Take the Storm: Episode 6
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Take the Storm
By Rebecca Zanetti
Rising Storm
Episode 6
Story created by Julie Kenner and Dee Davis
Take the Storm, Episode 6
Rising Storm
Copyright 2015 Julie Kenner and Dee Davis Oberwetter
ISBN: 978-1-942299-06-6
Published by Evil Eye Concepts, Incorporated
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights.
This is a work of fiction. Names, places, characters, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination and are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or establishments is solely coincidental.
Book Description
Take the Storm
By Rebecca Zanetti
Rising Storm Episode 6
Secrets, Sex and Scandals …
Welcome to Storm, Texas, where passion runs hot, desire runs deep, and secrets have the power to destroy… Get ready. The storm is coming.
Marisol Moreno has spent her youth taking care of her younger siblings. Now, with her sister, Ginny, in crisis, and her brother in the throws of his first real relationship, she doesn’t have time for anything else. Especially not the overtures of the incredibly compelling Patrick Murphy.
About Rebecca Zanetti
New York Times Bestselling author Rebecca Zanetti is the author of over twenty-five dark paranormals, romantic suspense, and contemporary romances, and her books have appeared multiple times on the USA Today, NY Times, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and iBooks bestseller lists. She lives in the wilds of the Pacific Northwest with her own Alpha hero, two kids, a couple of dogs, a crazy cat…and a huge extended family. She believes strongly in luck, karma, and working her butt off…and she thinks one of the best things about being an author, unlike the lawyer she used to be, is that she can let the crazy out. Her current series are: The Scorpius Syndrome, The Dark Protectors, The Realm Enforcers, The Maverick Montana Cowboys, and the Sin Brothers series. Find Rebecca at: www.rebeccazanetti.com
Also From Rebecca Zanetti
Click to purchase
Scorpius Syndrome
Scorpius Rising (On the Hunt anthology)
Mercury Striking
Dark Protectors
Fated
Claimed
Tempted
Hunted
Consumed
Provoked
Twisted
Shadowed
Tamed
Marked
Wicked Ride (Realm Enforcers)
Wicked Edge (Realm Enforcers)
Sin Brothers series
Forgotten Sins
Sweet Revenge
Blind Faith
Total Surrender
Maverick Montana Cowboys
Against the Wall
Under the Covers
Rising Assets
Over the Top
Acknowledgments from the Author
This project has been so much fun, and I have a couple of folks to thank. First, thank you to Julie Kenner for calling me up and saying… “So. Have you ever wanted to take part in a soap opera?” I’m honored to be included with this group!
Thanks to Dee Davis as well as Julie for creating this wild world in Storm, Texas.
A big thank you goes to Elizabeth Berry of 1001 Dark Nights for including me in her whirlwind of a world and for being my friend, in addition to all the hard work and brilliant ideas that she generously shares.
Thanks to MJ Rose of Evil Eye Concepts for the hard work and genius promotional plans.
As always, thank you to Big Tone, Gabe, and Karly for the patience and fun times…you’re the best!
Foreword
Dear reader –
We have wanted to do a project together for over a decade, but nothing really jelled until we started to toy with a kernel of an idea that sprouted way back in 2012 … and ultimately grew into Rising Storm.
We are both excited about and proud of this project—not only of the story itself, but also the incredible authors who have helped bring the world and characters we created to life.
We hope you enjoy visiting Storm, Texas. Settle in and stay a while!
Happy reading!
Julie Kenner & Dee Davis
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Rising Storm story
Storm Season: Ginny & Jacob – the Prequel
by Dee Davis
Table of Contents
Book Description
About Rebecca Zanetti
Also from Rebecca Zanetti
Author Acknowledgments
Foreword
Family Trees
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Rising Storm
Teaser for Weather the Storm: Rising Storm Episode 7 by Lisa Mondello
1001 Dark Nights
Special Thanks
Family Trees
Allen Family
Alvarez Family
Douglas Family
Grossman Family
Johnson Family
Moreno Family
Murphy Family
Prager Family
Rush Family
Salt Family
CHAPTER 1
Stars glittered across the wide Texas sky, reflecting off the dark lake. No wind disturbed the calm surface, which was good, because some idiot had piled the bonfire too high. Flames crackled into the night, their sound competing with laughter and teenage murmurs. School was over, summer was here, and it was time for freedom and fun. For most kids.
Luis Moreno sat on a piece of driftwood, facing the fire, his arms dangling between his knees. The stitches in his left hand itched, and a hollow ache in his chest hurt.
His life sucked.
Mallory Alvarez, the girl he’d love until he fucking died, laughed easily with a bunch of guys from the football team. She looked tiny next to the guys, and her dark jeans curved over an amazing ass. They stood on the beach, closer to the shore, and every once in a while the stud quarterback would pretend he was going to throw her in.
She’d giggle and move to the other side of the small huddle.
Luis knew that laugh—it was fun and full of friendship. Even so, jealousy crawled up his torso and clogged his throat. He was now firmly in the friend zone, too. Because of one stupid, really stupid, mistake.
The mistake lounged over on a picnic blanket on the other side of the fire, wearing way too short shorts and a white see-through blouse with a purple bra underneath. Lacey Salt. A week ago, he would’ve been totally obsessing about that bra.
Now, after she’d tried to seduce him and he’d rejected her, he was left alone wishing Mallory would take him back. At least she’d forgiven him, saying she didn’t want to lose him as a friend.
Being her friend wasn’t enough. He wasn’t sure he was even friends with Lacey any longer, either.
She leaned against Freddy Phillips, who was a senior and definitely a player. He was obviously trying to get into her pants, most likely b
ecause she now had a reputation of being easy.
“Dude. Stop pouting.” Jeffry Rush, his best friend, shoved a red cup into his hand and dropped next to him on the driftwood, holding his own cup.
Luis frowned and sniffed the drink, drawing back when his nostrils burned. “What the heck?”
“Moonshine.” Jeffry stared into his own cup. “The genuine article from Cooder. A couple of the seniors stole it from some dive bar outside of town.” Cooder was almost famous in the small town of Storm, having brewed and sold moonshine for decades without the law ever catching up to him.
“You don’t drink,” Luis said slowly.
Jeffry shrugged. “Who’d care?”
Luis took a deep breath. He’d never tried moonshine and wasn’t sure it was a great idea. “If we’re gonna drink, we should probably stick with beer, you know?”
Jeffry took a sip and grimaced. His shoulders slumped, and even his sigh sounded bummed. “We don’t have beer.”
“Um, I’m the first to admit that I don’t understand political crap, but if your dad is running for reelection, you getting caught with Cooder’s moonshine is a seriously bad idea.” Luis had been so busy with his own problems, he’d once again forgotten his friend didn’t have the best life once you really looked inside it. His dad was a state senator, and they always had to keep up appearances, whatever the hell that meant. “Empty your cup and I’ll do the same.”
“No. I’m tired of elections and of having to smile all the damn time. Tired of pretending I’m happy and stuck being a certain way.” Jeffry tipped back a drink and sputtered, coughing until Luis smacked him on the back. “This is terrible.”
Luis grinned. “It’s probably not supposed to taste good.”
Lacey squealed across the fire and sat up, coughing as well.
Shit. Now Lacey was drinking that stuff? Luis quickly glanced over to make sure Mallory wasn’t putting that crap in her body. She’d be sick in minutes, and the stuff was so strong, it could actually cause damage. Her hands were in her pockets, and she was still talking to the quarterback.
Did she like him?
Luis sighed. What the heck. He took a deep drink of the moonshine. The liquid burned down his throat and exploded in his gut. His legs trembled. “Holy crap.” Sucking in air, he pressed a hand to his abdomen. “We might as well drink gasoline,” he gasped. Almost instantly, his head started to swim.
Mallory was staring at him, disbelief wrinkling her nose. Then disappointment.
Damn it. She’d seen him drink. He coughed again, surprised when flames didn’t exhale with his breath. Now besides being a two-timing loser, he was breaking the law and drinking rotgut when he should be trying to win her back. Maybe he should’ve had sex with her when she wanted to do it, but he respected her and thought they should wait.
If they hadn’t waited, then they’d probably be together right now, snuggling and watching the fire.
Jeffry threw him a shoulder. Even at the lake, he wore a pressed golf shirt and perfectly creased beige shorts, his hair unruffled. “If you’re so sad, go talk to her. Mallory is the best. She’ll forgive you.”
“She has.” Luis tugged on his faded Jack Daniels T-shirt he’d tossed on with his regular swim trunks. Maybe he should make more of an effort with clothes like Jeffry did. Would Mallory roll her eyes or be impressed? Knowing Mal, she’d just laugh. Would they ever get back together? He sniffed the drink again and licked his lips. Now a nice warmth spread throughout him. “Mallory only wants to be friends.”
Jeffry rolled his eyes. “She wants to be more than friends, but you hurt her. You have to suck up for a while, man.”
“Yeah?” Luis studied his friend, trying to focus. Jeffry was the smartest person Luis had ever met, and he had a knack for understanding people. Well, people other than his own family. “You think I could get her back?”
“Definitely.” Jeffry smiled, his grin a little lopsided. “But you’re gonna have to grovel, and you have to stay away from crazy Lacey.”
Now that wasn’t exactly fair. “Lacey is not crazy. Her brother died, her family is acting weird, and she’s lost.” Of course, a lost Lacey was a battering ram of destructiveness. “Is she still letting people think we slept together?”
“Yep.”
It’s like she wanted people gossiping about her, even if the talk was bad. Lacey and Mallory had been best friends forever, and it was like Lacey didn’t care about that. Or her reputation. Or Luis’s friendship. They hadn’t had sex because he’d stopped them.
He cleared his throat. “I thought that maybe you and Lacey—”
“God no.” Jeffry leaned back, horror filling his eyes right before red filled his face. “Definitely no. Not for me.”
Geez. She wasn’t that bad. “Okay. Sorry.” Why didn’t Jeffry seem interested in any of the local girls? More than one of them had asked him out, and he always turned them down. “I just thought you and Lacey could be close,” Luis mumbled.
She caught him watching her, and she stood, swaying just a little.
He tensed, just in case she fell toward the fire. Instead, she regained her footing and kicked off her flip-flops. Tossing her brown hair over a shoulder, she walked barefoot in the sand and around the fire. Her butt swayed, and her gaze stayed hot on him.
“Ruh roe,” Jeffry slurred into his cup, turning his gaze to the sand.
Luis tensed. He could actually feel Mallory’s eyes on him. Maybe Lacey would keep going. Perhaps she needed to take a squat somewhere. He looked down to check out Jeffry’s leather loafers. The things probably cost more than he made in a month.
Bright pink toenails stopped in his view.
He sighed and looked up toned legs, past the purple bra, to Lacey’s flushed face. “I hope you’re not driving,” he muttered, his voice sounding a little weird. The moonshine had actually scratched his throat.
She reached out and ruffled his hair. “Is that an offer?”
Her touch did nothing but make him cringe. She was messing with him, and she was trying to hurt Mallory for some reason. Temper slid through him, and he fought to remain in control. “Stop it, Lacey.”
“Stop it, Lacey,” she mimicked, lowering her voice. “That’s all you say now.”
He stood just so she’d have to stop playing with his hair. The world tilted for a moment, and he sucked down some air to regain his balance. When everything righted, he focused on her. “Why are you telling lies about me?”
She blinked. “I haven’t lied.”
“You haven’t told anybody the truth,” he spat out, heat climbing up his face. “Everyone is acting like I’m some manwhore hero, and they’re calling you a slut. Why do you want that?”
Her pretty face lost color, leaving her lips white. “At least they’re noticing me.”
“That is so fucked up,” he muttered, the fight leaving him. His temples started to pound. Why couldn’t things just go back to the way they were only a couple of weeks ago? “I know you’re hurting, but this isn’t helping.”
Mallory suddenly appeared at his elbow. “We need to talk, Luis.”
His mouth dropped open.
Lacey turned a big-toothed smile on Mallory. “Sorry, but I’m not done with Luis.” She ran a hand down his arm like she had every right to touch him.
Jeffry sighed and shoved to his feet. “Everybody stop acting so weird. Let’s all go back to normal, okay?”
“Oh, hell no.” Mallory put her hands on her hips. “We can’t go back, because Lacey is a desperate, two-faced, pathetic wannabe slut. It’s too bad you can’t find anybody to sleep with, and I know Luis rejected you.”
Luis blinked. He’d never heard Mallory talk in a voice like that. “Um—”
Lacey rounded on Mallory. “You’re just pissed he turned you down and then wanted me.”
Mallory gasped.
“I didn’t tell her—” Luis started and then winced.
Triumph lit up Lacey’s features. “I knew it.”
Mall
ory turned to spin away, and Luis grabbed her arm to pull her back. “Listen. I wanted to wait because I care about you and want it to be perfect. No other reason.” Yeah, she’d wanted to have sex, maybe, and he’d put the brakes on. Not because of Lacey, but because he wasn’t ready. Or he hadn’t thought he was ready.
Lacey laughed. “If a guy really loves you, he doesn’t say no.”
Mallory’s jaw trembled and then firmed.
That was it. Maybe it was the booze, maybe it was the hurt, but Luis lost it. He threw out his arms and started to yell. “Lacey, stop telling people we slept together. We did not, because I said no.” Everyone went silent around them and turned to watch. He angled toward Mallory. “Mal, I love you. You want to have sex, I’m there. Name the time, name the place…hell. Name the position, and I am there with a condom.”
He caught movement from the corner of his eye, but Lacey’s fist plowed into his cheek before he could fully turn. His head jerked back and pain flared beneath his eye.
“You bitch!” Mallory leaped in front of him, both hands striking into Lacey’s hair.
Lacey hissed and slapped Mallory in the face.
“Girl fight!” a guy yelled from near the beach.
The girls shrieked and grappled, rage in the sounds. Luis grabbed for Mallory while Jeffry tried to wade in and stop Lacey’s flailing arms. She raked her nails down his wrist, and he yelped.
Luis stepped to the side, slid an arm around Mal’s waist, and pivoted, putting her directly behind him. Her nails scratched his bicep in the movement. His heart thundered, and his breath panted out. He’d never used his size against anybody, and he really didn’t like it.
Jeffry had both arms wrapped around Lacey from behind, and she was struggling furiously, her feet kicking sand.