HEAVY: A Dark Taboo Romance (Neighbors of Sapphire Valley Book 1)

by M.L. Burns

“Under the self-defense law I believed you were taking away this woman—you know what.” He cuts off his statement and takes an angry step toward them, one fist slapping into his open palm. Just as he cracks his knuckles, he seethes, “Go ahead and tase me, I’d love to fuck you up for free.” I swear to god, my pussy just wept.

“Ronan!” Eamon says as he comes into view right behind my step-niece. “I’m glad you actually came—” Not yet… “—this is my stepdaughter, Calista.”

“Why don’t I sit beside you, sweetheart? Let your dad sit with his brother.” Calista gets comfortable, and as if I hadn’t heard Jasmine, I sit. “Mom, please,” she says through a frustrated sigh. “What is he going to do, stab me?” I might, but not with a knife.

“Honey.” Eamon leans into her and places an arm over her shoulder. “He isn’t that type of criminal. Don’t pass judgement.” That type of criminal—thanks, Bro.

“Don’t hit anyone ever again, Cal, do you hear me?” My bottom lip trembles, and I suck it between my teeth. “I’m more than happy to be your violence.”

“Yeah, he came back but he’s a bit scratched up and bruised.” The soft ‘ooohh’ from her side makes me chew on the inside of my cheek, shaking my head in disbelief. “Are you going to patch him up? You know, heal his wounds? That’s my favorite trope, Cal.”

“Please, Gene, he is my step-uncle. Plus, that’s pretty loose of a term. I never took Eamon’s last name. I was twenty when he married my mom, and he hasn’t asked to adopt me.” Gene literally says “hehe”

I put the bottle of medicine to my lips and tilt it back, taking in a few pills before downing water. Not bad, I don’t know why I’m not even scared. Should I be? I repeat the action, over and over, until the bottle is empty. Placing both items down, I stare at myself briefly. I’m already dying, my heart just hasn’t stopped. That’s just the last piece of this.

The chokehold this woman has on me is tight enough to suffocate and kill me. It’s pathetic that I wouldn't even fight for my life—I’d simply let it happen. Not because I want to die, but because she’d be the one doing it.

Her taste explodes on my tongue, and I groan. It feels like it was crafted just for me. The very sustenance I’ve been craving. Like water to dry soil, without it, I’ll wither, becoming nothing more than dust scattered by the wind.

As long as it’s him that pulls me to Hell, I’ll gladly burn just to mix our ashes so there is no telling us apart.

“You don’t know what I deserve, baby girl, not yet. In the end you may find I’m not worth redemption of any kind.” I know I shouldn’t, but fuck it, at this point what harm could it do to show him that maybe he isn’t the only psycho here. “Then I’ll become unredeemable with you.”

“I like you too, Ronan. A lot. And I think you were right when you said we’re toxic—but not for each other. I believe our poison can create something beautiful, yet lethal to anyone who isn’t us.”