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  ROSES & THORNS

  ROSES & THORNS

  This book is a work of fiction, the characters, incidents, and dialogues are products of the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead is entirely coincidental.

  All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  ISBN – 978-0-9995318-6-0

  TABLE OF CONTENTS

  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:

  Chapter 26:

  Chapter 27:

  Chapter 28:

  Chapter 29:

  Chapter 30:

  Chapter 31:

  Other Books By Bry Ann

  Author Notes

  Prologue:

  Sven:

  I smirk at the Underboss, Marcelo, aka “The Shredder”. He winks back, fiddling with his fancy ass watch. He got all dolled up for this occasion. I'm in a courtroom, on trial. Of course, it’s all part of the plan. Nothing happens we don’t fucking want to. A job needed to get done, and well, I did it. Someone had to go down for this crime. Boss picked me. Fucking compliment if you ask me. It means I stand out.

  Marcelo thinks I am smirking at him because we are in control of this courtroom. We are. That’s just fact. Doesn’t make me feel fucking smug. We better be in control.

  No, I'm smirking at him because he has no idea what I'm up to. I'm playing a dangerous game, but oh do I love to play it. Let’s just say, he won’t be underboss forever. I will run this family and the families underneath us. I will stop at nothing.

  “Sven Evane Xander approach the bench.”

  Oop, time to play.

  “Yes, your honor.”

  Yeah, I'm not doing time for this. I'm pleading insanity. Happy too. I am fucking insane. Besides. Treatment sounds fun. Boss promised me the best of the best too, my “time off”. Once I'm on the bench the judge turns to me.

  “Do you know why you are here?”

  I smile inside but wear a mask of pain on the outside. Takes everything I have not to laugh.

  “Yes, your honor.”

  “You stole $25,000 worth of property, caused extensive public damage and a man is in the hospital. You are lucky he is not pressing charges.”

  No, your honor. He’s lucky. He’s $50,000 richer. P fucking S. We got a lot more than $25,000 worth of shit we don’t need.

  The hard drive.

  I got it.

  … And it’s what's going to give me the leverage I need to move up in this fucking food chain. Boss doesn’t have it yet. I do. I was arrested on the spot. We knew I would be. He knew he’d have to wait to get the hard drive. If only he knew I was going to outsmart even him.

  I'm gonna die or rule it all. The thrill of it makes me positively giddy.

  “I know your honor.”

  “You are pleading insanity.”

  “Yes, your honor.”

  She cocks an eyebrow and gestures to the other lawyer. They are doubting me. They think there’s no way to prove I'm insane. Oh, poor fuckers. See, there is a whole textbook of illnesses for me to choose from. They lay it all out there for me. I do my research. I just have to perform right. Plus, I keep no secrets. I have a doctor who can testify to my past. That’s enough to get insanity right there. I'm so traumatized.

  The lawyer has something to prove. He knows I'm connected to the mafia. He wants to take me down so badly. I can almost taste it on him, but that is only a weakness. Desperation. The man tries to act like he’s more powerful than me, in charge. But here’s the thing about men who constantly feel the need to prove their power… they’ll always come up short.

  Like in the courtroom.

  “Sentenced to treatment until doctors deem it is safe for you to be released to the public. You have 24 hours to choose a treatment center before the court appoints one for you. Court adjourned!”

  BOOM!

  The gavel smacks the table. I smirk at the lawyer, who looks downright fucking furious. Sorry, asshole. I win this round.

  Illinois here I come, and boy I can’t wait to play. Round one complete. Marcelo nods at me. I nod back.

  Count your day’s asshole.

  Chapter 1:

  Rose:

  “Katie, sweetie, this is a safe place. Okay? You can take one of your jackets off.”

  I’ve been trying to get Katie to shed at least one layer of clothing all week. She wears so many jackets the poor girl looks miserable. I can’t even imagine the hell she lives in in her mind to feel the need to hide behind that many clothes. By the way, one week may not sound long, but in treatment that is a very long time. We spend almost every waking moment together.

  She nods, with tears in her eyes. She feels so much shame that she hasn’t been able to change yet. She wants to change, but she’s so scared. I want to push her, but I also don’t want her to feel judged. It’s a fine line to walk.

  “Rose!”

  I turn around quickly. It’s Kristy, the local therapist here, and also my mentor. Since the day I got here she’s been a mother figure to me. She crooks a finger, gesturing for me to come over to her.

  “Can I talk to you for a moment? I sent Maria to help out Kylie on the floor.”

  I wipe my hands on my scrubs. “Okay. Of course, Kristy.”

  I follow her out of the room. She leads me to her office, extending an arm out, indicating for me to go inside. I furrow my eyebrows.

  “What’s going on?”

  I don’t take a seat, opting to pace the room instead.

  “I was just checking on you. You know what tomorrow is right?”

  I roll my eyes. “Yes, Kristy. We’ve only been talking about, planning and building this for a year.”

  “I was just checking.”

  “I can talk to men you know.”

  I cock my hip to the side for emphasis.

  “I know that sweetie. I just… I really do think it is in the best interest of everyone for you to work in the new men’s unit. They’ll be a lot of trial and error since it’s new for us to have men here, and you’ve been here the longest. Not to mention, you know I think you get way too attached to the women here, and the men need someone who actually cares about them. Who doesn’t expect them to be tough all the time. There’s no one better for that job than you, but…” her face falls, “Rose, you know you’re special to me. I could really get fired for getting so attached to you, but I can’t help it. You know we have the roster of men coming in. You know the background of one of them.”

  “Yes.”

  “And you sure you’ll… be okay with that? Professionally, I want you for this unit. No, I need you for this unit,” she lets out a nervous laugh, “but personally, well, I want you to stay in your little safe zone with the girls and never be challenged.”

  We both laugh.

  “Well, that’s not good for anyone! You’re a therapist,” I laugh. “You know we all need change.”

  “I know sweetheart. Just know, if there’s
ever a point where you need help or they cause you trouble, you can come to me.”

  I set my hand on her shoulder. “I know Kristy. Thank you for being so amazing.”

  “Oh sweetheart,” she shakes her head, “don’t be ridiculous. Now go finish your shift and go home. I don’t want you leaving a minute past five today. I'm so serious. I want you to go home, do something that makes you happy and rest a lot for tomorrow.”

  I glance out the window to the new men’s unit.

  “This does make me happy.”

  “Not a minute after five,” she repeats, her lips in a firm line.

  I sigh, but I really want to throw a tizzy fit. I don’t want to go to my house. There’s nothing there, and this is home. I belong with these girls. I don’t have a choice though. Kristy may love me, but she is hardass boss. She’s told me herself she would fire me if it came to it. Of course, she’d help me find another job and be there for me, but I'm no exception to the rules. I only respect her more for that… but not at this freaking moment.

  I walk out with the rest of the girls. I know I look pissy, but my coworkers know I’d never let it show in front of the girls.

  “Awwww, Kristy is making you go home at normal time today. I know that face,” Maria teases, punching my arm.

  I glance over at Kylie who is struggling with one of the girls. She’s new and trying to get used to everything. For now, Kylie is fine. I make a note to keep an eye on her while Maria and I talk.

  “Shut up Maria.”

  “Seriously girl. You need a life. You’re nice. Gorgeous. Young. Single. I like helping the girls too, but you have to have a life outside of it.”

  “No, I don’t.”

  “Yes, you do,” she laughs. “Otherwise you end up pouting because you have to leave work at the proper time. That’s not healthy. You want to be a good example for the girls, right?”

  I glare at her.

  “That’s low.”

  She bites her lip to hide a smile. “Come out with me tonight. You haven’t gone out with me in over a year. Come see the world. Come see what we are trying to get the girls to see Rose.”

  I look her up and down. Maria’s gorgeous. She’s Latin. Curvy, wide hips, long wavy dark brown hair, perfect dark skin. Brown eyes. Yeah, I’ll pass.

  “Well, tonight I…”

  “Don’t even try and tell me you are busy. I will honestly kill you. Come on Rose! You are one of the most beautiful people I’ve ever seen. Come have fun. Pleaseee!”

  “Rose, Maria…”

  We spin around to see Kristy.

  “Can you please help Kylie and stop chatting?”

  She’s got her eyebrows raised, and a hand on her hip. Shit. I was supposed to keep an eye on her. I see Kylie running around stressed out of her mind. Guilt washes over me. I was supposed to help.

  “Rose. Answer Maria’s question, then you two go help Kylie.”

  Aka, go out with Maria tonight Rose. Stop being a recluse Rose. Quit hiding at work Rose.

  “Fine, I’ll go.”

  “YAAAAS!” Maria yells. “We are going to have so much fun! I'm gonna get you all sexed up.”

  “I draw the line there.”

  “Fine. Next time.”

  “Never.”

  She grins. “We’ll see.”

  Chapter 2:

  Sven:

  “Hello Mr. Xander. Welcome to Fallen Ridge Treatment Center.”

  I smile and nod. Pleasantries. What a joke. You gotta play the game, Sven.

  For the next few hours, it is a shit ton of paperwork, vitals, exhausting myself acting melancholy. Not that I plan on maintaining my facade, but I need to find the right person to fuck with. I gotta last here after all. Last, but not get kicked out, exposed and sent to prison. It’s all a delicate balance. I gotta win the top dogs over and get out as soon as possible, while not losing my sanity… or my plans.

  Speaking of people to fuck with… a blonde woman with crystal clear blue eyes, a ridiculously thin frame and hair that borders on white, naturally, walks up to the door and stops. Instantly she has my full attention. All six of us are staring at these two girls, but I only have eyes for the blonde.

  “Rose, I cannot believe you slept with him,” the curvy Latina girl laughs. “I did not expect you to go home with anyone.”

  Rose. Hmm.

  “I'm an adult Maria. Occasionally, I do hook up with someone. I just don’t do it that often.”

  She shrugs, but there’s a very dead, unfeeling look in her eye. Like hooking up with that guy was the last thing she wanted to do, but felt she had to for some reason. Interesting. She squeezes Maria’s arm and walks in the room. The Maria chick walks the other way, probably to the woman’s unit. I thought maybe I’d fuck with one of the patients over there, but oh no. It’s this girl. My little Rose.

  “Hi Guys. Welcome to Fallen Ridge. I'm going to be one of your techs. My name is Rose. If you need anything you can come to me. This,” she says, extending her hands, “is obviously our main area. We will spend a lot of time in here. Um, I gotta say this is a new unit. We may have some trial and error, but I'm here for you. Your therapist, Mr. Rollins, who you will meet here in a bit, is here for you as well. You get out what you put in so… yeah, I can’t wait to meet you all! I'm gonna go around and introduce myself. There is a lot to do in here. I know you don’t have your phones but there are books, magazines,” she doesn’t mention they are all therapy related. I'm gonna shoot myself. I think I would have rather gone to prison, “games, writing. Find what occupies the slow times while you’re here. I'm gonna go around now.”

  For some reason, she instantly looks at me. A flicker of anxiety passes over her face, but she quickly swallows it. Literally. She shakes her head and turns away, going to the completely opposite side of the room. That does not escape my notice. Hmm... so she knows who I am. Or what I am rather. Oh, this place just got ten times more fun.

  She goes around the room in order, spending a lot of time with each of the guys. Like she is actually trying to get to know them. Like she actually cares. She’s good. I’ll give her that. When I'm on deck she quickly looks away from me and goes to the guy on my right. Saving me for last. Or maybe she plans to avoid me altogether. Oh no. I won’t let her do that. I wait my turn. Laughing that she’s scared to face me. We haven’t even talked little Rose.

  Finally, there are no other men for her to avoid me with. Her eyes find mine. I smirk and cock an eyebrow. She sighs, musters her strength and walks over.

  “Hi, I'm Rose Bellemore.” She extends her hand. It’s shaking slightly. “You must be Sven.”

  “Sven Xander.”

  I smile and take her hand. I grip it tight. She gasps slightly, but reigns it in, studying me. She tries to pull away, but I hold on one more second before letting her go.

  She opens her mouth to say something, but then closes it quickly, deciding against whatever it was she was gonna say. Oh, but I so wanted to hear Rose.

  “What do you hope to gain from this experience?”

  She grabs the chair behind her and takes a seat, gracefully crossing one leg over the other as she asks me her rehearsed questions.

  “A whole new life Ms. Bellemore.”

  I can tell she’s not buying it. It’s the truth though. Just maybe not in the way she’s thinking.

  “Can you be more specific?”

  It’s amazing I'm finding a girl in scrubs sexy. They’ve got to be the ugliest pieces of clothing in the world.

  “What do you gain from being a tech here?”

  Her head shoots back like no one’s ever returned her dumb questions. She quickly regains composure, determined to be the one in control here. Oh Rose, you are so out of your league. I could crush her with one hand. Of course, I’d much rather fuck with her mind. It’s much more fun and a highly underused weapon.

  “Helping people of course. I like seeing how people blossom when they get out. They come in broken and leave with hope. It’s my favorite thing in the wor
ld.”

  Damn. She’s not lying. Her eyes lit the fuck up. So maybe she really is a saint. A saint and a sinner. I like it.

  “I want to… get back what’s mine,” I say carefully.

  She leans back and frowns. I'm just relieved she’s giving me the time she gave the other guys. I really didn’t think she was going to.

  “You need to find a better reason than that Sven. Look,” she leans forward, “not everyone is thrilled about coming to treatment or likes how we do things. I get that. I understand, but our methods work. You could get a lot by at least trying. And I don’t mean a lot as in material things, possessions, I mean what is inside you. Here.” She places a hand over her heart and stands. “Just think about it.”

  Oh, I’ll get something inside me alright, and it sure as fuck won’t be bullshit therapy lessons. I fucking want this girl. I want to break all her stupid morals and upstanding behavior. I want her sinning, for me. I already had a reason for being here, but now I have two.

  This. Girl.

  I'm gonna make her life hell, and oh I just can’t wait for it. I'm practically giddy. The next several hours we do nothing, more downtime. I spend the time planning, working shit out in my mind before being dragged off to meet a ton of people; my therapist, psychiatrist, more techs I don’t care about. I don’t care about any of them.

  “You can wander around,” the male tech tells us. “Just stay out of the women’s units. You all will have groups together, but we don’t want men walking in on them unexpected.”

  I pop up, straighten my watch, white button down and black pants. Let’s see who I can find.

  I walk the halls, filled with quotes and sayings that make me want to jab my eyes out.

  “Progress not perfection.”

  “Good things take time.”

  “YOU have the power to say this is not how my story will end.”

  I agree with that last one. It’s still annoying as hell plastered on a wall in quote format though.

  I pass a door left ajar and peek in. Rose is in there with an older woman who almost looks like her mom, but I know is not.

  “How are the men Rose?”