Fire We Make (Jackson and Liane Book 1) Read online

  It was the five of us - we had no idea what had happened and why we were chosen. All we knew was that we were going to change the course of history forever.

  These are our stories. We're the Soul Infinity Crew.

  Prologue

  She knew why her mother invited her to lunch. They were going to have The Talk. She already dreaded what was going to come out of her mother’s mouth. There were going to be questions about sex – how much, how long, when and where. There were going to be questions about the number of partners, the type of partners, and precautions taken.

  Olivia silently groaned. This wasn’t how she planned to spend her Saturday afternoon.

  Ever since her father caught them sleeping naked in her bed, Olivia Reed was on severe parental watch. They were already of legal age and nothing they did was illegal. Surely, her parents couldn’t expect her to be a virgin forever or wait until she was married. But it didn’t matter. No matter how old she became, she was always going to be the five-year-old in pigtails, pronouncing her favorite fruit as staw-ber-rar-rees, and watching Thomas the Train.

  Oh, who was she kidding? Olivia was totally fucked and not in the way she wanted to be.

  “You’re awfully quiet, baby girl.”

  Olivia glanced up at her mother. She didn’t say a word but her eyes danced with appreciation and care. Olivia knew her mother too well. There were a lot of questions she wanted to ask but simply bided her time until it was appropriate. She was enjoying seeing her daughter squirm before her.

  “I really don’t want to talk about this, Mom.” Olivia replied. “Do we have to?”

  “Yes.” Mariana Reed took a sip of water before the waiter came by and took their order. She waited for him to be out of earshot before she addressed her daughter again. “The sooner you tell me everything, the better.”

  “Oh God, shoot me now!” Olivia lamented. Her head fell back and she shook it. Her mother wanted to know everything? It sickened Olivia to think how much detail she should tell her mother. “What is that you want to know?”

  “I just want to know if there’s any birth control being used?”

  “Yes. Anything else?”

  “That’s all.”

  Olivia sat up straight in her chair and studied her other’s face. She wasn’t joking or angry. Rather, she was concerned. “That’s all?”

  “Baby girl, I know you’re a responsible person and I know you’re not like your fast-ass friend who’s out here humping anything with two legs. I just need to know for sure that you’re on the appropriate precautions. That’s all. Only tell me what you’re comfortable with me knowing.”

  “How do I know this is not a trap?” Olivia eyed her mother.

  “You’re alive, aren’t you?” Mariana smiled.

  “Good point,” Olivia took a sip of water and cleared her throat, “Ryan’s the only one, Mom. No one else. We didn’t even do it a lot.”

  “Okay.” Mariana nodded. “Anything else?”

  There were a few things Olivia wanted to ask her mother. Like, when did sex actually become enjoyable? How many times did she have to do it before she would be raving it about it like her friends did?

  If it were another woman, Olivia would probably ask if there were certain positions that were better, if there was a certain lubrication she could use to help with the friction…things a young woman starting to have sex should know. But Olivia knew if she asked those questions, it meant her mother still had sex with her father and that was a thought she didn’t want to think about in any way, shape, or form. “No, I’m good, Mom.”

  “Good.” Mariana smiled when the server brought their salads. “Let’s enjoy our meal.”

  “Why are you being so nice to me?” Olivia asked. Her mother wasn’t overly strict but Mariana did put her foot down from time to time. “I don’t understand why I’m getting the nice treatment.”

  Mariana sighed. “Well, I’m not necessarily a fan of you having sex, since you’re still in high school despite your age. But I also know better. If I get really mad, it’ll just encourage you to go out and be reckless. If I try to understand what you’re doing, we can have a better understanding and take the next steps.”

  “So does this mean Ryan can spend the night?” Olivia asked.

  “You see that right there? What you just did? Yeah, you’re pushing it.” Mariana slowly nodded.

  Olivia slumped back into her chair. “How much trouble am I in?”

  “There really aren’t any rules for what you did but please don’t think you’re leaving this unscathed.” Mariana pulled out a brochure from her purse and handed it over to her daughter. “For the next several weeks, you’re volunteering at the Butterfly Project. You are going to spend several Saturdays helping them out with whatever it is they require, be it handing out condoms, assisting HIV clients, or doing janitorial work. They expect you right after lunch today.”

  Olivia perused over the brochure. The Butterfly Project was dedicated in helping those with HIV and AIDS diagnoses lead productive lives while educating the public. While she didn’t care for the fact she would be giving up a large chunk of her social life, she was also thankful. She really did get off scot-free. “Yes, ma’am.”

  “Livvie,” Mariana called over to her daughter, who promptly looked up, “we love you no matter what. We just want to make sure you care about your future. You have your entire life ahead of you and maybe parenthood isn’t what you need right now. You know we will support whatever path you go into. We’re doing this because we love you, baby girl. That’s all.”

  Olivia found an opening. Her mother just proclaimed unconditional support to her and if that were true, Olivia felt comfortable in revealing just a bit more. “Mommy, there’s something else I need to tell you.”

  “Oh?” Mariana became worried. “What is it, baby girl?”

  “Mom, I am a…”

  A loud screech followed by a BOOM! interrupted Olivia’s speech. Olivia and Mariana rushed out to the street and saw an overturned sedan in one corner followed by a crushed pick-up in another. The driver of the sedan, a woman, barely got out of the sedan with the help of passers-by. The driver of the pick-up was relatively unscathed.

  Everything seemed okay at first glance. It wasn’t until the woman hysterically screamed that Olivia knew something was terribly wrong.

  “My baby! My baby!” The woman called out as she rushed back over to her car. She looked inside the car and saw a horrifying sight – her infant daughter was strapped inside the car seat and was unconscious. The infant girl was in very poor condition, with blood and scrapes all over her body. “Someone please help her!”

  A group of people rushed over to the car and managed to get it in an upright position. The woman broke into the car and retrieved her daughter, who was not moving in the car seat.

  She’s going to die… Olivia stepped closer. Her breathing became shallow and nervousness raced throughout her body. “Her baby is going to die, Mom!”

  “There’s nothing we can do about it than pray, honey.” Mariana said, looking around for the ambulance to arrive. It seemed like it was taking forever. “Only the EMTs can save them.”

  “No! it’ll be too late! She’ll be dead before they arrive!” Olivia admonished.

  “Baby girl, I know you’re upset but there’s nothing we can do,” Mariana blinked back tears, “there’s nothing we can do.”

  Olivia stepped away from her mother. No, there’s something I can do. She rushed to the infant girl in the car seat. Just as she suspected, the girl was on her last breath and would be dead within minutes.

  She removed the infant from the car seat and gently placed her on the ground. Olivia tightly squeezed her eyes shut and quieted her breathing. She then put her hands on the infant’s chest. “Stay with us,” Olivia whispered, “stay with us.”

  A bright, golden light shone down on the infant and within seconds, she was brought back to life. Her wounds healed and the blood dried up. The little girl who was mere
ly seconds away from death, was smiling and cooing.

  Olivia picked up the baby and handed her over to her mother. Olivia then looked at her mother, who stared at her with her mouth gaped open. A crowd soon formed around them and the whispers were getting louder.

  “Did you see what she did?”

  “It’s a modern-day miracle!”

  “She’s Mary, the mother of Jesus! Jesus has come back!”

  The whispers became increasingly louder and the crowd grew bigger. Olivia pressed her hands to her ears to silence them but it was no use. They all saw what she did.

  Soon everyone will know what she was capable of.

  What her friends were capable of.

  They were no longer safe.

  “Mommy?” Olivia asked her mother. “Are you afraid of heights?”

  “What? No. Livvie, what’s going on? Talk to me! What did you do to that baby?” Mariana demanded.

  Olivia interlocked arms with her mother. “Hold on.” She looked up and they shot up in the air, disappearing into the sky.

  ****

  The Super Infinity Crew is a YA book. It ties in with the S&M series but it is geared towards teens and young adults. It’ll be out spring 2015.

  S&M IV – Contemporary Romance

  She opened the door and was aghast at the sight. His green eyes sharpened to a fiery color and he looked like he hadn’t slept in well over 24 hours. His normally-coiffed hair was He faintly smelled like old whiskey and a half-assed attempt at mouthwash. “Scott?”

  “You’re pregnant?” He stated. “Thanks for letting the father know.”

  Mariana wrapped her arms around her waist and quickly pulled her ex inside. She watched him saunter his way into her apartment, where he sat himself down on the sofa. “I would ask if you want something to drink but I’m sure you’ve had plenty already.”

  “How far along are you?” He questioned.

  “I’m two months.” She sat across from him, eyeballing her home phone in case the need arose she had to use it to call emergency. “I didn’t think you would care.”

  “You didn’t think I would care,” he enunciated every word loudly and carefully, “how very fucking thoughtful of you, Mari.”

  “Why are you here, anyway?” Mariana suddenly realized the severity of Scott being in her home. “How did you get my address?”

  “Your male friend has a big mouth,” he stated curtly, “when were you planning on telling me?”

  Mariana silently cursed. Of course Bernard would tell Scott where she lived and that she was pregnant. The way Scott looked, he probably just came from the club where Bernard was currently working. “We don’t have to do this now.”

  “No, I think we have to do this now.” Scott stated. “I’m not leaving until I get answers so I suggest you start talking.”

  Mariana sighed. This wasn’t how she wanted her pregnancy to go. This wasn’t how she wanted her life to go. This wasn’t how she wanted anything to go. It seemed like her life was in a constant clusterfuck on repeat. “I got pregnant that night at the club. I went to get Plan B but I forgot to take it at the appropriate time. I didn’t find out until a few weeks ago and I didn’t even want to tell Bernard, honestly. It wasn’t my intention to tell you until it was the right time. I just didn’t know what to do.”

  “Are you sure it’s mine?” Scott asked. “It’s a fair question.”

  “Yes, I’m sure.” Mariana was irritated at the suggestion, though she understood the intent behind the question. “I don’t understand. Why are you even here? Why do you pretend to care?”

  Oh how badly did he wanted to get drunk again. No, he wanted to get high. He could totally understand why addicts turn to alcohol and drugs to numb their pain. It made complete sense to him. He thought about the joyous occasions when his sister and father announced their pregnancies. How envious he was of them. Scott didn’t have to read too much into what Mariana said. “Fine,” He pulled out several hundred dollars and left it on the table. “We’re done here.” He began to leave.

  “You have nothing to say…like you have nothing to say at all?” Mariana shook her head. “I just revealed all that to you and you have nothing to say?”

  “Well, let’s see here…” Scott returned to the living room “You led me to believe you were still on birth control because had I known you weren't, I definitely would've used a condom. You tried to keep your pregnancy from me but your actions told on you. And finally, you revealed that it was never your intention of telling me of your pregnancy of my feelings.” Scott let out a quiet breath. “And you question why I have nothing to say? That’s the argument you’re going with?”

  Mariana was taken aback by Scott’s change in demeanor. Remorseful Scott was replaced with Asshole in the Boardroom Ice in less than five seconds. “I’m not arguing anything with you,” she replied quietly, “this isn’t an easy decision for me, either.”

  Scott let out a heavy breath and sat back down, across from his ex-girlfriend. “The funny thing is I always believed women are smarter than men. Sure, we’re stronger and wiser in some things but I think overall, women are smarter. Very few things get past a woman.” He paused.

  “I don’t under—”

  Scott cut her off. “You wanted another man to raise the baby; our baby. You didn’t want to tell me because you didn’t want me to be a part of it, point blank.” His voice was raised but not quite yelling. “You’re playing this game…”

  “I’m not playing—”

  “Yes, you are and stop with the bullshit,” Scott was having trouble maintaining his civility.

  “I’m seeing someone else, Scott,” Mariana blurted, “that’s why I didn’t tell you.”

  “I’m well aware of the relationship between you and Bernard,” Scott stated to Mariana’s surprise, “who do you think is his boss?”

  The revelation caught Mariana by surprise. The fateful bathroom incident started to make more sense. “How long have you been the owner?”

  “Don’t try to change the subject,” Scott sharply replied. “You think your DJ boyfriend is going be around all the time? His popularity is increasing, Mari. It’s only a matter of time before he blows up and he’s traveling all over the world. And believe me, I will make sure that happens.”

  Mariana’s eyes welled up with tears. “You said you weren’t ready to be a father.”

  “I’m allowed to change my mind,” Scott’s eyes were cold and dark. “There’s about five hundred dollars on the table right now for you and I’ll set up another account for our kid and any expenses he may need. We’re done here.”

  “What about us?” Mariana felt compelled to ask. “What about us?”

  “You just told me you were seeing someone else and you’re asking what about us?” Anger ran through Scott’s words. “You have my child and I will take care of you and our baby for as long as I live,” Scott returned to her and looked into her eyes. “But if you want to play this game you’re playing, I sincerely hope you fucking win because I’m about to fight as if I have nothing to lose.” He walked to her front door and turned around. “You have a great day, Mari. Rest up.” He slammed the door behind him.