Torn (Deathstalkers Book 8), page 1
Torn
By: Alexis Noelle
Copyright
Copyright © 2016 Ashley Piscitelli
Photo by Lindee Robinson
All rights Reserved. No parts of this book may be used or reproduced in any matter without written permission from the author, except for inclusion of brief quotations in a review.
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, establishments, organizations, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously to give a sense of authenticity. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
This eBook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This eBook may not be given away to another person except when loaned out per Amazon lending program. If you’re reading this and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then it was pirated illegally. Please purchase a copy of your own and respect the hard work of this author.
Table Contents
Prologue
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
Eplilogue
Prologue
A loud crash jolts me out of bed, and a few seconds later my mother comes running in the room. "You need to hide; there are people in the house."
My stomach drops as my body freezes.
"Now." Her voice is a raised whisper. She points to my bedroom closet, and I run trying to grab her hand, but she shoo's me away.
I open the door thanking God for once that my closet is such a disaster. I lay on the floor covering myself with any clothes I can.
Mom quickly rushes over finishing the job for me. “No matter what, don’t make a sound.”
She shuts the door, and I can hear my fathers voice downstairs. I can't make out what he's saying, but he's yelling at someone. There is a loud bang, and my heart stops. That sounded like a gunshot, but it couldn't be, this can’t be happening right now.
There is a space between the closet door and the floor I lift up the shirt covering my face some so I can peek out. I see mom working her way under my bed, but I know I shove so much stuff under there, that there is probably no room.
Heavy footsteps sound as my whole body goes rigid.
The boots stop at the edge of my bed, and I hear a stomach-churning laugh before his hand appears and pulls my mother's leg out from under the bed.
She begins to plead with him to take whatever they want and go. He doesn’t say a word though. After a few more seconds another loud bang sounds and my mother falls to the floor. I clamp my hand over my mouth silently sobbing and praying that they don’t find me.
"Take anything that's not nailed the fuck down but do it quick." I hear him shout to whoever else must be in the house. He stands in my room for a minute before heading over to my dresser. "There ain't much in here." I hear the sound of my music box being picked up. My dad gave it to me on my last birthday. It crashes to the ground, and I flinch from the noise. "All fucking junk." The sound of the boots fade.
I can hear crashing and things being thrown around as the men tear through my family home. My mom's eyes are closed, and I pray to god that she is just passed out. She can't be gone.
It feels like I sit in that closet for days listening to things banging and breaking.
When the closet door opens I scream.
Chapter One
Storm
Driving over to the school I look at Nikki and feel bad. This is the third time in a month they've called her about an issue with Carter. This time they want her to come in for a conference. The kid is smart as all hell; he just has a mouth on him. Can't say I'm surprised because he takes after Pres.
I look over at her again, but this time she catches me. "You got a staring problem, or you have something to say?"
She's lucky she's the Pres's old lady because Nikki has a big mouth when it comes to the brothers. He's away on a business meeting with another club so he asked me if I could take her to the school. Usually, she could go alone, but for months we've had people sabotaging our runs and screwing with our territory, so no one is allowed out alone.
We pull up to the school, and I follow her inside. It's been years since I stepped into one of these places. We walk down a few hallways until we come to a door decorated in a big tree with a bunch of kids names on it. I see Carter's and know we're in the right place.
Nikki knocks on the door, and a middle-aged brunette opens it. "Mrs. Pearce, please come in." She looks at me in confusion. "Was Carter's father not able to come today."
"No, he's away on business. This is a family friend of ours." Nikki's voice is entirely different, pleasant even.
"Rebecca, come over here please." The teacher waves over a younger girl who I hadn't noticed sitting in the corner of the room. She turns back to Nikki, "Rebecca is my student teacher, and she's been working with Carter so I thought it might help if she was a part of this."
I glance up at the girl who just walked over, and I'm frozen in my place. She's gorgeous. Her long blond hair is curly and hangs past her tits, which are teasing me behind a button down shirt. The top button looks like at any point it might open, making my dreams come true. She glances up at me but quickly looks away at the papers she's holding in her hand.
"Mr. …." The teacher says, and I pull my attention to her.
“Marshall.”
"Right, why don't you have a seat." She waves at a small table, and for a minute I second guess sitting down. The seats are meant for six-year-olds, and I'm questioning whether I'll flatten it.
I sit down anyway and the chair creaks. Rebecca looks up a small smile on her face like she might laugh but she doesn't. She starts to talk to Nikki about Carter's work, but I cant focus on a thing she says. I'm mesmerized by the way her lips move and the way her eyes keep finding mine. Each time they do a small blush creeps further up her face because she knows I'm watching her. If there were teachers that looked like this when I went to school, I might have paid attention some.
I can’t focus on anything except how it might be to have her on the back of my bike, in my bed, her blond hair laying across my pillow.
“Okay, so I think these are good strategies for now. We will work on getting this done and if needed touch base after.” The teacher says as she stands up.
Rebecca looks at me once more, and it's like I'm stuck where I'm sitting. I'm lost in her eyes wondering what it would be like to have her beneath me those eyes staring up at me.
"Storm!" Nikki almost yells, and I shake myself out of whatever trance I was in. "You ready?"
"Yea, good meeting." I nod at both the women pausing my gaze on Rebecca a few more seconds. Following Nikki, out of the school, every part of me wants to turn around and tell Rebecca that I'm taking her out tonight.
“You know if you have the nerve to screw Carter’s teacher you better do it at the end of the year. I don’t need some pissed off one night stand making this year any harder.” She glares at me.
"I don't know what you're talking about." I try and play it off even though I'm sure my attraction is undeniable.
“Right, you looked like you were about to bend her over the desk right then and there.” She laughs as she climbs into my truck.
I pause hearing the front door open again, and Rebecca comes walking out. Her heels clicking against the pavement and the tight knee-length skirt she's wearing hugging her ass as she walks to her car. It's a small red Volkswagen, as she opens the door she catches me looking at her and seems surprised. Her teeth bite down on her full bottom lip before she climbs into the car.
I may need to start picking up Carter on a daily basis.
One thing is for sure.
I’ll have Rebecca sooner than later.
Chapter Two
Rebecca
Thank god it's Friday. The school week has been so long, and Ms. Henley thinks that having a student teacher means having a slave. I have been doing all of her work, and I'm so over it.
Walking into my apartment, I flop down on the couch and close my eyes as my head flops against the pillow. The problem is that once I close my eyes, I see him. I think he said his last name was Marshall but I heard Carter's mom call him Storm. That's one hell of a name and pretty damn fitting. I couldn't help staring at him, I've never had a man look at me the way he was. There was an intensity in his eyes that excited me and scared me all at the same time. I have barely any experience with guys, and something tells me Storm may be more than I can handle
My door opens, and Sara walks in like a tornado almost tripping through the door. "Becca! Have you heard about the big party down at Delta Psi?"
"No, all I've heard all week are sight words, runny noses, and tattletales." I laugh and sit up.
"Well, it's going to be huge, and for once your ass is coming with me." She plops down next to me with a determined look on her face.
I groan knowing there is no way I can go. “Sara you know—“
"I know, big scary overprotective brother.
I roll my eyes at her. “Fine.”
Her hands clap together, and a huge smile breaks out across her face. "This is going to be ah-mazing! We are leaving at nine."
She races off to her room; I'm sure to spend the next three hours getting ready. I grab some dinner and throw on some trashy reality show that I don't need to pay attention to. Grabbing my phone, I decide to call my brother. Maybe he won't freak out as much I think.
"Hey sis, how's teaching going?" he sounded interested and distracted at the same time.
“It’s been good, just a lot of work. I just wanted to call you and let you know that Sara and I are going out to a party tonight.” I say the last sentence so fast that I’m almost not sure he hears it.
“A party? Where?” I can already hear the panic rising in his voice.
I sigh, "Pat, it's just a college party, it isn't a big deal, and I'm a senior. I think I can handle it, plus I'll be with Sara the whole time." Shaking my head, I hate that I have to explain myself to him. Pat has taken care of me for years, but sometimes he forgets that he's my brother and not my father.
“You know that I’m not okay with this. Anything could happen to you, and I’m not there if it does.”
“Nothing is going to happen to me!” I yell so frustrated with the lack of freedom he gives me.
“You don’t know that. I’m only trying to look out for you. I just want you to be safe.” The sadness in his voice gets to me and its the reason he has always won this argument in the past. I hate hurting him and feel like I’m disappointing him.
“I know you are.” I take a deep breath, “I just need to be able to live my life. I don’t want to let the past control me.”
The silence stretches between us.
"Fine, I won't give you a hard time about it, but you need to check in with me. Text me as soon as you're home and safe." I can hear the reluctance in his voice.
"Deal, thanks, Pat." I know that I don't have to have his approval to go out, but he's done so much for me over the years that I feel like I should.
“I mean it, as soon as you’re home you text me.”
I laugh, “Okay, love you brother.”
"Love you, sister."
I hang up the phone and head to my room to get dressed. Looking at my closet though, I realize I don't have much to wear. I don't even know what people wear to parties aside from the movies that I watch.
My door opens, and Sara appears in a tight red dress. I look at her almost jealous that she has the confidence to wear things like that. "Please tell me you're going to wear more than jeans and a t-shirt." Her nose scrunches up like she smells something bad.
"I don't have much else to wear." I shrug pretending like it doesn't bother me. Sara is the closest friend I have, but even she barely knows me. Letting people in scares me.
"You may not have anything to wear, but I have plenty." She laughs before grabbing my hand and pulling me across the hall into her room. "Take your pick." She waves her hand at her closet as I walk over. There are tons of clothes, and I'm overwhelmed just looking at them. "Okay I'll tell you what, I'll pick for you." She starts to move clothes back and forth until she pulls one out.
"That's cute, do I wear it with jeans?"
"Uh, no. It's a dress, Becca. You don't wear it with anything." She laughs and rolls her eyes at me.
That’s a dress? It doesn’t even look like it will cover my butt all the way.
“Stop being such a prude and go get dressed.” She shoves the dress at me and pushes me toward my room.
Taking my clothes off I pull the dress up and then turn to look in the mirror. It's black, the material crisscrossing over my chest. It forms to my body almost like a second skin, stopping just a few inches below my ass. There is no way I can pull this off. I'm not Sara; I'm not adventurous or sexy. I don't go to parties and wear things like this.
"Come out, or I'm coming in to get you!" Sara shouts from the hall.
I open the door using my hand to try and cover myself. "There is no way I could pull this off."
“Are you kidding? You look hot.” She grabs my hand and starts to head for the door.
"Sara, stop." I pull my hand from her, and she spins to look at me. "I'm not sure about this."
“Becca, you are gorgeous. You’re an amazing person, and you deserve for once in the four years I’ve known you to go out and have a good time.”
"Okay, fine." I walk toward the door, and she screeches in excitement.
The frat houses are only a couple blocks from us, so we start to walk. The campus is buzzing with people running around. The girls dressed up, and the guys following them around.
"Crap, I forgot my phone at home." I turn back to get it, but Sara grabs my hand.
"You don't need it. At least this way Pat can't call you a thousand times, and you won't spend the whole night checking the time to see when you can leave." She laughs as she pulls me toward frat row.
Delta Psi is one of the nicer houses on the street. They don't hold weekly parties like the other frats do, so when they have one its a huge thing. I can already hear the music booming, and we're five houses away. The excitement starts to build inside of me. I've never been to a party like this, so I have no idea what to expect.
"Promise you won't leave me." I grab Sara's arm, and she laughs.
"Don't worry I'll be by your side until you meet some hot guy and shoo me away." She nudges me.
"Doubtful." We walk up the stairs, and the house looks packed.
I take Sara's hand not wanting to get lost in the crowd as we enter the house. "Girl loosens the grip a little; no one is going to bite." She winks at me as she pulls me over to a bar in the middle of the kitchen. Sara orders a drink, but I have no idea what to get. I've never drunk, so I don't even know what I would like.
"Hey, you look a little lost." A voice sounds beside me making me jump. "Sorry, didn't mean to sneak up on you."The guy next to me laughs showing off his perfectly white teeth. "I'm Brandon; I haven't seen you here before." His dark hair hangs just above his eyes, eyes that are watching me and almost studying my every feature.
“Hi, I’m Becca.” I offer him a smile.
"Can I get you a drink?" he offers to nod toward the bartender.
I look past him to where Sara is standing. She gives me a thumbs up and wags her eyebrows; I hold in the laugh bubbling up. "Sure, I'm not sure what to order though."
"How about something sweet?" He cocks an eyebrow at me, and I nod. "I don't hear what he asks for, but soon there is a light pink drink slid over to me.
"Thanks." I take a sip of it, and it tastes delicious.
“Want a tour?” he places his hand on the small of my back as if he’s ready to lead me around.
"Sure." I walk with him as he shows me their game room and the study where they have all the different memories from past years. He tells me that he's a senior too and he's majoring in law.
This all feels so normal and its everything I always wanted.
Chapter Three
Storm
I haven't been able to get Rebecca out of my head since we left the school earlier. I even had Brick look her up, but he really couldn't find much before a few years ago. He did find out that she was living on campus with a friend of hers for the past three years. She is smart as hell and will be graduating soon.
Other than that Rebecca Maxwell is a complete mystery, which only makes me more intrigued.
Driving through her neighborhood, it looks like a typical college campus. Its eleven at night on Saturday so anyone who is out right now is making their way home from a party or heading off to another one. I would say I'm driving around here to check out the neighborhood, but I'm looking for her. Hoping to run into her again and see if the teacher is reserved outside of school.
I hear a scream, and I look down to see a girl on her knees next to a house. The guy next to her bends down his arm encircling her waist as he lifts her to his feet. He slings her arm around his neck, and he is carrying her to a waiting car, her feet barely skimming the pavement. I turn my bike off as I try to make sure this situation is what I'm assuming.
