by Chuck Buda
“I don’t know what to do now.” He sounded like a whimpering baby but the words were out before he could control the message.
“You’re going to heal and then you’re going to avenge yourself.”
Aiden twitched in Leah’s lap. “What? You think I can fight them back? They’ll kill me. They tried once. They might succeed next time.”
“This time you have me.” Leah kissed his forehead and sighed. “I’m so sorry I didn’t take your side. It’s my fault they hurt you.”
Aiden forced himself up this time. He looked at Leah through his blurry right eye. “It’s not your fault at all, Leah. They did this to me because I quit. It has nothing to do with your decision to go along with them. You think they would have done differently? They probably would have included you instead.”
Leah nodded silently as she brushed Aiden’s messy hair aside. Her eyes searched his face and Aiden could read the worry in the lines on her forehead. Her red hair, a fiery mane, beckoned his hands. Aiden ran his fingers through her hair, releasing a fresh bouquet of shampoo scent. It soothed his soul.
“Maybe you’re right.”
“Of course, I’m right.” Aiden settled back into Leah’s lap. “Besides, there is no way to get even with them. Not without attracting more harm.”
Leah quietly placed the ice bag back on his eye. She stroked his chest, causing gooseflesh to rise along his arms and legs.
“What if we crumbled the tower from within?”
Aiden wondered what Leah meant. His curiosity was piqued so he asked her to explain.
“We could always reconcile with Zoe and Spencer. Get on their good side again. And once we get back in the fold, we could cause the whole thing to fall apart. That way they would have no idea it was our doing. But we could enjoy the revenge, knowing we brought it on.”
Aiden liked what Leah proposed but he had no idea how to pull off such a feat. Spencer was a fucking genius and could figure anything out. And Zoe was a master with people and getting what she wanted. Surely she would figure out their plot in advance and punish them for going against her. Aiden’s mind worked furiously to figure out a reasonable way to pull it off.
“It would be so cool. But I can’t figure out a way to do it.”
Leah chuckled. “We don’t have to figure it out right now. We have time. You’re so funny sometimes.” She laughed at him.
“But what happens in the meantime? They’re going to expect us to keep drinking blood and having group sex. And what if they raise the bar again?” Aiden worried out loud.
“Then we’ll enjoy the sex. And ignore the rest. The result is more important than the steps leading up to it. Like studying for a final exam.”
Aiden smiled at Leah. She was so smart. And he felt he loved her even more now. Aiden reached up and pulled Leah’s face down to his own. They kissed slowly, at first. Then the passion took over and their kisses became more urgent. Deeper. Aiden hardened at the prospect of being with Leah. Or was he excited to exact revenge upon Spencer and Zoe? Aiden didn’t care what the reason was. He shrugged to himself and gave up thinking about anything else except the current moment with Leah.
Continue the Thrills!
I hope you enjoyed the first novel in the Gushers series. The next book will be available soon. To receive updates on future releases go to:
I Wanna Be a Gusher!
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Beneath the Blood
The occult has always fascinated me on many levels. The secrecy. The mystery. The weirdness. I dig all that stuff. But I didn’t want to write a typical occult thriller. Not that there’s anything wrong with those kinds of books. I enjoy reading them. I just wanted to do something else.
Movies like Eyes Wide Shut intrigue me. The sense of dread and ever-present danger and paranoia are exciting. The sex scenes are a bonus. What can I say? I’m a guy and sex always sells.
My wife was a huge fan of the HBO Series, True Blood. I liked the first few seasons but then I felt the show got too wacky for me to continue on. I enjoyed the concept of the vampires and the sexuality, but I really enjoyed the notion of the clubs where people would offer themselves up to the vampires for sex and bloodletting. I wanted more of that, but like I said, the show jumped the shark in my mind, and what I wanted seemed to no longer be on the menu.
Which led me to ask questions. What if there could be more esoteric intrigue and sex, and less vampires? Then Seinfeld interrupted my thought pattern. And the next question arose. What about a book about nothing? Not nothing, per se. But a book about vampires without vampires. Not exactly that concept either. How about kids who join a cult because they are fans of vampires? And what if the cult doctrine becomes more than they had originally bargained for?
The First Cut was born.
Something was still missing. So I decided to add parents to the mix. Not typical authoritative parents. Parents who had many layers and desires, like many of us. Pressures of work and children and family life and sex. Yes, more sex.
Okay, let’s be clear. I didn’t set out to write pornographic material, not that there’s anything wrong with it. I did intend for sex to factor into the plot and to add layers to the characters. The “story” took the sex scenes to places I had not intended. But I enjoyed every minute of it. Perhaps I have a future in the adult video industry as a writer...
But I digress. The sex was intentional. The depravity and explicit nature was unintentional. If you think about the story you just read, would the danger and stakes have meant as much without the explicit scenes? Some might argue with me, but I think it enhanced the story. And the sex will interconnect the characters as the rest of the story unfolds in the next two books. You’ll see. Trust me.
So, this book will either work or it will sink my career. It doesn’t matter to me because it was the story that needed to be told. And I am always true to my craft, regardless of market dictates or bestseller qualities. In this way, I am a true artist.
If you liked this novel, I think you will be thrilled with what is planned for the next two releases in this trilogy. The roller coaster ride will get crazier and things will most likely go off the rails. And that’s what my readers would expect from me. It is what I expect from myself, as a storyteller.
Chuck Buda
P.S. Drop me a note and let me know what you think. I love to hear from readers.
I feel safer with you by my side.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Chuck Buda explores the darkest aspects of the human condition. Then he captures its essence for fictional use. He writes during the day and wanders aimlessly all night...alone.
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I Need Your Help!
Because I am an indie author, a large part of my success comes from the reviews I earn. If you enjoyed this book, please leave a review wherever you bought it, or at Goodreads.
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My Other Series
The Debt Collector
Pay Up and Die
Delinquent
Bankrupt
Son of Earp
Curse of the Ancients
Haunted Gunslinger
Summoner of Souls
Zombie Lockup
Caged 1
Caged 2 (coming in 2017)
Caged 3 (coming in 2017)
Caged 4 (coming in 2017)
Caged 5 (coming in 2017)
Gushers
The First Cut
Slashing Away (coming in 2017)
Tourniquet (coming in 2017)
Berserker
Mayhem (coming in 2017)
Godseed (coming in 2017)
Visit my website to find all these books, and more!
Visit http://www.chuckbuda.com/books
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