He wasn’t born evil.
Another meaty smack of skin on skin made Kevin close his eyes tightly. He scowled and, instead of rapping with his knuckles, fisted his hand and pounded three times, lying through his teeth as he said, “Police, open up,” in a firm, merciless voice.
She did.
Afterwards, the transition was painless and instant.
Love you, woman
He stared into Diane’s face, the tops of the trees dancing behind her head. Her mouth was moving, tendons in her neck straining with shouted questions, but he couldn’t hear anything over the pounding of blood in his ears. The elephant was back and standing directly on his chest, the pain paralyzing. He tried to take a breath, but it was impossible, his lungs not responding to cues and clues, to the demands of his mind. There was no mind over matter here in the forest.
His brain paused, and he blinked, then mouthed the words to her, “Love you, woman.”
Over his wife’s shoulder, he saw Chloe’s face appear, eyes wide with fear. Phone held to the side of her head, she was talking fast, her other hand fluttering up to cover her mouth, then press against her forehead, then back to her mouth. Emily and Megan stood nearby, arms around each other as they stared at him lying on the floor of the forest.
A hum rattled his bones, a vibration unlike anything he’d experienced. He tried to turn his head, but his neck flopped, thrashing his cheek against the ground, and he witnessed small stones taking flight. They jumped and leaped, leaving the earth in tiny arcs before splatting back to the dirt. Dust lifted in swirls, then gusts and waves that moved away from him, as if he were the epicenter for whatever disturbance was happening.
Booted feet appeared; then a black-clad knee rested next to him and something white covered his face, protecting it from the dirt and rocks. He flew up, then down, and bands of pressure developed across his legs and chest.
The covering was whisked away, and Diane stood there, bending slightly as she pressed her cold lips to his cheek. Then he was flying again, the forest receding below him, his wife and daughter growing smaller, their bodies coming together, joined by those of Emily and Megan. He spun in space and came face-to-face with the man. Everything paused for a beat, silence surrounding him as the man reached out and touched a finger to his chest.
“Flawed.”
He heard the word and tried to shake his head.
It didn’t matter.
***
The man stood in a community park, watching across the expanse of green grass as the players ran past, their attention on the soccer ball that flashed from foot to foot, bobbling and weaving towards the goal. A woman sat in a folding chair at a distance from the small stands, chin angled down, gaze directed towards her lap. Occasionally he could see her shoulders heave and hitch.
A group of women approached him, each with a child on a hip or held in her arms. Their buzzing conversation broke apart, settling into individual phrases he didn’t have to strain to hear.
“What a terrible thing.”
“Don’t you think she should have known her son was troubled?”
“I feel so sorry for her.”
A little boy tugged at his mother’s shirt, and she absently lifted a hand to hold the neckline in place. “Mommy. The man.”
“Yes, honey. The man.” Her gaze passed over where he stood as she turned back to her friends. “Imagine being the mother of that boy. I’d probably want to kill myself.”
Nervous laughter tittered from the other women, a wordless acknowledgment that she was right, and common decency demanded as much.
“Mommy, the man didn’t like that.”
He wasn’t there to see her gaze pause and stop, staring at the smoldering grass where he’d stood, the only indication he existed two perfect black footprints etched in the green.
~~~
THANK YOU
Thank you so much for reading Rules Are Rules, a Tangled Fates story in the If You Could Change One Thing collection.
~~~
If you haven’t already, be sure to read the other two stories available in my Tangled Fates collection. You can begin with There Are Limits.
Let’s play a game.
If you lost all of the things in life you value the most, and escalating events combined to repeatedly tear your world apart, how would you react?
Would you take it in stride, accepting it as your lot? Would you eventually succumb to devastation and depression? Or would you fight back?
“I wish.” If you could change everything with a word…would you?
~~~
The third story is The Gray Zone, and you won’t want to miss it!
The gray zone is where unconventional actions come into play.
When all options are unthinkable, how do you get past that and into the real decisions that matter? Could you balance hope and selflessness to achieve greater good? Or would you give as good as you got, wrestling things into line with your desires?
Could you handle the crippling consequences of your actions?
“I want her back.” If you could change everything with a word … would you?
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Raised in the south, MariaLisa learned about the magic of books at an early age. Every summer, she would spend hours in the local library, devouring books of every genre. Self-described as a book-a-holic, she says "I've always loved to read, but then I discovered writing, and found I adored that, too. For reading...if nothing else is available, I've been known to read the back of the cereal box."
Also by MariaLisa deMora
Alace Sweets
A dark thriller, this book is not a light read. Filled with edge-of-your-seat suspense, this intense story commands the reader's attention as it drives towards the explosive ending. Alace Sweets is a vigilante serial killer, with everything that implies and is sure to trip all your triggers. Be ready.
At seventeen, Alace Sweets turned a corner in her life, taking the wrong shortcut home from school.
Resisting the harsh knowledge her attackers will never be made to pay for their actions, Alace takes a stand. Justice must be served, and if fate’s scales are out of balance, she’s determined to set things right as best she can.
When the laws of men fail, the rules of Alace prevail.
5-Star Reviews for Alace Sweets
“deMora has a superb story-line and exceptional character development. All of her characters have such depth that will intrigue the reader...”
~Turning Another Page
“Hot, sweet, dark thriller.”
~Beth D
“It will keep you on the edge of your seat and give you chills.”
~Escape Reality Book Blog
“Disturbing, haunting, sickly; yet hot, sexy and heart racing!”
~Amanda L
“From the first page [deMora] pulls you into the world she has created and you do not even try to escape...”
~Little Shop of Readers Blog
“A must read for all those dark, gritty romance fans out there.”
~Sweet & Spicy Reads
“You will find yourself so drawn into the story that the outside world is blocked out and your locking the doors and turning on all the lights.”
~Danena F
“Don't judge me for bonding with a vigilante serial killer, she's more than what she does.”
~iScream Books
“Thrilling...chilling...full of suspense, nail biting edge of your seat excitement.”
~Tracey H
“Every time MariaLisa deMora picks up her pen (or opens her computer), she creates characters you want to believe in.”
~Gail S
“Intriguing dark storyline, beautiful love story and nail-biting conclusion, what more could a reader ask for?”
~Manda M
“This book takes you a dark and twisted ride that is gripping...”
~Renee Entress' Blog
“This book is dark and gritty and I literally had to take a day off from reading it
because it's that intense.”
~My Girlfriend's Couch
“This is my favourite book so far from this author ... I recommend this book if you enjoy dark romantic thrillers.”
~Cheekypee Reads and Reviews
“There's not enough stars to give this book and 5 just doesn't really do it justice!”
~DeLane C
“I couldn't put this book down from page one! Tried to stop & go to bed but couldn't sleep thinking about Alace and got up & finished the book.”
~Debbie M
“MariaLisa DeMora, wordsmith that she is, made this a story of the enlightenment of a woman and finding love in a life where she has had none.”
~Kat W
“Whatever deep dark trench [deMora] pulled a character like Alace from should be revisited again and often.”
~Confessions of a Serial Reader
ADDITIONAL SERIES AND BOOKS
Please note that books in a series frequently feature characters from additional books within that series. If series books are read out of order, readers will twig to spoilers for the other books, so going back to read the skipped titles won’t have the same angsty reveals.
Rebel Wayfarers MC series:
Mica, #1
A Sweet & Merry Christmas, #1.5
Slate, #2
Bear, #3
Jase, #4
Gunny, #5
Mason, #6
Hoss, #7
Harddrive Holidays, #7.5
Duck, #8
Biker Chick Campout, #8.5
Watcher, #9
A Kiss to Keep You, #9.25
Gun Totin’ Annie, #9.5
Secret Santa, #9.75
Bones, #10
Gunny’s Pups, #10.25
Never Settle, #10.5
Not Even A Mouse, #10.75
Fury, #11
Christmas Doings, #11.25
Gypsy’s Lady, #11.5
Cassie, #12
Road Runner’s Ride, #12.5
Occupy Yourself band series:
Born Into Trouble, #1
Grace In Motion, #2 (TBD)
What They Say, #3 (TBD)
Neither This, Nor That MC series:
This Is the Route Of Twisted Pain, #1
Treading the Traitor’s Path: Out Bad, #2
Shelter My Heart, #3
Trapped by Fate on Reckless Roads, #4
Thunderstruck, #5
Mayhan Bucklers MC series:
Most Rikki-Tik, #1
Mad Minute, #2
Pucker Factor, #3
If You Could Change One Thing: Tangled Fates Stories
There Are Limits, #1
Rules Are Rules, #2
The Gray Zone, #3
Other Books:
With My Whole Heart
Alace Sweets
Hard Focus
Dirty Bitches MC: Season 3
More information available at mldemora.com.
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