We're back!!!! Hopefully... I am going to try and push daily updates on this story from here on out. That probably sounds like a broken record at this point, BUT, I'm working on being better at my work. If you're still sticking around to find out how Rosalind and James' story plays out; Thank you. Seriously. I know how frustrating it is when authors drop off the face of the Earth and are inconsistent.
A loud noise jars me awake and my eyes struggle to focus in my disoriented state. The sky is nearly black and rain pelts against the floor to ceiling windows at the rear of the house.The television remains on, but the show I’d been watching has long ended. Glancing at my phone, I blink away the sleepiness seeing that somehow, I’d managed to nap for the last five hours.Another loud crack startles me as the sky lights up with a flash of lightning. A few seconds later, the power goes out, causing complete darkness to blanket me. The storm raging outside is the only sound I hear, and I quickly grab my phone, illuminating the flashlight as I walk towards the rear windows.The backyard leading into the forest looks eerie blanketed in complete darkness. The hairs on the back of my neck stand up, and the feeling of being watched envelopes me as I squint my eyes, trying to see anything through the heavy sheets of rain.Another flash of lightning illuminates the sky, and I swear I saw someth
“Rosa,” James’ voice filters through the darkness, “Rosalind, baby.”My body shakes softly on my shoulders and my eyelids flutter. The lashes on my left eye are stuck to my face, and after a few attempts, they tear free.Bright lights above my head blind me as I blink away my disorientation.The sound of multiple different voices has my eyes panning around the room. EMS workers move quickly, rushing inside the small space and focusing their attention on Ahmed. I recognize a few of the faces rushing around me, but a relieved sigh falls from my lips as I finally focus on James.“What’s going on?”My voice sounds foreign and gravelly.“Are you injured?” James rushes out, coming back to my side and ignoring the emergency personnel shouting at him to back up.“My…” I start, trying to move the leg that had gotten bit, but it felt numb and stiff, “My leg and my ribs.”“What happened here?” The gold flecks in James’ eyes glitter beneath the harsh lights of the elevator, and his eyes soften as
Pure, unfiltered rage didn’t even begin to describe the poisonous feeling flooding through my veins. The anger feels like a living, breathing thing.Like a Goddamned snake slithering its way beneath my skin, releasing toxic poison in the form of fury that bleeds into every square inch of my body.I want the heads of every single person who stepped foot on my property last night. I don’t give a shit who they were or what they were doing there. If they accidentally stumbled upon the forest at the back of the property…. I’m going to find them and make them pay.Since my driver is now fighting for his life in the hospital with Rosalind, I’m forced to call and wait for a driving service to offer me a temp replacement for Ahmed.A few painstaking minutes pass while I pace a hole in the cement out front of the hospital, sweating from the sweltering, humid Georgia heat before the damn driver finally shows up.‘He is clearly incompetent,’ Onyx spats in my head, ‘Ahmed would never keep us waiti
“Rosalind,” Chris shouted, shouldering through a group of nurses who were conveniently gossiping about James. They still couldn’t believe he was married to a woman like me. Sure, I was a doctor, but that wasn’t anything special when the most eligible, billionaire bachelor in Georgia was in the running. He was like a God around here. And me? Well, I was simply an average looking woman who also happened to be a doctor. My status as a Red didn’t mean a damn thing, because I wasn’t a hot man who also happened to have enough money to buy the entire United States and not blink an eye. “What the fuck?” Chris muttered; eyes wide as he stared at my elevated leg. Blood had seeped through the bandages because they couldn’t seal the wound and for someone who doesn’t see this kind of thing on a regular basis, it was pretty disgusting. “Close the curtain,” I whispered, and he did quickly, rushing back to my side.“Was that,” he pointed at my injury, “From one of them.”“We are one of them,” I n
The inside of the house looked like a massacre. Tiny shards of glass decorated the floor like snow. Some of the larger bits were painted with a deep, blackish crimson from the dried blood, and the smell was nauseating.‘These were definitely rogues,’ Onyx spat through gritted teeth, his anger blending with mine the more we assessed the scene.Through it all, I could smell Rosalind’s blood, and the thought of them hurting her while I was off chasing some ignorant lead on Marina made my blood boil with anger. But the anger was directed at myself.I should have been here. I should have been the one to protect her, and Ahmed did his best, but one man against multiple wolves just didn’t succeed.Rainwater had flooded most of the evidence, causing it to spread before drying. The cops wouldn’t be able to pull anything from this mess. Not anything concrete anyways.I’d learned the hard way how easily evidence can be destroyed. If you’re not on the scene within a tiny window of time, your succ
I was finally cleared to go home from the hospital, but I’m not quite sure how to feel about it. On one hand, I missed my bed and the comfort of my own home. On the other, I didn’t know how to feel about being there after the attack.Not to mention my mind has been running in circles since Marina showed up here yesterday.James came shortly after she left, but something seemed off, and I wanted to dissect everything that Marina had said before confronting James about it. But even more confusing was the fact that she’d specifically said a wolf bite, when she shouldn’t have known that small fact.She couldn’t have known that unless she orchestrated it or James had told her about it, but I was leaning towards her orchestrating the attack.“How’s Ahmed?” I glanced up at James as he wheeled me out to the awaiting car.“He’s awake and recovering. I’ve placed him on paid leave and instructed his wife to come to me if they need anything at all,” James’ voice held an edge to it, but I didn’t c
James assisted me into a house, where the smell of bleach assaulted me the moment I walked through the threshold. A crew of cleaners froze as we walked inside, but a single look from James had them scurrying back to their jobs.The glass had been removed and the blood no longer stained the white porcelain. A new pane of glass shimmered beneath the midday sun, and I found myself frozen as I stared at the picture-perfect home.“It feels weird to see looking how it was before,” I whispered, still feeling the fear of that night swim through my veins. The large floor to ceiling window overlooked the forest in the backyard, and I silently wondered if that fear would multiply once the sun went down and the shadows of the night came out to play.James pressed his lips to my temple, “I replaced the glass from before with something graded to be bullet proof. Nothing will get through those windows again.”A shiver rolled down my spine. Either James replaced the window with bulletproof glass to m
“I’ve increased security and will be checking in hourly. Are you sure you’re going to be okay?” James held my annoyed stare, knowing that nothing was getting in or out of these walls without him knowing.He held up his hands in mock surrender, “Fine. FINE. I get it,” he stepped towards me, his large frame crowding my space. My butt hit the counter and my crutches fell to the ground. James lifted me with ease and placing me atop the cool, granite countertop. A shiver rolled through my body as the chill seeped into my skin, “I’m allowed to worry about you, you know?”“Worry all you want, but don’t stop letting me live. Please. I’ll be fine and I trust that all of the additional security measures you’ve put in place will keep me extra safe,” I pecked his lips, attempting to pull away quickly, but he grabbed my face, crashing our lips together in a searing kiss.James held me there until we were both breathless, and my chest ached from the lack of oxygen.“The office can wait,” he growled
“I have to say,” Chris spins around, eye wide with excitement, “I could get used to this. Do you see that fucking view?”This place was like a miniature paradise. The air smelled fresh, like the scent of a frigid breeze during the first snowfall. A serene lake sat in front of a picturesque log cabin. Smoke billowed from the chimney, and mountains stretched across the entire horizon, painting a scene that was nothing short of extraordinary.“It’s a bit colder than I’m used to,” Shawn’s words left his lips on a puff of air. “But Dante has taste. This place feels like its own little paradise.”The three of us headed inside, and I gasped at the warmth in the cabin. The scent of pine and cedar swirled around with a hint of smoke. Everything was bathed in warmth. Stained wood decorated the walls, and deep colors accented the feel of the space.“It’s homey,” Chris glances around, his brows knitted, “Kind of expected something more modern.”“It’s a cabin in the middle of nowhere,” Shawn mutte
“Chris,” I whisper, approaching him on the small aircraft carrying us to the unknown location. “Can we talk?”There is a long silence before he finally pushes his sunglasses to the top of his head, his bloodshot eyes boring into mine, “Sure.”His tone is short and unlike him, but I don’t blame him. Once the relief of finding us alive dissipated, he was left with anger, and despite his normal use of drugs or alcohol to make him forget, I imagine it’s not quite that easy when it comes to Shawn and me.“Before you start,” he whispers, “I want you to know that I’m not interested in excuses. I’m not interested in half truths. I’m on a fucking shoebox of an airplane headed to bumfuck nowhere, and I don’t even understand why.”“Of course,” my voice cracks, “There is no reason to hide anything from you anymore,” I shake my head, “There was never any reason to hide anything from you. I don’t have a good reason for keeping you out of the loop… I guess I just didn’t understand what was going on
“Why does this feel like we’re going into the witness protection program?” Chris groans, his sunglasses balancing on the tip of his nose. I know he’s only got them on to hide the fact that he was drunk last night, but I don’t comment on it.Part of me wishes I had been drunk last night instead of silently sobbing to myself curled in an armchair next to Shawn’s bed.“That’s precisely what this is,” Dante mutters, “It’s just a bit more under the radar than your typical witness protection. Instead of the government, you get me.”“Yay,” Chris mumbles, dropping his head back against the headrest.Guilt eats away at the remnants of my soul, and each day that passes leaves me feeling hollower than the one before it.The windows of the vehicle Dante drives have been blacked out to the point that you can’t see a thing inside of the car, and there is very little visibility from the inside.“Where in the hell are we going to go that no one is going to recognize two millionaires and a famous foot
“Still no word on where they’re at?”I’ve spent the last four days in the hospital, unwilling to leave Shawn’s side while he recovered. They tried to send me home, but I refused. Shawn is in this mess because of me, and I’ll be damned if James or Marina somehow finds their way back to him.Dante pinches the bridge of his nose. He comes by every day, and I see the guilt swimming in his eyes. “I told you he was smart. I’ve not been able to track him through his accounts. Money has been moved from investments, but they’ve got to be using an alias that I’m not aware of.”He frowns, “I’m sorry I don’t have more to go on. Like I said, James is smart. He planned this all out right under our noses and didn’t leave a crumb behind that he didn’t want left behind.”I mull over Dante’s words, my mind scattering in so many directions, my head begins to ache. Dante had said James intentionally bought that warehouse under his main bank account because he knew it was trackable, but why would he do th
My eyes widen as a gasp leaves my lips. The air around us feels instantly stale, and my heart jackhammers in my chest.Neither of us utter a word, unknowing if the voices we hear are there to help. Honestly, in my current state, I’m unconvinced that they’re even real.“Rosa,” Joanne voice breaks through the heavy shuffling of footsteps, and I find the strength to stand, untangling myself from Shawn’s arms.“Oh my goodness,” our eyes meet and hers widen when she takes in mine and Shawn’s appearance. “What has he done?”Her voice is barely above a whisper, but I see the horror reflecting in her normally warm eyes.“I found them,” she shouts, still standing rooted to her spot. Moments later, police and paramedics rush towards us and a few moments after that, Dante and Chris on an ATV.“Rosie,” Chris jumps out of his seat while the vehicle is still moving. He stumbles as he runs towards me. His eyes are a mixture of pain and relief, “Fucking hell, Rosie. You’re alive. You’re both alive.”
Shawn and I ran as fast as our battered bodies could carry us. Pain sears through my body and my muscles scream in protest.I saw a workout shirt once that said ‘Everything hurts and I’m dying’. How fitting would that be to have on at this very moment?“Shawn,” I hiss through my teeth, feeling darkness shroud my vision. “I don’t know how much further I’ll make it.”“You don’t have another choice, Rosie,” he grits out, “We have to make it out of here.”My lungs ache with every breath. It feels as if I’ve inhaled tiny shards of glass, and each breath sends them further through the surface of the organs that aid my breathing.Is this how I’m going to go?Shawn falls back, scooping me into his arms.“Shawn,” I gasp, trying and failing to fight him, “You won’t make it anywhere carrying me.”“If you haven’t realized this yet,” he growls through his pain, “We’re getting out of here together. You should really stop making me say it.”The sound of paws slamming against the Earth sends my brain
I’ve never wanted to kill anyone. Not once in my life had the thought crossed my mind.Until now.I fucked up keeping my heart sealed away from Rosie. I thought I was doing her a favor by keeping my distance. I loved her with so much depth, that I let her go, and I’m going to regret that decision until the end of my life.Rosie was a Red. She was royalty to the world. An heiress. A billionaire. Her namesake was a given, and me? I was Shawn Pierce, son of two drug addicts that didn’t want him, and a hoard of mental issues that were never discussed.I lived with them through my childhood until Jeremy Red found me huddled in a closet one day with my hands over my ears, rocking back and forth. I was sobbing uncontrollably, and my heart felt like it was going to explode.Instead of dragging me out of there and telling me to man up as my father had done in the past, he rushed a doctor to the residence and had me diagnosed with anxiety. I was prescribed medication, that Mr. Red paid for, and
Searing pain rolls through my body. My back arches against the pole, and I feel myself ripping at the restraints.A scream echoes around the warehouse, but I’m not even sure if it’s mine.Everything hurts and I feel as if I have lava swimming through my veins.“Rosie!” Shawn’s voice shouts. “What’s happening?”“It…. IT HURTS,” I scream again, unable to contain it.I’ve experienced pain. In the last year I’ve not only been bitten by a shark, but also a werewolf. Both of which hurt more than I care to admit, but I’d get eaten alive by a shark slowly over this.“JUST KILL ME,” I scream at the flashing light bulb in the corner.“Rosie, what is happening?” I hear him grunt. Something keeps hitting my fingers, but I can’t tell if I’m doing it or if Shawn is.“Please,” I sob as the pain tears through my chest. “It’s too much.”My vision tunnels, and I feel weaker by the second, but the pain eases up, and I finally fill my lungs with a sharp inhale.“Everything hurts, Shawn,” I whimper, feeli
“Are they off our backs?” Marina practically chased James down as he calmly walked us back into the warehouse.She scoffed when she saw me untied and with free will, “You can be so foolish, James Wood,” her voice echoed around me, but I spun on my heel, pinning her with a glare, “I followed through on my end of the deal. Shawn needs food and pain killers.”Marina let out a low growl, stomping towards me, but James stopped her, “A deal is a deal, Marina. Go. I’ll stay here.”“You can’t be serious,” Marina moved in front of James, shoulder checking me.“Dead. Serious,” he snarled, and out of my peripherals, I saw her spine straighten.Good. She deserves that tiny ounce of fear, and so much more if I had my say.The heavy thudding of her boots as she stomped out of the warehouse was like music to my ears.“There are rags and soap in the bathroom. You can clean him up, but he stays restrained,” James walks away, disappearing out of sight.I practically bolt around to see Shawn sleeping, h