It’s times like this that I miss my mom the most — to have a female someone (other than Kiara) to give me advice. But she’s been dead for what feels like ages already.
Eight years, seven months, 21 days, my brain calculates as if by itself.
But no matter how much time passes … the night we found her murdered in our house is not a night I will easily forget for as long as I live.
Neither will I forget the smell of her famous spaghetti bolognese — that’s another secret I keep from everyone … even Kiara. I’ve memorized her recipe and whenever I feel down, I cook myself a bowl of her bolognese. It always does the trick.
It reminds me of the happy moment just as we opened the door, trying to slip in without her noticing ‘cause we were grounded. At that very moment, as I stepped through the door, I was ecstatic — she was making my favorite food and I was starving.
It was a great moment and I wish I could stay right there.
Because, just a second later we froze at the sight of blood on the floor between pieces of broken glass, the room a chaotic mess. I knew something horrible happened … we all knew. Logan grabbed me and we formed a little duo of two scared kids, silently waiting for something we could not even begin to understand. I’m just glad we never followed my older brothers. My memories of her stayed all good, as she was, and were not trashed by images of her dead body.
In one night I lost both parents. Mom died and Dad … I don’t know what happened to him exactly. He could very well be dead too. I never saw him again. But sometimes I imagined him sitting in the back row of our school play, or shouting from the bleachers cheering me on while I was running, or standing proudly in a corner during a prizegiving.
I force my mind back to the present again. Why do I keep recalling the past tonight? But I think I know the answer — Damion. Although we’re talking about Ren my mind keeps drifting.
“If I haven’t fallen in love with him by the end of October, I might dump him and move on,” I eventually answer Kiara.
“Look, you know I don’t believe in the storybook shit … or true love for that matter … but I know you’re looking for that. However, my opinion is that you are looking for it in the wrong place. Or more precisely, with the wrong guy.” Maybe. But the right guy is an asshole. A donkey.
She clicks her tongue when she sees my what-the-fudge frown. What does she know anyway? Ren is my first boyfriend, she knows that. He could turn out to be the right guy … couldn’t he? Maybe my nuclei are just slow. Maybe the BAM moment is still coming.
But I know it doesn’t work that way.
“So are you going to have sex with him?” She seems a little agitated.
“Who? Ren? No.” She rolls her eyes. But she can judge all she wants.
She knows that I want my first time to be special. Yes, I know it’s cheesy, but it’s just who I am. In our senior year, Kiara started dating, Don, and they did it on prom night, like most typical teenagers. But I’m different … I’m waiting for sparks, electricity, love — name it what you want, that special someone who’s going to knock me off my feet.
And Ren is not him. And I don’t think he’ll ever turn out to be my happily ever after.
“That’s rather direct and definite.” Yes. I didn’t even have to think. But if she meant Damion … that I will have to think about for a while … hours … maybe even days. Because of the stupid pumped-up confused hormones — nothing else.
“And it’s got nothing to do with …. oh I don’t know …. some green-eyed bad-ass?”
Now, why would Kiara bring him into the conversation again? I just stopped thinking about him.
“Ug, seriously? He’s like a fungus or something I can’t get rid of. And anyway, he’s bad, mad, and crazy, and I’m officially sure he doesn’t have a heart, at least not a beating one.”
“You’re not still on that vampire train, are you?” I pout. I’m still not convinced that he’s NOT a vampire. I’ve seen TVD more than enough times to know that he has all the makings of one … sexy mysterious guy with alluring not-normal panty-wetting eyes … yeah he checks every vampire box in the book … even the jewelry. No ring. He wears a stud in his left ear — one with some funny blueish stone, that seems to change color. Now if that’s not a magic sun protector thingy, I don’t know what is.
“No, gmf,” I snort out a lie. Kiara is sooo not into fantasy. Like I said … a realist if you’ve ever seen one. She thinks Vampire Diaries is a bunch of crap. She doesn’t like any of my favorite stories. She’s more into stuff like Grey’s Anatomy, The Big Bang Theory, and Suits.
“I just mean he’s not exactly the sentimental affectionate type!” I try to correct my error.
“That’s true.”
Kiara is like my sister … well, technically she’s my adopted cousin. She came to live with Uncle John after her alcoholic mother dived from a five-story building when we were 5. And while her father is still alive, he’s been in jail on a murder charge since forever. At least she can occasionally see him … more than I can say about my dad. I don’t even know if he’s still walking among the living.
I get up and pour some coffee from my coffeemaker in the corner, before settling on the couch at this point. I take my time, slowly sipping my caffeine hit while observing Kiara piling more clothes on the already crowded bed. I swear her garments can fill a whole Target store and more — that’s why half of it is hanging in my cupboard. The kid has a serious problem.
There’s a small knock on the door and Axel’s face peeps in.
“I’m so glad you girls are back,” he says in a joyful voice as he collapses onto the sofa beside me. This past year his delicious swimmer’s body packed on even more muscles … in a very attractive way. And somehow his new cropped hairstyle highlights his profile and those hypnotizing eyes even more than before.
“So how’s the firefighting business?” I ask. He’s a fireman at Fire Station 34. Part of their coastal rescue crew. I guess having an Olympic gold medalist swimmer on the team can’t hurt.
“I enjoy it.” Axel’s never been one for many words. He’s always been the mysterious quiet kid in the corner. But it turns out all the rumors were false. He never killed anyone just to eat his liver. Neither does he glitter in the sun or turn into a beast when the moon is full.
All the marks and bruises he tried to hide under those oversized hoodies were from a rough family life instead. One I still know nothing about — except that he has an older sister, and his mom is still alive. And Uncle John helped him to overcome whatever he needed overcoming. A vandalized boy that grew up in a broken home … a child with no childhood. No wonder he and Jackson are so close.
For the past 10 years, he’s become an inseparable part of our family, since the accident at the haunted house.
“Do you guys remember that haunted house?” he asks out of the blue as if reading my mind. It’s kinda creepy how the boys do that — always know what’s in your mind. Kiara thinks it’s because they’re dysfunctional, I think it’s because their souls are broken.
“Yep, how can we forget,” I say calmly. “Been there, done that, got the scars to prove it.” Kiara broke her ankle and my bicep got impaled by an arrow in that house. I’m not sure what made our teacher more upset, the fact that we were able to slip away without her knowing or the fact that she had to drive us to the hospital.
“Well, just last week we got called there for a fire.”
“It burned down?” Kiara gasps. That would actually be a blessing.
“Nah,” Axel elongates his legs over my lap. “It was a small fire … a hobo fell asleep trying to stay warm.” He stretches out some more. “But you’ll never believe what we found.”
“The demon guard?” I shout out. Kiara rolls her eyes again.
“No,” he titters. “The dispenser that shot out the arrow that hit your arm.” I pull wide eyes and stare at him surprised. “It was empty of course … but still rather amazing to see. We also found some more hidden … eh … mm … security risks. It took us minutes to extinguish the fire but hours to clear the place.”
“I told you guys the place was booby-trapped. Jason Steward was the one who triggered it. He stepped on that loose plate.”
“Didn’t you say back then that Cupid shot you?” Axel giggles softly. Yeah, I did. I also thought I saw a unicorn. And a demon.
“Eh, I was in pain … and not thinking straight.” I know there are no such things as unicorns, but I’m still pretty certain I saw a demon. Or at the very least a very ugly man.
He glares at Kiara.
“Your hole is also still there — the one you fell into. The hobo used it as a toilet. It smells disgusting.” He wrinkles his nose.
“Maybe if I looked where I was going instead of my phone screen, I would not have fallen into that hole,” Kiara tops.
“It ruined my whole athletics career,” she continues. Axel snorts out a laugh.
“Eh, Kiara … you never had any shot at any athletics career … you’ve always been as slow as a sloth,” I sneer. She looks disgustedly at me and then at Axel.
“It’s true … even that fat girl Pink Scarlet won you in each race, and she could not run to save a snail,” he confirms with a big smile.
It’s true. Kiara was the only one slower than that cow — even before she broke her ankle. But Scarlet could wrestle the socks off a bull. Guess everyone has his own thing.
She ponders for a moment.
“Yeah, you’re probably right. I’m more of a brainiac.” She stacks more clothes on the ever-growing heap.
“Come to think of it,” Kiara stops packing, “I still have that video of Jason … where he runs out of the building screaming like a girl, with the rest of our class following suit.”
“It was funny … until it was not,” Axel chimes. “If Damion hadn’t come to help us, you would have been stuck in that hole for a long time.” Until today, I don’t know what he was doing there all by himself. He was not even in the same school. I asked him once, but never got a straight answer — he only said he was visiting. What exactly that means I don’t know. But him visiting a demon would make sense.
“Yeah, he was pretty awesome that day,” I say without thinking, earning me some knowing stares. But it’s true. He jumped into that pit like a ninja, hoisted out Kiara with her broken ankle, and emerged as if he climbed out of holes all the time.
“You had such a crush on him then,” Axel smirks.
“Well, maybe. But I didn’t know back then what an asshole personality he harvested in that beautiful body.” I try to explain. Kiara pulls her eyes at Axel.
Ug, I think I need new friends. Or, at the very least, Logan could definitely do with a new BFF.
“So you didn’t see the gun-wielding demon monster man?” I revert back to the original topic. I‘ve wondered over the years if the ugly face I saw that day still roams around that house. And if he still shoots his shotgun in the air whenever people walk onto his sticky tile floor. I never could figure out what the gluey tacky stuff on the ground was that my sneakers stuck to. And I’m not sure I want to know.
“No ghosts or demons … only the hobo. But he did say he sometimes heard voices on the west side. And he saw flickering lights on the top floor.”
“I knew it!” I shout. “That place really is haunted.” Axel chuckles softly.
“Ug,” Kiara moans, “No matter how much time I put into you, you’ll never change.” She throws the book I was reading at Axel. He stares at the flamboyant romance cover pic.
“Her head is still in the clouds, I see,” he laughs.
Kiara turns her palms up. “Exactly.”
Now it’s my turn to roll my eyes.
“Axel dear, is Damion still such a hunk?” Kiara wiggles her eyebrows at me and I pout.
“Don’t know exactly what a hunk looks like?” Axel’s mouth pulls up to one side.
“Is he still beautiful?” she tries again.
“You don’t get a beautiful man,” he says with a disgusted-sounding voice.
“Ug, never mind. More than nine years of girl talk and you still can’t communicate with your feminine side!” She puts down the lipstick and claps her hands together, making me jump.
“Okay guys, how does this look!” Kiara is wearing a green dress with long sleeves that reaches mid-thigh.
“I think you look great.” I give my honest opinion. Kiara always looks great but she likes to hear someone say it.
“What she said,” Axel sounds rather bored as he stares up at the roof.
“So are you girls ready to be guppy freshmen?” he asks looking as if he’s watching an invisible seventies western, starring Clint Eastwood, on the ceiling.
“I can’t wait,” I answer excitedly. I really can’t. I’m eager to fall back into all the activities I used to do at school. “I need to do stuff again.”
“And what stuff might that be?” he scuffs with big eyes still locked on the ceiling.
“Eh, I want to run again … and dance and ride my horse … maybe join the soccer team … and then there are the frat parties … you know … things students do,” I explain.
“Oh, I see … you’re going to be busy that’s for sure. Are you at least going to have some time for that dimwit boyfriend of yours?” Axel pries. He’s not my boyfriend, not officially, at least. And to tell you the truth, I actually didn’t think about him. I’m not used to dating someone. I just want to experience everything I can while I’m young.
“Talking about Ren, what do you think about this newest relationship?” Kiara asks our friend, ignoring my stare.
“Can you ladies PLEASE keep me out of your love lives?” Axel holds up his hands in defense, “Honestly, I don’t like the dude. But speaking as a completely objective third-party observer with no interest in the matter, I think Ren is a scapegoat because you’re too scared of the devil you secretly want.” Axel pulls an unsatisfying innocent pleading face and Kiara points a finger at him in an I-told-you-so motion.
“What I secretly want is new supportive and sympathetic best friends.”
“With green eyes?” Kiara teases.
“Are you talking about my buddy?” Logan enters the room, followed by the rest of my brothers. I eyeball Kiara for creating a situation before looking into Logan’s gray stare.
“NO!” I say a little too loud, “Eh … why would we be talking about HIM?” Logan shrugs his shoulders.
“Eh … I had a vision that you’re going to fall madly in love with someone with green eyes … " I make up a lie to tease him.
“I don’t fall in love, sis,” my youngest brother smirks and leans his tall quarterback body against the wall. It’s his 21st birthday today and we’re all here to roister with him tonight. But judging by the overly happy expressions, and the smell of alcohol, the boys already started celebrating early.
Luckily there should not be any paparazzi around — Uncle John’s house is like Fort Nox with all the guards outside. Mainly to keep the Blackburn Inc. offices, labs, and production sites safe — they’re on the same property as his home.
Thus, hopefully, for once everyone will avoid controversy and the tabloids. And if we’re lucky, no one will end up in the hospital. Definitely can do without visiting the ER for once. Birthday parties in this family tend to be a little rough and normally end in disaster.
Ilkay’s eyes find mine and I can see he’s worried about something. Nothing new. As a matter of fact, I’m pretty damn sure that one was born worried. He’s responsible, reliable, calm, and clever, and I mean extremely clever, like a certified genius. At the age of 24, he is already finishing his internship, and starting the new year he’ll continue his residency to become a neurosurgeon.
My eyes move over to the twins. Their faces look surreal, opposite carbon copies of the same mold. But as much as they look almost identical, that much do their personalities differ.
Enrique is a super successful international model and actor, who also shares ownership of a nightclub called ‘Inferno’ with Logan. A real playboy and ladies’ man who can wiggle himself out of any situation. He’s a lover and talker who loves to have fun.
Jackson on the other hand, plays hockey for the Sharks — a definite troublemaker badboy with a short fuse — easily pissed off and quick with his fists. And way too observant for his own good.
“We just came to fetch Axel,” Jackson says, “the chef grilled some juicy, fatty, Espetadas.”
Axel jumps up. “Count me in. I haven’t eaten the whole day.”
“Yeah,” Enrique chimes in, “We can go eat and drink while you girls make yourselves pretty for the party.”
“I heard you invited that Ren dude,” Logan pulls a shitty face.
“Yip, and he’s bringing two of his buddies with him, so be nice.” I’m sure one of those buddies will be Jason Steward. And I still don’t like Jason much. Never will.
“I don’t like the guy,” Jackson’s icy cold glare sends a shiver down my spine. I swear he has the devil’s eyes. “He’s an ass.” I stick my tongue out at him. He smirks and winks. It’s so cocky, cute, and unexpected that I’m stunned for a moment.
How do they always do that? It’s as if they know their cheeky cuteness messes up a woman’s clear thinking. Then again, that’s probably exactly why they do it.
Kiara and I have discussed the possibility of there being a secret ‘Hot guy sex training club’ where they teach men how to seduce the opposite sex. Or I suppose the same sex if they’re into that. I wouldn’t be surprised if Boys Educational and Analytical Sex Training — or BEAST for short, in fact, really exists.
And no, I’m not googling over my brother, but I’m not blind and I know that my brothers are far from ugly. They’re all carved from the same block as our father — tall, lean, and perfectly muscled with sexy manly faces, and definitely VIP members of said club. So are their friends.
“Let’s go eat. I’m frickin starving,” Enrique says as they walk away.
“I’m starving too,” I shout after them but they just laugh while disappearing down the stairs.
“It’s good to be a man,” one comments and I fall back onto the sofa. I think I’m really starting to hate men. Or at least the ones I have in my life.
Date = 5 SeptemberPlace = San Francisco (Uncle John’s house)POV - DamionShit, she is even prettier than I remembered, if that’s possible.My eyes immediately found her in the crowd … like they always do. She’s standing between her uncle and Kiara, just mere meters away from me, wearing distressed jeggings that make those sporty legs pop.Combine that with a barely-not-see-through, silky, dirty-pink, off-shoulder shirt, showing just the hint of a slinky black bra that flatters her C-cup cleavage and she’s demanding me to stand up and pay fucking attention.She has great tits. The best I’ve ever seen — full and stiff and just big enough without looking unproportional. I bet they will feel like heaven in my hands.Fuck. I move a little to compensate for the blood flooding a part south of my navel and seriously try to reprimand my cock down before it gets embarrassing. This girl is making it fucking hard not to act on my impulses. Very fucking hard.Her hair hangs loose in soft curls do
Date = 5 SeptemberPlace = San Francisco (Uncle John’s house)POV – MelaenaNot as they seem? Is he trying to claim innocence? How can his affairs, which are plastered over the news every week, by the way, be anything different? I look at his confronting emerald eyes and start throwing ideas through my mind. Did he just tell me not to judge his affairs? Does it look like I’m the judgy type?“I’m not accusing you, but your shenanigans with the female species make for a very convincing closing argument. You could object that I don’t have all the facts, and that’s true, but everybody can witness the evidence of so-called flings in the tabloids and social media. Your face is plastered at least weekly, all over the internet, each time with a different BRUNETTE smiling at your side.”I suddenly wonder what it is with him and dark-haired girls. It’s definitely his type. And I’m definitely not.He rubs his jaw as he studies me from under spiky black eyelashes. He has a hint of stubble like may
Date = 5 SeptemberPlace = San Francisco (Uncle John’s house)POV - MelaenaNot for one moment have I suspected him to be the cause of my curse.Why did Damion do that? Why mess up my life all the time? I swear he’s frozen on the inside … cause no one with a warm heart can be that cruel.I need to get to the bottom of this. He needs to explain.My phone vibrates and I look at the screen in anticipation, hoping just for a second that it’s Damion, before realizing that he doesn’t even have my number. I want to tell him exactly what I think of his threats. Who the fuck does he think he is? I frown when I see a message from an unknown number. I swipe the screen.Private number: Hi Melaena, hope you’re enjoying the partyMel: Who is this?Private number: Call me DMel: What do you want?Private number: Revenge. But mostly I want you!Mel: What?Private number: You belong to me, babe!Mel: Fudge off!Private number: Oh baby, I’m not going anywhere. You are mine.I blink, wondering if maybe t
Date = 5 SeptemberPlace = San Francisco (Uncle John’s house)POV - DamionI glare at the message on her phone. Is this a prank? I dig deep to think of anyone — except me — whose name starts with a D. Fuck. And I’m going away for a few successional races soon, but if she has a stalker I need to do something.Knock. Knock.Someone’s at the door. Fuck. I don’t want to get up. Mel is sleeping peacefully on my chest, making the sweetest sexiest little snoring sound. Almost like a tiny kitten.KNOCK. KNOCK. KNOCK.The person is getting impatient. Fiddling with the handle. I shift Mel gently to the side so I can get up.“Mel?” A voice sounds through the door. “Are you in there?” I cringe on my teeth. It’s the bastardly boyfriend. I unlock the door and swing it open.“What do you want?” I don’t even try to sound halfway friendly. His face contorts. He doesn’t seem to like me very much. Well, the feeling is mutual.“I’m looking for Mel.” He tries to push past me, but I fill the doorway pretty
Date = 10 SeptemberPlace = San Francisco (Paws and Claws Center)POV - Damion“What’s your name?” I ask pushing the frat boy into the tree.“Ben.”“Why were you following that girl?” His brows flip up to his hairline.“Seriously?” he shouts out. “I’m a dude and she’s hot.” I eyeball him, scrutinizing his face for any sign that he might be the D man I’m looking for. He goes bleak and swallows.“I’m sorry. I just wanted to get her phone number,” I let go of the guy’s shirt. He steps away from me. “Fuck. No need to go all psycho crazy, dude.” His tough-boy image cracked, he puffs out his chest a little in the hope of regaining some pride.“Are you going to beat up every guy on campus that looks at her?” Yeah. No. Maybe. I stuff my hands into my pockets and sigh.“You’re going to be busy then, ‘cause she’s one sexy chick.” Suddenly I feel like going all neanderthal again, but I don’t. He’s right. He’s the fourth guy in just an hour. And none of them had a D name. There was Tom, Charles, B
Date = 31 OctoberPlace = San Francisco (paintball place)POV – MelaenaAnother birthday party. Damion’s birthday. 31 October.I wonder who will get hurt this time. At Logan’s party, all my brothers got sick from the STROH rum. But at least no one ended up in hospital.A message comes through just as I’m tying my hair into a braid.D Stalker: Mayday! Mayday! A little actor is dying!I’ve changed his caller ID on my phone so I know when it’s him. I put away my phone. I’m not going to let one crazy coward ruin my life. He’s been sending me messages non-stop since that first time at Logan’s party. Mostly I just ignore them, but it’s starting to creep me out a little. He knows stuff … as if he’s watching me all the time.However, this ‘mayday’ shit is something new. Usually, he just rants on about how I belong to him and that soon we’ll be together.What does he mean by dying … could someone be after Enrique? Would this D guy go as far as to try and kill my brother? He did say that he want
Date = 31 OctoberPlace = San Francisco (paintball place)POV - MelaenaA loud noise judders me to close my ears with my hands. It’s the siren signaling a win. Somebody grabbed a flag. I quickly look over, and then a big smile spreads across my face. Luke is jumping up and down, wildly waving the green flag through the air. I remove my hands slowly, letting them fall down my sides.We won!Jackson stops shooting his brother and Ilkay jumps up from his hiding place and slowly walks over to us with Enrique in tow.“Congratulations.” He intentionally hits Damion on his back, knowing it must hurt like shit. Then he sees the paint marks covering my front and his eyes turn dark. A cameraman is standing close by, recording our win. It must be the one lucky dude Kiara was talking about.“Who the bloody hell shot you like that?” Enrique seems angry and it’s ironic because just a few moments ago he was the one shooting at me.“Chloe went all out killer crazy … emptied her gun on her,” Kiara expl
Date = 31 OctoberPlace = San Francisco (Reaper venue)POV - DamionI think I fucked up again.How is it that I could swirl on two wheels at over 220 miles an hour around a track, but I can’t scrape together enough courage to speak to the one person who means the most to me?“We’re very proud of you, son,” Dad says. Mom just smiles.“Thanks. I love you guys to bits.”“Right back at you, champ.” My father winks at me and leads his wife to their table. They’re sitting with Uncle John, Dean, and some other high-and-mighties that in one way or another, form part of our team.I throw back the cloak of my grim reaper suit, feeling the material scrape against my bruised back, and sit down at my assigned spot at our table, next to Ilkay, all dressed up in bloody scrubs as a mad doctor.“Hey, dude,” Axel, a werewolf, opposite me says, “Nice body paint.” I look down at my exposed torso, professionally painted along with my face, to look like a skeleton, up to where it disappears into some black
Date = 1 September (about 1 year later)Place = San Francisco (Grimm house)Melaena Blackburn = 21 years oldDamion Grimm = 22 years oldXamos = 1 year old (born 15 August the previous year)(You get to meet the little girls Leyla, Lili, and River in Book 2) (Ethan is Thalia’s little 10 year old brother)POV – DamionDamion: I’m sure that from lack of use, my sperm grew legs and looks like frogs instead of tadpoles! But it’s gonna be fixed before the night is over (winking-face emoji)(hot-pepper emoji)(eggplant emoji)I touch my crotch with a groan, abstinence from Mel is definitely not my thing. These last weeks have been torture, being in bed next to the woman of my dreams, and the closest I got to touch her was a hug. Fuck, a day without sex with Mel is a fudging long time, two weeks is a fudging excruciating fierce eternity … a month … that’s just plain torturing hell.These four weeks without sex were even worse than the six I had to wait after the baby was born.This no-sex shit
Date = 15 August (about 6 months later) = Enrique’s wedding (Book 2)Place = San Francisco (where the haunted house was)POV - Damion“Hey, son, where is Mel … she needs to get dressed?” Judging by the sound of her voice, Mom is panicking. Why is everyone so on edge? I mean, since we left the club Enrique phoned once … the other bridesmaids three times … and this must be Mom’s fifth call. Hell, it’s just a wedding. And not ours. And there’s still time.“We’re still at the building site …” I calmly explain … again. “We got what we came for.” And what we came for is a tiny piece of blue jewelry… for the bride.Mel got a blue angel charm to hang on her new sister-in-law’s bracelet today as her ‘something blue’. And apparently, it’s very important — a crucial part of the wedding. And that would be why we are back here at the haunted house construction site instead of getting ready at Inferno.“We’ll be there,” I pause slightly to calculate the time it will take us to get there, “in about t
Date = 14 FebruaryPlace = San Francisco (different places)POV - MelaenaI rush through the door of his house with my 3 followers to see Luke’s face lighting up from the exact sofa where the experiment took place.He jumps up and down excitedly before literally throwing me the next clue. Damn, will I ever get used to the Grimm boys and their wild ways? All 3 of them are over-energetic cocky bouncing blobs of sexy cuteness. I wonder how poor Haley manages sometimes. Does she ever get tired?I know for a fact that Luke got called into the principal’s office twice this week alone, and his brother was no better when he was in school. And as far as I understand from Alejandro’s stories, he too was the same.But right now the littlest devil’s naughty hazel eyes are waiting anxiously for me to open the envelope.I know you're hungry – go grab some food at the place where I declared my love openly for you in a song – and where you called my name. “Let me guess — we’re going to have lunch at
Date = 14 FebruaryPlace = San Francisco (different places)POV - MelaenaSuddenly the looming darkness of the house we’ve just stopped at is not that dark anymore.I know the things and lives we’ve lost here will always leave a hole. My hand rubs over my tummy. But the sadness will go away … we all have a bright future ahead … a wonderful happy one.I will help every San Francisco boy to find happiness and a love that can heal them. A love like ours. But knowing my boys it’s not going to be an easy task.A red fire truck from Station 34 is parked next to the house and the men are standing around as if they’re waiting for us.“Can I have the keys to the car?” one fireman asks politely. Alejandro hands it over, knowing that he must be working with Axel.“I’ll make sure to get it back to your place.” He walks away and I’m not sure how we’re going to get back to my place, but it seems that at least Kiara’s car will make it there.I walk through the weathered door to find Jackson sitting o
Date = 14 FebruaryPlace = San Francisco (graveyard)POV - MelaenaI shift my legs into a more comfortable position where I sit on the freshly-planted green grass covering the small heap of the grave site, and then I place the red flowers against the newly erected marble tombstone. A few tears roll down my cheek and I wipe them away anxiously with my hand. I didn’t know it was possible to feel so devastatingly sad losing someone you didn’t even truly know. Fudge jackets, it’s so unfair.Hatred for Harry, for Darren, for Lucinda … for the whole fudge-upped Brown family … boils through me. But most of all I hate my grandfather. How can one person be so cruel? Even after Alejandro explained that Alexander must have been a psychopath, someone without any feelings, I still can’t comprehend it totally.I put my hand against the cold stone that’s now the only indication of the life that was lost and buried deep in the earth underneath. And for what? Revenge? Money? Power?And in the end, Harr
Date = 23 JanuaryPlace = San Francisco (UCSF Mission Bay Medical)POV – MelaenaLike a black-and-white movie in color, I see Kiara smile at me, holding a picture in her hands. I don’t want to look at it, but I can’t seem to look away. Her mouth moves but no words come out. A blob on the gray picture starts beating in rhythm with the noise in my ears. A heartbeat. A baby. My baby. Damion’s baby.Beep! Beep! Beep! I open my eyes. A green light blinks … on; off; on; off.It’s bothersome. A turn signal. The car rolls, tumbles, crashes … the indicator light flashes alone in the darkness. The air is voided with sound. I scream for help but it’s only in my head, no sound escapes. Through the shattered window I see a man standing in the shadows, like a ghost, watching … his face locked in terror, his gray eyes filled with guilt. It’s dad.Beep! Beep! Something drips on the bonnet of the car like single drops of rain. Blood. My father is standing next to the wreckage, his face full of pain,
Date = 21 January (late at night)Place = San Francisco (UCSF Mission Bay Medical)POV - Damion“Get Dr. Burden on the phone, now!” My aching head lifts a fraction from my knees on hearing Doc Barney’s voice. He is standing at the nursing station a few feet from my chair. Something in his posture alerts my non-functioning brain as he takes the phone over the counter.“Dr. Burden? Doc Barney from ER. Melaena Blackburn is here — level 2, your name is on her chart and listed as her main care provider. Anything I need to know?” He rambles the information off.He looks confused and surprised, pouting his mouth.“Neh!” he shouts out in shock. Something is off.His eyes that land on me, accusingly, mixed with confusion and worry, confirm the dread that sparks through my body. A spark that, at this point in time, I wish would electrocute itself and die out because I’m done. I’m so fucking done.I want to shout at him, but my tongue is stuck to the top of my mouth and all I can do is stare back
Date = 21 JanuaryPlace = San Francisco (Haunted house)POV - DamionGuppy winks secretly at me before he slams the door of the van closed. They’ve handed me over to two other gang members, looking like Homer-Simpson-twins. I adjust my hands behind my back slightly, making sure the loose ropes don’t fall off prematurely and ruin the plan. Turning my head to the right I give the guy my cockiest lopsided grin, the one that makes girls weak in the knees and wet between the legs. Guess it won’t have quite the same effect here though.I watch as the van drives off, and my smile turns slightly sinister. I hope the meeting between the boys and our new allies works as planned.But even though I know they’re ready to infiltrate the house at any moment, I’m not totally relaxed — I have a bad omen about all this. I need to play my part collectively … no place for errors. I need to create a distraction so the boys can move in secretly. It’s probably the only advantage we have …“So do you guys wat
Date = 21 JanuaryPlace = San Francisco (Uncle John’s house)(Opera House)POV - Damion“Let’s get ready, guys,” Uncle John shouts as soon as we walk through the hermetic sliding door of the underground bunker.Uncle John shouts out orders at the people working down here with some sophisticated equipment any spying agency will kill to have … all part of Blackburn Inc. Jesse goes to a high-tech computer area to get acquainted with the other nerds who are going to help track us.“Guys, grab some clothes,” Logan points to a large walk-in room filled with tactical clothing — in black, navy, gray, brown, camo, and dark green — complete with every possible extra you can think of. We quickly suit up.“You all know that the company created this new tracking device. You spray it onto the skin and it leaves an invisible tracker that makes it possible to locate the person for at least two days. It’s some next-level outer-space shit this,” Logan explains, walking around the room spraying all of us