Elaina
The Dimarco Series
Jennifer Hanks
One. Terrifying. Night.
That’s all it took to change everything Jake Dimarco knew and believed. After watching his brother gunned down in a parking lot and learning his ex-girlfriend had played a part in that attack, Jake has to make some tough decisions about his life and his son.
After all there’s no one to blame but himself.
Moving into a new home with his son is supposed to be a fresh start, a way to begin building the life for them that his son deserves.
And he intends to do that alone.
But his family has other plans.
Elaina Jones loves her life, although at times it can be somewhat lonely. That all changes after Jake moves next door and the entire Dimarco family decides to make her their business. Her once quiet life becomes loud, filled with laughter and new friends. No matter how much she tries to deny her feelings for Jake, their connection is too strong, their chemistry too intense.
But not everyone is happy that Elaina has become part of the family.
With a gunman at large and Jake’s past proving dangerous, he makes choices to right the many wrongs he feels he’s guilty of and to keep his family safe. But those decisions come at the expense of himself and the woman who’s become more important to him than he ever believed she could.
Together will they be able to survive one person’s vengeance and their frightening need to destroy Jake and Elaina?
Or is there a time when even love just isn’t enough?
The Dimarco Series
http://jenniferhanks.com
ELAINA
The Dimarco Series
Copyright © 2017 by Jennifer Hanks
All Rights Reserved
This is a work of fiction. Any names or characters, businesses or places, events or incidents, are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.
Cover Design by CT Cover Creations
Digital Formatting by Author E.M.S.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
About ELAINA
Copyright
Dedication
Acknowledgments
Prologue
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
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Chapter 42
Chapter 43
Chapter 44
Chapter 45
Chapter 46
Chapter 47
Chapter 48
Chapter 49
Epilogue
Excerpt from MY REDEMPTION
About the Author
DEDICATION
For my parents,
Your unconditional love has given me the strength to always persevere.
I could never thank you enough.
But I’ll never stop trying.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
As always, I want to thank my family and friends for their unwavering support. You’re always the first to read whatever I’ve written and act as though it’s the best thing you’ve ever read. I could not love or appreciate you more than I do for all you’ve done and continue to do to encourage my dream. You are my biggest group of fans and I know you always will be.
Thank you Clarise Tan at CT Cover Creations for designing another beautiful cover. Your ability to make the covers I envision a reality is unbelievable to me and I feel so lucky to have found you.
Thank you Judy Brown! You are an incredibly patient and talented editor. Your support for me and my writing has been unwavering since I wrote my first book, Lucy, and I could never thank you enough for that.
Thank you Amy for doing a fantastic job formatting! I have never known someone so willing to go above and beyond to find answers to all the questions I ask. You’re amazing at all you do and I take every chance I can to sing your praises.
I want to send a special thank you to the readers who have followed me since I wrote my first book “Lucy,” having taken a chance on a new author and staying with me as I grow as both a writer and a storyteller. I hope you stay with me as we continue our way through this crazy family and all of the secondary characters with their own stories to tell.
And finally, I want to thank my two children. You’re love and patience while I pursue my dreams is inspiring. I only hope my efforts teach you that dreams can come true with hard work and perseverance, but are that much sweeter with the love and support of friends and family.
After all, to me the best part of the dream is not the achievement, but the journey to get there.
PROLOGUE
JAKE
Sirens.
Fuck. The sirens had been so loud, the shrill wail still ringing in my ears. I ran my hands across the back of my neck before hanging my head back in my hands, elbows resting on my knees. Suffocating tension filled the room while my entire family waited in this godforsaken room for a doctor to come out and tell us if my brother was alive.
Luke.
I pressed my hands hard to my forehead. I couldn’t lose Luke. He couldn’t die.
The memory played on repeat in my mind: Screeching car tires, racing into the parking lot. The shot. “Luke get the fuck down!” Screaming. Blood, so much fucking blood. “Jake I need your shirt.” Brody needed my shirt along with all of my brothers’ shirts to stop the blood. It wasn’t working. “I can’t find a fucking pulse.” My brother Jax’s words played on in my mind.
A hand wrapped around my neck, before I felt a body sit down in the chair next to me, but I don’t look up. I couldn’t look anyone in the eyes, knowing my brother was fighting for his fucking life because of me.
“Get out of your head, brother.” Chris’ voice penetrated the quiet room. He knew what I was thinking. They all knew, because they all know it’s true whether they say the words out loud or not. I’m the reason he’s fighting to live right now. Because I couldn’t shut my fucking mouth and walk away from a jackass looking for a fight.
A night out with my seven brothers to celebrate Ben and I signing a huge contract to start building homes in a new development; and my ex fucked it all up. I hate that bitch. The only good thing that came from knowing her is my son, Braydon, but beyond him, nothing. I tried to make a go of it with her, but this last stunt, bringing her fuck buddy to pick a fight, was the end for me. Then when she admitted she knew about videos being secretly filmed of my brother Brody’s girlfriend Gia, and didn’t tell anyone, I lost it
. I told her she’d never see Bray again, that he was mine.
I fucking meant it.
I’d actually been proud of myself for walking away, something I wouldn’t have done in the past. I’ve always had a short fuse, but this time I’d controlled it, until the bastard mentioned Braydon, saying he might be his kid. Bray’s mine I couldn’t stand to hear my son even mentioned by that scum. I should’ve kept walking. We would’ve been long gone before that car roared through the parking lot and someone shot my brother.
It should’ve been me. Not Luke.
Never Luke.
Someone sat down in the seat on the other side of me and I knew instantly it was Lucy, by the sweet vanilla scent she always wears. Chris’ girlfriend and I became close when they first got together. She was actually the first person I told that Julie was pregnant with Braydon. Her hand rubbed along my back and she laid her head against my shoulder. I squeezed my eyes shut tighter, the pain of what I’d done slamming into me.
“Bray’s with Gia.” She said in her quiet voice. “Gia went to your place, paid the sitter and then took him home with her. Is that okay?”
I nodded because honestly there was no one I trusted more with Bray than Gia, except my own mother. She’s an amazing mom to Lexi, her daughter with Brody, and they have another on the way. Brody’s a lucky man. Honestly, all of my brothers have been lucky, at least the ones officially off the market. They chose well. Not like I did when I slept with Julie. I knew she was bad news, but she had a hold on me for a while that I can’t explain. Never again will I let a woman have that much of a hold on me. The worst part is, I know my problems with her are just beginning.
I knew she wanted to say more, but Lucy was the kind of person to give silence when she felt it was needed. She’s a social worker, so I guess patience just comes with the territory. I heard the ticking of the large clock hanging on the sterile white wall behind me. Depressing walls, all dirty white, holding memories of tragedies and people that have come and gone. Misery surrounded this fucking room, strangling me.
“Family for Luke Dimarco?” A commanding voice broke the silence.
I jumped out of my seat, looking around for the first time since I sat down, hating myself for the sadness on all of their faces. The room was littered with people, including a line of cops leaning against the wall across from where I sat, their faces expressing the anger they hadn’t voiced for their brother. Towards me or the shooter, it didn’t really matter; we both deserved their condemnation.
My brother Luke is a cop and a damn good one, working mainly with special victims including women and children. My brother Cam works with Luke too. The men focused entirely on the doctor, determination set on their features. I had no doubt the police department was out for blood.
“That’s all of us, Doctor.” My dad’s voice boomed through the room.
The doctor looked up from the chart in his hands and with raised eyebrows scanned the room, likely noticing we took up the entire room. Even Grace was here, standing with our mom, their arms looped together. They’re so close, especially since she’s the only girl and the youngest of us seven children. I hadn’t even heard her come in.
The doctor addressed us all, but his eyes remained locked on my dad. Maybe he recognized his strength. “Luke’s out of surgery. We were able to remove the bullet from his stomach, initially concerned about internal bleeding, but I’m happy to report no organs were damaged.”
A collective sigh filled the room.
“But…” My dad started.
The doctor breathed deeply. “But he’s not out of the woods yet. He lost a lot of blood, despite your valiant efforts.” His eyes scanned over my brothers. “He’ll remain in critical condition for the next twenty-four hours.”
“What happens after twenty-four hours?” My mom’s voice was husky with unshed tears.
“If Luke makes it through the next twenty-four hours, he will most likely be moved to stable condition, but I want you to be prepared for whatever may happen.”
“Just say what you’re trying to say.” I barked out, frustrated because he wouldn’t say the words we all knew he was dancing around. I ran my hand through my hair, pulling at it until I felt pain. Pain that I deserved.
The doctor took a deep breath before exhaling slowly. “These types of wounds are very serious. His body is in shock; the loss of blood was substantial. There is never a definitive outcome with these types of wounds. I like families to understand the surgery going well is not the end, but only the beginning for Luke. He will need to fight very hard for his recovery.”
My dad shook his head, putting his arm around my mom and hugging her close to his side. “We understand that doctor. Our boy’s a fighter.” He motioned with his other arm around the room. “They all are.”
“Can we see him?” Mom asked.
“Of course, but only two at a time and I’m limiting it to only a few minutes each. I need him to stay relaxed.”
I watched my parents follow the doctor and sat back down. Lucy once again settled in beside me, her palm rubbing slowly up and down my back. Chris walked to stand with his twin, Cam, and started speaking quietly. My eyes met my brother Jax’s across the room. His expression was blank, identical to Brody’s who was standing next to him, wearing a #1 Grandpa shirt which should have made me grin, but instead made my stomach turn. Mom had brought all of us fresh shirts after Jax called them and explained what happened. Looking around the room was a constant reminder of all the blood.
There was so much fucking blood.
All of our shirts were soaked through with the blood Luke lost during his battle.
But only I wore as much blood on my hands as on my shirt.
I pointed my face to the floor, not able to meet their eyes when I felt someone sit on the other side of me.
“He’s going to be fine.” Ben’s voice cracked through the destructive thoughts occupying my mind.
Ben. My brother, closest in age to me, only two years younger. My best friend. My business partner.
I ran my hand across the back of my neck, not answering, not knowing how or what to even say. We had no idea if he was going to be fine.
“He’s strong Jake. Strong and determined. He’d never leave us heathens to take care of ourselves.” I recognized the joking in his tone, but couldn’t find the humor.
“He may not have a choice.” I said softly. The first words I’d spoken to my family since running into this hospital hours ago.
“He won’t leave us.” Ben’s words sounded so confident and sure I raised my eyes, desperate to see the confidence in his, hopefully absorbing it.
Motion from the front of the room caught my attention, so I flicked my eyes that way to see Henry, Cam’s boss from his time with the DEA and Nick, his friend and partner from those days, turn from the hallway into the room where we sat. They scanned the room until their eyes landed on Cam, and silently walked to him, Henry putting his hand to Cam’s shoulder in support.
“Tyler?” My head snapped up when I heard Grace’s voice break through the deafening silence.
I watched her walk to the opposite side of the room from where she had been standing and stop in front of one of the biggest men I’d ever seen. Almost at the same time, my brothers and I stood and moved in closer to stand behind Grace.
“What happened to your arm?” She asked, motioning towards the white cast starting at his hand and running the whole way to his elbow.
His eyes flicked over her shoulder at the group of us, but he didn’t look intimidated, he looked irritated. Hell, even I would’ve been intimidated by the group of men standing behind Grace, all well over six feet tall and two-hundred pounds.
“Broke it,” he said, tersely.
“How?” Grace threw her hands on her hips and my eyes widened. That was our mother’s stance when she was annoyed. “Were you fighting again?”
His eyes moved behind her again to roam over the group of men I was standing with, as well as the group still behin
d us scattered throughout the room. It would have to be impressive considering it was littered with cops and DEA agents; in general some mean looking bastards.
She sighed when it was obvious he wasn’t going to answer, which she probably recognized was his answer. He fights? Professionally? I could certainly imagine that, considering his size. He had to be over six foot five, and well over two-hundrend-and-fifty pounds, at a guess.
She turned to face us, planting herself beside him and touched his arm void of the cast. His jaw clenched but he stood still while she gestured to the group of us. “Guys, this is Tyler. Tyler, these are my brothers.” She pointed to us individually while calling out our names. “That’s Ben, Cam, Jax, Chris, Brody, and Jake.”
She got to me last and I gave a chin lift which was more than a few of my other brothers did. He looked unimpressed, but nodded at each of us.
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