“Lawyers are dirt bags and I won’t have my daughter dating a dirt bag.” I state, watching as he tries to hide the fear in his eyes. I may have retired from MMA but that was barely a year ago. I could still snap his spine like a twig. I was the undefeated champion for twelve years.
“Daddy stop it. Josh is not a dirt bag. He just started training at Uncle K.J.’s gym. Him and Uncle Dalton were impressed with his skills.” Maddie says, trying to sway me over to their side. Looking across the table I see Candice giving me a gesture to shut up before cleverly changing the subject. I’m going to have to spank the attitude out of her tonight, she should be siding with me not Maddie.
We are all eating in silence when Karson comes walking down the stairs holding a smiling Lacey in his arms. “She woke up, so I thought I would bring her down.” He says putting her in the booster chair. He surprises us all when he takes the seat next to her at the end of the table, closer to Candice.
Lacey was a newborn when we got her. She was born addicted to heroin and the doctors had to bring her back three times before she finally became stable. We named her after Candice’s mom. With her light red hair and blue eyes, she looks like my beautiful wife. Karson immediately took over the big brother roll when her and the twins were brought home, and that gives me hope that he will someday soon see me as someone other than the asshole that took him from his mom.
“Tony do not shove the potatoes up your nose,” Candice says to him, trying to hide the laughter in her voice. I always knew she would be a good mother to any child we brought home, regardless whether they were our biological children.
“Tony listen to your mother.” I state with a stern voice. He looks to me with his honey brown eyes and waits for me to show weakness by looking away. I stand my ground and he eventually looks down while placing the potatoes back on his plate.
I go back to eating. The silence doesn’t last long when Karson starts talking to Josh about a new game that is out. The chatter doesn’t bother me. All the people I care most about in this world are around this table remembering the best day of my life. The day I married the only woman to own my heart and soul.
About The Author
Dusty Lassetter lives in a small town in East Texas where she cares for her four beautiful children and, yes, husband. Dusty first got her inspiration to write her first novel when she was unable to find a book she could fall head over heels for. Long story short, she decided she would just write her own. Molding a world that was completely unique and completely swoon worthy, Dusty debuted her first novel, Tearing Away. When she's not researching her favorite Irish fighter or correcting homework, she's wielding a pen, or in this case her keyboard, and creating new stories filled with all the things she loves in life: UFC, rippling abs, and love.
Dedication
For the past three months I have dedicated my time and sanity while bringing Candice’s and Jasper’s story together. For everyone that read my first book and fell in love with Jasper and his gang of misfits, I dedicate this book to you. As long as people keep reading my stories I will continue to try and entertain the masses. Lastly I would like to give a special thanks to my mom. She was adamant she would never read a book. Always saying, “If it’s good enough they will turn it into a movie.” To my utter shock she read Tearing Away and fell in love with it. While writing Torn Apart she demanded to read the chapters as I would finish them. Not wanting to wait like everyone else.
Read on for the Prologue to Breaking The Silence
Book 3 in my Fatally Flawed Series
Prologue
Age Ten
K.J.
The scraping of booted feet against the concert floor, alerts me to the visitor coming into my cell. He is here to either take his anger out on me again or take me to have one of my daily meetings with Mr. Alvarez. The moment I feel the tip of his boot dig into my leg, I know it’s going to be another beating.
“Get your ass up little punk”
I take a deep breath before sitting up with my back still to him. I recognize his voice as Carlos’. One of Mr. Alvarez’s guards that enjoys using a knife on us whenever he thinks we need to be taught a lesson. With my back still to him, I feel the slice of sharp metal burn across my skin between both shoulder blades. I learned early on not to yell out in pain because he will only punish you more for your weakness. With my head tilted down, I open my eyes to see the first drops of blood hit the dirty cement floor.
“You think you’re tough boy? Trying to prove to yourself I can’t make you scream.”
I don’t answer, there is no point. He is bigger and stronger than me, anything I say will only anger him further and he is more likely to kill me then. The second cut is much deeper causing me to flinch.
“So you do still feel pain?” He bellows out, his voice filled with laughter.
“Knock it off Carlos, Lorenzo only wanted you to bring him the boy.” I hear another one of the guard’s murmur.
“This little cunt had it coming. He walks around here like he so tough, never talking or screaming in pain from our beatings anymore.” Carlos says, yanking my head back by my hair. He places the blade to my throat whispering in my ear, “One of these days they’ll let me kill you. Think about that every time you lay your head down to sleep.” I stare into his soulless eyes and promise myself something. I will kill him.
The other guard walks over and grabs me by my dirt covered arm yanking me through the halls of my underground prison. He is taking me to see Mr. Alvarez which could mean only one thing, another lesson. Every time I am brought into his office I am given a test to prove my worth to them. Whether it be fighting another one of the boys or being tortured until I pass out.
The guard knocks on the door before entering while dragging me behind him. “K.J. it’s good to see you, boy.” Mr. Alverez says. He takes a seat in his chair behind the huge desk and offers me a bottle of water. My instincts scream for me to run to the water and drink it down, it’s been days since I’ve had some, but my mind yells at me to wait.
“You’re not thirsty?” Mr. Alverez asks.
Once again I say nothing. I know that in this place you have to earn everything given to you, that water is no exception. Had I ran to the bottle he probably would have stopped me with a bullet to the leg. “You’ve caught on to the rules I see. Let’s get to it then. For this bottle of water, you must take your first life. We taught you how to kill, now I want you to show me how good you’ve been listening. Would you like to see who it is?”
I square my shoulders and stand taller, prepared to see one of the guards walking through the door. I’m shocked when they drag in another boy about the same height and weight as me. He is covered in dirt as well, matching the color of his dark brown hair and eyes. He glances at me, then to Mr. Alvarez with a questioning look. He is told the same thing I was. In order for us to drink, we must first spill blood.
I have never killed anyone before, not that I haven’t come close, but something always stopped me before delivering that finale blow. I can see in Mr. Alvarez’s eyes that if we both refuse we will both die. I replay that promise in my head I made earlier before grabbing the pen off the desk and attacking the boy where he stands. No one was expecting the surprised attack but from the sounds of their laughter they are enjoying it. I tackle him to the ground and stab him in the neck with the pen as fast as I can. His blood is splattering on my face and bare chest but I block it all out. Moments later two hands grab me and tare me away from the boy’s dead body.
“That was cruel of you K.J. Not giving that boy any warning before your attack.” Mr. Alvarez says. “You and I are more alike than I thought.” With that said, he grabs the bottle of water opening the top he takes a drink before dumping the rest on the floor.
“Take him back to his hole.” He tells the guards, effectively dismissing me. On the walk back to my cell I replay his words in my head. I will never again attack anyone without warning, there is no way I will become like that animal.
Dusty Lassetter, Torn Apart (Fatally Flawed #2)
Torn Apart (Fatally Flawed #2) Page 15
