Table Of ContentTable of Contents
Title page
Copyright
Other Books by Elle Casey
Dedication
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 Thirteen
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
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty-One
Chapter Thirty-Two
Chapter Thirty-Three
Chapter Thirty-Four
Chapter Thirty-Five
Chapter Thirty-Six
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Chapter Forty
Chapter Forty-One
Chapter Forty-Two
Chapter Forty-Three
Chapter Forty-Four
Chapter Forty-Five
Chapter Forty-Six
Epilogue Notes
About the Author
Other Books by Elle Casey
Acknowledgments
COPYRIGHT NOTICE
© 2013 Elle Casey, all rights reserved, worldwide. No part of this
ebook may be reproduced, uploaded to the Internet, or copied without
author permission.
The author respectfully asks that you please support artistic
expression and help promote anti-piracy efforts by purchasing a
copy of this ebook only at author-authorized online outlets that
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paid for it, you are pirating this creative work.
PIRACY = STEALING
Elle Casey thanks you deeply for your understanding and support.
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OTHER BOOKS BY ELLE CASEY
*= Coming Soon
NEW ADULT ROMANCE
Shine Not Burn
By Degrees
Don’t Make Me Beautiful
Rebel
Hellion
Trouble*
Trainwreck*
Hold Me Down*
YA PARANORMAL ROMANCE
Duality, Volume I (Melancholia)
Duality, Volume II (Euphoria)
YA URBAN FANTASY
War of the Fae: Book 1, The Changelings - FREE!
War of the Fae: Book 2, Call to Arms
War of the Fae: Book 3, Darkness & Light
War of the Fae: Book 4, New World Order
Clash of the Otherworlds: Book 1, After the Fall
Clash of the Otherworlds: Book 2, Between the Realms
Clash of the Otherworlds: Book 3, Portal Guardians
My Vampire Summer
My Vampire Fall*
Aces High (co-written with Jason Brant)
YA DYSTOPIAN
Apocalypsis: Book 1, Kahayatle
Apocalypsis: Book 2, Warpaint
Apocalypsis: Book 3, Exodus
Apocalypsis: Book 4, Haven
YA ACTION ADVENTURE
Wrecked
Reckless
DEDICATION
To Rascal.
You opened up my eyes to a whole new world and I miss you more
than I can say.
CHAPTER ONE
I HEAR THE FOOTSTEPS BEFORE the voice. It’s my cue to jump up off my
bed and lock my door before she gets too close.
“Quinlan! Where are you?”
I love my mom to itty bitty pieces, but if I have to sit through another one
of her lectures on proper role-modeling, I’m going to move out. I swear to God,
I’ll do it. Now that Teagan, my best bud in all the land, has her own apartment, I
actually have options. The fact that she always declines to take me up on my
roommate offers means nothing. I can wear her down; I always do. Nobody’s a
match for my determination. No one.
“Quinlan?” My mom checks the door. “I know you’re in there. Listen, I
need to talk to you about Jersey.”
My little brother. One of the three siblings I’m supposed to be setting an
example for. Luckily, he’s the only one still around much anymore. The twins
are way too busy with their social lives to bother with family much.
“I’m busy, Mom!” I shout through the door. “Homework!”
“You’re out of school and you’re not taking summer courses. Open up.”
Little does she know, I actually am in the middle of a big project. But I’m
going to keep that information to myself because I know what her reaction will
be.
I get up and crack the door open. “Mom, seriously. I’m working on some
financials right now and I need to focus.”
“Financials? For what?”
“Just a project one of my … uh … professors gave me at the end of the
semester. Extra credit stuff.”
She frowns. “How are you going to get extra credit for a class that already
ended?”
I roll my eyes and huff out an annoyed puff of air, as if she’s the stupid
one. “Mom, would you give me a break, please? It’s not like I’m smoking crack
in here or anything. I’m working.”
“Jersey ate another chapstick.”
I smile. “Jersey has a very versatile palate, what can I say? You should be
proud he’s so out of the box.”
She puts her hands on her hips. “Jersey is going to get poisoned one day
with you leaving your crap all over the house. I need you to be more adult about
how you conduct yourself where he’s concerned.”
“Mom, I’m twenty-two. I am an adult.”
“Adults don’t leave things around for babies to put in their mouths.”
“Mom. Jesus. Wake up and smell the coffee. Jersey is twelve years old
and obviously as dumb as a box of rocks. Time to stop blaming me for his half-
a-brain.” I shut the door in her face and lock it again. I dance a little jig of glee
and high-five myself because I know my choice of words is going to light her
butt on fire. She knows I don’t mean them and that I’d lay down my life for the
little turd, but it doesn’t mean I’m above yanking her chain whenever and
however I can. Hot button … pressed. Whoop!
“Quinlan! Open this door!”
“I will if you stop riding my butt.”
“Open it.”
“I’ll tell Dad.”
There’s a pause as she considers her next move. We both know what’ll
happen if I drag him into the mix. He’s under no illusions that my little brother
is going to be the next brain surgeon on the block. The kid’ll be lucky to
graduate the sixth grade, and everyone’s on board with that fact, with the
exception of my mom. And my father is not a huge fan of her always blaming
everyone else for Jersey’s bullcrap, so she tends to do it out of his presence
whenever possible.
“You better be getting a lot of extra credit on that project,” she finally says.
“Oh, I am. Believe me.” I’m going to help my best friend get her damn
inheritance back if it’s the last thing I do this summer.
“I need you to take Jersey to his doctor’s appointment later.”
“What time?”
“Two o’clock. I have to go see his therapist and come up with another plan
for him. I don’t think he’s responding very well to the one we have in place
right now.”
“Fine, I’ll do it. Now leave me be so I can concentrate.”
“Quinlan?”
Her sad voice makes me open the door. “Yes, mommy dearest?” I grin to
take the sting out of our conversation.
