The Program
Book 2
A Mate for Gideon
By
Charlene Hartnady
Copyright and Disclaimer
Copyright © October 2015, Charlene Hartnady
Cover Art by Melody Simmons
Copy Edited by Kimberly Reichmann
Produced in South Africa
Published by Charlene Hartnady
PO BOX 456, Melrose Arch,
Johannesburg, South Africa, 2176
[email protected]
A Mate for Gideon is a work of fiction and characters, events and dialogue found within are of the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, either living or deceased, is purely coincidental.
With the exception of quotes used in reviews no part of this book may be reproduced or shared in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including but not limited to digital copying, file sharing, audio recording, email and printing without prior consent in writing from the author
Table of Contents:
Copyright and Disclaimer
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
Author’s Note
Books by this author:
Available on Pre-Order
Chapter 1
Liam’s hands were white-knuckled on the steering wheel. Other than that, he was the picture of calm. He hadn’t said a word to her since leaving the barbecue. Hadn’t so much as looked in her direction.
Jenna kept her hands folded in her lap and tried to keep her eyes on the road ahead. She couldn’t help but to sneak the odd little glance in his direction every now and then, out of the corner of her eye. Maybe she was misreading the signals.
Please let her be misreading the signals. Please.
Sucking in a breath through her nose, she swallowed thickly. Who was she kidding? If Liam was giving off any kind of signals, trouble was just around the corner. She knew that there was nothing she could do to avoid the inevitable. To think that she had tried so hard at the barbecue. She had worked at being nice, but not overly so. Maybe she hadn’t been nice enough? Was that it?
Every so often she would go over to Liam and hold his hand or offer to refresh his drink. She’d even fetched his dinner for him. If she’d been any more attentive than she already was, it would’ve meant getting down on her knees and sucking him off right there in front of everyone. More, she could not have done. Could she have?
As much as she wanted to feel anger, she couldn’t, she was too scared. The emotion rolled around inside of her and turned her stomach to knots. Her armpits were damp and a bead of sweat trickled between her breasts. Her mouth felt so dry that her tongue stuck to the roof of it. It was a feeling she knew well. It lived inside her. Had done so for so long that it had become a part of her. Yup, her and fear were great friends. In fact, it was the only friend she had left.
The car pulled into their drive and the garage door slowly opened. Liam let out a sigh as they drove in, the garage door closed behind them with a clunk. Then there was silence.
Not sure what to do next, Jenna unclipped her seatbelt, opened the door and slipped out of the car. She moved to the rear of the vehicle where she opened the backdoor and retrieved her empty salad dish. It had been her contribution to the barbecue. The dish shook in her hand, threatening to fall, so she clasped it to her chest. Liam was already out of the car and making his way to the door that led to the house.
She was too afraid to look in his direction. Too petrified to talk. If she said the wrong thing it could spark his even meaner side. She’d learned very quickly that there were three sides to him, mean, meaner and the side he showed the rest of the world. That side of him was charming, attentive, attractive. Liam had a lean swimmer’s build and preppy good looks. Even the women at today’s barbecue had gushed when he’d taken his shirt off and delivered one of his killer smiles. It was only her that knew how killer that smile really was.
She swallowed hard.
His gun was in the safe in their bedroom. The knowledge burned inside her and made her gut churn faster. Her mouth felt dry. Her tongue stuck to the roof of her mouth even more.
Liam turned the light on and then stopped dead as they walked into the kitchen. Jenna was so busy staring at her feet that she nearly crashed into his broad back. She lifted her head, having to crane her neck to see the back of his head. All she had was a partial side view. Damn, his jaw was clenched. Oh god, he was a big guy. It was one of the things that had attracted her to him in the first place. His height, his dark hair, he looked a lot like…not going there. Not right now.
Her lip quivered as she tried to force a smile. “Can I get you something to eat?” Stupid thing to ask after they had just got home from a barbecue, but she had no idea what else to say. She put the bowl down on the nearby counter. He would only get angrier if she accidentally broke it. Liam hated it when she was clumsy. Anything could set him off. By the tension that radiated off of him now though, it was too late to try and stop this.
“A drink maybe? I could put the kettle on…” Her voice shook just a little, belying her fear.
“Shut the fuck up.” He spoke softly, still facing away from her. For the longest time he didn’t say anything more.
Jenna had to work not to squirm or to move away. Neither of those things would help her. In fact, they’d only make it worse. What had she done wrong? Maybe she hadn’t done something she should have? Jenna wracked her brain, coming up short.
“I can’t believe you.” He finally said, shaking his head and turning to face her. Anger made his eyes blaze and his fists curl. His brow furrowed and his jaw tightened as his eyes landed on her. “What the fuck did you do?”
Oh shit!
She hated when he asked her questions. Ones she was never able to answer correctly. Whatever she said always made it worse. Not speaking was even worse than saying something wrong though, because then, according to Liam, she had something to hide.
Jenna cleared her throat. “What do you mean? I haven’t done any—”
“Don’t fucking lie to me.” His voice was deep and gravelly. Filled with hate and…disgust.
A whimper was torn from her. She hated that he had this effect on her.
He took a step towards her and she flinched back, her rear hitting the closed door. Liam sucked in a deep breath, his eyes moving away from her for just a second before returning. “I’m only going to ask you one more time…I hate it when you make me hit you. Why do you make me hit you, Jen-doll?” He used his pet name for her, which only made this whole thing so much worse.
If he hated hitting her. Why the hell did he do it? Jenna licked her lips. “You don’t have to hit me, Liam. Let’s please talk about whatever it is that’s made you so upset.”
“I hope you’re not trying to tell me what to do.”
She shook her head. “I would never do that. Please—”
“Besides…” he cut her off. “I’m not the one with something to say, Jenna. There is no need for a goddamn heart to fucking heart. Start talking. Make it quick…I’m about to lose my fucking temper.” His lean muscles coiled beneath his shirt and his fists grew ever tighter.
If only she knew what he wanted to hear. She would tell him in a heartbeat. Anything to avoid what was about to happen
.
His eyes moved about the room before settling back on her. They had that crazy look about them that she had come to know so well. His eyes narrowed. “Why the fuck did Anthony say you had a tight ass? What the fuck does Anthony know about your ass?”
No way! Hell no!
She was about to get beaten because one of his asshole friends had noticed her butt? Jenna did everything she could to avoid getting noticed by other guys. She wore her clothes a size too big. She always made sure her butt was covered. She’d even taken to wearing tight sports bras to conceal her big-ass boobs. There wasn’t too much more she could do short of wearing a box and a mask. She’d cut her hair to her shoulders and didn’t wear make-up. Not even lip gloss. The only time she dressed up was at home. He liked her in skimpy, revealing outfits when it was just for him. Never if she stepped a foot outside of the house though. Yet, Liam was about to beat her because one of his friends had still, by some miracle, noticed that she had a tight ass. More like skinny ass since she didn’t eat that well any more. Living with a psychopath would do that to a person.
“I have no idea why he would say that? Why don’t you ask him?” It just kind of slipped out. His insinuation coupled with his placing all the blame on her, irritated the crap out of her. The emotion was quickly replaced by more fear though as his face turned red.
“I’m asking you.” He punched her in the gut, causing her to double over. All the air left her lungs and her eyes began to water as pain radiated through her. The guy could pack a serious punch.
It took a few seconds before she could breathe again. After filling her lungs a few times, she lifted her gaze to meet his. Her body was still a bit hunched. Oh boy! Normally after he punched her, he calmed down a little. Not this time. “Tell me why he said it and don’t fucking lie this time.”
There was nothing she could say that would appease him. She pulled in a deep breath, trying to prepare herself for the onslaught. When she’d stalled long enough, she looked him square in the eye, even though it went against every instinct. “I have no idea why he would say such a thing. Maybe because he’s a guy and guys—” Jenna didn’t get to finish her sentence.
Liam growled through clenched teeth. His eyes were wild, reminding her of a rabid animal. Not that she’d ever seen one, but she was sure this was how it would look. She took another hard punch to the stomach and was sure that her spleen had burst. The pain was excruciating.
There was no time to dwell because he punched her again, this time on the side of her ribs. Liam often hit her just below her breasts and under her arms. That way, it was easy to conceal the bruises. What the asshole didn’t understand was that trying to function normally with busted up ribs was almost impossible. Another meaty punch, a bit higher this time. Thankfully she didn’t hear a crack. Bruising she could handle, a break was a whole nother ballgame, since Liam didn’t allow her to go to the emergency room. Couldn’t have people asking a whole lot of questions not after…the pain that blossomed inside of her was far worse than any beating her loser boyfriend could inflict and she hardly felt the next punch.
She only registered that he had hit her in the face when her mouth filled with blood and she hit the door behind her with a crack to the back of her scalp. He normally never touched her face or any other part that was difficult to conceal.
“Look what you made me do,” Liam growled. He slapped her with an open hand that sent her sprawling on the cold tiles.
She watched him advance from the corner of her eye, realizing that he wasn’t done with her. She pulled herself into a tight ball.
Liam kicked her on her lower back. It hurt so badly. It was only once he finished laying in on her that she realized she was sobbing. Saying the word please over and over again. “God–damn–it, Jen-doll.” She could hear him pacing but didn’t have the energy to look.
Her face was wet from her tears and her nose streamed.
“Look what you made me do. It’s only because I love you so damned much.” He leaned in next to her, stroking the hair from her face. “Oh god…look at you.” He made a pained noise. “Shit! I’m so sorry. I know you didn’t do anything with Jeffery.” He continued to stroke her hair. “I know you wouldn’t do that to me.” His voice hardened and so did his hold on her hair. It stung, causing more tears to leak from her eyes.
It was only when she groaned that he finally let her go.
“Jen-doll…baby…I love you so much,” he cooed.
He sure had a great way of showing it.
“Let’s get you cleaned up.” He rose to his feet and disappeared for a few minutes. When he returned, he had a warm, wet cloth which he used to mop up her blood. How thoughtful of him.
Next, he grabbed the first aid kit and used some sort of alcohol based antiseptic to clean her busted lip. Lastly, he gave her two white pills. “For the pain.” His voice was soft and caring. “Here…” He handed her a glass of water and helped her into a sitting position so that she could drink.
Jenna tried not to look at him. She tried not to cry out or moan. It hurt to breathe. It hurt to move. It just hurt…period. Her back was the worst. A dull ache had taken up residence deep inside her. She was a little concerned that he may have done serious damage.
“Fucking hell, Jen…I’m so sorry.” He continued to whisper soft shit about how much he cared and how amazing she was. His one hand cupped her chin while his other hand trailed down her arm.
All she could do was pray that he left her alone. Please, God. “I’m really sore.” She winced as her lip pulled.
“I said I was sorry.” His muscles bunched and his eyes flashed with anger. This was such a fucked up situation. Liam hated it if she showed pain or discomfort after her beatings. It obviously made him feel guilty, which was unacceptable. What a dickhead!
She tried to smile but it hurt her split lip too much. Jenna felt a warm trickle on her chin as the cut reopened from her efforts.
Thankfully he ignored the blood, his eyes firmly on hers.
“I know you are…baby.” She forced the words out, trying to hold back the vomit. “It’s just that I think that maybe I should rest a bit.” He always liked to have sex after he beat her. Either he got off on hurting her, or it was his sick way of making it up to her. Probably a little bit of both. It was utter hell, like a form of torture. To have to lie there while he…Jenna swallowed thickly. Trying to stop the churning in her belly. Aside from hating that he touched her, she really didn’t think her battered body could handle it.
His expression softened. “Let’s get you into bed. You rest up. You’ll be as good as new in a few days.”
Yeah right. Jenna nodded. “Thank you.” Bile tasted bitter on her tongue. “I need to sleep. I’m really tired.”
It would probably take weeks for her to heal. He might just ruin everything for her.
Jenna had to clench her teeth to stop herself from crying out when he lifted her. She buried her face in his shirt so that he wouldn’t hear her panting. Sweat beaded on her forehead. Shit, Liam had really hurt her this time.
****
Three days later…
Moving quickly, she grabbed her underwear before moving to the closet next. Her suitcase was big but not nearly big enough. It was important that she chose well because there would be no coming back. Her measly savings wouldn’t allow for any major purchases. Right now, a pair of shoes would be considered major.
For months now, Jenna had been skimming money off the household cash Liam gave her. Ten dollars here and twenty dollars there. There was enough of it stashed to get her by for a little while. At least until the start of the Breeding Program…Dating Program. The vampires had changed the name during the last few advertizing campaigns. She wasn’t sure what to call it anymore. It didn’t matter to her anyway. The whole program promised opportunities to meet and date, real live vampires in the hopes that the encounters would result in human/vampire unions. It was the one thing she’d been dreaming about and she could scarcely believe that it was a
ctually going to be a reality.
Excitement coursed through her.
The happy feelings didn’t last for long though. She wasn’t safe as long as she was still here. If Liam found her…she sighed loudly. If her sick, fucked up excuse for a boyfriend ever found her, she was dead. There was no doubt in her mind that he would kill her. They would never find the body. Even if, by some miracle, they did, the cops in Sweetwater stuck up for each other. Evidence got lost or buried on occasion. At least according to Liam, who made sure that she was well aware of the fact. He and his cop buddies were in a brotherhood. Badge before blood was their motto. Point being, she would be murdered and Liam would get away with it.
Her heart raced and her palms felt sweaty. It wasn’t from the exertion. Lord help her, please. Jenna raced to the bathroom and quickly packed a toiletry kit, loading in all the basics. She threw that into the bag and zipped it closed. Her back protested, big time, when she picked the suitcase up.
She had noticed blood in her urine the last time she had used the restroom. Liam had kicked her so damned hard that he had definitely caused some damage to her kidneys. Her only hope was that it would get better on its own in time, and that her face would heal up quickly as well. She had a plan, one that she had been working on for a while now. Getting into the new vampire program was merely a stroke of luck. A way to make her hopes and dreams a reality. This had to work. It just had to.
Jenna had to put the bag down every few strides. Not only did her back hurt but her ribs and abdomen didn’t fare much better. Sweat beaded on her brow and she sucked in deep breaths. The only thing that kept her moving was the thought that Liam might catch her. He liked to drop in on her sometimes during the day. He texted her all the time, wanting to know her whereabouts and exactly what she was doing. Heaven help her if she was slow to respond, or if she didn’t disclose her movements in minute detail.
Hopefully her cab would be waiting outside. She prayed to god that Liam wouldn’t be able to find her. Because he was a cop she knew that he could find anyone…anywhere…if they weren’t careful. Well, not this time. Jenna planned on being extra careful. She took her phone out of her purse and left it on the table. It was traceable so it wouldn’t be coming with her. She had a small list of hand written contacts in her bag and would purchase a burner phone once she was safely settled elsewhere.
A Mate for Gideon (The Program Book 2) Page 1
