Copyright © 2020 Alexis Murrell
All Rights reserved
ISBN—978-0-578-77267-7
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
Cover design—Books and moods
Formatter—Champagne Book Design
Author Notes/Warning—This book may not be easy for readers, for it contains a very sensitive subject matter and some graphic scenes, so proceed with caution. The prologue will give you some insight into the trilogy to see if you would like to continue reading.
Title Page
Copyright
Dedication
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
Acknowledgements
About the Author
This trilogy is dedicated to all my women who fight back.
Edith
WHEN SOMEONE SHOWS YOU THEIR true colors, run.
Slamming the door shut, I race down the hall.
This is it.
I’m really going to leave him this time.
Ignoring the guards, I turn and run up the stairs to our room. I can hear him shouting out orders to the men behind me, which only makes me move faster. Opening our bedroom door, I go straight for my closet and pull out a bag, stuffing it with some of my things.
I gave him everything. I allowed him to treat me any kind of way, all because I so-called loved him. But love isn’t supposed to look or feel like this.
I’m almost done packing up my things when I hear his footsteps approaching our door. Throwing what I have left in my bag, I zip it up and make my way over. However, before I’m given a chance to touch the doorknob, it turns on its own.
I take a step back as he marches towards me.
“What did you say?” he asks calmly. His warm breath blows in my face as his chest touches mine.
Alarms should be going off in my head from how calmly he’s speaking to me. But I’m so clouded with anger and determination to leave him that I don’t even see what’s coming next.
Instead of answering him, I push him aside and dart for the door. He grabs me by the wrist and yanks me back to our room. I trip over my shoes, and my bag slips from my hands, flying across the room as I fall flat on my face. I hear the door close behind me and the lock clicking into place. Turning, he walks over, crouches down before me, and uses the same tone to question me again.
“What did you say?”
I can see in his eyes that he’s having a hard time trying to hold himself together. It’s only a matter of time before he snaps.
“I said, I’m leaving you,” I snarl. “I won’t be with someone like you. We’re over!”
I sit there staring at him, showing him that I’m hell-bent on leaving him, and there’s nothing he can do to change my mind.
When he sees that I’m serious, he gets up, walks over to his dresser, and takes off his suit. Laying it on top, he then pulls on his tie, adding it to the pile. He takes his time unbuttoning his shirt, so I use that moment to crawl over to my bag, grabbing it and running for the door again. I’m right at the doorknob when he yanks me by my hair and punches me square in the face.
Crying out, I grab my nose, which has begun to throb painfully. Blood drops from my nose onto my fingers and runs down my arm.
“You really think I’ll allow you to leave me?”
He doesn’t give me a chance to answer. He throws me on the ground and punches me again; pain shoots to my head as he wraps his hand in my hair and yanks it.
Snapping my head back, he whispers devilishly in my ear, “I’m going to tell you this one time, and one time only.” His grip on my hair tightens. “I say—” he pauses to make sure that I’m paying attention, because he means business. “—when we are over, and sweetheart, we are far from it.” He turns my head so I can look into his eyes. They are black as night, and his veins pop out on the side of his head, running down to his neck. My body starts to tremble with fear. “But since it seems like you’re not getting my point, let me help you out.”
As I open my mouth to start screaming for help, he hits me again and then drags me towards our bed.
“After tonight, let me see you pull this again, and I’ll do more than just hit you,” he says through his clenched teeth, then continues to finish what he started.
I never thought in a million years that my life would turn out this way. My future seemed so bright, yet nothing prepared me for the pain and suffering I would soon have to endure. All because I gave love a second chance.
As you can see, love turned its back on me; it gave me someone that came in the form of a red rose. Beautiful and harmless from a distance, until I got up close and touched him, realizing a minute too late that I had pricked my finger on his vicious thorns. I let my love for him blind me from seeing him for what he truly is.
A Monster.
Family and friends tried to save me, risking everything to get me out. But it was no use, and far too late. He knew just what to do to keep me in his clutches, making sure I felt trapped, with nowhere to go, no one to turn to, completely his.
Well, or so he thinks.
I’m not giving up until I am set free. He may think that he holds all the cards right now, but he has another thing coming.
I have one more trick up my sleeve, and only one try to get it right.
The only way out is death.
Let’s hope it’s not mine.
DING. DING.
The light from my phone illuminates my room. Whoever is messaging me this early, it better be important, because this throbbing sensation I’m feeling in my head is killing me. Groaning, I roll over, reaching for my cell on my nightstand.
Ding. Ding.
Two more messages pop up on my screen.
“Please don’t be Nancy,” I mutter to myself.
I punch in my code and guess who it is?
Nancy: Wake up!
Nancy: Hello
Nancy: You better answer me back before I count to five.
Nancy: One
Why is she messaging me this early? Doesn’t she know what time it is?
Another message appears on my screen.
Nancy: Two
I try to remember if we made any plans to get together, but I’m having a hard time thinking straight with my head pulsating like it is.
Nancy: Three
Yeah, I’m not doing this with her. It’s too early, and I still need at least three more hours of sleep. Since I hung out with her and our friends all last night, I didn’t get to bed until at least two in the morning.
Placing my phone back on my nightstand, I roll back over and snuggle into my pillow.
Ding.
Forcing air out of my lungs, I hit my pillow. “Really?” I grab my
phone and turn off the sound. I’m about to put it back when it vibrates in my hand, letting me know she’s reached five. I wait to see what she’s going to do, since she’s usually all talk and no show when it comes to threats.
I can hear my heart beating as I lay there silently in the dark, waiting for her to do something. After giving it a minute and checking to see if the message bubble will appear, I let myself drift off back to sleep.
It had to have been only twenty minutes before I hear a door open and footsteps racing to my bedroom.
“Edith, get up!” Nancy yells as she runs and jumps up on my bed.
Oh, no!
I scream, throwing off my covers. “Where did you come from, and how did you get into my house?” I say, startled.
“Um, did you forget I have a key to your house?” She jumps down and turns on my lamp.
Dang, I did give her a key. I knew I would regret that once I gave it to her. Turning off my lamp, I put the covers back over my head.
“Go home!”
“No, you need to get up. We don’t have all day,” she stresses, tugging on my covers.
I grip the edge of my comforter and give it a huge yank, pulling it out of her hands. “No, I need a couple more hours of sleep since you guys kept me up all night playing that stupid game.”
Last night, all of our friends came over to my house to have a game night. We were supposed to just play two rounds of Cards Against Humanity and have a couple of drinks. But things got a little out of hand once we went from playing Cards Against Humanity to ‘UNO with a twist.’ In our version of the latter game, whoever is hit with a draw of four and can’t combat that with their own draw of four cards. They have to complete a dare of everyone’s choosing. I had to quit after I was hit four times with draw-four cards. My friends were daring me to do some crazy things, and I couldn’t take anymore.
She gives up, and leaves my room stomping. I hear her banging around in my kitchen and the water running from my sink as she turns it on, then off. She begins walking back to my room, and I catch the sound of water splashing around. “I said, get up!”
At the last second, I look up, and a whole bucket of ice-cold water lands on me.
I scream at the top of my lungs, rolling out of my bed and onto the floor.
“Now that you’re finally up, meet me in the kitchen.” She walks out of my room, swinging the bucket in the air and laughing hysterically.
“I’m going to kill you!” I scream.
Grabbing onto the edge of my bed, I haul myself up. My head is pounding, and everything is spinning. Wincing, I place both hands on the side of my head to stop the room from rotating.
When I see all the water spilled on my floor, it takes everything in me not to go in the kitchen and drop a whole bucket of water on Nancy. Changing out of my clothes, I take a couple of pills to help my head, then strip down my bed and wipe up my floor. Once I’m finished, I go in search of Nancy. She’s going to pay for this.
“Really, Nancy?” I walk into the kitchen with my arms crossed. “You drenched me from head to toe in water, and it landed everywhere, which by the way I had to clean up,” I snap. “Was that really necessary?”
She steps over to me, smiling and holding out a cup of coffee. “Here, drink this. It’ll help you wake up.” I don’t take the coffee. Instead, I hold my ground, waiting on her to answer my question. “Oh my gosh, yes, it was. You didn’t message me back, and clearly you didn’t take my threat seriously. So, I had to do something.”
I stand there staring at her; that answer was stupid, and she knows it. To say that I’m pissed is an understatement.
Nancy is always doing something to me whenever I don’t move fast enough for her. She’s been doing this since high school. That’s how long we’ve known each other. We’re what you would call yin and yang—two totally different people, but we complement each other. She likes to live life more on the wild side, and I like to play it safe. When she feels I’m being too uptight and closed off, she pushes me to have some fun. Doing things, I wouldn’t normally do if it weren’t for her. However, I don’t partake in all the things she likes to do; that would be a disaster waiting to happen.
As for me, I’m the one who brings Nancy back down to earth when she’s too crazy out of control. If it weren’t for me, she wouldn’t have ever graduated from high school or made it through college.
She continues to put on a smile while holding out the cup to me. “You’re all dry now, no need to continue being upset. Just take the coffee and smile. You look like the dead.”
“I wouldn’t be looking like the dead if you had let me sleep for a little longer,” I barked, snatching the cup from her.
“Oh, stop it! I did you a favor. Did you forget it’s Saturday, Graduation Day?” She goes over to the coffee maker and pours herself a cup. “This is the day we’ve been waiting for since we started college, and it’s finally here.”
I give her a confused look.
Wait, it’s Graduation Day? It can’t be. I pull out my phone, and right as I’m checking the day, a notification appears to remind me today.
“Oh, snaps—it’s Graduation today, I totally forgot!”
“You must’ve really had a lot to drink last night,” she smirks. I can tell she’s trying not to laugh at me as she thinks about last night.
I chuckle, and hip bump her out of the way so I can open the refrigerator. “Yeah, well, that’s all your fault for suggesting we all play UNO. I’m never playing that game again.”
As I’m pulling out the eggs, someone knocks on my front door.
“That must be your mother coming over to cook her famous chocolate chip pancakes. You know I’ve been dying to have them again,” Nancy comments.
Opening my door, I see my mom standing there, holding two bags of groceries while trying to fish out her keys. “Hey, Mom, let me help you.” I grab one of the bags and hold the door open for her. Nancy comes over and takes the other bag from her.
“Oh, thank you. I thought you wouldn’t be up, so I was going to let myself in,” she says, following us into the kitchen. When I put the bag down, she grabs me and hugs me, then she hugs Nancy. “Good morning, you two. Are you excited about today?”
“Good morning, Mrs. Elena.” Nancy places the bag on the counter and turns around, grinning from ear to ear. “And yes, we’re so excited, and can’t wait to party tonight to celebrate.”
Laughing, I help my mom pull out some of the groceries.
“Yeah, we’re excited, but I don’t know about the whole ‘partying afterwards’.” I raise my eyebrows at Nancy.
I’m just about finished taking out all the groceries when I hear my mom sniffing. I look over at her and see her staring at Nancy and me with tears in her eyes.
“Mom, are you okay?” I ask. I didn’t expect her to start crying already.
My mother’s been waiting for this day to come ever since I went off to college. It wasn’t easy, getting me through with my father gone, but we were able to manage. Both of us took out loans in our names to pay for my tuition, and I got an off-campus job to help out. So, I know deep down in her heart that she is thrilled to see this day finally here.
She quickly tries to wipe her eyes. “Oh, don’t mind me. Since this morning, I’ve been an emotional wreck, and just looking at you two is causing me to be emotional again. You guys have really grown up.”
Nancy and I peek at each other with sad looks. We haven’t had a chance to think about everything yet, but I know that after we walk across the stage, it will hit us, and we’ll be crying too.
“Mom, don’t cry, at least not yet. We haven’t even had the chance to walk across the stage.” I’m trying my best to stop my mother from crying, yet it doesn’t seem to work.
Nancy’s already starting to sniff; she reaches for the nearest tissue. “Yeah, please don’t cry, at least not yet. Can you at least make some of your famous pancakes first? I’ve been waiting for these pancakes since Christmas break.”
My mother laughs as she wipes underneath her eyes. She knows that her pancakes are Nancy’s favorite, and that she used them to try and make her laugh. “All right, let’s revisit this once you’ve both officially graduated; then I’ll start crying.”
We laugh at my mom as we rub her back. I look over at Nancy and mouth a thank you. She knows just what to say to get my mom to cheer up.
The moment has come for me to walk across the stage, and it’s starting to feel real. I’m struggling to hold myself together when the announcer says my name, and it’s my turn to walk. Taking a deep breath, I go up and grab my degree, shaking everyone’s hand along the way. I can hear my mom and friends yelling my name and blowing horns. I glance over at them and shake my head. They’re going crazy, screaming, and jumping up and down. After I go back to my seat, the last couple of students go up to get their degrees. Then someone comes up and gives us one more brief speech, instructing us to move our tassels to the other side, and we throw our hats in the air, cheering.
We’re officially graduates!
Everyone runs off to find their family and friends. I go in search of my mother, who’s waiting for me outside. I look around and spot her standing over by one of the school statues. She sees me, and we both run to each other with tears running down our faces.
“We did it!” I shout, hugging her tightly.
After a couple of seconds, she pulls back and places both of her hands on my cheeks. “No, baby, you did it! Your father would be so proud of you if he were here.”
During the whole ceremony, I thought about him. This was one of the moments he was fighting so hard to see. He made me a promise that he would fight to at least see me graduate from high school, and if he could make it to my college graduation, then he would fight to see that, too. Unfortunately, he lost the battle with cancer, and only made it to my high school graduation right before I started my freshman year of college.
“I wish he were here to see me walk and start my dream job at Crypto,” I whisper. A sob breaks through, and my mom wraps me back up in her arms. This was the one thing I wanted him to see me accomplish; graduating from college so I could go off and start my dream job.
Roses Are Red (Edith's Fatal Love Trilogy Book 1) Page 1