A Family Affair: An Extreme Taboo Anthology

by Vance, Ally

  Stacia did tell us about the back-up plan the two men had. We were able to secure the other vehicle and weapons. They were, of course, wiped clean.

  Why he was smart enough to use the girl as a human shield, but not smart enough to take the snipers into account, I would never find out now. He never once raised his eyes to check. Chuckling, I thought, Isn’t that bad guy 101?

  Staying well into the evening for evidence, their parents returned home from the trip they were on. Thank fuck they didn’t arrive earlier. Nothing singes deeper in your mind then walking in on someone holding a gun to your kid’s head.

  After explaining to them what happened, they hurried to the hospital.

  * * *

  Two Days Later

  When the call came in, it wasn’t unexpected. It was going to be hard to deliver the news to this family who just reunited, though. Sometimes, being a detective sucked.

  Pulling into the family’s driveway, I saw a few lights on, and all the cars were there.

  When the door opened, it was Stacia. She smiled and invited me in. Walking into this warm setting broke my heart. I was about to tear this family apart.

  “Stacia, could you get your brother and your parents, please? I need to talk to you all.”

  In a couple of minutes, they all came in. Rick was slightly limping but seemed to be in good spirits.

  “I have some news,” I began. “We just found out through one of our contacts that Little Mike has put a contract out on Rick and Stacia.”

  “Well, can we pay it?” His mom asked.

  “Not that kind of contract, ma’am. He wants them dead.” The woman's face paled.

  “Well, arrest him, then.” She insisted, looking at the rest of her family.

  “I’m so sorry. His reach is far and wide. What we need to do to keep them both safe is put them in the witness protection program.”

  Rick and Stacia looked at each other with a look I couldn’t decipher.

  “Fine,” his mother said, “we will sell the house. Where are we going?”

  I sighed. This was the part I hated. “It will only be Rick and Stacia.” Everyone’s face had an expression of shock.

  “Please.” Their mother begged, crying into her husband’s shoulder.

  “There is no way you can bend the rules so we can be included?” He asked.

  “I’m so sorry. The threat is only against them.”

  He nodded. Speaking softly to his wife, she hugged each of her children, then told them she was helping them pack.

  Epilogue

  Stacia

  Leaving was the worst, mom was so devastated. Dad winked at Rick and said, “Take care of your sister.”

  He had walked in on me and Rick that first night we came home from the hospital, so we had no other choice but to tell him we were in love. It’s hard to deny when I had Rick’s dick in my mouth with a ring of orange around it.

  “So you love each other, I’m okay with it. Maybe it’s time for you know the the truth. We have always told you your grandparents were dead. Actually, they disowned us. Your mother and I are brother and sister also.” He smiled. “And I am just as in love with her as I was the day we discovered we were meant to be together.”

  Our mouths dropped open at that admission, but it also gave us hope. Rick and I were truly destined to be together – against the spread.

  The End

  Also by Emery LeeAnn

  The VooDoo Lily Series

  Lyssa's Destruction Book 1

  https://goo.gl/CQ5fzD

  Lost Souls of Brunswick Book 1.5

  myBook.to/Brunswick

  Conjuring Chaos Series

  Chaos and Burnt Offerings Book 1

  myBook.to/ChaosAndBurntOfferings

  Shivers Book 2 (with Donna Owens and Betsy Pfaller)

  mybook.to/GetShivers

  Dragon's of Death MC Series

  Depraved Retribution Book 1

  myBook.to/DepravedRetribution

  Disturbed (free standalone)

  myBook.to/getDisturbed

  About Emery LeeAnn

  Emery LeeAnn is an International Best Selling Author who likes to conjure beauty and chaos in the midst of her insanity. Besides being addicted to coffee, she is a true believer that variety adds spice to your life. Writing in every genre gives her the variety she craves.

  VI

  Intimate Relations

  Ally Vance

  My heart tells me this is the best and greatest feeling I have ever had. But my mind knows the difference between wanting what you can’t have and what you shouldn’t want. And I shouldn’t want you.

  Cassandra Clare, City Of Bones

  Prologue

  Emmett

  It was my brother’s funeral this morning. Ellis, his widow, was so out of it she barely even noticed a moment of the service. A young man who couldn’t have been more than seventeen clung to her thin arm throughout the proceedings. I never got to see his face properly; he didn’t turn around the entire time.

  When the funeral director contacted me to arrange the details for Preston’s funeral, I was surprised. But then I heard what kind of state Ellis was in, and I realized exactly why. Today, however, it isn’t her who’s captured my attention, it’s the young man accompanying her. I’ve found my eyes wandering back to him more than once during the day. Something about him makes my stomach twist with unease and awakens a fierce longing I’ve never felt before. Not even his mother ignited such a desperate craving in me.

  Is it wrong of me to be so intrigued by him? Especially when my fascination isn’t completely platonic. He’s far too young, and at thirty-six I’m far too old to entertain such carnal thoughts about him. Not only that but now I have Ellis watching my every move, and the unforgotten threat from a past I’ll never escape still holding me back. I feel the skin stretch taut over my knuckles as I tightly clench my fists in my pockets, angry at myself for my intense curiosity and interest in the unattainable.

  “Emmett?” a rough feminine voice slurs behind me, accompanied by a bony hand touching my arm.

  I spin slowly around to meet the face of the woman I haven’t set eyes on since university…the woman I once loved. Her eyes are dull and her skin is sallow; she’s not doing well.

  “Ellis, how are you?” I inquire politely, but the question is rhetorical and insincere.

  She shrugs before turning to eye up the guests drinking, eating, and somberly mingling.

  “What are you doing here, Emmett?” she asks, turning her attention back to me.

  Her eyes narrow while she waits for me to answer, and I’m not sure if she’s struggling to see me through the haze of whatever concoction she took this morning, or whether she’s actually attempting to be serious.

  “Preston was my brother. I wasn’t going to miss his funeral. Regardless of how our relationship deteriorated toward the end of his life, I would’ve come anyway. Especially as I paid for it,” I reply, sighing heavily and wishing I could have a drink. I could’ve come by cab instead of driving here myself, but I don’t trust others. I prefer to be able to leave when I choose without having to wait.

  Ellis turns away, and as she does, she staggers and nearly falls. I reach out to steady her, but she moves past me, using the wall to regain her stability. All the while she mutters about assholes and being glad she picked the right brother instead of the one who couldn’t be trusted. I roll my eyes and shake my head because it was her who ran off with my brother while pregnant with my child.

  When Preston threatened to spill my darkest secret if I interfered in their lives or went anywhere near ‘their’ child, I didn’t have a choice but to leave. Even though there was no way the baby was his. I’d heard from my parents a few months later about the birth of their grandson, and it caused such an ache inside me. I knew I couldn’t do a thing about it, though, so I never tried. I wanted to be in his life, but I was forced to become a nameless stranger. I wasn’t even allowed to be an uncle or distant relative. I’ve been
absent for his entire life, but Preston’s gone, and I’m here now, wanting to get to know him.

  “Stay away from Kade. He’s none of your concern,” Ellis says; all of a sudden she sounds coherent, having noticed where my gaze is lingering.

  “I want to meet him,” I growl, snapping my eyes to hers.

  “No. Unless you want me to follow through with Preston’s threat, then you’ll stay well away from him,” she warns before shambling off, her hand sliding along the wall as she uses it to support herself.

  I’m left standing there watching her depart, knowing she can’t get rid of me that easily anymore. Once again my eyes land on the young man who has caught my attention. Kade lifts his head, and his sorrowful expression tugs at my heart as he scans the faces in the room. Before I can avoid him catching me staring, our eyes meet, and I’m frozen in place when hazel irises lock with mine. My breath escapes in a whoosh, and I quickly suck in a lungful of air before averting my gaze. Shit.

  My heart begins to pound, and I clench my jaw in anger. If Preston wasn’t already dead, I’d murder him myself for keeping me away from my son. Not wanting to cause a scene at my brother’s wake, however, I force my feet to start moving in the direction of an exit.

  I’ve just located the way out when a voice behind me stops me in my tracks.

  “Who are you? How did you know my dad?”

  Inwardly I bristle at the question, but I force myself to remain calm.

  “My name’s Emmett. I’ve known Preston my whole life and your mom since I was a little older than you are now. I’m an old family friend,” I answer vaguely, not wanting to get into the complicated details of exactly how I know his mom and ‘dad’.

  “I don’t know anyone here,” he chimes in, sounding embarrassed.

  His cheeks flush red in stark contrast to his white-blond hair, which hangs just below his jawline. I’m taken aback by the shock of possessiveness flooding through my system, and I can’t stop myself leaning forward to brush the strands from his eyes.

  “Look, Kade. I’m just heading out, but if you ever need anything, give me a call,” I offer, grabbing a piece of paper and a pen from a small table near the front door and scribbling down my phone number.

  He looks down at the paper and then back up to me with a curious expression.

  “It’s always good to have someone to turn to,” I tell him simply.

  Making a hasty departure from the house, I grit my teeth as I fight the onslaught of painful memories. While certain in the knowledge of whom I’ve left behind, I wasn’t about to reveal everything during our first conversation. I’ll let his mother tell her lies, for now.

  But, I will be coming back to claim him.

  Chapter 1

  Emmett

  Eight weeks later…

  In the weeks following the funeral, I observe Kade closely. I’ve noticed he keeps to himself a lot and has very few friends. I’ve become an almost permanent fixture in his life, and he has no idea I’m even here. I can’t help feeling very protective over him, but I still don’t feel like his parent. Ellis and my brother registered Kade’s birth and named Preston as the father. I've no legal claim to him whatsoever, not without going to court, and there’s no way my parents or Ellis would allow me to get a DNA test to prove my paternity, but I don’t need one; I know he’s mine.

  I’ve become Kade’s silent guardian, or maybe I’m more like an ever present and unseen friend. Sometimes I can feel those lines blurring, especially given how mature he is for his age. Fuck, he’s only seventeen, but I can tell he’s seen a lot of shit over the past few years…far more than he should have. Ellis has spiraled even further out of control since Preston died. She’s been drinking heavily and sleeping around with every man who gives her a second glance. I need a plan to get Kade away from her and the endless stream of boyfriends who treat her open legs like a fucking revolving door. The only solution I can think of is illegal; it’s becoming more and more tempting with each day that passes, though.

  * * *

  As usual, I’m watching Kade walk home from school while making sure to keep hidden from view. When he stops and crouches down to retie the laces of his Vans, a gust of wind blows his shoulder-length blond hair, lifting it from his neck. Spotting something, I edge closer to get a better look…just above the collar of his shirt there’s a purple bruise blooming on his pale skin. Fresh anger bubbles in my gut, and I nearly snatch him right then and there. I’m sorely tempted, but I can't do it in broad daylight and in plain sight of any passersby. The sooner I get him away from Ellis the better, though.

  I curse inwardly when I drag my eyes down the length of his slight frame, drinking in every inch of him. I’m lying to myself: insisting I’m only interested in his health and wellbeing, and that my fascination comes solely from noticing all our similarities and differences…nothing more. What the fuck is wrong with me? I clench my hands around the steering wheel of my car and pointedly ignore the rush of blood and the tensing of muscles, especially between my thighs.

  Shaking my head, I restart the engine, and shift into gear. I urgently need to get away from him before I decide that any potential witnesses can take a long walk off a short pier and damn the consequences. I can’t risk being seen. It’s bad enough Ellis is aware I’ve returned. Although given her mental and physical state at the funeral, I have my doubts as to whether she’d remember I was there.

  * * *

  A few hours later, and I find myself standing outside their house and looking in through the living room window. I just watched Ellis’ latest fuck-buddy walk in through the front door. After she dropped her panties, bent over the couch, and presented herself to him, they started screwing like rabbits. Despite how she’s let herself go, she still has a fine ass. I momentarily lose myself in the memory of the time she let me fuck her there while Preston ate her pussy.

  Taking advantage of their preoccupation and the noises they’re making, I head around the house to the back door and force my way in. I step into the dark kitchen and pause, listening for any sign I’ve been noticed; but the sounds of their heavy moans and the slapping of skin, which continue to drift down the hallway, suggest otherwise.

  I move silently through the house and up the stairs to look for Kade. I don’t give a fuck what Ellis will think or do when she finds him gone. I’m leaving town tonight, and he’s coming with me. I turn my nose up in disgust at the unkempt conditions of the house. I can already tell Kade will be so much better off with me.

  Stepping over discarded clothes, I head along the upstairs hallway to the only closed door, which I assume leads to Kade’s room. If I were him, I’d be doing anything I could to shut out the evidence of my mother entertaining her fuck-buddy. I twist the handle, and the door opens easily. I’m surprised to see that he’s asleep, but then I notice the headphones he’s wearing, presumably to shut out the noise, and the wire trailing from underneath the blanket to his phone on the pillow beside his head.

  I inch closer to his sleeping form, and my heart thuds heavily in my chest at how peaceful he looks. I throw a glance at the open door through which the sounds from downstairs are drifting in. One of Kade’s shirts is draped over a chair, and I grab it. Bringing it to my nose, I inhale deeply, drawing in his scent before slowly exhaling.

  I hastily tear it into strips, gagging him with one piece, having removed the headphones, and gently tying another length of material over his eyes. I use another two strips to bind his wrists and ankles, and tuck the remainder into my pocket, just in case.

  It’s going to take some explaining when he wakes up. As it is, he hardly stirs. At least now he’s tied up, he’s going to be more pliant, and it’ll be much harder for him to escape. Once he realizes I’ve done it for his own benefit, saving him from the neglect his mother has forced him to endure, I’m hopeful he’ll be all right about it. I just need the chance to explain to him I’m his friend, not his enemy.

  Chapter 2

  Emmett

  It takes a
few hours to drive to my cabin. It used to belong to my grandparents, but now it is mine. We’d come here in the summer months on vacation. It’s private, beautiful, and quiet. The perfect place to lie low and spend some quality time with Kade.

  The boy is one heavy sleeper; he didn’t stir when I tied him up, nor when I laid him across the back seat of my car. I even had to bend his legs at the knee to fit him in. He's easily 5’10”, almost matching me in height. I watch him intermittently throughout the drive…it's hard for me to keep my eyes off him. He sleeps like the dead. If it wasn’t for the fact I could feel his breath on my face when I was carrying him, I might have thought he was.

  When I finally pull up outside the cabin, I get out of the car, unload the supplies from the trunk, and carry them inside before I go to retrieve Kade. I open the back passenger door and untie his ankles, then lean in to remove the blindfold. I close my eyes and try to ignore how my body responds to being pressed up against his. It's a futile attempt, and I'm all too aware of the way my cock is straining against my jeans.

  Curiosity takes hold of me, and I run my hand over the front of Kade's boxers and tease the button on the front. Flicking it open I dip my fingers inside, feeling the hot skin and the length of muscle nestled beneath the thin material. Taking his cock in my hand, I can’t resist giving him a few slow tugs. He starts to thicken at my touch, and I relish the way he responds to me even in his sleep.