Force of Impact (The James Brothers Series Book 3) Read online

  Copyright

  Force of Impact is a work of fiction. All names, characters, locations, and incidents are the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  BREAKING THE LIMITS: A NOVEL

  Copyright © 2018 by Stephanie Nichole

  All rights reserved.

  Editing by KP Editing

  Cover design by KP Designs

  Published by Kingston Publishing Company

  The uploading, scanning, and distribution of this book in any form or by any means—including but not limited to electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise—without the permission of the copyright holder is illegal and punishable by law. Please purchase only authorized editions of this work, and do not participate in or encourage electronic piracy of copyrighted materials. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated.

  Table of Contents

  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

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Epilogue

  Dedication

  This book is for all of those

  Who never give up hope even in the face of obstacles that seem too big.

  Prologue

  11 years ago

  Bowie

  As I near the house, I cut the lights and pull the car up to the curb. I get out and jog as quietly as possible until her house comes into view; the tiny, run-down two-bedroom house. I sneak around the side until I reach her bedroom window. Lightly, I tap against the filmy glass. A few seconds later her blonde head becomes visible as she raises the window. Her stormy, gray eyes meet mine and that small smile I love comes over her face.

  I help her out of the window, thankful that her house is only one story. However, even the one story of this house is a death trap. The foundation is crumbling, the siding of the house is collapsing, and the roof leaks so badly it might as well not be there at all. My family doesn’t have a lot, but what Hollis has grown up with is way worse.

  Once Hollis’ feet are safely on the ground I slide the window back down. I take her hand and we jog back down the block to my car. Right before I reach down and open the passenger side door, I spin her around to face me. Before she can say anything I lean into her, my mouth capturing hers. Hollis leans into me, the two of us molding into one. A soft sigh escapes her and in these moments I know that she’s all that matters. I’d do anything for her. Everyone says it’s just first love, but it’s not. This is real. I don’t care that I’m only seventeen or that she’s only fifteen-- when you know, you just know.

  I open the car door and wait as she slides into the seat before shutting the door and going back to the driver’s side. Once the car is started again, I reach behind her and pull a sack from the back seat. Axell and I had made spaghetti tonight since mom actually felt like she could eat. With chemotherapy, she didn’t always have an appetite, but tonight had been a good night for her. But even on bad nights, I’d bring Hollis whatever I could for her and her little brother Alex. My parents knew I did, so it wasn’t a big deal. Hollis takes the sack and looks inside then her eyes come back up to meet mine. “There’s more for Alex in the ice chest, we can stop by the shop and warm it up before I drop you back off.”

  She looks away from me and I know it’s because she feels ashamed, but if there’s one thing I know she has no reason to feel ashamed. “Thank you, Bowie,” she mumbles.

  I run my thumb over her cheek and tuck a stray strand behind her ear. I let the silky softness tickle my fingers. “No need to thank me, I told you I’d take care of you.” We drive in silence with the exception of the radio and Hollis eating. By the time we reach our spot, she’s finished. I pull off the road and into the tall grass of the open field. Once the car is in park, Hollis lays her head on my shoulder. I press a kiss to the top of her head. I run my fingers up and down her arm, letting her warmth sink into me. She’s the only thing that calms me, my life right now is a damn hurricane, yet she’s the calm. She calms my soul, makes me forget that mom is dying, makes me forget how messed up her life is, and just lets me be… me. I love her so damn much that it hurts. I’d give anything to make her life better. To take her and Alex and run away but I can’t… not yet anyway.

  The radio DJ comes back on giving us some of the local news. Hollis turns to look at me. “You should do this.” I give her a questioning looks, “Be a radio DJ, I think you have the voice for it.”

  “I think you might be biased,” I say, as she shakes her head while I nod mine before I reach out and start to tickle her sides. Her laughter fills the car and knocks right into my heart, setting my soul free. That laughter… I’d do just about anything to hear that. She manages to wiggle free from my grasp and bolts from the car. As I get out of the car, I see her standing in the beam of the headlights, the moonlight and headlights creating an angelic glow around her. She has that shy smile that is so damn sexy on her face again.

  Crazy by Aerosmith comes on the radio and Hollis jumps up a little and throws her hands in the air while she spins around. “I love this song!” I laugh because I know she does. I watch as she sways to the music before she stops and faces me then beckons me with her finger. I go willingly, pulling her into my arms, we dance around in a small circle. Nothing ever feels as good as this, not even racing. She tilts her head back and stares at me for a minute. “I love you, Bowie,” she whispers.

  I lean forward and kiss her. One of those kisses that make you forget everything, one that makes you feel like the rest of the world just faded away. When we finally pull away from one another, I stare into those gray eyes. “I love you too.” After a few more songs she sighs that defeated sigh that rips at my heart. It means our night is coming to an end and I have to take her back to that house.

  We drive back into town and into her neighborhood, Alex’s food lying in the backseat forgotten for the moment, but as we approach her block, the flashing blue and red lights blind us. Cops and an ambulance have the street completely closed off. Something in my gut tells me that this is bad but I grab Hollis’ hand and tell her everything is fine.

  As I come to a stop, Hollis shoots out of the car and down the sidewalk. I run after her but hear her scream before I can reach her. I manage to catch her from behind before her knees hit the ground. Three black body bags lie in the front yard, one much smaller than the other two. The front door is kicked in, barely hanging on its hinges. Hollis is hysterical, fighting to get inside where she has convinced herself Alex will still be. I hold her against me until she gives up and turns around, burying her head in my chest.

  I watch as the bodies are loaded into the back of the ambulance and when they shut those doors, I know that my entire life has just been ripped from its axis. This will change everything for Hollis… for me… for us.

  Chapter 1

  Bowie

  The buzzing of my alarm start
s as soon as I fall asleep or at least that’s what it seems like. I groan as I slam my hand down on the clock to stop the incessant noise. I roll over and stare at the ceiling. I’m going to have to figure out a better schedule between my jobs. I’ve been slacking at my family’s auto and body shop since taking the job at the local radio station. I had been at one of the local dive’s listening to one of the local bands with a couple of my best friends when I was approached about being a radio DJ. At first, I had laughed it off, but after thinking it over I took the job even though it reminded me of her.

  Even though I had taken the radio job, I knew we couldn’t afford for me to quit the shop. Losing Ace in a couple of weeks was going to be a hard hit, so I just had to think of a way to figure out a better schedule. I worked at the local rock radio station hosting four days a week. Transformation Tuesday where we played an older rock song then found a new version that had a sense of similarity to the older song. It was one of my favorite days to host. I also hosted Throwback Thursday and Flashback Friday for a few hours in the afternoon. I knew older rock music like the back of my hand so it made sense for me to host those days. I co-hosted Screaming Saturday with Vixx. Saturday was dedicated to all local and indie bands. Vixx and I had a great chemistry while on the air. We even have some pretty good chemistry off the air as well.

  Thinking of Vixx reminds me that I need to get up. Axell and Sadie made a last-minute decision to get married today, a couple of weeks ago. Really, they were just getting a legal piece of paper today since they’d been acting like a married couple for years now anyway. Damn, my brothers were getting married off quicker than I could blink. First, Jagger and Londynn and now Axell and Sadie. Hell, even Ace got engaged to Kynlee a few weeks ago. Ace, the one brother I had that I was certain would never get married decided a ball and chain was worth it. Of course, I still had Jovi, but he was only sixteen but he had a girlfriend, Monrowe, and considering how smitten he was with her I didn’t doubt he’d marry her if he could. Before long I’d be the only bachelor left.

  I groan as I pull my ass out of bed and head over to my small bathroom. I live in the very small guest house behind my childhood home which is now owned by my oldest brother Axell and his soon to be wife Sadie, Jovi also lived with them. The guest house was rent-free, so I just pitched in on bills, but it was also the perfect excuse to never bring a girl back. I always used Jovi as my scapegoat. I’d tell the girls that we didn’t want to set a bad example for Jovi so we kept our… extracurricular activities out of his eyesight. They all think that it’s so sweet which only makes them more eager.

  In reality, it boils down to the fact that I don’t do relationships, love or any kind of romance anymore. I did all that once for one girl but she was the only one I would ever do that for. I was a guy. I had needs, end of story. It was a well-known fact about me. I was always up front so everyone knew what to expect. Vixx was my date to the wedding which was technically mixing business with pleasure, but I wasn’t too worried about that because we both seemed to carry the same set of rules. I shower quickly then slip on my suit. I head out the door to my black 1967 Mustang Fastback Pro Street. Once I’m behind the wheel I head out to the park with the small gazebo. It was going to be small, but it was perfect for them. As I make the drive, I take in all the sights, sounds and smells of my hometown. Los Angeles, especially North Hills gets a really bad wrap.

  Yes, North Hills is the poorer side of L.A. We don’t have the exclusive clubs or gated communities and yes it’s easy to get tied up into the wrong lifestyle on this side of town, gangs, drugs and what not but if you kept your head down and did your own thing you were fine. My brothers and I had made it this far without any issues. Well, personal issues, we had watched some friends go down those bad paths and of course, there was always her in the back of my mind but technically she was a good girl that was born into some messed up shit. She and Alex got the short straw for sure.

  Thinking of her always makes me wonder where she is now. What is she doing? Who is she with? Who has she become? I guess I’ll always wonder since there’s no trace of her that I can find. Trust me, I’ve searched every social media site possible for her without any luck. Then again when you run away at fifteen after your family has been killed in a drug deal gone wrong; I guess you probably don’t want to be found.

  I park out front and realize how tightly I’ve been gripping the steering wheel. Every time I start to think of her I become a tangled mess of emotions and I hate it. But I can’t help but wonder about her. You can’t just forget the one person that single-handedly changed your life. She had been that person for me and I would have done anything to protect her from that night. I would have given anything to have gone with her. I would have done anything to keep her here. I knew my family was more than willing to take her in so she wouldn’t have to be placed into the system, but she was gone before I could even come up with a plan.

  At first, I thought she was just hiding out, dodging the cops and CPS agents, but I soon realized that she was gone. I can still remember how that realization felt. The suffocating feeling of the air around me, the drowning of my soul and the shattering of my heart. I knew at that moment I’d never be that Bowie again because the Bowie I was with her only existed because of her.

  I shake my head in a feeble attempt to shake the thoughts away. Scrubbing my hands over my face I get out of the car and make my way inside to give away yet another brother.

  ****

  Hollis

  I awake with a jolt, my heart slamming against my chest, a cold sweat covering my body and my breathing labored. Elliot stands up in his dog bed and studies me. Once I start to calm back down, I tell him, “It’s okay,” I lie back and stare at my ceiling and watch as the ceiling fan above makes the slow turns to cool the room. I look at the clock. I still have a few more hours before I need to head over to Inkredible for my appointment. Ace had given me a set of keys since he wouldn’t be in today. Ace’s oldest brother Axell was getting married today. I still remember when he told me.

  “I won’t be in Friday Hol,” Ace says from his spot in the doorway. I’m hanging up artwork to liven up the room I rented from Ace James. I needed this job, and I was a great tattoo artist, but the shop belonging to Ace James was an unforeseen complication. Ace was the younger brother of my first boyfriend and if I’d had it my way, he would have been my only boyfriend. We’d be married right now with some kids and living that white picket fence dream, but everything got yanked away from us so quickly.

  I had snuck out my bedroom window to meet Bowie like I did every night. I had made sure my little brother Alex was asleep before I left. Bowie helped me from the window then we drove to the outskirts of town and parked in the open field off one of the side roads. This was our spot, every important milestone in our relationship had happened in this exact spot. Being with Bowie was my only silver lining in life. My parents were too wrapped in their own lives to care what happened to me. They were usually in a drugged-up haze, but even when they weren’t they really only worried about where their next fix was coming from. To top things off, they had started dealing drugs when I was twelve, but every penny of that money ended up deepening their addiction. We still had nothing.

  I shake my head to clear my jumbled thoughts. “Okay, I have an appointment scheduled late that morning. Will Brody or Roscoe be able to let me in?”

  Ace reaches into his pocket and pulls out a key and holds it out to me. I’m uncertain as to what he’s trying to tell me, so I don’t move to take it. “Hollis, take the key. You’re renting a spot here so you’re technically paying for the key. Besides, once I leave for Inked Up, you guys are going to be on your own for a while.” Ace had gotten a spot on a new tattoo reality TV competition show and would be leaving next week to start filming. “Hol you work here you’re going to need this key.”

  Reluctantly, I step forward and take the key. “Thank you,” I clear my throat as I slip the key into my pocket. “Have you got to talk
to… Bowie?”

  “Not yet, I will at the wedding on Friday.” My heart dropped, and I swear all the air had left the room. Wedding? Who was getting married? Bowie? Please not him, I don’t think I could handle the idea of him marrying someone else. Ace must have seen the panic in my eyes because Ace places his hands on my shoulders. “Breathe Hol. Axell is getting married to Sadie, a kind of last-minute decision. Bowie has been so busy working that I haven’t seen him, but I’ll talk to him at the wedding.” I take a deep breath that I didn’t realize I needed. “Did you think it was Bowie getting married?”

  I shrug, “Well, I knew Jovi was too young, and that Jagger got married not too long ago and I kind of assumed that Axell was already married considering how long he and Sadie have been together.”

  Ace shakes his head, “Nope but they will be as of Friday. Don’t worry I don’t think Bowie will ever get married.”

  “What makes you say that?”

  Ace chuckles, “Well, he’s not really the relationship type of guy. Aside from you, he’s never even had a girlfriend.”

  “Oh,” is all I can manage to croak out.

  I sigh as I stare at the ceiling. I worry about how Bowie will react to the news of my returning. I’m not sure what to expect, but then with Bowie, I learned he was the unexpected.

  Chapter 2

  Bowie

  The small park with the worn gazebo has been transformed. One of my brothers must have come and given the gazebo a fresh paint job. On top of that, they have covered the area with daisies and wildflowers and added some streamers and what not. It’s simple and understated yet beautiful and unique just like Axell and Sadie. As I approach, I see the rest of my brothers and the small crowd of guests that have been invited. Folding chairs have been placed on either side of the aisle which has been created by the flower petals and the chairs themselves.