by Ashley Jade
Contents
Title Page
Copyright
“Twisted Fate”
Prologue (Tristan)
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17 (Past)
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25 (Past)
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Epilogue (Tristan)
Chapter One (Tristan)
Chapter Two (Dev)
About the Author
TWISTED FATE
Ashley Jade
Twisted Fate
Ashley Jade
COPYRIGHT
First published in USA, October 2015
Copyright © Ashley Jade
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means without the prior permission in writing of the publisher, nor be circulated in writing of any publisher, nor be otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published without a similar condition including this condition, being imposed on the subsequent purchaser. This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author's imagination or used in a fictional manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or deceased, or events is purely coincidence.
This book has been produced for the Amazon Kindle and is distributed by Amazon Direct Publishing.
Attribution
A special thank you to the photographers listed here as we greatly appreciate their work and artistry.
Picture Acknowledgments
Some photos use are used via creative commons and built upon the originals.
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/
Pixabay (CC0)
http://pixabay.com
**Trigger Warning**
This series is not suitable for readers under 18. This book contains elements of emotional, sexual, and physical cruelty. Any readers with sensitivity to the above topics should proceed with caution, and at their own risk.
“Twisted Fate”
“You often meet your fate on the road you take to avoid it.” -French Proverb
As I would eventually find out…fate paved my road in nothing but lies.
Prologue (Tristan)
“Well...it's good to see you son. So nice of you to dress up for the holiday,” Duncan Romano -or rather Duncan Blake said as he gave me a look that could cut glass.
“I'm not your son Duncan...now what the fuck do you want? You said it was important.”
“I need a favor,” was his only reply.
I couldn't believe this asshole. He turned me into a ruthless cold-blooded killer. He turned me into someone I promised my mother I would never be- and now he had the nerve to demand a favor from me?
“Sorry but my contract with the mob was up 3 years ago...I've served my time,” I said coldly.
“Yes, I'm aware. Bravo on becoming a successful business man. Your mother would be proud.”
“Don't you dare talk about my mother. Now tell me why you insisted I come here or I will walk right out that door."
He leaned back in his chair and stared at me hard as he lit his cigar.
Even in his old age he still carried himself like a mobster. One would never guess he was the CEO of a hospital now...that's for sure.
“I'm dying Tristan. I have an inoperable brain tumor. I'll be dead in a few weeks.”
A brief twinge of sympathy threatened to creep it's way in but I stuffed it down.
“Well...that sucks,” was all I could manage to reply.
He gave me a smile as he took out a manila folder.
“Like I said...I need a favor.”
“Why the hell would I do you any favors?”
“Because I rescued you and your mother from him. I gave you both a life. Hell, I saved your goddamned life. I raised you as if you were my own son Tristan,” he shouted.
I glared at him as I slowly got up off my chair.
“First of all- you didn't raise me...my mother did. You didn't rescue my mother and I...you kidnapped us...in the name of revenge. The only thing you gave me was your last name...your fake alias last name at that. You might have saved my life over 10 years ago, I'll give you that, but it sure as fuck wasn't worth the price I payed for it.”
“I fought for you like you were my own Tristan. I care about you. I'm sorry I made you break your promise to your mother on her deathbed. I'm sorry I set you up to be a killer...it was the only way to get you out of that hellhole after they found you. Better to work for the mob for 10 years instead of who you could have been...who you were born to be.”
I took a deep breath and looked down at the floor.
A small part of me knew he was right. In his own way he did help me. It doesn't mean that I'll ever be able to forgive him for what he ended up turning me into though...even if the odds were stacked against me from the very beginning.
I needed to get this shit over with and find out what he wanted from me.
As much as the thought of doing a favor for Duncan irked me, I knew my mother would want me to help him.
“Start talking,” I said as I sat back down in the chair.
I could have never prepared myself for the next words out of his mouth.
“I have a daughter.”
“What? Since when? You've never mentioned that before.”
“No one was ever supposed to know. Camilla insisted that it needed to be that way for obvious reasons.”
Shit...I knew Camilla was a sore subject for him. The fact that he was even talking about her was huge. He never talked about her.
“It makes sense...especially given what happened to her. You and I may not see eye to eye, but she never deserved that."
He met my eyes and nodded. “No...she did not. However, before her death she wanted to make sure our daughter was taken care of. Which is why I need your help...especially since I won't be able to watch over her anymore.”
“So you've been watching your daughter all this time, but you never told her who she is? This is all a little vague Duncan."
“Camilla wanted to keep her out of harms way. No one even knows that she exists or who she really is. Camilla had a fake birth certificate made up and everything. She even gave her a fake last name. However...Camilla also set her up with a trust fund...I think you know where I'm going with this," he said as he raised his eyebrow.
Fuck.
“You mean to tell me that Camilla put the 50 million dollars in a trust fund for her? Shit...I have to hand it to her...that was brilliant.”
“Yes...it was. She wanted our daughter to have a good life. Thankfully she set everything in motion before they killed her," he said solemnly.
I nodded my head in understanding. Now it made sense why he needed a favor.
“So I guess that explains why you need my help then...being as I work in investment trading and all.”
He shook his head and laughed...which only confused the shit out of me.
“Not quite Tristan. Let me explain. The original plan was to make her think that she was put into foster care whe
n she was only an infant. However, Camilla hired Mrs. Tompkins to raise her and keep her in hiding...we obviously couldn't trust the actual system to do that. Everything was fine until she was 16. Mrs. Tompkins fell ill...and being as Camilla was deceased, I needed to hire someone to pose as a foster mother. I hired Mrs. Potts. Everything was fine...until she ran away unexpectedly. Mrs. Potts was found dead a few days later. Apparently, she died of natural causes. Anyway...I lost tabs on her for a short while...but she eventually reemerged. I didn't trust anyone else to take care of her and she was close to being an adult at that point. I decided to let it be. On top of that...your father had found you during that time and I had to rescue you. I soon found out that my daughter had enrolled herself in nursing school. A year or so after she graduated she came to New England in search of a job. So...I bought the hospital and I've been watching over her ever since.”
“That's all very commendable Duncan...but I still don't follow. What exactly do you need from me?”
My patience with him was quickly running out.
“Since I'm dying I need to keep her safe. I need someone to be there for her.”
“So hire a Nanny.”
“Today is her 29th birthday Tristan...she's a little past the Nanny stage. More importantly...today is also the day that her trust fund can officially be accessed."
“That's one hell of a birthday present.”
He smiled. “Yes...it would be. Except she won’t be able to have access to it without finding out the truth about who she is. I can't let that happen."
“Again Duncan...not my problem. What the hell does this have to do with me?”
“I need you to marry my daughter and protect her.”
Clearly the tumor in his brain had taken it's toll...he was out of his damn mind.
“Well...is she in danger or something?”
“No, like I said before...no one knows who she is. She's safe now...especially since the very recent death of your father. Thanks for that by the way.”
“I didn't do it for you Duncan, believe me. I still don't understand though...if she's safe, then what does she need protection from?"
“From finding out the truth. She can never know Tristan. It would be too dangerous for her. Just because your father is dead now – it doesn't mean that your brother won't reignite the feud and keep it going.”
Shit.
“Look, I understand your concerns but there's no way in hell I'm marrying your daughter Duncan. I've never even met her. Besides, I would make a horrible husband. Do you really want her to run off into the sunset with someone like me? I have a different chick begging for my dick every day of the week and I have no intention of stopping that for some mob princess.”
He stood up and lunged across the table then.
I deflected and grabbed him by his throat.
“I can end your time on earth sooner, rather then later old man,” I sneered.
I saw a flicker of despair flash across his eyes then.
“Fuck,” I muttered as I removed my hand from his throat.
“Please Tristan. I've never begged anyone for anything...besides that day they killed Camilla. I'm begging you to protect her for me.”
“I'm not marrying her Duncan. However, I will keep tabs on her from time to time. I promise, I won't tell her who she really is...even though she does have a right to know. I'll keep an eye on her...but mark my words- I'm not doing it for you. I'm only doing it because it's what my mother would want me to do."
“There's 50 million dollars at stake Tristan, it’s yours. All you have to do is marry her,” he protested.
“I don't need the money Duncan, I have plenty of my own.”
“She looks just like Camilla,” he insisted as he shoved the manila folder in my hand.
“Would you stop trying to auction your daughter off to me. What the hell is the matter with you?”
“I'm desperate and you're the only person in the world I can trust.”
“I just told you that I will keep tabs on her from time to time. That's my final offer...take it or leave it," I said as I threw the folder on the floor.
“Her name is Devonna...” he started to say before he collapsed.
Chapter 1
“Just do it Dev,” I whisper out loud to myself.
All I have to do is take one more step and everything would finally be over.
I thought I was fine.
I thought I had everything under control.
Hell, I haven't had these feelings since I was a teenager.
Not since that dreaded day.
I'm a psychiatric nurse for crying out loud.
The last thing I should be doing is contemplating jumping off the roof of the hospital that I work at.
On my 29th birthday no less.
I had almost completely forgotten that it was my birthday today.
Seeing as how it was also Thanksgiving.
The freaking irony.
It wasn't until I was writing my notes up at the end of my shift that I finally noticed the date.
I wasn't looking forward to this particular birthday for obvious reasons.
I’m now 29 years old and I have absolutely nothing going for me.
No family. No friends. No boyfriend. No children. No husband.
I have nothing.
Just a little studio apartment and a plant...that died this morning.
And a single moment that I'm desperately trying to forget.
I'm still that same girl who was dropped off at social services five days after they were born.
The girl that nobody wants.
Except...I'm not a girl anymore.
No matter how much I still feel like one .
Actually...that's the thing.
Lately, I've stopped feeling. It's as if I'm on autopilot.
Trapped in a world full of nothingness.
With no end in sight.
That's the scariest thing of all.
I'm not living.
I'm just existing.
I wear my mask and play the part of the good little nurse.
In reality...I have no idea who I am.
I have no idea what I really want.
I have no idea what the hell I'm doing with my life.
I've never let anyone get close enough to see the real me.
I've never let them see the cracks.
I've learned that cruel lesson very early in life.
I move closer to the edge and take a deep breath. I look up at the night sky.
The snow had already fallen all around me.
Gotta love the start of winter in New England.
Not that I felt the bitter cold anymore.
I should be freezing. I should be shivering.
I should be a lot of things.
I finally look down.
I was only about an inch away from freedom.
The numbness would all end soon.
It's not like anyone would miss me anyway.
Then it hit me.
Who will cover my double tomorrow?
There's a blizzard coming in and I know the hospital is going to be short staffed.
Dammit.
Talk about terrible timing.
I look down again.
A normal person would feel nervous at the sight.
A normal person wouldn't find the sight comforting and beautiful.
A normal person would get down and stop inching even closer to the edge.
I close my eyes and I’m shocked to find that tears are streaming down my face.
Even my sadness seems to be on autopilot.
I know deep down that death wouldn't be the answer to all my problems.
It certainly wasn't going to solve anything.
I exhale and prepare to take a step back to safety when a deep voice halts me.
“Please, don't jump.”
Shit, this is bad. How the hell am I going to explain this?
Before I can think of an excuse, a pair of hands grab
my wrists.
Part of me wanted to struggle, but that was sure going to end up in disaster.
Besides, I only wanted to take myself out...not any innocent bystanders.
“I wasn't going to jump,” I shout, as strong arms pick me up and lift me off the ledge.
A moment later he puts me down.
He then stands right in front of me...purposely blocking me from the ledge of the roof.
I decide to look up and face the man who wants to play hero.
I had to take another deep breath.
I don't know what I notice or take in first about him.
His piercing blue eyes against his olive skin and dark hair...or his massively toned and tall body.
Hell, even the stubble on his face was appealing.
Everything about his appearance hits me like a bolt of lightening.
Turns out I can still feel some things after all.
His deep blue eyes meet mine before he speaks. “That's sure not what it looked like. I'm going to make sure you get the help that you need. The staff should have been keeping a better eye on you."
What the hell is he talking about?
I want to inquire about his statement but he quickly takes off his jacket and wraps it around me.
“It's freezing. Wear this until I can get someone from the psych unit to come up here. How did you manage to steal a pair of nurse scrubs anyway?" he asks while raising his eyebrow at me.
Holy shit...he thinks I'm a psychiatric patient.
Can't really say that I blame him.
Yup Dev...good fucking job.
Could this night get any worse?
“I'm not a psych patient you idiot. I'm a nurse. I work here. I wasn't going to jump. I was...” I stall.
He takes a step closer to me, which immediately causes me to back up.
“You were what?” he asks with a smirk.