Fragile Truths
Authors: D. H. Sidebottom,R. M. James
Fragile Truths
Tate & Frankie’s
Story
A Shadows of Sin Novel
Book One
By
D H Sidebottom
&
R M James
Fragile Truths
Copyright © 2014
By D H Sidebottom & R M James
This book is a work of fiction and any resemblance to actual places, incidents and persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.
Copyright © 2014 D H Sidebottom, R M James
Excerpt from The Decimation of Mae, copyright © D H Sidebottom
Excerpt from Finally Heaven, copyright © D H Sidebottom
RM’s Acknowledgements
There are so many people I would like to mention, but the first person I would like to thank is DH Sidebottom, because without her you wouldn't be reading this today. She has helped me achieve a dream I never knew I had and for that I would like to say 'Thank you, it's been a blast and I'm buying the first round in Hawaii!'
To my family also as they have been very supportive of this new venture which is a world away from my career of the last 20 years.
To the Beta Readers, Angela, Kelly, Michelle, Vickie and Ker, you were all fabulous and my thanks just don’t seem enough but 'Thank you’!
A huge thank you to all you fantastic 'Kittens' you rock! The time you spend promoting does not go unnoticed and for that I thank you all too.
Lastly a special thank you to my husband and daughter. Mr James has patiently listened when I'm sure all he wanted to do was watch 'Walking Dead' on TV and not listen to all my ramblings about this book. And also to my blond, blue eyed beautiful little girl who wants desperately to play the role of 'Frankie' when it’s on TV, I'm sorry sweet pea, this book will never be on the Disney Channel!
I hope you enjoy Tate, Jude and Frankie's story because they have been in my heart for so long and it’s such an amazing feeling to now share them with you all.
Enjoy,
RM James
xox
Dawn’s Acknowledgements
Well first, I have to start with RM… it has been an absolute joy. We’ve laughed, shocked one another, cried, moaned, and very much got on each other’s *cough,
tits,
cough* but bring on book 2… this time I’m going to make sure the word
cunt
is used more than 3 times ;) (Think of it as a passionate and horny sexual word, RM)
Secondly, as always, my beautiful children; you each fill my heart with an extraordinary amount of love and in return I adore you almost painfully. You’re my heroes, my idols and my reason for breathing. I wouldn’t be here without your support and encouragement… and Kerrie’s cakes.
Thirdly, my beta readers; Vickie, Kelly, Michelle, Ang and Ker. You’re each a brick of support as well as a friend. You tell it how it is and for that I can never thank you enough. And basically, without each of you, Fragile Truths wouldn’t be as amazing as it is. Thank you!!
Fourth, I’d like to give a small but very much significant shout out to the ladies from The Heart of Stone discussion Facebook group. You are all absolutely
BRILLIANT
. The support, laughs and love you give me keeps me upright and determined to better myself with each book.
A special call out to Michelle, you’ve been a rock, your continued support and friendship is never taken for granted… thank you <3
And Ker… I love you hardcore, my love. Please keep up with the craziness and the innuendo, and I’ll make sure you are granted that golfing cart in heaven ;)
Next, I just want to mention a special friendship with two
very
remarkable women.
Kelly. I’m sat here, tears in my eyes as I think about how much you mean to me. We’ve been to hell and back over the past year and you are always my first port of call when I need a shoulder. You lift me up, make me laugh and cry but most of all, you love me as I love you and after everything, after the shit life throws at us and the heartbreak someone from down below grinds us down with, we still laugh, we still love and we’re still there for one another. I love you my awesomesauce kickass sidekick!
Vickie. Where do I start? You are an
incredible
friend. You know me and work me through the aches and pains of writing… and life. You listen to my rants, and then offer back an even bigger rant ;). You take me as I am, with all my shortfalls and faults and you always,
always
listen. I wouldn’t be here without you, it’s that simple. You’ve lifted me up and sat me back down when things got a little dark, and you always reassure me that things can only get better… which of course they always do! You’re more than a friend, I can’t even think of a word… Someone needs to formulate one. I love you… simple.
And lastly, of course; you, the reader. *blows out a breath* It has been just over a year since I published my first book, Angel. And what a year it has been! As my writing progresses and advances, you still show your ultimate support by buying each of my books, planting reviews and recommending me to others, and for that, I can’t thank you enough. It’s true when they say ‘An author is no one without her readers’.
So, I’ll shut up and let you go get stuck into Fragile Truths. This is a little treasure to me and I hope you enjoy it as much as I’ve enjoyed writing it… BTW Tate is RM’s, and that woman can bitch slap with the aggression of a boxer ;)
Until next time… Thank you.
Dawn xxx ♡
Table of Contents:
To live is to suffer; to survive is to
find some meaning in the suffering.
Friedrich Nietzsche
Frankie
The bitterness is consuming. Its intensity slashes and claws at my insides, its hatred wrenching my soul as it curls and nurtures my need for revenge.
His torture only feeds my vice. I won’t let him break me, only strengthen me.
The pain he gives is welcomed, its rawness fuelling the loathing inside with each of his thrashes and tears on my pale skin, with every harsh truth he breathes in my ear and with each of his crippling holds.
I have waited too long for this and I'll never let the bastard win. He will have to end me before I give in.
But now he has a weapon against me. Something I swore throughout my life I would never let in;
Love.
Tate.
Tate
Her strength astounds me. He doesn’t seem to break her.
His relentless persecution and determination to bury her under his furious reign and brutality eats at my soul. It has found that dark place inside me, the pit of hell I had locked and secured away, and enriched it, demanded its flourish and ripened its ferocity. The family wrath.
She'll never give in, and I pray every night as I guide her through the darkness that tomorrow will bring the light to her soul before it is consumed, finally, by the plague of him;
Evil.
Jude.
Jude
She blossoms under my torture, the soft suppleness of her skin ripping and tearing as though her soul is trying to break free from the agony.
I'll allow it, because I can. Because I need her soul. I crave the sustenance it feeds my rage with, my thirst for cruelty quenched by the sounds of her desolate screams and my hunger for blood, nourished by the slow drip of her life force at my feet.
She thinks I won't break her, so does he. They underestimate the blood that slithers through my veins. It's sustained by pain and suffering. It's the blood that tenures those around me.
The Bloodthirsty.
The Shadows of Sin.
PROLOGUE
8
th
September 1997
Tate
My eyes flicked to my father when he pulled on the door handle and dropped one foot out of the car and onto the gravel driveway, “Behave for ten. And leave the fucking station alone!”
I snorted. Arsehole.
“Mmmm.” I grumbled a reply, leaving him to just shake his head in frustration at me as I twisted the knob on the stereo and grimaced at the loud hiss through the shitty speakers. When I passed my test, no way would I be seen dead with one of these old fucking things; up to date gadgets and wheels for me, all the fucking way.
“Cretino!”
“English, Pop!”
“Idiot!” he repeated in English as he bent and glared at me through the open door. I shrugged. Fuck him, the miserable bastard! “Watch your brother.”
I sighed as I turned to the back seat and gave Jude a scowl. “Do I have a choice?” I asked tetchily as I returned my gaze back to my father.
He sighed heavily and glared at me, “Why is life always against you, Tate?”
“I know, right. He’s eleven, I’m sure he’s fucking capable of holding his own knob when he needs to piss!”
I hissed when his hand shot across the top of my head harshly, “And you’re fucking fifteen you arrogant
Minchia
. Start acting like it and learn some respect!”
He rolled his eyes but then softened his gaze when he turned to Jude. Of course he quelled his irritation when he looked at Jude. Jude was the dog’s bollocks to my father, with his blonde hair and his nancy blue eyes, and his A grade report card. “I should be telling you to keep your eye on the pansy sat up front.”
I caught the small conspiratorial smile Jude gave Pop and bit my tongue to stop the words that would bring another smack around the head from my father.
Pulling the joint from the front pocket of my jeans when Pop disappeared into the house, I glared at Jude through the rear-view mirror and curled my lip at him. “You grass on me and I’ll beat your skinny ass for a fucking week.”
He eyed me warily, his blue eyes shimmering with tears as his lip pouted slightly. “Fucking hell, Judy,” I sneered as I called him by the nickname I’d christened him with. “You are such a pussy.”
He rolled his lips and trained his eyes out of the window to divert from me as I lit the spliff and inhaled deeply.
Fuck, this shit was good and I relaxed instantly as I tilted my head back and rested it on the headrest. My lips grew into a wicked grin as an image of Becky flooded my woozy head. Christ that girl had one hot pussy. I snorted when I remembered how she had begged me to stick my cock in her ass. She was only eighteen, she’d be a raver by the time she was twenty one. Whether I’d still be hooked on her by then was another matter. Debbie had been giving me the come on for the past few days and I was debating whether to give her a go. After all, variety was the spice of life and all that shit.
I frowned as a faint shout attracted my attention out of the window and towards the house. Harry Belling had just lost his wife; slaughtered in her own home, or so the word on the street went.
