Battlescars

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Battlescars: Chapter OneHis neighborhood bar was one of Dyson’s favorite places. He liked the smell of the smoke, the neon lights that cut through the haze and the long mirror behind the liquor bottles. He even liked the aloof bartender, the no-bullshit kind of guy who lined them up so Dyson could knock them down without a single question about why. But tonight, he especially liked the mirror, because the most gorgeous woman he had ever seen had just walked in.Chapter TwoKayla was dead tired. She yawned against her hand, even though it was already noon and she had slept in until she almost missed her first class of the day. It was Wednesday – one of her slower days – when she only had morning classes and her afternoons free. She thought about her friends, who could take a day off just as it was intended and spend the time doing absolutely nothing. She wished she could be like them, cruising around in convertibles, shopping to their heart’s content and maybe just going home, going back to bed and sleeping all day.Chapter ThreeIt was hot. The kind of hot that you don’t think really exists until you are in the middle of it, so parched that you feel like you’ll never be able to swallow or sweat again. You wonder how anyone could survive the heat for an hour, much less live in it, day in and day out. Merciless, pitiless heat.Chapter FourKayla knew she should be paying attention, but damn, how many times would he go over the same boring thing?Chapter FiveThe sweat was pouring and his muscles were aching, but Dyson wouldn’t have it any other way. He bounced on the mat, his feet fast and light, his body tensed and ready. He curled his fingers inside the gloves and tossed his head back, eyeing Chester as the older man circled before him. They were taunting each other, gauging what the next move might be.Chapter SixKayla looked at her watch. It was five minutes before the shelter opened, and she was decidedly nervous. Why in the world had she invited Dyson to come to this place? She had come to see it as her own private getaway, where no one really knew her but everyone was grateful for her presence. That especially held true for the animals who trusted her to care for them even though no one else in their lives had.Chapter SevenFour hours later Dyson was surprisingly tired from a full day of work. They had changed out all the litter boxes and walked all the dogs, cleaned out the kennels and laid down fresh blankets so the dogs would have a comfortable place to sleep. They had made sure all the animals were fed and watered, then spent some time playing with them all. They tossed balls for the dogs and rubbed their ears, then plied the cats with catnip and rubbed their bellies as they stretched with pleasure.Chapter EightThe sun was hell bent on torturing her. Kayla opened her eyes, was blinded by the glare, and immediately closed her eyes again. She rolled over to get away from sun, but the moment she moved, the pounding began – a deep and relentless pain that gnawed from the base of her skull. Her stomach roiled with the motion, and that made her head hurt even worse. It was the kind of feeling that meant only one thing: too much alcohol.Chapter NineThe next day, Dyson woke up long before his alarm, and the first thought on his mind was Kayla.Chapter TenThe phone rang and rang and rang.Chapter ElevenDyson slammed the locker shut and dropped down onto the bench. He hurt everywhere. There wasn’t a single spot on his body that wasn’t battered and aching. He was absolutely certain that he had never had a beating like this before in his life, and he was secretly surprised that he was able to walk out of that ring. He had been pretty damn sure Chester was going to have to carry him out.Chapter TwelveKayla had woken up very late, and had been tardy for her first class. She sat through one class after another with blurry eyes, trying to focus on taking notes, but all she could think about was the night before.Chapter ThirteenShe’s trying to get back at me, Dyson thought. She’s trying to show me how it feels.Chapter FourteenKayla hadn’t cried so much in years. It was the kind of crying that never seemed to end, the tears that she woke up to in the morning and the flood of pain that finally wore her out enough to go to sleep at night. She had actually woken herself up in the middle of the night, crying after a terrible nightmare. It was the kind of crying that came from a heart that had been broken time and time and time again.Chapter Fifteen“Jesus,” Chester whispered. “Have you seen that crowd out there?”Chapter SixteenKayla was one of the few students who sat through the final accounting class of the semester. She was completely distracted, but she was there. It mattered to her to be there for every lecture, every grade, and every note. But even as she sat there and listened to the recap of everything she would need to know for the final exam, her mind was elsewhere. She was thinking about Dyson.Chapter SeventeenDyson watched Kayla as she put groceries away in the kitchen, and he looked at his house as if he’d never really seen it before. She had changed the house for him, made it brighter and more cheerful. It even seemed like more light came through the windows since she’d agreed to move in. The hardwood floors were cool under their feet as helped her with the groceries.Chapter EighteenKayla had decided it was time.EpilogueEighteen Months LaterNewsletterExcited to see Kayla & Dyson return in the future? Be the first to find out about sequels & new books by signing up for email alerts. Your email address will never be given away and you can unsubscribe at any time.A Note from AnnWord-of-mouth is crucial for any author to succeed. If you enjoyed the book, please leave a review even if it is only a line or two; it would make all the difference and would be very much appreciated.