Filthy (A Stepbrother Romance) #1 (10 page)

              Things changed from that day forward. Talon and I were stuck at the hip. We were sneaking into each other’s rooms almost nightly and spending every day at school together. Our parents had no idea what was going on and things were fine that way, or at least I thought so. All that changed one day when I came home from classes to find Talon, his dad, and my mom sitting in the living room. Talon had a frown on his face. My mom however had a murderous glare on hers.

              “You’re screwing your stepbrother?” The words were spat at me. I could feel the force of them, the distaste in them. She was judging me, judging Talon.

              “Excuse me, but who I screw and who I don’t isn’t really your concern.” I gave her just as much attitude. I wouldn’t let her degrade us like this. She needed to learn that what Talon and I shared wasn’t just some hook up shit.

              “I’m done with you, Mia. Done with you making me look bad. Do you know what this could do to our family? If word gets out about you and Talon people will look at us differently.” My mom seemed so disappointed. I wanted to care that she was hurt over our decision, but in reality I didn’t care. I wanted her to understand that, I needed her to.

              “Then be done, because Talon and I will not give into what you want. We have been doing this shit for months and you’re just now are catching on, so why don’t you just pretend like you never knew and let things be the way they’re.” I was furious.

              “Calm down, babe,” Talon added, I cut my eyes to him. He smiled at me, and even I wasn’t immune to that smile. I melted a little bit, the bitterness in me evaporating a small amount.

              “I refuse to let them tell us what to do.” Talon’s father looked at me his eyes trying to read me.

              “I don’t think that’s what your mother is getting at, sweetheart.” I couldn’t help my reaction. I had lost my father, this man wasn’t my father. My mother was barely doing her job. I had let those emotions, and the pain that came with them go months ago when things with Talon grew serious. We shared the loss of a parent and that’s what brought us together.

              “Who gives a rat’s ass what she’s getting at. I’m an adult. Talon’s an adult. We will make the decisions we see fit for ourselves. If you want to judge us, then you can walk right out of our lives.” I kept my words straight to the point.

              Talon blinked slowly like he was in some sort of trance, and then he got up off the couch and walked over to me.

              “Mia’s, right. I love the shit out of her, and if you can’t respect that and deal with it, then I guess you don’t need to be in our lives.” Everything Talon said made me want to take my clothes off and climb on the table and wait for him.

              My mother rolled her eyes, and Talon’s father sighed. I knew this day would come when my mother judged us and Talon’s father either agreed or disagreed.

              “We aren’t of blood relation so get over it.” Those were the last words I would speak to my mother about this subject. Talon was finally mine, and I finally saw through his anger and pain.

              I loved him. He loved me. And being stepsiblings would never change that.

First I need to thank my husband. The hours he puts in with the baby, and our oldest daughter so I can sit and right never seems to end.

Brie: You gave me this idea, and I thank you for it.

Amanda PA: For believing even when you didn’t know what the story would become.

Filthy Betas: Melissa, Sabrina, Aliana, Lee, Kathy, Sofia, Jessie, and Amanda. Thank you for reading the book before it was edited and seeing through to the end the idea of what I wanted with Talon. I can’t thank you lovely ladies enough for all that you do. Thank you for the bottom of my heart.

Bloggers: To my master list of bloggers that post endlessly, when I ask them and sign up for all my shit. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. If I could hug each of you I seriously would. You rock my worlds.

Editor: Silla. For being there when I need to vent, and talk about random book stuff. Thank you for making my words the shit. You’re an awesome human and I cannot wait to meet you.

Lee: You da best! ;)

If I am forgetting anyone please don’t be offended. I love all of you.

A Project Series Novel #2

J.L. Beck

Six Months Prior

              Welcome to Channel 8 News, my name is Jackie and we have a special announcement from President Barack Obama.

              The screen went in and out of focus for a moment, and then the cameraman settled on his angle. You could see the president standing in front of his podium, his face a mask to what he was truly going to tell all of us. The thing was I knew already, about the government’s secrets and the depths that they would go to conceal them.

              Yet, they were now exposing them. Letting them loose and free, as to make those affected by their mad scientist skills seem crazy. As always the government could never take action for the things that they did wrong.

              “Thank you, people of this nation for allowing me to come inside your homes tonight. It is of urgent matter that I disclose some information to the people of this nation, about the things that have been taking place behind closed doors.” There was a silent pause, and all that could be heard was the presidents breathing.

“In an effort to end the cancerous diseases that take millions of our loved ones every day, the government in connection with some of the best scientist in the nation had created a cure.” The crowd cheered as if we had just won a football game or something. The truth was that, even if this was a large feat for the nation it was at the cost of others, those that should be dead.

“However, it has come at a cost…” He spoke over the loud cheers. The crowd seemed to quiet down as they waited for him to finish what it was that he had to say. The truth was right on the tip of my tongue. All he had to do was say the words, and spill the truth free.

“A cost of what Mr. President?” A man with USA Today asked from in the front row. Did he realize what he was asking, did the President even realize what it was that he was unleashing out into the public? Knowledge that could get us all killed.

“It has come at a cost of other’s lives. Something we knew may happen but went forward with anyway.” The president seemed saddened by the words he had to speak but we all knew truthfully underneath the mask he wore that there was not a sorry bone in his body. He was as much at fault as PGI. As any and every government official that knew about it.

The reports in front of him started throwing questions out left and right.

“If you knew the consequences then why did you do it?” One asked.

“Where are these people that have had experiments done on them?” Another blurted out. I rolled my eyes at the TV picking up the remote to change the channel. The truth was going to come out sooner or later.

“Is there any immediate threat to the public Mr. President?” The question caused my finger to halt against the rubber number on the remote. Would he answer the question honestly, or would he lie?

“At this time we don’t know. As far as the test subjects go, there are some that have been unaccounted for, but I assure you, were doing everything that we can to find them.” Gasps filled the room, and then more shouts and questions. A smile formed on my face.

“What does this all mean Mr. President?” You could hear the uncertainty in the reporters voice as well as the others. They were unsure of what was to come, and they should be. The government had been hiding more shit from them than they realized.

All at the expense of other’s lives.

It was time for society to find out who the Projects were. It was time for them to understand what the brotherhood was.

It was time for death to rain down on everyone. Retribution would be served.

              Maggie

            
 
Let me tell you a story. One that doesn’t end with happiness, or happy tears, this one ends in blood, revenge, and truth. I was always told the truth would set me free. That in due time, the lies would unravel revealing the truth about who I was, and what it meant to be me.

              I never expected to be someone so similar to Killer. To feel the need for blood without a second thought. That was the thing about us though; we never really knew one another for who we were. We believed that we did.

              The secrets of life are always hidden, and the ones that we love the most always die. Killer was my everything, my life, and my reason for breathing. Finding out the real meaning behind the two of us would destroy us. It would destroy everything that made us who we were, but without the truth, without the secrets being told we would never know.

              I took that leap of faith separating us for the rest of our lives.

              Love lives on within us forever right?

              If so then truthfully, I’m never alone.

              Killer

              Past

              Blood surrounded me. I could feel the warmth of it against my skin. The copper smell filling the air, and hitting the back of my throat as I took in a large breathe. My chest heaved with the effort it took to breath. What was wrong with me? I blinked my eyes open, but saw nothing but darkness.  My fists clenched against soft fabric. Where was I? The question echoed loudly in my ears cuaing my head to ache.

              “
Killer. Killer.” I could hear her screams, but couldn’t move. She needed me, yet I couldn’t reach her, no matter how hard I had tried.

              “Maggie.” I screamed her name as loud as I could, but no words left my lips. Instead her name, and my voice bounced around inside of my head. Darkness plagued me, as I continued to hear her screams, her pleas for help, to be saved. I swam through dark layers of my mind trying to find the slightest trace of light that I could hold on to.

              Sweat clung to my brow, as the memories resurfaced. Confusion hit me like a brick wall. What had happened to us? As panic rouse within me, more memories filtered through my mind.

             
“Make it stop. Tell them to stop.” Maggie’s voice was above a beg, whimpers left her throat, and I could feel myself growing hard. Hard for her, for the pain that she was enduring for me. She was strong, so fucking strong.

             
“Killer can you hear me?” A voice asked. I shook my head trying to make it go away, I didn’t want to hear voices anymore; I simply wanted to know what had happened to Maggie. Unable to speak, I grunted and growled showing them just what I would do to them if I got loose, my own anger, begging to be unleashed upon them.

              “He’s unresponsive sir.” I could hear shuffling of feet over the floor, and a warm calloused hand against my wrist, yet try as I may to move my hands and legs I couldn’t.

              “Brown.” The word was said with so much authority, and suddenly I was being flung through a time portal. To a life that I had only remembered through memories, to a life I didn’t recall ever living.

             
Maggie stood before me, her dress bellowing in the wind. She was beautiful, her hair pinned back in an elegant way. As my eyes zoned in closer I realized it was a facade, it had to be. Maggie’s image tilted, before red started forming on her hands, and throat.

              “No…” I screamed, running towards her. I needed to stop the bleeding to make sure that she was okay, but with every step I took towards, I was flung further away. Blood poured from her, as she grabbed her hands staring at them in understanding.

              “Its what they wanted Killer. Its what will happen.” Her voice was so soft, like cashmere. My eyes grew wide in fear, her voice warming me, and filling me with so much self hate. This was my fault.

              “Maggie!” I screamed her name, her face titled sideways, as if she was trying to understand me.

              “Revive him.” The voice said again, pulling me from the past. A course of electricity zinged through me, causing my heartbeat to jolt in my chest. I could hear the loud thuds of it in my ear, and the smell of burnt hair filtering in through my nostrils. Confusion overwhelmed me. Was I dying?

              “Place him back under.” The voice said again. Squeezing my eyes closed, I tried to focus on the voice, on anything that could tell me where I was.

In the next instant I could feel my body clinging to the side of a pool. Dark water lied at each side of me. The water was so dark and cold, that my lips quivered, and my teeth chattered against one another loudly.

              “Maggie.” I yelled her name, but heard nothing back. It was as if I was living in my own personal hell. She wasn’t here with me. This was all inside of my head. It had to be, what else could be happening?

Without warning my grip on the side of the pool went slack, and I sunk deeply into the water. I flailed against the cold water, attempting to swim back to the top, my attempts going nowhere.  Numbness was taking over my limbs, as my body scrapped against the bottom of the pool and an image formed above me.

I blinked, focusing in on the man. Not understanding how I could see him crystal clear, as if there wasn’t a million gallons of water separating us.

I stared at the man for a long time he looked very familiar but at the same time didn’t. His presence alone had caused my heartbeat to start pounding in my ears again. A rush of anger zinged through me, and just as I opened my mouth to yell, to say something, anything, I could feel the warmth of light grabbing me, and the darkness fading again.

             
“Stable sir.” The voice was back, the memory interrupted before I could get an answer.

              “Good. Now I want you, to contact them.” The man’s voice grew colder with each word that was spoken. I had never wished for my voice to work so much in my life. To ask questions, to get answers.

              “I will let them know sir. Do you want me to let them know that we have the girl also?” Without hesitation, my eyes popped open.
There was no amount of drugs, or pain that could keep me from her.
 

The girl? Who was the girl? I could feel the anger I had towards them bringing up the girl, but didn’t understand the meaning behind it.

              Anger surged through my veins. I took everything in, as fast as I could, as I tried to get my body parts to catch up with my brain. My eyes, zeroed in on every single object in the room. I needed to take in as much as I could before they forced my body back under.

              I was lying on a bed, the wall before me was a stark white color, clean, hospital like. I drifted my attention to the men closest to my bed, they held clip boards, and wore lab coats that mirrored that of the walls in color, their faces frozen in shock as I ripped the cords they had placed in my body out.

              “Where am I?” My voice was hoarse, and angry. Why had I stopped to ask questions? I should’ve been destroying anything and everyone to get to her. Yet, I felt that I needed answers, that I needed something to tell me all of this wasn’t a dream. I lifted my nose to the air to see if I could get her scent, anything that would point me in the right direction, but instead all I could smell was the disgusting scent of antiseptic, and bleach.

              “You’re being treated for your injuries.” One of the lab coat workers said, his voice startled. I stared at him blankly, knowing that he was lying. I could practically see the lies written on his face.

The other worker, looked between me, and his partner, and I knew he was about to lie as well. I stepped off the bed, my fists clenched as I felt the urge to release the inner beast on them.

They lie! All human lie!!
I growled loudly, causing them to take a few steps back.

“Why don’t you sit back down on the bed and while help you figure everything out.” I could hear the fear, and panic in his voice.

Shaking my head in rage, I decided I would give these people one more chance to explain things to me, otherwise they were as good as dead.

              “Tell. Me. Where. I. Am.” I screamed each word, making sure they understood my question. I was on the verge of crumbling my vision going black. I had one urge, and one urge only and that was the need to make them answer me.

              “I…” The male to my left stumbled over his words, while the other seemed to have pulled his balls out of his asshole. This caused a bubble of hysterical laughter to form inside of me. If he wasn’t shaking in his fucking boots now, he would be the second I wrapped my hands around his throat.

              “Killer… If that’s even what you would like to be referred to as?” He questioned me like I was dumb, causing my muscles to ache, with built up tension. I had given them many a chance to explain themselves so why was I not dismembering their bodies?

              “You won’t have enough time to say my name, let alone remember it once I rip your body apart. Of course I’ll start with your throat, I hate it when my prey screams as I pull their limbs from there body.” I sneered, trying not to lose focus on the important things here. Things like the girl, and finding out where I was.

              The man smirked, still seeming nonetheless unphased by my anger, “I’ll just call you Killer since we have no paperwork on who you’re.” He stepped closer to me and I forced my fingers to move, to grip the sheets in rage. My body was still in some sort of penalization.

              “You’re a Killer right? You were made to do this correct?” His eyes narrowed. In them a hate that mirrored my own lingered. Did I not just tell him I would rip him from limb to limb?

“To rip people to shreds, to kill, and not care that you’re doing so? To be relentless by nature, to rip life from those that you seek unfit of living?” He was mind-fucking me. Trying to get me to spill something, a secret, an answer, anything. My mind, and body told me to lock everything up that I needed to hide inside myself, but I had never been a runner, a person to hide from the dark that lingered around every corner.

              “I don’t think you know who I am at all.” My teeth ground together, and somehow I had managed to bite the inside of my cheek. The taste of blood filling my mouth caused a haze to fall over my mind.

              “Because if you did know who I was you would’ve been running for the hills already.” I whispered to him, making sure he understood the finalness in my voice. I would end him and his pathetic life the second I could get my body to react. My hands wouldn’t move, but my legs, my legs had carried me a few steps. If only I could get the blood to move to other places.

              “I’m not scared of you Killer.” A smile formed on his face. “No one is.” He finished, and I could feel his voice drifting off in my head, the darkness gripping at me.

              “You will be.” I snarled just as I fell into the abyss.

             
“Where are you?” The person asking the question repeated himself many times but I continued to shake my head, over and over again ignoring him. My stomach was on the verge of pouring its contents out.

              “I told you I don’t know.” I screamed, as searing pain shot through my eyes. The images before me played out like a play, colors of every spectrum showed, and I smiled as an image of Maggie filtered into the dark spots.

              “Do you not understand the severity of your actions Killer? Do you not understand that with her birth comes your death?” The man was talking in circles, circles that I refused to follow him through. Instead I continued staring at images of Maggie and I from the past.

              Happiness filled my chest, lifting me up. I had to find her, bring her home, and show her just how much I loved her. Just how sorry I was for breaking us both, for causing our damnation.

              “Your memories of her are very strong.” The man once again interrupted the wonderful play going on inside of my head. Oh god, how I wished for peace and quiet.

              “You know nothing.” Was all I murmured not wanting to ruin the precious mintue’s I had with her. He didn’t know Maggie. He couldn’t. No one did. Only I did. She was mine. All mine.

             
“He’s going into shock, dose him up and then bring her in. When he wakes up, he needs to see her.” I could hear there whispers, and it was then that I realized just how far gone I was.

              Where was I really, and what had they done with girl, who I now understood as Maggie?