The Price of Love

By Cassandra Roop

Two short months before graduating high school, Kendall Jones’ world is ripped apart at the seams. A stranger rescues her from a near brutal attack, but is unable to save her parents from death. Eight years later, Kendall moves to New York, hoping to put her past behind her, and once again finds herself in need of rescue. Tristan Price saves the life of a young woman, who then haunts his dreams for eight long years. When she literally falls at his feet, Tristan decides that he will protect her, no matter what the cost. When her past comes back to threaten her, his plan to keep her close could cost his heart. Can Tristan save Kendall a second time, and at what cost? Can the price of love overshadow the darkness of her past? This book is part of The Price of Love Series but can be read as a standalone.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Cassandra Roop
• Release date: Mar 14, 2014
• ISBN: 9781495461439

Book preview

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Table of Contents

Prologue

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty-One

Chapter Twenty-Two

Chapter Twenty-Three

Chapter Twenty-Four

Chapter Twenty-Five

Chapter Twenty-Six

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Epilogue

About the Author

Copyright © 2014 by Cassy Roop

The Price of Love by Cassy Roop

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com or your favorite retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

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 publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locales or organizations is entirely coincidental.

This book is intended for mature audiences only.

ISBN-13: 978-1495461439

ISBN-10: 1495461432

Cover art and interior formatting by: Cassy Roop of Pink Ink Designs

Professionally Edited by Emma Mack of Tink’s Typos

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For my Mom, my best friend.

***

8 Years Ago..

Kendall

Excuse me, Mrs. Williams, but Kendall Jones is needed in the principal’s office. The school office assistant said as she peeked her head inside the doorframe to the classroom.

Sure, no problem, Mrs. Williams stated to the office assistant. She will be right there.

Oohs and ahhs came out of all the student’s mouths upon hearing that I was needed in the principal’s office. Alright, alright that’s enough class. Kendall, clean up your station and head on down to Dr. Stephen’s office, please. Mrs. Williams said to me as she pushed her reading glasses back up onto her nose.

I wonder what this is all about.

I busied myself trying to clean my station in the chemistry class. Sweat started to bead on my forehead and upper lip.

Not again.

Maybe it was because I was a new student and have only been at Owings High School for the last six weeks. Maybe mom was picking me up early.

No. He did not find me this time.

I finished cleaning up my equipment and packed all my books in my backpack to make my way down to the school office. I shook with nerves and apprehensive feelings as I put one foot in front of the other. The hallway was deserted with all the students being in class. It was nearing the end of the day, and I couldn’t wait to go home and spend the weekend in my room curled up with a great book.

As I got closer to the principal’s office, I heard voices. When I rounded the corner, I came to a complete stop. Two uniformed police officers stood in the lobby of the school office talking to Dr. Stephens. My heartbeat kicked into overdrive. I could not hear anything through the sound of my heart pounding in my ears.

Kendall. Kendall? Dr. Stephens said. He had to repeat my name twice just to get my attention. Can you come with us into my office, please?

Hesitantly and on wobbly legs, I followed the principal and the two officers down the hallway into Dr. Stephens’ office. When we arrived at the office, Dr. Stephens instructed me to have a seat in the chair. He rounded his desk to sit facing me. The officers remained standing near me on my right side.

Kendall, these are Officers Thompson and Ramon from the Dallas Police Department. We are afraid that we have some unexpected news to tell you.

No, no, no. This cannot be happening.

My eyes grew large and were already starting to fill with tears because of the fear I was now facing from the untold news.

We left no trail this time. He couldn’t have found me so fast. I thought again as I recalled the last time he found me.

Kendall do you know a Brett Hawkins? Officer Ramon asked me. I was startled as the realization started to sink in.

Y-ye-yes, I stuttered as my whole body started to tremble.

We respectfully regret to have to tell you this news Miss Jones. There has been an incident at your family’s home this afternoon, Officer Thompson said sympathetically. I could sense the hesitation in his voice as he continued to speak to me. Kneeling down in front of me, Officer Thompson grasped my hands.

Miss Jones, your parents were found in your home today around noon. I am afraid they have been killed.

My heart stopped and all the blood drained from my face. This could not be happening. I could not speak or move from the sudden shock of the news.

We are so sorry, Kendall. Officer Ramon stated. My eyes darted to my school principal’s face as huge tears streaked down my cheeks.

Kendall, is there anything we can do for you right now? Would you like some water? Whatever it is, just ask. We are here for you. Dr. Stephens said softly.

I don’t feel so well, I whimpered as I reached for the trash can near Dr. Stephen’s desk. I then lost the contents of my stomach into the trash can and heaved and wretched until there was nothing left. When I finished, I accepted the napkins and water that Dr. Stephens handed to me. After a few minutes of cleaning myself up, I turned to the two officers and finally found my voice.

Wh-what happened?

Allegedly, sometime late this morning there was an invasion into your home, Officer Thompson told me as he fidgeted with the hat he held in his hands, there was an altercation between Mr. Hawkins and your parents. It is to be believed that Mr. Hawkins pulled a gun on your mom and dad.

He shot them! I screamed and my voice echoed off the walls in the tiny office. Why? I asked as I started to cry heavily.

"The only answer we could get out of the subject, Kendall, is that he said, That your parents were in the way. Do you know what that could possibly mean, Kendall?" Officer Ramon asked.

I swallowed past the lump in my throat as I tried to find the courage to speak.

Brett and I met when I was fifteen. I was about six weeks shy of my sixteenth birthday. He is older than me by two years. We started talking and eventually became romantically involved, my voice shook as I recalled my relationship with Brett.

My parents weren’t too happy because he was older and already about to graduate. Eventually they came around and approved of us dating. At first, everything with Brett was great. We had fun and really enjoyed being together, I paused as I struggled to go on.

About five months into our relationship, he started acting jealous. Insanely jealous. He would accuse me of wearing something to attract attention from other guys. If I so much as looked at another guy, I was automatically cheating on him. Things started to get physical after that. It started with a few pushes. Then it evolved to slapping me. He always said it was my fault. I pushed him to do it. He would apologize over and over again telling me that he was only jealous because he loved me so much. I took a deep breath and found the courage to continue.

He tried and tried to get me to be intimate with him. I kept telling him that I wasn’t ready. I stated. I felt the heat rise up my neck and to my face from the embarrassment.

He would say that I was too busy giving it up to everyone else and not to the one person who loved me. He called me a whore and a slut so many times I cannot even remember how many. So eventually I gave up and…and did it.

I stopped talking. Placing my head in my hands, I struggled to breathe. Getting the next part out was going to be hard. No one knew the events of that night two years ago. Not even my parents.

It’s okay Kendall, Dr. Stephens said sympathetically. Continue when you are ready.

I looked up into the eyes of my principal and then glanced at the two officers. Taking a deep breath I continued hesitantly.

One night, two years ago, we were at my house. My parents were at a work function for my dad’s company, so it was just Brett and I home alone. He started touching me and trying to get me to…he tried to get me to have sex with him. I told him I didn’t want to. I promised my parents we would be on our best behavior. I didn’t want to lose their trust in me. Brett got angry. It was the angriest I had ever seen him get. He told me that no one else was ever going to have me. I was his. He then… Oh God! I cried as I started to tremble.

What happened Kendall? Officer Ramon asked me with an unsure look on his face.

Brett…he ra-raped me. I said as I finally broke down. Saying those words out loud felt freeing and terrifying at the same time. Shaking and crying uncontrollably, I gave into my grief. I gave into the confidence and innocence that Brett stole from me. Not only that, now he had stolen my family, too. They were dead. I will never feel the warmth of my mother’s hugs or the strength and love from my father. No more birthdays or Christmases. They won’t even see me walk across that stage in two months as I graduate from high school.

Kendall, Officer Thompson was the first to speak after my heartfelt confession. I looked up into the eyes of the officer. Was this ever reported to the authorities from your hometown? He asked as he handed me another tissue. After blowing my nose and calming my breathing down, I answered him.

No. I never told anyone what happened. Nervously I played with the tissue in my hand.

Not even your parents? Dr. Stephens asked.

No, I whispered.

I felt numb. There was no feeling left in my entire body. It felt as if I had fallen into an empty pit of despair. After several antagonizing minutes, Officer Ramon finally broke the silence that had crept into the room.

Kendall, I know that had to be a very hard situation for you to be in. I am terribly sorry for what you had to go through. No matter what, you should have told someone. Preferably the police. Then Brett would have a prior history on his record. He is claiming that it was self-defense. That your father attacked him first and he pulled the trigger to defend himself.

How can that be? I said in anger. He was the one who showed up with a gun!

The gun that was found at the scene matched the bullets that killed your parents. It was registered in your father’s name.

He killed my parents with my father’s own gun? This cannot be happening! And what about my mother? Did he have to shoot her too? My mom is not a person to get physical. What is his reason behind killing my mother? I sobbed.

Three rounds were fired from the gun. The first one grazed your father’s arm and struck your mother who was standing behind your father. The next two were the ones that were fatal to your father according to Mr. Hawkins.

He’s lying!! I know he is. He killed my parents in cold blood because I ran from him. He wouldn’t let me go. He just wouldn’t leave me alone! I screamed through my dry throat. It felt like sand was coating it as I spoke hoarsely.

"Not long after the rape, I broke up with Brett. He started following me everywhere. He would sit outside my house at night or find excuses to show up wherever I was at. Brett would interrogate my friends about who I was with or what I was doing when he wasn’t able to watch me. A few times he grabbed my arm so hard it left bruises when he was trying to beg me to talk to him. My parents took it as a boy with a broken heart and he was just devastated.

Brett acted out of his head. He was a whole different person from the Brett I first met. Eventually my parents started to get irritated with the constant phone calls and emails from him. They went to his parents about it, but nothing was ever done about it. Brett’s dad was the mayor. He had ways of making things go away.

Eventually, I became scared of him. Especially right after the rape. If he did it once, he would do it again. My parents threatened restraining orders, but the mayor talked them out of it saying he would take care of it.

Around the time Brett started to get more vigorous with stalking me, my dad accepted a new job with his company in Austin. My parents and I moved there from San Antonio three weeks later."

As I fought through my sobs to tell the story to the officers, they all looked at me with pity. After offering me encouraging words, I continued my story.

Everything was great. I felt like I had finally escaped from Brett. All I wanted to do was get on with my life and graduate high school so I can go to college. After about six months of being in Austin, I started receiving notes on my car. Flowers delivered to my after school job. They never said who they were from, but I knew they were from Brett. I didn’t tell mom or dad at first because I didn’t know for sure that they were from Brett. Then I started seeing him. He started following me again. I finally told my mom and dad and they went to the police. They said there was nothing they could do because Brett had not threatened or harmed me. My parents were livid. Brett would show up at the house and get into verbal fights with my dad. He said that they were keeping me from him. He said it was their fault I didn’t want to see him anymore, I paused as I fought back tears from thinking about my parents. After I wiped away the tears that were steadily flowing down my face, I continued again.

One day after following me from school to my job, he grabbed me. I screamed. He had his hand up ready to hit me. I was so scared. Some guy saw us and ran over to help. Before he got to me, Brett saw him and took off. The guy said his name was TJ. He asked me if I was alright and if I needed him to call anyone. I told him no thanks and because I was running late to work, I left. I never saw TJ again after that. I never got to thank him. Lord knows what would have happened if he hadn’t shown up.

That explains the reason behind Mr. Hawkins statement at the scene about your parents, Officer Ramon stated. What happened next Kendall?

Dad put in for another transfer. He wanted to get me out of there. We left in two short days. We did not tell anyone where we were going or leave anything behind. That is how we ended up here, I stated as a matter of fact. We’ve only been here for six weeks. I don’t understand how he found us. This is such a nightmare! He has taken my life and family from me!

We are going to need you to come down to the police station Kendall to make an official statement. Brett has been arrested, but we need your statement to formally press charges. One of the officers stated. I was so lost in my own grief I didn’t know who was speaking. I just nodded my head.

Kendall, is there any family that we need to call? Dr. Stephens asked me with a look of compassion.

No. My parents are all I had. My grandparents are no longer with us and I don’t have any siblings, I replied.

The realization hit me hard. I was alone. No one I could turn to for support. I hadn’t made many friends in the short time I had been in Dallas. The only person I had really spoken to was a girl named Cassie Edwards that shared a few of the same classes.

If you come with us, Officer Thompson said. We’ll give you a ride down to the station.

I slowly stood up on shaky legs. When I felt like I could support my own weight, I made my way out of the principal’s office and out of the doors of the high school to the waiting squad car. As I slid into the cold leather seat of the police cruiser, I noticed how it represented the coolness in my heart.

Oh mom and dad. He has taken my whole life from me. Why did he have to do this? What is wrong with him? Most importantly, what am I going to do now?

***

Present Day

Kendall

Watch where you are going, you big jerk! I yelled as I sat on my ass on the concrete sidewalk. A bicycle courier having just shot past me at breakneck speed, clipped my left side causing my current state on the ground.

I’ve only been in New York for three weeks and already I’m trying to get killed. I thought to myself. People continued to walk past me without a second glance. It was as if the incident had never happened.

Moving to New York, after graduating from college, had been a huge ordeal. After the death of my parents, I stayed in Dallas to finish out my senior year in high school, and thanks to the life insurance policies my parents had in place, I was able to pay for my tuition at college. My loving parents also left the house in my name. The insurance policy paid for the house in full and since I was already eighteen, I stayed in the house by myself until graduating high school.

The house held too many memories for me, so shortly after graduating from high school, I sold the house and rented a small apartment near campus. Cassie and I had become great friends after my parents’ deaths. She was so supportive of me and eventually, we became best friends. After we graduated high school, we decided to both attend the same college. We moved into our small apartment together. I majored in journalism and Cassie in photography. We always dreamed of one day getting a job at the same magazine.

The wind blew harshly and whipped my long chestnut hair around my face. It was a chilly fall day that was made even colder from my ass being planted on the ground. I looked down at my torn skirt and stockings. I also felt an aching in my tailbone from hitting the ground so hard.

So much for today being a good day.

Are you okay? A deep, husky voice asked from behind me. I turned towards the stranger; who was the only person on the street to even ask if I was okay. Slowly, I began to stand and the stranger offered his hand out to help me up off the ground. I stood trying to support my weight with my hand, still being held by the stranger. As I looked up into his eyes to thank the gentleman, my heart stopped. I saw the most beautiful emerald eyes stare back at me. His eyes mesmerized me. Not only were his eyes beautiful, but the rest of him was as well. His strong jaw held a tiny bit of stubble. His dark hair was windswept and kind of messy from today’s weather. My eyes then landed on his lips. They were full and just begging to be kissed. I instantly wanted to be just the girl to do that. I realized, after way too long, that I was staring at this gorgeous Adonis when a smile crept upon his lips.

Th-thank you, I managed to stutter. Did I just really stutter? I thought to myself as embarrassment flamed my cheeks that were already rosy from my fall. My eyes took in the rest of his body as I scanned him from head to toe. He wore a charcoal grey suit with a white shirt and a soft green tie that only enhanced the emerald green of his eyes. The suit looked expensive, like it was tailored to specifically fit him. On the wrist of the hand that still held mine was a beautiful gunmetal watch that probably cost more than a new car.

My pleasure. Those bicycle couriers can be ruthless. They don’t care who they run over as long as they get to their destination on time, he said to me sympathetically as he reluctantly released my hand. His voice was husky yet smooth. If I wasn’t already instantly attracted to this man, his voice would do it for me. My hand instantly felt cold from the absence of his warmth. Something about his eyes though seemed so familiar. It was as if we had met somewhere before. I shook the thought away as quickly as I thought it.

There is no way I could forget anything about meeting this man.

Sir, we really must be going if you are going to make your morning meeting, an older man stated matter of factly from behind my sexy stranger.

Yes of course, Garrison, the Adonis replied and his eyes finally tore away from mine and onto the gentleman behind him. Are you sure you are okay? Are you hurt or need a doctor? He asked me with sincerity in his voice.

No. No, thank you. I’m okay really. I replied meekly. He took one more long look at me as if trying to find out if I was telling the truth.

Okay then. Have a good day. Stay out of the path of those bicycles. He spoke with a slight laughter to his voice.

Yes, Sir. Will do! I replied as I brought my hand up to my forehead and saluted him.

Oh. My. G. Kendall! You just saluted the man! Way to make an impression. He probably thinks you are a big dork now.

He smiled showing his perfectly straight, white teeth to me.

Yep. Definitely a dork, Kendall.

Good day, Angel.

Those were his last words to me as he turned to head in the opposite direction I was heading. I stood frozen in place unable to move.

Did he call me Angel?

I watched as he continued down the sidewalk away from me. My body was begging me to go after him. I didn’t even ask his name! I stood there the entire time looking like an idiot who couldn’t stay away from bicycles, and couldn’t speak without stuttering. I have never felt this instant attraction to a man before. Somewhere deep down, I felt like I knew him or of him, at least.

As I finally watched him climb into a waiting black car at the end of the street, I shook my head to clear my thoughts. I glanced down at my watch.

Crap I’m going to be late for work.

Since I already knew I was going to be late, I decided to go into the coffee shop on the corner before heading to the magazine. The door chimed as I walked in. Thankfully there was only one customer