Tethered Trust: Book 2 (Limits of Love Series 3)

by Jade Royal

  “Brother? You lied to me!” I shouted. Anger pounded through me, creating a live wire. I felt deceived and caged by the situation. I could never trust the detective again.

  Det. Brown showed regret through not only his words, but his eyes as his next words were spoken to me. “The day after the attack, Danielle came to the police department. Her story was all over the place. She couldn’t remember everything that had happened to her, but she was hell bent on the fact that she was raped. She was taken to the hospital and a rape kit was utilized. Even though there was evidence of forced entry, they couldn’t say conclusively that it was rape. They tried to search for DNA but everything had been tampered with. She’d tried to clean herself up before going to the station, but she’d ruined the evidence. We’d gotten a lot of false accusations where girls were trying to cover up trysts with their boyfriends and her situation fit the profile. It wasn’t until her murder that things began to add up. I’m so sorry, Isabella.”

  I turned to Master J. “Get me out of here!”

  “I just want to come home so that things can be how they used to be.” Alphonso said in a voice that was too childlike to dismiss. He hit himself in the head a few times and I saw the confusion on his face. Medication was supposed to fix this?

  “No, brother, you’re never coming home.”

  “Gun!” I heard one of the officers yell. I turned my head to see Antonio’s determined expression. The rest was a blur as Master J pulled me down on to the floor. Antonio pointed the gun at Alphonso and pulled the trigger. I heard several shots fired, running, chairs creaking, doors closing and shouts from different people. I screamed against Master J’s chest as he covered my body to keep me safe. More shots were fired, and I felt Master J’s hands cover my ears. I shook, trying to will us out of the situation that we were in. I prayed, hoping that I would see my daughter and mother again.

  After a while, the commotion died. Several police officers surrounded Master J and I. He held my head to his chest as we exited the room. We were ushered into a small room by ourselves. A police officer stood outside of the door keeping guard, but we were not permitted to leave. I couldn’t stop the shaking that had settled deep into my bones.

  “Baby, are you okay?” Master J began checking me to make sure that I hadn’t been hit.

  He lifted my skirt to see a few scrapes but nothing detrimental. Most of the shock was mental. My tears poured nonstop and I held onto him as if my life depended on it. He rubbed my back and, slowly, warmth returned to me. My anguish turned bitter as I thought about the fact that Alphonso raped Danielle. No matter how you put it all together, he continuously won, and we lost. He was always taking!

  I pushed against Master J and he held tight. I struggled against him, but every time he overpowered me it angered me even more. I growled loudly and pushed with everything that I had. Jamar stumbled backward with his fixed stare. My chest rose and fell heavily as the anger fueled my veins. It didn’t stop the tears from streaming down my face, but it felt good to exert it.

  “Is that all you got?” Master J challenged.

  Didn’t that just piss me off even more? I ran at him, shoving him against the wall hard. He groaned and caught me in his arms.

  “Oh yeah?”

  “Yeah.” I said while trying to pull away.

  Master J flipped us and pinned me to the cool wall. My nipples responded in kind, but I hated him for it. He lifted my skirt and I struggled against his intentions. Once my panties were over the roundness of my ass, I felt the cold air. He pinned my arms and I struggled to free them. I waited for him to fuck me, but he never did. Instead, he began spanking me. Right here in this office with the police on the other side of the door. My anger grew because he felt like he had the right to do it. I groaned, but he continued. The stings magnified into an ache that spread from my ass and climbed higher with each swat. When it gripped my heart and wouldn’t let go, a sob erupted, and he continued until I was a blubbering mess.

  “I’m sorry!” I shouted at him.

  “For what?” Master J demanded.

  “For not dying with her that day.” I screamed. I didn’t deserve to live. Danielle had suffered so much by herself. And she never complained. If I could only be that strong.

  “Wrong fucking answer.” Master J continued. Determined.

  My chest heaved with each sob. Pain. I felt it everywhere. I welcomed it. “More!”

  He never let up and neither did I. The storm that I’d tried to control for so long broke free. Master J held my arms in place, anchoring me through it all. I gave into him, feeling everything. Remorse. I grieved. Conviction. I loved. Regrets. I hated. More than anything, I missed. Yearned. That’s when my reality shifted into nothingness and succumbed.

  SOFT STROKES CARESSED my thighs and I nuzzled closer to the scent I’d come to know as nirvana. I wrapped my arms around his neck and breathed in only his scent. The hatred I’d felt before I’d passed out was replaced with a love so great that it was baffling. Scary as it may be, I wouldn’t stray from it. He was mine, and I was his.

  “Mi amor.” I whispered.

  “So you do know Spanish when you’re conscious?” Master J said.

  “What?” I asked.

  “You always mumble sweet Spanish nothings to me during our scenes. Not outside of them. I’ve heard you and your mother speak, but that’s different.”

  I smiled and leaned up to his ear. “Nadie me lo das como tu. Haz lo que quieras conmigo. Soy tuyo.”

  Master J growled. “I don’t know what in fuck you just said but it was sexy.”

  I giggled and kissed his face. “Nobody can give it to me the way you do. So do what you want with me. I’m yours.”

  “Damn, right. Mine.”

  I whimpered, loving the way it sounded. “Soy tuyo, papi.”

  I wiggled off his lap and hissed at my tender butt. He snickered at me and I walked to the window and stared out at the busy streets, seeing nothing in particular.

  “What’s on your mind?” He wrapped his arms around me from behind and rested his forehead on my head.

  “Angelica. I want to hold her close and sniff her hair.”

  Master J chuckled. “Sniff her hair?”

  “Yes. It’s calming. It smells like her and she’s where home is. It keeps me grounded. You know, I’ve never been away from Angelica this long?”

  “I’d have imagined that you don’t let her out of your sight often.”

  “That’s right.”

  Master J paused before he spoke. “How much did you see?”

  “Honestly, not much. Once you pulled me to the ground, all I could see was your chest. I heard a lot, but couldn’t tell you how much of it matters. I want to say that I heard about 6 or 7 gunshots. I don’t know where they landed.”

  “My guess is that the only brother alive is Det. Brown. Antonio went for Alphonso, his attorney dropped to the floor, leaving him wide open for about 4 shots.”

  “Where’d he get that gun?”

  “Detective Brown was wearing a holster. Antonio grabbed the gun from his waist.”

  “Then what happened?”

  “Detective Brown wrestled with him causing a random shot to the ceiling. Then Antonio got the gun back and shot himself.”

  “No! Why would he do that?”

  “My guess is that he’s probably lived with enough anguish. Living with all of that knowledge had to be hard for him. He was the only other person alive, besides you and Alphonso, who knew most of the truth. I know that you had to go through things too. I don’t think that I have to tell you how strong you are. It needs to be said, though. You wouldn’t have taken the easy route like Antonio.”

  “I could never do that.” I gasped. “What am I going to tell Angelica when she asks about her father?” I sighed.

  “The truth. When the time is right for her to know, you’ll have all of the answers. It won’t be easy, but you can’t throw away all of the trust that you’ve built with her. It’ll mean more that you�
�re telling her the truth instead of her finding it out elsewhere.”

  My phone rang in my pocket and I knew that the scene in the courtroom must’ve made the news by now. I answered the phone, knowing that it had to be Mama. “Hola.”

  Mama started talking really quickly in Spanish and she was crying. I couldn’t make out all of her words; the language itself wasn’t the problem.

  “Máma, calm down. I’m okay. I’m alright. Máma, don’t cry. I know... I know you were worried but I’m just fine. Yes, as soon as they let us out of this room, I’ll get on the first plane home. Sí, Máma. I love you too.”

  I listened as she continued to speak in quick broken Spanish. Cutting her off had done nothing to make her feel better. She had stuff on her chest that needed to be said. She wanted her daughter home now. She wasn’t interested in the hearing or whatever else they needed from me. I sighed and assured her that I had everything under control and that I’d be home very soon.

  I hung up the phone and looked at Master J. “What am I going to do about the detective? I want to be angry at him for not believing her story, but he’s gone through so much to make sure that I’ve been safe all this time. He lied to me.”

  “He has, and truth be told, he has probably condemned himself more than you ever could. He’s paid his dues and he’ll have to answer for his sins in his own way. You just worry about cleansing your soul from the burden of this case. It’s been haunting you for all this time. You deserve to live out in the open as you want. No more hiding, sweet girl. It’s time to fly and be free.”

  I understood exactly what he was saying. It was time that I put all this behind me. Danielle was my best friend and sister. She would want me to live happily. There was no reason to continue living in a shell, in fear, when I had a lot to live for. I turned in his hold and wrapped my arms around his neck, thankful that I’d trusted him with my truth. I don’t know how I would have made it through today without him. I’d made the right choice by becoming his girl and he’d made an even better decision to choose to help me that first night. It started when I walked into the club that day and he hasn’t stopped caring for me since. I hoped he never did.

  “‘Fiancé’?”

  Master J chuckled. “I was waiting on that. Generally, official things like this admit only close family and friends. I thought ‘fiancé’ sounded more permanent than ‘boyfriend’.”

  I smiled, hoping that I wasn’t being obvious with my thoughts. I knew it was still early in the relationship, but I liked the sound of fiancé. For the first time in a long time, I allowed myself to dream about the future. Maybe we would get married and have children. I’m sure Angelica would love to have siblings and Mama needed more grandchildren to keep her young. I kissed Master J again, but this time it was with a different determination than earlier. His.

  WE WERE IN MASTER J’S car driving to my house. Since things were fine, Mama wanted to take Angelica home to get ready for school. I was ecstatic to be almost home to see them. I would worry about the events of today, tomorrow. I needed to surround myself with the love of family. When we arrived at the housing complex that I lived in, I took a deep breath, feeling at ease. I looked at Master J who waited for me.

  “Left or right?” I lived to the left and instinct said to go to the right. It was the detour that I’d often used to make sure that we were safe and that nobody was following behind us. I cuddled his arm and smiled, knowing I’d have to explain it to him at some point. I didn’t have an ounce of fear in my heart as I gave my final answer.

  “Left.”

  About the Author

  When the voices begin to speak, Jade Royal sits down in her lab to write the tale. The story unfolds with each keystroke as she listens to her instincts bring the words to life. For as long as she can remember, Jade has always expressed her creative nature artistically, especially by writing. She refers to herself as “Slave to the Pen” because it’s difficult for her to resist the call to write.

  Jade resides in Cincinnati, Ohio where she was born and raised. She has many siblings and is very family oriented. She spends Sunday evenings eating dinner with them keeping the bond between family nice and strong.

  Jade Royal is the author of the series Limits of Love. The series focuses on love, romance, and the eroticism of the two combined. The first book was released in December of 2016.

  As an author, Jade hopes to pull in her readers to experience a community of stories that they can relate to on various levels. The emotional roller coaster that is bestowed will hopefully make her readers stalk her words and provide literate entertainment.

  For more information on Jade Royal, follow her on her website and social media avenues.

  * * *

  Website: https://authorjaderoyal.com/

  Amazon: http://amazon.com/author/jaderoyal

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  Also by Jade Royal

  Want to know when a new book is being released by Jade Royal? Sign up here!

  * * *

  Limits of Love Series

  Book 1: Unspoken Heartaches (link: http://amzn.to/2hdBpIl)

  Book 2: Imperfect Love (link: http://amzn.to/2t9PYPG)

  Book 3: Tethered Trust (link: https://amzn.to/2u9Bke3 )

  Book 4: Broken Intentions (Coming September 26, 2019)

  Book 5: Flawed Affections (Coming November 7, 2019)

  * * *

  Imprinted Mates Series

  Book 1: The Price They Paid (link: https://amzn.to/2UKxwM4 )

  Book 2: The Sacrifice They Made (Coming July 25, 2019)

  Acknowledgments

  I’d like to say thank you to everybody, friends and family, who have supported me during this journey. It’s been a long time coming.

  A very special thanks to my team; assistants, beta readers, editor, cover and media designers. Without you guys, who knows what this journey would be like.

  To the little girl who never thought this day would come, we made it! The journey is here. The time is now.

  To my potential readers and loyal supporters, thank you for giving me a reason to breathe life into these words.

  Forever bound,

  Slave to the Pen,

  Jade Royal

  Unbreak Me

  By Maria Vickers

  Coming March 21, 2019

  Genre: MM Contemporary Romance

  Copyright Maria Vickers 2019

  Published in Tethered Trust with permission from Maria Vickers

  Buy Link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07MC5XWG6

  Chapter One

  ONE YEAR. ONE YEAR since Tex had lost Memphis. One year since his lover had been killed, and it had yet to get easier. Everyone kept telling him it would, it never did. There were times he thought about ending it all, and then he would feel something...hear something that would make him change his mind. Actually, sometimes he thought he was losing it.

  And today, he called in sick to work, unable to get out of bed until this afternoon. When he finally emerged, he only relocated to the living room after grabbing a full bottle of Southern Comfort and plopped down on the sofa. The very sofa he and Memphis picked out together. It had been their first major furniture decision when they decided to move in together. The moment the delivery men left, Tex and Memphis broke it in thoroughly, wearing themselves out.

  Tex looked around the room. It seemed so empty without Memphis, and he felt so lost without his lover. He’d been sitting here for hours? Minutes? It had to be some amount of time since the bottle was half gone, and he was feeling a drunken morose engulfing him. He could not stop the bitter question from leaving his lips, the very question he had been asking daily sin
ce losing his best friend, lover, other half...his everything. “Why? Why Memphis? Why did you have to go? Why did it have to be you and not me?”

  Shaking his head, Tex sniffled and brought his glass filled with amber liquid to his lips. “When you left, it completely broke my heart...I’m still broken. I need to hear you say that you love me one more time. A million more times, but that won’t happen. Can’t happen.” He took another gulp, draining the glass before wiping his nose with the back of his hand.

  More tears were falling, but he ignored them like he’d done every time they sprang up. It was easy to do after all this time; besides, they didn’t matter. Nothing mattered any longer and hadn’t for a year.

  He sobbed again and then got angry. “I wish you could come back to fix me, fix what you destroyed when you left, but that’s a pipe dream. You got mad, said your peace, and then stormed out of here. If you had just waited...” Tex choked on his words.

  Pouring himself another glassful of liquor, he breathed out as drops of saltwater fell on his coffee table. He should probably stop drinking and put himself to bed to finish wallowing there, but he couldn’t. It had been one year. One year since that fateful night...unlucky night more like it. One year since he’d heard Memphis’ voice, touched his body, and the loss Tex felt that night remained just as acute tonight as it did then. He thought time was supposed to heal the wounds, to lessen the pain...lies. All lies. “It’s my fault, Memphis. If I hadn’t been spiteful and allowed that monstrous bitch, jealousy, to cloud my judgment...if only. If only. I regretted everything, regretted that the last words I spoke to you were bitter and vile. I can’t forget you, can’t move on. I’m lonely without you, Memphis. It hurts so much that you aren’t here.” He wailed like a banshee, his cry full of sorrow and pain.