Ruined
By Jus Accardo
4.5/5
()
About this ebook
Jax lost the genetic lottery. Descended from Cain, the world's first murderer, he's plagued by a curse that demands violence in exchange for his happiness. He left everything behind, including the girl he loved, but thriving on the pain of others is lonely... And it's killing him.
After a series of heartbreaking losses, Samantha put rubber to pavement and headed for college as fast as her clunker could carry her. But she can't outrun her problems. When an attack at school drives her back home, she's thrown into the path of a past-and a guy-she's been trying to forget.
Sam strains Jax's control over his darkness, but running isn't an option this time. Someone-or, something-followed her home from school: a ruthless monster with a twisted plan centuries in the making. Forced together to survive, and fighting an attraction that could destroy them both, Jax and Sam must stop a killer bent on revenge.
Hell is looking for a way to break loose...
Series order:
Eternal Balance Book 1: Ruined
Eternal Balance Book 2: Embrace
Eternal Balance Book 3: Released
Read more from Jus Accardo
Rules of Survival Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5A Darker Past Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Darker Days Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Big Bad Wolf Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings
Related to Ruined
Related ebooks
Being Dead in South Carolina Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsContemporary Spellcraft: Nexus, #1 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsBlood in the Coffee Stream Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsAnacacho, An Allie Armington Mystery Rating: 1 out of 5 stars1/5Matched with Murder Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Claws & Effect Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Get Laid or Die Trying: The Field Reports Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Pyra-Sea: A Delilah Duffy Mystery, #4 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsAbandoned Girl: Neighpalm Industries Collective, #1 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsWings of Winter: The Last Phoenix, #3 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsWildest Dream Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Lustman to the Rescue: Hollywood Hearts, #5 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsA Broken Vow: Inked Angels MC, #7 Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5All I Want For Christmas Are My Two Front Fangs (A Wicked Ways Companion Novel #1.5) Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsPromise Me Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsWhen Bunnies Go Bad Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Magic Mutant Nightmare Girl: Magic Mutants, #1 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsBeyond the Fence: The Dartmoor Chronicles, #1 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsA Magical Reckoning: Magic and Mischief, #1 Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Bad Habits Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsDeadly Drive: A Suspense Novella Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsTHE BLACK WIDOW RANCH Sin City Novels Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsMystery of the Charred Bones: The Daisy Day Mysteries, #2 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsNever Marry A Warlock Omnibus Edition: Beware of Warlocks Series Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsPlaying Kane Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsTwisted: Paranormal Penny Mysteries, #7 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsTrip (Book 1): The Pride MC, #1 Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Beasts & Burdens: Leather & Lace Series, #1 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsShadow Love Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsButterfly Effect Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5
Romance For You
Without Merit: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Before We Were Strangers: A Love Story Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5It Starts with Us: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Heart Bones: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Ugly Love: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5November 9: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Hopeless Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5All Your Perfects: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Maybe Now: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Confess: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Finding Perfect: A Novella Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Stone Heart Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5My Favorite Half-Night Stand Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Wuthering Heights Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Josh and Hazel's Guide to Not Dating Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Maybe Not: A Novella Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Rosie Effect: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Buzz Books 2023: Spring/Summer Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Swear on This Life: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Seven Sisters: Book One Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Chased by Moonlight Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Dating You / Hating You Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Songs of Love and Death: All-Original Tales of Star-Crossed Love Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Buzz Books 2023: Fall/Winter Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5Wish You Were Here: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Under the Roses Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5
Related categories
Reviews for Ruined
6 ratings2 reviews
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Oddly enough, this isn’t the first time I’ve been infatuated with a demon. There seriously has to be some sort of internal moral compass that is being disturbed. I blame Supernatural. “I fucking love Lucifer”, are words that have actually spilled forth from my mouth any time Mark Pellegrino is on screen. And that one time that my mom asked me what was up with Crowley and I told her he is my favorite demon of all time and she looked at me strange for a week or so.That’s how I feel about Jax. Like, he’s obviously a tad evil (he’s got a demon floating around inside him for god sakes), but I couldn’t help but like it. So, with all that said, I have a total book boy crush on the son of Cain.The premise of Ruined is very interesting. I was intrigued the second I read the tidbit about the descendants of Cain. I’m very familiar with the story of Cain and Abel, and I was excited to see how this would all play out.I fell in love immediately. Ruined grabbed my attention like Pinterest grabs my attention when I have a stack of reports on my desk at work. Once I started I couldn’t stop. I didn’t want Sam and Jax’s story to end. I had no problem wrapping up their backstory with the present. They obviously have some built up tension in there and I loved their banter.Sam and Jax reminded me of Perry and Dex from Karina Halle’s Experiment in Terror series. And those books are my shit. So when I started comparing the two not even half way through Ruined, I was okay with where thing were going. They both have that relatable story that is easy to get involved in. (Minus the demons and supernatural shit in both series). Jax is sexy as all hell (pun intended). He is sarcastic. He is a smart-ass. He is adorable. And he is sharing his body with a demon named Azirak. Whom I also grew to love, because basically they’re the same person.Sam, possibly one of the strongest female characters I’ve ever read about, has some serious balls. Not once did I feel like anything she did was strictly for the love of a boy. She saw the greater picture. She’s cool.Chase is this evil, manipulative villain that I really liked to begin with. Maybe I still like him. Don’t ask me. I don’t know. I believe the Flynn brothers really do love each other. They’re the only family either has.Heckle!!! (I couldn’t help but thinking of Hoggle from Labyrinth the entire time). He was a pleasant surprise!Action.Humor.Sexy twin brothers.A family curse with a twist.Did I cover everything?Ruined is awesome! Don’t miss it.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Review courtesy of Dark Faerie TalesQuick & Dirty: Action packed new adult paranormal with a good blend of romance and adventure. I would highly recommend this to anyone looking for a steamy paranormal read.Opening Sentence: Why?The Review:Jax has a very bad family tree, he is a descendant from the first murderer on earth, Cain. It is said that Cain’s prodigy is cursed and turns out that is true. Jax has had to share his body with a demon his whole life and it has been a struggle to keep control. The demon finds pleasure in the violence and pain of others. The demon fills Jax’s mind full of grotesque images and hateful thoughts. Some of his most violent thoughts have been geared towards the people Jax cares about the most. To keep the demon at bay, Jax left everything he loved behind including the girl he loved more than anything.Sam left her home town and all the pain it held behind to head to college. Months after she left she is attacked and the only place she feels safe is her home town, so she heads back. Sam thought when she left school that she would be safe, but danger has followed her back and the only person that can help her is the man that broke her heart three years ago. Forced together to survive, Jax and Sam have to unravel the mystery of who wants Sam dead while fighting their undeniable attraction.The story alters between Jax and Sam’s POV which is my favorite way to read a story. First up you meet Jax the sexy half demon. His whole life has been a struggle for control. When he was a kid it was easier to ignore the violent urges but the older he got the harder it became. He left to protect those he loved, but it has been a lonely three years. I instantly fell in love with Jax. He has the perfect blend of a bad boy with a golden heart. It’s obvious he’s not perfect, but the fact that he try’s to be good when it’s so hard is very admiring. He is also very sexy, and I pretty much loved everything about him.Sam has had a lot of heartache throughout her life. Her parents were murdered when she was a young girl and their killer was never caught. Then her best friend/love of her life left without saying goodbye, and hasn’t talked to her for three years. To top things off her plans of going to college didn’t really work out either. Sam was a very easy character to connect with and like. She has a very strong voice that never was whiny or annoying (with her situation it could have easily become this way). She lives a little bit in denial, but honestly with all that has happened to her, who could blame her. The more I got to know her the more I liked her, and I can’t wait to see what’s in store for her in the next book.Ruined was a great paranormal read with the perfect blend of romance, action, and mystery. The characters were engaging and easy to connect with. The romance was full of steamy moments and lots of sexual tension. The story was pretty intense and at times a little gruesome. But I thought that everything was balanced nicely and I honestly flew right through this book. The plot was a little predictable, but overall it was a very entertaining read. The ending wasn’t a huge cliffhanger, but it left me anxiously waiting for the next book to come out. Accardo is a fantastic author and I have enjoyed everything she has written so far, and this was no exception. If you are a fan of her work or are just looking for a good new adult paranormal read, make sure to give this one a try.Notable Scene:The instant our lips met, the watery inside of the car was gone, replaced by a wooded area surrounded by large rocks. Two teenagers–one angry boy and a damaged, but determined, girl stood in the center.It was a memory–one I remembered all too well, but it was different somehow. This was from someone else’s perspective. It took a second, but I realized it was the demon’s memory. The thing was remembering Sam and the kiss we shared the night I left. A rush of emotion hit hard. The soft, warm feel of Sam’s small body crushed to mine. The way her hair smelled like raspberries. Lips. Longing. Need. a moment of absolute peace and perfection in a life full of violence and pain.The memory faded, and Sam pulled away and opened her eyes–then her mouth. The mist bled into the water around us, swirling like colored ink. The dark blue of sadness tainted with regret and mingled with smoky gray fear. The demon was in control, but I felt it all. The sensation was overwhelming. It was pleasure and pain and necessity.A single bubble escaped Sam’s mouth and her eyes closed. I let out a rage-filled roar–or maybe it’d come from the demon. In that moment, we were so tangled up and twisted, I couldn’t tell where I ended and it began.Just when I was sure it would abandon her, it gathered Sam in my arms, shielding her, and crashed through the glass, kicking hard for the surface.FTC Advisory: Entangled: Embrace provided me with a copy of Ruined. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.
Book preview
Ruined - Jus Accardo
Table of Contents
Other books by Jus Accardo
Dedication
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty-One
Chapter Thirty-Two
Chapter Thirty-Three
Chapter Thirty-Four
Chapter Thirty-Five
Chapter Thirty-Six
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Other books by Jus Accardo
Touched
Ruined
Jus Accardo
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.
Copyright © 2013 by Jus Accardo. All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce, distribute, or transmit in any form or by any means. For information regarding subsidiary rights, please contact the Publisher.
Entangled Publishing, LLC
2614 South Timberline Road
Suite 109
Fort Collins, CO 80525
Visit our website at www.entangledpublishing.com.
Edited by Heather Howland and Liz Pelletier
Cover design by Jessica Cantor
Ebook ISBN 978-1-62266-184-8
Manufactured in the United States of America
First Edition December 2013
For my parents…
Chapter One
Jax
Why? Why the hell had I picked up the phone?
Because I was a damn masochist, that’s why. Finally, the years of violence and torment had fried my fucking brain.
I’d already been on a bus speeding down Route 11, no more than six miles from Uncle Rick’s house, when the cell went off. I ignored it at first. Picked it up, saw the number on the caller ID, and tossed the phone back into my pocket without giving it a second thought.
Then it rang again. And again. And again.
I caved. It was either that or hum the thing out the window. Since money wasn’t something I could magically pull out of my ass, replacing the phone wasn’t an option. But listening to it scream wasn’t either. The bastard calling wouldn’t have given up anyway.
Now, instead of sticking to my vow to stay the hell away from my hometown, I was standing in the shadow of the alley next to McCarthy’s, the local diner. This was my uncle Rick’s fault. The only reason I’d agreed to come back to this pit was because he swore my twin, Chase, would be out of town.
He’d lied.
Or maybe he hadn’t. Maybe Chase had played him. The guy was sneaky. I wouldn’t put it past my brother to weasel the info out of the old man. It wouldn’t be the first time he’d done it.
Rick had a blind spot when it came to Chase. The whole damn town did. He was the golden boy. The shining example of perfect manners and intelligence wrapped in a snappily dressed charmer.
I on the other hand was rotten fruit. The deformed apple that fell to the ground too early and had gotten picked at by animals. I was all the bad habits and diseased bits from the drain of the Flynn family genetic tub.
But none of that mattered now. Chase had called and said it was an emergency. There was something he needed to talk to me about before I went to see Rick.
So here I stood. On the sidewalk. Trying to drum up enough strength to walk inside.
There were so many reasons I shouldn’t be here. At the diner. In town. On this godforsaken earth…
The main one, though, was a nasty little affliction passed down from a family curse that forced me to share my body with a demon. A violent, cruel monster that survived on the pain and misery of others.
Descendants of Cain, the world’s first murderer, some of the male children in my line came into this world with a demon attached to their soul. Infested, my father said once. Cain killed his brother, Abel. I figured that was why the thing inside hated Chase so much. We were destined to keep repeating the same mistakes.
Fratricide at its fucking finest.
Unhappiness was like chocolate to the damn thing. And rage? Like pure crack.
Demons, in general, were like that. They fed on negative human emotions, sucking them down like high-end whiskey. There were differences between them; for example, I was unique. A human saddled with a demonic stowaway, while the others were purebreds. They did share common traits, though.
I stepped out from the alley and took several steps toward the diner. Wanda Falkner walked past with an armload of groceries. She stooped down as she went, lifting a hand to wave, then froze when she saw me.
I knew that look. Horror and disgust mixed with fear. It was the expression everyone in this damn town wore when staring me down. Just another reason to get this shit over and done with and leave this place in the dust forever. I was like a plague to these people. The Antichrist and Hitler rolled into one horrible package.
Wanda straightened and scurried away as fast as she could.
I was proud of myself. I hadn’t even flipped her off. That was progress.
Three years ago I’d walked away. Turned my back on everyone and everything I loved. It was fine. I did what needed to be done. It wasn’t a huge loss. No one here missed me. Uncle Rick was able to move on with his life without having to worry about finding a corpse in Chase’s bed each morning, and Chase, well, he’d moved on just fine, too. He spent his days as a successful photographer, and his nights screwing a path across Jensen County.
The only thing that made leaving hard was her. Samantha Merrick. The girl who, to this day, still pulled me from the mire and made it possible to go on, even if she didn’t know it. She was my anchor and kryptonite all at the same time. Salvation and damnation in one beautiful, unattainable package.
Thank fucking God she wasn’t living in Harlow anymore. She’d gone off to college several months ago. I could probably suffer being in the same room with Chase for a few minutes, but being forced to pull a face-to-face with Sam? That would have gutted me.
The smell of demon wafted through the air, faint but noticeable. A quarter mile, tops. They were everywhere. Schools, shopping malls, local food stores. No place was safe. Like a permanent rodent infestation, they were always around. Always lurking in wait for scraps.
I could see my brother through the diner window, at the back booth. Of all the horrible things I’d done, none were worse than what the demon wanted me to do to Chase. The monster hated my brother.
It flashed an image of Chase, pinned against the wall and struggling for air. I could feel his skin beneath my fingers in the all-too-real vision, and as I leaned in closer to savor the fear and confusion, Chase let out a scream that made the hairs on my arm dance. It wasn’t real, but it sure felt that way. One quick movement. That’s all it would take to snap his neck. Dead, brown eyes would stare into the distance as the demon rumbled with satisfaction. The contented warmth it felt would flow through my body, and for just a moment, I wanted to do it. To walk into the building and end my brother’s life, if only to gain a moment of peace.
The flash ended and left me breathless. I slammed a fist into the tree behind me. Fuck!
I waited until everything evened out before turning back to the building. One step toward the alley. Then another. This wasn’t going to happen. It couldn’t. Chase was leaning forward again, as the person sitting across from him did the same, giving me a perfect view of her profile.
A wave of fury rolled over me. Motherfu—
Samantha Merrick, who was supposed to be away at Huntington College, was about to kiss my brother.
Chapter Two
Sam
Chase Flynn flashed a lopsided grin as I slid into the booth across from him.
You never get anything different. Always pie.
I tugged the menu from my best friend’s hands and skimmed the dessert section.
McCarthy’s was his guilty pleasure. They made the best key lime pie on the East Coast—according to Chase. The tartness of lime always turned my stomach.
I preferred excessively sweet things like chocolate mousse or strawberries slathered in homemade cream. One of the few vivid memories I had of my mother was Saturday morning strawberries and cream…
Amen to pie, baby,
he said with an easy laugh, eyes fixed on mine. Today he was dressed in a tight-fitting forest-green T-shirt and well-worn jeans with a small hole in the left knee. On another guy, the outfit would have been weekend casual. On Chase, with his classic features and Greek god cut, it was runway chic. Although he could have donned clown shoes and a series of strategically taped paper bags and still caught the attention of every girl in the room.
Chase had lived in the house next door with his uncle and brother from the time I was six. He’d stolen my Aunt Kelly’s heart from the instant he’d arrived on the doorstep with a plate of warm brownies and that infectious charm that seemed to ooze from every pore. From that moment on, my aunt was determined to hook us up despite the fact that Chase—ironically named—was with a different girl every other day. Pass. I wasn’t interested in being anyone’s flavor of the week.
So the movie was fun.
He flashed a sultry smile, and my pulse hastened despite the fact that I wasn’t interested in him that way. It was just the effect he had on people.
The two women at the next table were not-so-subtly eye-humping him in addition to the occasional, pointed giggle. They were older—midthirties if I had to guess—and apparently saw no shame in cougaring it up.
Chase ignored them and focused on me. I liked the shower scene. I didn’t think it was possible for human beings to bend that way. We should test it out some time.
He’d delivered countless lines to girls over the years, but none had ever been aimed my way. Not seriously, anyway. I laughed and leaned forward, elbows on the table. We’d played this game a thousand times before. With a wink, I joked, And after we’re done there, we can do it doggy-style in the rain.
Of course the waitress chose that moment to stroll over and set down two plates of hot apple pie. With a disgusted shake of her head, she turned to the table across from us to take their order. I was more tired than hungry, but Chase grabbed his fork and went to town.
Just name the time and place, baby.
His lips tilted into a mischievous grin. Guys like this were dangerous. They knew the sway their smoldering stare held over girls, and exploited it at every turn to get what they wanted. I’d seen many a girl fall to that overpowering, swoon-worthy stare and heart-stopping grin.
I yawned and poked at the pie with my fork. Apple wasn’t my favorite, but it was better than cherry. Yep. And after we do that, we’ll shave a llama and take it to dinner.
He pushed his pie aside and took my hand, grin morphing into a solemn expression. What if I said I was serious?
His words were like a punch to the gut, stealing my breath and sending goose bumps across my skin. I didn’t know whether to laugh or jump up and run like the hounds of hell were on my ass and looking for a new chew toy. I wasn’t his type. Not even close. There were runway models and sorority house fashionistas with enough artfully applied makeup to warrant a flammable sign—and then there was me. Jeans, T-shirts, and a small tattoo of my favorite Disney character, Stitch, masterfully hidden away on my left hip. This is a joke, right?
Chase was smiling again, but his eyes darted over my shoulder for a moment. Is it a bad thing if I say no?
It’d be a confusing thing.
I pulled my hand away and said, For starters, you’re not known for having actual relationships, and I’m not into the one-night-stand scene.
I’d done it while away at college and wasn’t interested in repeating the experience.
He leaned back, subtly glancing around the room as though he was looking for someone. Feigning insult, he said, "You think I’m itching to make you another notch in my post?"
Distraction was one of the biggest tools in his arsenal. I’d seen it at work a thousand times. Whenever he wanted to avoid a question, he’d answer with one of his own. But there was no way I was playing into that crap. Secondly, I’m not your type. You’re not my type, either.
You’re not dating anyone at the moment, correct?
Have I mentioned anyone lately?
The truth was, the last time I had a date, it ended with a clammy handshake and a forced smile. The time before that, the guy kissed me, and it was less like a kiss and more like an ice cube with a slimy tongue and sweaty palms.
I was too picky, according to Aunt Kelly. But that wasn’t it. I knew exactly what I wanted. Screaming need and desperate kisses so hot, they’d melt the sun. Something that had slipped through my fingers… A fire I’d been chasing without success ever since. But so not the point.
"I know I have a certain…reputation. But it’s not like I’m proposing marriage. He winked.
Even though that would make Kelly happy…"
I couldn’t believe we were having this conversation. Out loud. He was right, though. My aunt would shit bricks of happy, since she’d been shoving us together for years, but ick. He was like a brother. Don’t you think it’d be a little weird? Us? Together?
Is this because of my brother?
Silence. I didn’t answer. Couldn’t. The subject of the other Flynn was off-limits. An unspoken rule, and I intended to keep it that way.
Chase shook his head and stuffed another forkful of pie into his mouth. His eyes all but rolled back as he swallowed. He made his choice and he has to live with it. I don’t.
I opened my mouth, then closed it. He had to be screwing with me.
What do you say? Interested in giving it a try? No expectations. No pressure. Maybe just one little kiss…
It was a thought I’d entertained deep in the never-in-a-million-freaking-years part of my brain more than a few times but had never considered actually acting on. Chase was one of my best friends, and yes, he was hot as hell, but not in an I-want-to-hook-up-with-him kind of way. The attraction was less about how he looked and more about who he looked like. His twin brother, Jax…
I—
Standing, he leaned across the table, and his cologne drifted pleasantly through the air. I’d been with him when he bought it for the first time. Some expensive thing imported from Italy in a tiny bottle that cost more than my monthly rent. Eyes darting to the door again, his lips bloomed into a wicked smile. Kiss me, Samantha.
I have no idea what possessed me to actually do it, but I kissed him. When our lips met, the sensation caught me off guard. His tongue slipped across my bottom lip, teasing for just a moment before capturing it between his, and my pulse quickened. He seemed eager to show me what I’d be missing if I turned him down, and when he deepened the kiss, my insides ignited.
But not because I was kissing Chase.
I couldn’t stop myself from imagining it was Jax’s insistent lips doing the nipping, his name a desperate plea falling from my lips. Any minute now, he’d take mercy on me, sweep me into his arms, and…
That’s when reality crashed back like a semi through a china shop. Holy shit! I’d just used Chase as a fluffer in my own low-budget porno.
Slowly I opened my eyes, guilty heat rushing over my warm cheeks at the thought of Chase misinterpreting my enthusiasm, but it was a different gaze that gave me pause.
A towering figure stood in the doorway, his large frame blotting out the sun. With a mop of dark, unruly hair and eyes the exact shade of gray that graced the skies right before a violent storm decimated the city, he wore a long leather trench coat and an expression that was both fire and ice at the same time.
His eyes met mine, and the top right-hand corner of his lip hitched. Just a hair. I wouldn’t have noticed if I wasn’t staring. Which I was. How could I not? The newcomer’s presence was one that demanded attention. Painfully beautiful, yet deadly. Like the poison apple from the Garden of Eden. Sinful and seductive, yet eternally damning.
I pulled away and blinked twice, sure his appearance was nothing more than imagination. Maybe even an apparition of guilt. But he was still there. Still staring. He looked rough, like he’d been to hell and back. There was a gleam of something close to madness in his eyes, and for an insane moment, I almost slipped from the booth and went to him. Jax…
Identical twins, yet as different as oil and vinegar. Chase kept his face cleanly shaven and his hair trimmed short, while had Jax let his grow out. It was long enough that the tips of his bangs curled slightly, giving them a sexy, wild look. But it was their expressions that defined the difference between them. Chase was always smiling. There was something warm and welcoming about his expression that just drew people to him. Jax’s expression on the other hand, screamed keep the fuck away.
Kind of like the way he looked right now.
Chase pushed forward again, lips tickling the tip of my chin. Why are we talking about him?
I pushed him back to his seat and nodded to the right where the tall, dark figure loomed, cloaked in a leather trench coat and black skullcap. "Because he’s here."
Chase swiveled and met his carbon copy with a shit-eating grin. With a nod and an all-too-cocky smile, he said, Big brother. When did you get back to town?
Jax lunged forward and knocked him out cold.
Chapter Three
Jax
After Chase hit the floor, I made for another go, but Sam jumped between us. She checked on my brother, then reluctantly agreed to deliver me to Rick’s where I couldn’t do any more damage.
Still dealing with that impulse control issue, huh?
she said, starting the engine with a flick of her wrist and a yawn—the third one since we’d gotten into her car. There were dark circles under her eyes, and I couldn’t help wondering how she’d been spending her nights.
Or with whom.
Her lips twisted disapprovingly, and I found myself having to recite the alphabet backward to keep from paying too much attention to the little details. The way she tilted her head, sending soft strands of chestnut hair across her shoulder. The soothing tone of her voice. The way she moved. I’d dreamed about these minute details a million times over the last three years.
This girl was the one thing I couldn’t outrun. The only piece of my life I couldn’t seem to shake—and a part of me hated her for it.
Someone sounds bitter,
I said, keeping both eyes on the dash. Mud. Think of mud. Zombies. Anything to keep from focusing on her. You were hoping to deck him yourself?
The engine sputtered and revved and the car jerked from the parking spot, indicating that little had changed when it came to her driving habits. She was hell on wheels. Not a bad driver, but she certainly liked her speed. I didn’t know what asshole thought it’d be a good idea to give her a license, but if I ever found the guy, there’d be a serious fucking beat-down in order.
She stomped the gas, and the car lurched forward. You’re the one with anger management issues, not me.
I snorted and bit down hard on my tongue. She was right, in a way. I had anger issues—only they weren’t necessarily all mine. The demon had a nasty temper and just about zero impulse control. To keep the thing in check, I’d forced myself to feed it, committing one truly violent act every two days since I was seventeen. That, coupled with little nibbles of the darker side of human emotion here and there, had been enough.
She tightened her hands around the wheel. Besides, I think we’re dating…
Fury churned in my gut like a tornado, and the scene from the diner played on repeat inside my head. My brother’s greedy hands trespassing in places they didn’t belong. It’d been nearly impossible to stop from ripping my twin in half. I’d lost control for a moment, but was determined not to let it slip free again. Not while I was in town. And not around Sam. Logically, I knew I had no right to be pissed about the kiss between her and Chase. I was the one who’d walked away.
Unfortunately, logic wasn’t on my side.
Dating?
I gave a short laugh. She was full of shit, but it still pissed me off regardless. Chase knew the rules. Sam was off-limits.
The whole thing had been a show. My brother knew I was standing there. The bastard probably saw me walk up outside. He’d kissed her to get a reaction, I was sure of it. Which was ten kinds of dangerous, considering how short my fuse could be. But that was Chase. Always living life on the edge.
Sucking in a breath, I forced a smirk to cover up the anger and said, "Are you serious? Chase is dating you? I find that impossible to believe. For starters, you have no ass. She had a great ass.
Also, your arms are too long. Kind of apish. They’d be perfect for wrapping around my waist.
That’s good though. You’re short. I bet it helps with the top shelf."
She opened her mouth—then closed it, slamming down hard on the car’s brakes. The tires screamed against the pavement as I shot forward, face smashing the dash with a loud crack. I didn’t feel much—one of the only perks of living with the demon—but rubbed the spot for her benefit. The slight, satisfied tilt of her lip made the whole show worthwhile. Shit. I’d bleed myself dry if it would get her to smile like that again.
No. That was against the rules. Rules I’d put in place for a reason.
She was still the same—and that made her dangerous. Every moment I spent with her was a precarious balance of control and self-discipline that couldn’t be trusted. My only defense was to act like a dick and hope she kept her distance. It was the only thing that would keep her safe—and me sane. Guess that’d be a resounding yes…
I guess so,
she snapped, and yawned again.
"So if you guys are together, was that disaster I stumbled into a date?"
Don’t sound so shocked,
she mumbled. Another lie. If she and Chase were really dating, then I was the damn pope. Not every guy feels the need to run to the other end of the earth to get away from me.
Her words were like a donkey punch to the nuts. She had every right to be angry after what I’d done, and if that’s all it was, I could have taken my licks like a man. Sucked it up and moved the hell on. But it was more than that. I could hear the thinly veiled pain behind the snipe, and it killed me. I’d wrecked a lot of lives, a tornado of destruction and pain wherever I went, but none came with as much regret as Sam.
Still haven’t gotten over that, eh? They make therapists for shit like that, you know.
God, I was a fucking bastard. "And you shouldn’t have left your boyfriend alone. He’s probably picking up your replacement as we speak. Did you get a load of the rack on the waitress at the counter? I bet he’s already down on that."
Sam held her breath for a second before exhaling through pursed lips. You’re an asshole.
There. That had done it. I’d hit a nerve.
Like the purebreds, my demon enabled me to see and sense negative human feelings, making it easy to find the most potent ones to feed on. Each emotion was represented by a different color and had an exclusive flavor. Its favorites—fear and anger—were sweet with an almost fruity aftertaste.
The car flooded with crimson—anger—and the cloying scent rose from her shoulders and began swirling around her head. The faint taste tickled my throat as my muscles started to ache. Physical pain was an indicator that the demon wanted to feed, and the longer it went without getting what it wanted, the more I suffered. I pushed back hard and focused on a dark spot on the dashboard. After a moment, the