Total pages in book: 43
Estimated words: 38973 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 195(@200wpm)___ 156(@250wpm)___ 130(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 38973 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 195(@200wpm)___ 156(@250wpm)___ 130(@300wpm)
Ace
My brothers call me a brat. Maybe I am. But they abandoned me when I was just a kid–left me to fend for myself.
And when they left, my entire life went to crap.
The walls I’ve built up around my heart and soul would impress nations. I can’t let anyone close to me.
And after everything I’ve been through, I can’t stand being touched either. It sends me spiraling. Makes me want to claw off my skin.
But when Gunner rescues me after I severely injure myself and nurses me back to health, I find out I can touch him.
And he can touch me.
But when I’m kidnapped, tied down, and violated, all of that progress I made with him may go down the drain.
~*~*~
Gunner
After serving overseas and coming home a broken shell of a man, I hole up in the mountains.
When people come around, I typically avoid them. Keep to myself because what they’re doing–illegal or not–is not my business.
But then I find him. He’s bleeding and hurt, and I can’t bring myself to leave him there.
He’s incredibly tactile with me, and when he calls me “Papa”, my world feels right.
Until they take him from me.
I’ll tear this entire world to pieces to get my boy back where he belongs.
They think they’re winning the game…
But I’m the master.
*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************
PROLOGUE
Ace
Ishrugged my shoulder, hitching my bag higher as I headed for the exit of the school where the buses were lined up, ready to take all of us ungrateful teens home. Today had been a shitty day. I’d failed a test because my head was fucking pounding and I didn’t get any sleep the night before. One of the guys in the foster home I was staying at had ripped up my homework for another class, and the teacher refused to accept it, even with it taped up, so I got a big fat zero for that fucking assignment.
All I wanted to do was go to sleep, but that wouldn’t be possible. Not with kids of all ages shouting the house down. Not with my creepy-ass foster dad lurking around the house, high off his ass, ready to pounce on me whenever my guard was down. I had to be on alert at all times, especially when he invited his friends over. Friends who liked to touch twinks like me. Friends who liked feisty boys who put up a fight.
A shiver raced over my skin at the memories, and I shoved them down deep so I wouldn’t vomit everywhere.
Someone shoved into me hard from behind, laughter ringing out. My stomach lurched. Swinging around, my bag falling off my shoulder, I glared at the boy behind me—Keller. He was nineteen—had been held back last year since he failed a class, which was a requirement to graduate. He’d been too fucking dumb to pass it during summer school, too. And for some reason, he had a personal vendetta against me. I’d been ignoring him, trying to just keep my head down and stay out of trouble. Fighting would only get me suspended, which would just lead to more time in that fucking house.
“You got a fucking problem?” I snarled at him.
He snickered. “Finally grew a backbone, Journey?” he taunted. He stepped closer, reaching out to shove me, but I knocked his hands aside, my stomach sloshing when I touched him. I hated being touched or touching other people, especially when I wasn’t prepared for it.
His nostrils flared, and then, his fist swung out. I ducked, just barely avoiding being hit, but one of his friends came at me, shoving me aside and knocking me off balance. Keller quickly took advantage, dropping on top of me and swinging two hits against my face. But I was quick and angry. I managed to flip us, despite him being twice my size, and I fucking lost it. I bashed my fists into his face over and over, my swings too quick for him to deflect or fight back against. His friends tried pulling me off, but I locked my thighs against Keller’s hips, keeping myself in place.
Large hands gripped my shoulders, and I was yanked off the floor. “Get off of me!” I shouted, blood trailing down my chin. I spit more out of my mouth—right on Keller’s bloodied face.
“Stop, Ace!” a male barked. I swung my head to the left in alarm, blinking at the sight of Shaw.
“What the fuck?” I blurted before I spit out more blood. I wrenched myself from his grip, glaring at Konrad as he rushed around the corner. Clenching and unclenching my fists at my sides, I swung my gaze between them, my heart slamming against my chest. “What the fuck?” I asked again, not understanding.
They left years ago. Why the fuck were they here—in my school, at that? I hadn’t spoken to them since they fucking left me behind and joined the goddamn military. At one point, there’d been six of us. Six. Jax got arrested. Shaw and Konrad dipped out of town shortly after. Arlo left next, and then Cameron followed as soon as he graduated. The only person who’d kept in contact with me was Jax.
So, why the fuck were they here?
“Office—now!” the principal barked as he made his way around the corner, red in the face and out of breath. “Get up, Keller!” he snapped. “Office! Get a move on!”
Ignoring Shaw and Konrad—though not without throwing a glare their way first—I snatched my bag off the ground and stormed toward the office, seething and confused and just fucking angry. I felt like I was crawling out of my skin, too. I needed a goddamn shower to wash everyone’s touch off of me.
When I stepped into the principal’s office, he stiffly pointed at the seats across from his desk. Silently, I dropped into the seat, gritting my teeth and clenching my jaw. The door swung open again as I set my bag between my feet, and I glared at Shaw and Konrad as they stepped in, holding the door open for Keller. He looked fucking rough, and I couldn’t stop the small, bratty smirk from tilting my lips.