Copyright © 2014 by Jessica Prince
All rights reserved.
Cover Designer: www.najlaqamberdesigns.com
Editor: www.hottreeedits.com
Interior Designer: Jovana Shirley, Unforeseen Editing, www.unforeseenediting.com
No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system without the written permission of the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
Other Titles by Jessica
The Picking up the Pieces Series:
Picking up the Pieces
Rising from the Ashes
Pushing the Boundaries (coming late 2014)
Deadly Love Trilogy:
Destructive
Addictive
Obsessive (coming early 2015)
Other Titles:
Nightmares from Within
To everyone who loves Gabriel as much as I do,
This book is for you.
Acknowledgments
Follow Jessica
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Epilogue
Preview of Unbroken by R.E. Hunter
First of all, to my wonderful family, my husband most of all: Thank you so much for your unwavering support. I wouldn’t be able to do what I love if not for you guy. Y’all are my heart.
To my writing buddies: You have pushed me and helped me to complete my stories when I didn’t think I was going to be able to write a single work. You chicks rock! I couldn’t do this without our daily sprints or your encouragement.
To my friends: I can’t begin to explain how much your support means to me. Thank you for everything. I absolutely LOVE y’all.
To the bloggers and readers who have given me a shot: It’s because of you that I keep writing. Thank you for giving my stories a chance.
To my amazing editor, cover artist, and formatter: Y’all. Are. Awesome!
www.authorjessicaprince.com
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[email protected]
“Daddy!”
I’ve barely had time to get through the door before being plowed into like a freight train. With a laugh, I drop my briefcase to the ground and scoop up my little ball of energy. “Did you miss me today, bud?” I ask, staring into eyes a carbon copy of my own.
“Yup,” he answers with a big dimpled grin. No matter how strained my day is, coming home to this makes all the tension melt away. I look into the eyes of my boy and in that moment, nothing else matters. “Momma made me take a bath and eat vegables,” he says in disgust, his tiny lisp making his words sound so adorable it’s hard not to laugh. “And I got in trouble when I sneaked outside and peed in the dribeway.”
At that, I lose it. I can’t hold back the laughter that comes with the image of my four-year-old son dropping trow in the driveway to take a leak. There may be a strong possibility that I’m responsible for this new obsession he has for peeing outdoors, but I’ll be damned if I fess up to it. I appreciate getting laid on the regular. Pissing Camilla off is something I readily try to avoid.
“You know you aren’t allowed to potty outside, Robert Bertozzi,” we hear coming from the kitchen. Seconds later, my beautiful wife comes around the corner, hands planted on her hips and a stern expression marring her brow. “How many times do you have to be reminded that we don’t pull our pants down when we’re outside?”
“Sorry, Momma,” Robert says with a cute, little pout, sticking out his bottom lip in a way I know my sweet Camilla can’t resist.
One corner of her mouth twitches as she obviously tries to contain her smile, but as usual, she fails. “It’s okay, baby, just no more peeing outside.”
“But Daddy said real mans pee wherever they want.”
When Camilla’s eyes cut to me, it’s my turn to stifle a laugh. “Is that so?” she says with a glare in my direction before turning back to our son. “Well, Daddy and I will be having a little talk of our own then. Go put on your socks and grab your cleats. We need to head out soon.”
“Okay, Mommy!” And just like that, I’m dismissed. He struggles to get out of my arms and bolts up the stairs to his bedroom once his feet are on the ground. All thoughts of missing Daddy gone at the reminder he gets to go to t-ball practice today.
“How was your day, baby?” Camilla asks as she wraps her arms around my neck and stretches to place a kiss on my lips. Even after all our years of marriage, I still can’t get enough of her. Running my hands through her light brown hair, I tangle it around my fingers and deepen the kiss, pulling back with a groan several seconds later.
“Exhausting, as always,” I finally respond after getting my taste of her.
“Still dealing with blowback from the changes you’re making?”
This woman knows me better than anyone does. Keeping secrets from her has never been an option. She manages to see through me with every attempt to lie. When our relationship first began, I was terrified of what would happen when I had to admit that before my father passed away, Bertozzi Enterprises was a front for a much larger operation. I knew long before I took the company over that my end goal was to make Bertozzi Enterprises completely legit and get out of the drug game all together, but it was easier said than done. I started taking the steps to move away from distribution the second I took over at nineteen years old, and now, at twenty-six, I’m still dealing with the backlash from people unhappy with the changes I’ve made. Money always manages to turn regular people into greedy bastards. And those who were already greedy turn downright evil. The company is finally one hundred percent legal; and despite some major bumps in the road I’m still dealing with, I’ve managed to maintain profitability. Keeping the vultures at bay for the time being, at least.
By the grace of God, my Camilla turned out to be stronger than I ever gave her credit for. She’s stood by me through thick and thin, being my rock when times got hard. I count my blessings every single day I wake up next to her. There have been times I didn’t think I could pull my plans off, but she has supported me every step of the way.
“You’ve got this, Gabe. You’ve already done so much. We’re seeing the light at the end of the tunnel now. It’s just a matter of time before people see that what you’re doing is the best thing for the company.” She places a soft kiss on my jaw. “I have faith in you, honey. You’re a good man.”
“I don’t know about that,” I tell her with a wicked grin, sliding my hands down her back to cup her ass. “I don’t think a good man would be visualizing you
naked and tied to the bed while he took advantage of you in a variety of ways.”
“Mmm,” she moans as her eyes go half-mast, the deep amber color growing even darker. I know just what to say to hit every one of my wife’s buttons and tonight is guaranteed to be a fucking fantastic night.
“Tell you what. If I come home to a clean kitchen, I’ll let you do whatever you want,” she says with a sexy wink.
“Whatever I want, huh?”
“Yep.” She steps back and rests her hands on my chest. “But you’ve got to clean the whole thing, and I mean really clean. Not rinse the dishes and just leave them in the sink. You have to actually put them in the dishwasher and turn it on this time.”
I can’t help but laugh at being called out for past indiscretions. Like I said, she knows me better than anyone. “You got it,” I say, pulling her back in for another kiss. “Do you have any idea how much I love you?”
She runs her thumb over my bottom lip, wiping away the lipstick kissing her left behind. “Can’t possibly be more than I love you.”
“Wanna bet?” I reply with a smile. My wife and son hold my heart. I didn’t know true happiness until them. Things were rough after my father died and I was in a dark place for a while. The stresses from having all that responsibility dropped on my shoulders at such a young age wasn’t easy, but Robby and Camilla are my light. I can’t picture a single day in my life without them in it.
My boy comes tromping down the stairs, making more noise than a tiny four-year-old should ever be able to make. “Ready, Mommy! Is Uncle Aldo coming to my practice today?”
I pick my son up, hugging him tightly. “Not today, baby. He’s got some work to do, but he told me to tell you, he’ll be at your game on Saturday. He promises he won’t miss it.” He looks at me with bright eyes and places a kiss on my cheek before squirming to be released. “Okay. Love you, Dad!”
“Love you, too, buddy. Be good for your mom, okay?”
“Yes, sir.”
I give Camilla one last kiss as they head out the door, then turn down the hall toward the kitchen, determined to scrub the son of a bitch cleaner than it’s ever been.
I’m just about to round the corner when a series of loud bangs coming from the front yard stop me in my tracks.
Fear grips my chest and refuses to let go, making it difficult to breathe. I’d recognize that sound anywhere. Those are gunshots.
No. Oh God, please, no. I turn and run as fast as I can. I hear the sound of tires squealing before I even make it to the front of the house. Whipping the front door open, the sight in front of me causes my knees to give out. “No!” I yell as I crawl over to them. “Please, please! Wake up, baby, you’re okay. You’re okay, Robby!”
Tears stream down my face as I yell for help as loud as I can, holding on to both of them, begging them to wake up as I rock them back and forth in my arms.
I don’t know how long I sit like this before the sound of sirens blaring through the streets echoes in my head. Time just seems to stop. In a matter of seconds, my world has been completely destroyed, my heart shattered. Painful sobs wrack my body as I beg and plead for them to come back to me. But it’s too late. They’re already gone, taken from me.
I swear right then, as I hold the bodies of the two people who mean more to me than my own life, that the person who took them is going to pay. I’ll make sure he suffers horribly, showing no mercy, before I finally end his life.
“You sure you’re okay?” Carmen asks for the millionth time. The truth is, no, I’m so far from okay, it’s not even funny. But I refuse to keep going like this. I’ve let Gabriel consume my life so much I’ve forgotten how it feels not to have him in it. Somehow, I have to pull myself out of this painful void I’ve allowed myself to fall into. Other than crawling out of Carmen’s bed for the few required hours it took to take my midterms, I haven’t left her apartment since showing up there three days ago. I keep telling myself today is going to be the day I pick myself up and move on. Easier said than done.
To say Carmen took the news of my past badly would be a serious understatement. When I showed up on Carmen’s doorstep a sobbing, sniffling mess, there was no doubt in my mind she’d demand answers. The dam had already burst, so I took the opportunity to fill her in on everything, and I mean everything. I started with my childhood and talked until I got to walking out on Gabriel. It was a long—tear-filled on both our parts—exhausting conversation, but it was long past due. I should have confided in her a long time ago.
“I’ll be all right, Car. I promise,” I tell her…again. I’ve taken the past three days off work knowing I’d be worthless behind the bar, but it’s time to get back to my pre-Gabriel life. Even if every minute without him physically hurts. It’s like I’m missing a crucial part of myself. Every morning I wake up hoping it was all a horrible nightmare just to feel the loss all over again when I realize it’s real. I hate myself for still loving him, but I just can’t stop no matter how hard I try. The things he confessed to should terrify me; frighten me to the core. But it’s like my heart is battling with my brain, reminding me of all the good times. My mind concentrates on the bad things he’s capable of, while my heart reminds me of all of his redeeming qualities. It’s a never-ending struggle.
I wish I could forget him. Unfortunately, he won’t let me. Gabriel refuses to go away. He blows up my phone day and night. He showed up at Carmen’s door and almost beat it down until she stormed out there and threatened to call the cops. He’s sent extravagant flower arrangements and expensive chocolates, all with cards begging me to talk to him. The flowers found their way to the dumpster, but Car refuses to let me trash the chocolate, so it’s currently hidden away where she can sneak pieces of it without me having to see.
“You know you don’t have to be here, babe. You can take more time off if you need it.”
I continue going about stocking the bar; going through the motions I’ve become accustomed to, so I don’t have to think about him. I’ve spent the last three days on autopilot. “I don’t need more time off, Carmen. I need to stay busy so I can keep my mind off all this shit.”
I glance up at her just long enough to see the sympathy in her eyes before she turns back to wiping down tumbler glasses. I hate that look. Ever since telling her about my life, she’s hovered over me like I’m a delicate piece of glass, at risk of cracking with the slightest bit of pressure. I’m not going to lie, most of the time that’s how I feel. Unable to navigate the emotions that are threatening to pull me under, I’ve found the slightest relief in the only coping mechanism I’ve ever had. I tuck all the bad into the tiny, dark corner in the back of my mind, and go about my life as if it never happened. If there’s one thing I know how to do, it’s evade and ignore.
Not exactly the healthiest way to handle things; but when you’ve lived the life I’ve lived, you hold on to any means of maintaining sanity. This is mine. There is no coping, only avoidance.
The bell over the door dings and the hairs on the back of my neck instantly stand on end. I don’t have to turn around to see who just walked in. My body’s still so in tune with his that I can simply feel when he enters a room.
“Uh, uh. Don’t even fucking think about it,” Carmen warns as she steps in front of me like her tiny body could possibly block me from Gabriel’s view. “You’ve got two seconds to get the hell out of this bar or I’m calling the cops.”
I drag my eyes from the top of Carmen’s head and meet the deep gray of Gabriel’s. My breath stalls in my lungs, and the tears I thought were all cried out begin to sting my eyes. He looks as awful as I feel. His natural olive tone is pale in a way I didn’t think possible. Red rims his bloodshot eyes. Several days’ worth of stubble covers his chin. He looks like he hasn’t eaten or slept in weeks. But despite all of this, he’s still the most beautiful man I’ve ever seen. He’s dressed impeccably in a designer suit that seems out of place on a man who looks so broken. I can see a glimmer of the confidence I’d grown to love shining in hi
s eyes; but it’s diluted now, only a weak flicker of what once used to shine bright.
My attention is pulled from his haunting gaze by Carmen’s boisterous voice. Leave it to her to make a scene in the middle of our workplace. Thankfully, it’s still relatively dead. I can only imagine how entertaining our little show would be had it been the middle of the lunch rush. She stomps around the bar until she’s in Gabriel’s face…well his chest would be more accurate seeing as he’s a foot taller than she is. “Listen here, you piece of shit—”
“Carmen,” I interrupt, trying to defuse the situation before it gets too out of hand. “It’s fine, okay? I’ve got this.”
She spins around and pins me with a look that tells me she thinks I’ve lost my mind. “Uh, not no, but HELL no, Marley! This guy does not get to come waltzing in here whenever the fuck he wants after what he’s done.”
“Lower your voice,” I say at the same time Aldo says, “Carmen,” in warning.
“You’re making a scene, Car. Just let me handle this, okay?”
“No,” she insists, crossing her arms over her chest and lifting her chin.
Aldo grabs her by the arm and starts to tug, but her feet are firmly planted. “Let’s go, babe. We need to talk.” She jerks her arm from his grasp and turns her glare from Gabriel to him.
“Fuck off, Aldo. Like I’ve told you every time you’ve called, we’ve got nothing to say to each other. As far as I’m concerned, you’re just as bad as your BFF over here,” she says with a wave in Gabriel’s direction. “And the last thing Marley needs is to get sucked up in the shit storm that seems to surround you guys. You two are toxic.”
“You didn’t seem to have any complaints about me being toxic when I was fucking you senseless every night. If memory serves me, I’m pretty sure you begged for it on more than one occasion,” Aldo deadpans. Despite his calm tone, the reddening in his face proves he’s only moments from losing his cool.
“Well that was when I thought you were a personal security guard! You think I’d have let you anywhere near me if I knew you were a criminal?”
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