All In: An Everyday Heroes World Novel (The Everyday Heroes World)

by J. L. Drake

  All In

  An Everyday Heroes World Novel

  J.L. DRAKE

  Table of Contents

  Cover

  Title Page

  Copyright Page

  Introduction Page

  Dedication

  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

  Suicide Prevention Hotlines

  Everyday Heroes World

  Books by J.L. Drake

  Acknowledgements

  About the Author

  Books by K. Bromberg

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, organizations, places, events, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons living or dead are entirely coincidental.

  © 2020 KB WORLDS. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

  No part of this book may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without express written permission of the publisher.

  This book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This book may not be re-sold or given away to other people.

  Published by KB Worlds LLC.

  Cover Design by Dark Water Covers

  Editing by Lori Whitwam

  Formatting by Nathan Drake, RedDoor Author Services

  Published in the United States of America

  Introduction

  Dear Reader,

  Welcome to the Everyday Heroes World!

  I’m so excited you’ve picked up this book! All In is a book based on the world I created in my USA Today bestselling Everyday Heroes Series. While I may be finished writing this series for now, various authors have signed on to keep them going. They will be bringing you all-new stories in the world you know while allowing you to revisit the characters you love.

  This book is entirely the work of the author who wrote it. While I allowed them to use the world I created and may have assisted in some of the plotting, I took no part in the writing or editing of the story. All praise can be directed their way.

  I truly hope you enjoy All In. If you’re interested in finding more authors who have written in the KB Worlds, you can visit www.kbworlds.com.

  Thank you for supporting the writers in this project and me.

  Happy Reading,

  K. Bromberg

  Dedication

  My sister Erin, for being a cheerleader for many years over this story.

  Chapter One

  Arizona

  New York

  July

  “Myles, are you ready?” I slipped my earring on and knocked on the bathroom door. “We have to leave in ten minutes.” The mirror on the door caused me to step back and examine myself. I looked stressed. My normally light gray eyes seemed darker than usual, and there were small worry lines between them. Running my fingers through my long hair, I tried to fluff it up to add a little body.

  T: You missed your meeting today. Is everything all right?

  I lowered my head and felt like a coward. I was avoiding her, and I did skip our session today, but it was because I needed to know regardless of the situation. I just needed to know.

  Ari: I’m sorry. I’m okay. I will explain everything next week.

  T: All right. Say the word at any time if you need me.

  I tucked my phone in my purse and took a deep breath. I was a twenty-seven-year-old woman trapped in a life I was unsure of and questioning myself on how to make the next move. I knew it needed to be the right move.

  A buzzing noise had me whirling around to find Myles’s suit jacket pocket lit up. I pulled the phone free and headed back to the bathroom door where the shower was still running.

  “Myles?” I glanced down at the ID and wondered once again why it was a number. “Three” is calling. You want me to answer it? Myles?” Since he didn’t reply, I thought about answering it but didn’t in case it was a client.

  I returned to the closet to gather my sweater and shoes. Ready to go, I plunked down on the side of the bed and took a deep breath. I was so nervous, my hands kept opening and closing to relieve some of the stress. It was a hard fight to keep the butterflies at bay.

  “Ready?” Myles finally asked as though he had been waiting on me the entire time. He shrugged on one of his signature suit jackets that I knew was way too fancy for where we were going. He loved to play the part of the New York hotshot. He really just procured equipment for night clubs and restaurants under his father’s company. Ken Young was the real bigshot. Young Inc. had several businesses under his leadership. Myles had three major business openings coming up next year, and he was milking every moment of it. You would think he was in his young teens instead of his late twenties, he was so full of himself.

  “Three called you.” I plucked my purse off the bed. “Who’s Three?”

  Myles waved me toward the door, impatient as always. “It’s Fred,” he muttered.

  “Why do you number them, anyway?”

  He sighed deeply like I was once again asking too many questions. Myles hated that I was genuinely interested in what he did on a day-to-day basis. We met at eighteen and were married by nineteen. Everything seemed to move along really fast, and at first, I worked with him at Young, Inc., but over the years I was pushed aside. He said he liked me being at home. I wondered if he was threatened by me finding out he wasn’t all that great at what he did. Soon bored with having very little to do, I went back to school then started working for an ad agency instead.

  “I’ve told you before. You know I work closely with Jason.” It irked me that he spoke to me as if I were a child. “We’re always competing, so I changed my possible new clients to numbers. If he sees my phone, he won’t know who is calling.” He grinned. “We’re now five to three.”

  I rolled my eyes when he wasn’t looking. He was so damn competitive. I remembered a time we were playing a family football game, and I had the chance to go in for a touchdown, and he stole the ball from me and took the glory for himself. The kicker was he was on my team. I just learned to step back. It wasn’t worth the energy.

  Myles remained on his phone talking to Chester, his assistant and the only guy I really liked who worked at Ken’s company, about last night’s game, while we drove toward Second and Fourth. He seemed completely at ease with the situation, while I was a ball of nerves ready to explode at any moment.

  We arrived ten minutes before our appointment, eased into the tiny waiting room, and waited to be called.

  “Fuck.” Myles rubbed his head before he quickly answered another phone call. I mouthed an apology to the woman who scowled at him for cursing in front of her young daughter.

  “I told you I would do it, and I am. I’
m just waiting for the inventory to arrive, and I’ll get Chester to go over it.” There was a pause. “Another budget cut? You’ve got to be kidding!” He ran a frustrated hand over his face. “Yes, I’ll handle it!”

  Just by the way the vein popped from his forehead I knew it was his father. Ken and his son were like oil and water. Myles always wanted his approval, and Ken always wanted his son to step up and be better. Most of the time they were both assholes.

  Myles shot me a dirty look when he caught me watching him. The apple really didn’t fall far from the tree.

  “Mr. and Mrs. Young?” The receptionist called us in.

  Here we go.

  The doctor sat across from us waiting patiently as Myles finished up another phone call with his best friend, Aubrey. I glanced at the doctor and gave her a small smile. I was beyond embarrassed since Myles was making us wait while he filled Aubrey in about a Vegas weekend he had with a client. This was a huge moment in both of our lives, and frankly, I was about a breath away from vomiting I was so damn scared, and my husband’s casual attitude really wasn’t helping.

  “All right, doc,” Myles tucked his phone away with a grin, not at all tuning in to the vibe in the room, “what’s the verdict?”

  The doctor looked unimpressed as she opened the file in front of her. “Well, I’m afraid I have some bad news.” She looked over at me and started talking, but none of it was making sense. I could only imagine my face. “So, Arizona,” her voice pulled me back from my spiral, “at this time, it seems your body is not able to get pregnant.” The sentence echoed as Myles leaned forward.

  “What about me? Are my, you know, are they working?”

  I stared blankly at the wall over the doctor’s shoulder and tried to digest her words. I can’t get pregnant.

  “Yes, Mr. Young, from the few tests we’ve performed, it seems everything is all right in your department.” I didn’t miss her tone, even though I was a million miles away. “Arizona,” she turned to look at me, and I saw her eyes had softened, “it seems you have moderate to severe endometriosis. We can continue to do some more tests, a another surgery, and really dig deep as to how bad the situation is, but either way, the chances of getting pregnant—well, it will be a real challenge for you.”

  My small sob broke the silence in the room. I knew this could be a possibility. After all, we’d been trying to get pregnant for two years. “So-so more tests, more scopes, and there is still a good chance I can’t ever get pregnant?” I glanced over at Myles, who was doing a bad job at making an attempt to hide his relief that he still worked fine.

  “Your chances are slimmer than most, and I have to be honest here, the odds are not in your favor. But again, you could try another surgery, but in all honesty, I think some other issues might be a factor here. Would you say you’re under a lot of stress?”

  “Stressed.” Myles laughed, not at all clueing in to the doctor’s glare. “She works at an ad agency and some group home. Where’s the stress in that, doc?”

  “Stress can come in many forms, Mr. Young.” She cleared her throat and pulled out some pamphlets. “Plus, some couples are just not compatible. Truthfully, there are multiple reasons a person may not be able to get pregnant. But that doesn’t mean you still don’t have options. Have you ever considered adoption?”

  “No way.” Myles shook his head like he wasn’t crushing the last hope I might have of ever being a mother. “If it’s not my blood, I won’t be able to love it.”

  Gee, tell us what you really feel.

  My mouth dropped open, as did the doctor’s, although she quickly recovered.

  “Well, take these for now.” She handed the paperwork to me. “Please, just think about it.”

  My body felt as heavy as lead as I followed Myles out the door and waited for the elevator. I wanted to break down and sob like a baby. I wanted my husband to hold me and tell me we’d look into any and all options. I wanted him to reassure me that I was not the total waste of a woman I felt I was in this moment. Instead, he pulled out his phone and started answering emails.

  “I’m going to spend the night at Mom’s,” I muttered as soon as we hit the freeway.

  “Sure.” He nodded and turned up the music. Whitesnake blared through the speakers. Leaning forward, I turned it down and twisted to look at him.

  “Myles, are we not going to talk about this? Can you not see how much this is hurting me?” I batted the tears away as he rubbed his forehead, annoyed. Why? I had no idea.

  “What am I supposed to say, Arizona?” he hissed. “I can’t wave a magic wand at you, and poof, you’re not broken anymore.” His words were like a punch to the gut.

  “Broken?” I snapped. “Wow, is that how you see me?”

  “No,” he gritted out and slammed his foot down on the gas pedal. He came dangerously close to the car in front of us.

  “Jesus, Myles,” I grabbed the door and armrest, “slow down.”

  He quickly swung the car to the left, cutting off the guy next to us. He sped forward then cut over two lanes to my parents’ exit. My knuckles were white with the death grip I had on the seat. By the time he flew into the driveway, I was in a full-out sweat. I jumped out, slamming the door hard. Damn his precious car.

  “I’ll pick you up tomorrow,” he yelled out the window before he slammed it in reverse and disappeared down the street like a seventeen-year-old boy.

  I covered my mouth, holding in the emotion that crawled its way up my throat.

  My therapist’s words bounced around in my head. “Are you really sure you want to bring a child into an environment you’re afraid to be in yourself? That’s not only unhealthy but could make matters worse.”

  She was right, and someone higher up was clearly making the decision for me. But it was mean and unfair to just rip my heart out then let my husband stomp all over it.

  How could someone be so heartless, let alone my significant other?

  “Arizona?” My mother’s voice was nearly my undoing. I turned and walked straight into her arms, seeking her comforting love. She ushered me gently inside where I let myself totally break down in her arms.

  November

  “You sure you don’t want me to come up?” My little brother Damien peered out the car window at the high-rise condo Myles and I shared. I’d spent the last few months with my parents deciding what I wanted to do with my life. Myles only called once the whole time, wondering where the keys to the boat were. Being stubborn, and after ten years of marriage with him, I guessed I was living in a dream that things weren’t as bad as they were. Accepting the reality of things nearly broke me, and in some ways I thought I was full of tiny cracks from it all, and it finally just let go.

  Thanks to my family and my therapist, who had insisted I take some time to think, I was able to see the writing on the wall. It was finished. I was here to do a few things I’d been putting off since I left.

  T: Get in and get out. Just take what’s yours and grab Jasper. Everything else can be replaced. You don’t deserve this life. This is your chance, a chance for a new you.

  “She’s right.” Damien nodded at my therapist’s text. “You know Grady would agree, too.” My cousin Grady Malone and I were close, and he always looked out for me. Though he had two other brothers, he and I always seemed to be closest.

  “I know she is. But I’m okay, thanks. It’s Wednesday, and Myles has guys’ night at the club, so he won’t even be there, and I’ll only be a few minutes. Just wait here, okay?” I opened the car door and the let the night air brush over my face and cool my flushed skin.

  I can do this.

  Myles could be the world’s biggest asshole, and I knew my whole family saw it. I had never felt so distanced or so angry with Myles as I did right now. I knew I needed to get away. I needed space if I was going to find a way to get past this.

  With a deep breath and my min
d set on getting in and out quickly, I slid my key in the lock and opened the door.

  Music blared from upstairs. Of course, it was the eighties music he was obsessed with. He often left the stereo on, so I didn’t think twice about it. I gathered my phone cord and iPad off the counter and piled them on the table and headed upstairs to our bedroom. The music got louder as I pushed open the door, and that was when my world came to a crashing halt…once again.

  My husband of ten years was balls deep in Aubrey, his best friend, the woman who stood in our wedding. Then the bathroom door opened, and out walked his co-worker Jason, buck-naked and fully erect. One look from Jason, and he was a deer caught in headlights.

  It was funny how the brain reacted to something so crazy when you were normally a very levelheaded person. I snapped—I full out snapped. Anger and shock energized me. I grabbed Myles’s laptop and slammed it with all my might on top of his phone that was streaming that god-awful music.

  “Holy shit!” Myles pulled out of Aubrey at the same moment, tugging at his hair in an attempt to process my being there to witness his fuck-fest.

  Suddenly, a ringing tone came through the speakers, and I saw Myles’s stupid phone must have somehow dialed the infamous Three. Then just to add the cherry on top to the whole shit show, Aubrey’s voicemail picked up, and about a thousand and one memories came flying back to me. I thought about all those nights when his stupid phone rang, and more times than not it was Three. He always said the same thing. It was a client who needed him.

  Son of a bitch!

  I desperately needed to do more damage, so I chucked the laptop that was still in my hands at the window, causing a satisfying sound as it cracked and bounced off the glass. Jason snatched up his clothes and bolted out of the bedroom, while Aubrey slowly got up, eyes glued to mine as she headed to the door. I moved to block her.