did not escape me.
“Family?” he asked.
“No, she’s—” I hesitated because it wasn’t easy describing Monroe and what she was to me. “I go to school with her,” I finished.
“Girl, huh? She important to you?”
“No.” I reached for my water and chugged it down. I knew what a lie tasted like. I washed the bitter taste down and then shoved a fork full of… I don’t even know what it is.
“Son, you mean to tell me you’re willing to go to prison for a girl you don’t care for?”
“It’s complicated,” I barked, taking a bite of my food to keep from saying more.
“Love always is, young-blood.”
Reflex, or whatever the fuck you call it, made me swallow down my food a little too quickly, causing me to choke. Rufus’s heavy hand slammed down on my back repeatedly until I was no longer being assaulted by my own food. “So I guess that means it’s serious?” he laughed outrageously.
I clutched my tray and considered hitting him across the face with it. I let go after a few deep breaths because it wasn’t exactly wise to insult what could be my only ally until I got out of
here. If I get out here.
It wasn’t that I wasn’t able to trust people—I wasn’t willing. Why let anyone in when the majority of the people I meet I would likely kill just because it suited me?
Maybe Monroe was right and I was sick. I could tell she wanted to fix me. I could see it in her eyes every time she looked at me with hope and… something else. I didn’t bother to tell her that my sickness couldn’t be fixed. There wasn’t a cure other than death, and I don’t plan to die anytime soon.
One thing was certain though—and that was I do not love Lake Monroe.
* * *
“YOU.” THE BURLY man with an enormous amount of facial hair pointed at me with a chubby finger. “Get dressed. Your training starts today.”
“Training?” I asked while trying to hide the fear I felt. I saw what happened to the others who showed fear. They were beaten, starved, or just disappeared.
“It’s your lucky day. You get to start earning your keep and maybe we’ll even feed you more.” He laughed hard causing his belly to shake.
“Wha—what do I have to do?” The man’s eyes narrowed as he peered down at me as I cowered on my hard, stained cot. It wouldn’t be so bad if they let us have sheets or a blanket, but they said we didn’t deserve it yet.
“Are you scared, little boy?” he snarled.
“No, sir,” I quickly answered and jumped to my feet.
“Good because today, you get to learn how precious life is and how fun it is to take it.” He grinned.
* * *
I JERKED AWAKE, covered in sweat. The blanket and sheets were balled up at the foot of the bed as usual. I rarely felt the need to cover myself when I slept. I snatched the corner of the cover up to my face and wiped off the perspiration, fighting to relax my aching jaw muscles. I must have clenched them in my sleep again.
I shook off the remnants of sleep and what was left of my memories of Frank. He was an evil son-of-a-bitch, and now he was a dead son-of-a-bitch. He was the only person I’d ever killed willingly. As usual, I waited for the feeling of guilt or remorse that I should have felt but never did. The familiar tsunami of aggression and anger crashed and flooded my senses, followed by the intense need for Monroe. It will be a while before I had her in my possession again, and when I get her, I will do one of two things—kill her or fuck her.
ALSO COMING MAY 2015!!!
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
LIKE ALWAYS, THIS book would be nothing without my family—more so my husband. His support means more than anything to me. Then there is Brie, my PA, who seemingly keeps me in line even when I feel like I’m going crazy. Her love and support shine through in everything she does. Thank you for being the best person you can be, Brie. Love you!
TO MY ALPHA BETAS… We’re more than just a group of girls who read and write together. We’re a team. I look forward to talking to you ladies every day. I go to you for answers when I have a problem. I love all the good laughs we have. <3 you, hoes!!!
FAN CLUB MEMBERS. You’re the best group of fans a girl could ask for. Thank you for sharing my stuff with people and spreading the word on releases.
BLOGGERS, the ones who have been there since the beginning. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. Your reviews are always heartfelt, and I literally cry reading them sometimes.
TO TAYLOR SWIFT. Your music inspired Devon and Tegan’s story more than you know.
ABOUT J.L. BECK
J.L. BECK IS THE Best Selling Author of A Kingpin Love Affair Series and The Bittersweet Series. She plays mother and wife by day and writer extraordinaire by night. When she’s not writing, reading, or doodling, you can find her watching The Vampire Diaries and The 100. She currently resides in the tiny town of Elroy in the state of Wisconsin with her husband of seven years and their three-year-old hellion.
STALK HER—YOU KNOW YOU WANT TO:
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/Jo.L.Beck?ref=hl
TWITTER: https://twitter.com/AuthorJLBeck
GOODREADS: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/23673426-j-l-beck
SIGN UP FOR HER NEWSLETTER: http://eepurl.com/2aydr
Table of Contents
Prologue
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
Epilogue