Red_Roses_and_Black_Dahlias_-_Macy_T

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When I finished showering and getting dressed in a pair of satin pajamas,I went back to my baby’s room, to see she hadn’t moved. I could hear the TVplaying in the living room, which was probably where Maddox was.Sitting on the edge of her bed, I caressed her hair delicately. A frown hitmy face when I felt her burning skin, though. Valentina stirred, her eyebrowspulling together as she looked up drowsily at me.“It hurts, Dada.” She moaned, clearly in pain. She was burning up with afever and I could feel the panic seep into my pores.I swore and called for Maddox. This wasn’t the first time I'd had to takecare of a sick Valentina, but somehow this felt different and I knew havingMaddox close by would help me.He came in as I was touching Valentina’s forehead again, “She’s burningup.” I sounded as panicked as I felt.“Shit, I’ll call Andrea, okay?” I nodded absentmindedly and he went outto retrieve his phone.“It hurts, Dada. My tummy hurts.” silent tears streamed down her cheeksand my heart started beating a little faster.“It’s okay, mami, can you get up a little? I’ll get you something to drinkand a cold towel to put on your head.” I tried helping her sit up but a gutwrenchingmoan fell out of her lips and more tears ensued. Frowning, Idecided to take the covers off of her to try and massage her stomach.But as soon as I did, I regretted it.Blood.There was so much blood on the white sheets, on her pink pajama pants,everywhere.I was instantly brought back to that night, where blood had beeneverywhere too and I felt my whole body lock up in shock. I couldn’t breatheanymore as I bore my eyes into Valentina’s panicked ones. A whirlwind of
bad memories assaulted my brain, one after the other. Screams and cries andblood, blood, blood.So much fucking blood.It was like going back in time, Valentina crying against me as I did mybest to hold my own tears in, when all I wanted to do was scream all my rageand anger away.My vision became blurry, I took several steps back and bumped into herdressing table, knocking over a row of nail polishes. I could barely hearValentina’s cries or Maddox's panicked voice as he came back into the roomand took in the scene before him.I couldn’t focus on anything and soon enough black took over my visionas I fell into nothingness.
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DedicationChapter 1Chapter 2Chapter
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DEDICATIONTo my sisters, know that
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home. I was only ten at the time bu
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trouble for minor instances, Maddox
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couldn’t, so I simply closed my e
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I broke our staring contest and he
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2OBLIVIONSOFIAThe suite was simple
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Tonight, though, it was different.
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Immediately, they flew back open.
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3FAMILYSOFIAMy heart was in my thro
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Despite myself, this made me shiver
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of color. For that reason alone, sh
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I could do this.I would do this.I w
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squeeze, but it did. I told myself
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Sofia sighed, looking dejected and
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was what most people would consider
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“Sofia, I didn’t mean it like t
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I tried to reassure her too but som
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father, his partner killed my mothe
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much out of her today, but Sofia re
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But that would never be my sister.
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Maddox immediately started rubbing
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“I swear to you it’s just for t
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“Is she okay?” My voice was alm
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with an angry Maddox.“I’ll fuck
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6DESPERATEMADDOX"W—what did you j
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the other officers, he thought I’
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“You’re not a charity case. I k
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nightstand, “got you some coffee
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He scratched the back of his neck,
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7ICEBREAKERSOFIAWhen I came out of
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“Maddie!” The woman squealed.Sh
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My stomach was in knots as Maddox p
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I had to bite my lip to stop myself
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“Hello, you must be Sofia.” her
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As I looked at my sister, I noticed
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both sisters after an event as trau
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My eyes caught sight of a familiar
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going to speak, then thought better
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Reaching a hand to my erratic heart
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I could see understanding dawning i
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9IDEALMADDOX"We did our best to kee
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Fucking journalists. Justin was tel
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Once I heard the door close after t
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***I turned around as soon as I loc
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“For pretty girls like you? Of co
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“But Mads protects us, Dada! He s
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Plus, we were both fully dressed, S
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Then I remembered.Last night, Valen
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I should have noticed earlier that
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“Please.” I moaned. “Please,
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“You’re so fucking wet, Sofia.
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breathing down her neck. And here I
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of her weakened state. She was youn
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“What wrong pretty girl? Are you
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were pure, unadulterated innocence
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“You will go nowhere with a fried
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“He did go through it, but nothin
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Yawning, I rubbed my eye with the h
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She stared at me for so long, eyes
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my body and looked down, my jaw cle
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She sniffled and her arms shot up a
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“Do you promise? Do you promise t
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These people here didn’t deserve
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One of these few details being my g
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Faster than I could comprehend, the
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her child, my niece, Adrianna, she
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rise to take her in. I think they s
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thing about him were his eyes. They
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talking about how she would love to
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being nipped in the bud. It wouldn
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The house burning was the last nail
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“Detective Brooks! There’s an e
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may sound insane for those who didn
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That nicked my heart and had me on
Page 157 and 158: never understand me or what I'd bee
Page 159 and 160: “S-she— huh, Sofia is the car a
Page 161 and 162: one of your cars while you bring he
Page 163 and 164: All I cared about was the wave of f
Page 165 and 166: Over the years and the numerous arr
Page 167 and 168: Maddox looked positively wrung out.
Page 169 and 170: 15DESIRESOFIAIt was phenomenal.No o
Page 171 and 172: did. I just hoped she could forgive
Page 173 and 174: anything to relive it, and now I fi
Page 175 and 176: brat, that I would lose Valentina f
Page 177 and 178: “P-please…”My own voice was s
Page 179 and 180: that’s so good.” I groaned, my
Page 181 and 182: His head went down and he kissed me
Page 184 and 185: 16MYSTERYSOFIARays of sun streaming
Page 186 and 187: So I spread my legs and let his han
Page 188 and 189: “That same cunt I have my fingers
Page 190 and 191: “I’m so sorry. It never happene
Page 192 and 193: As hot water dripped along my body,
Page 194 and 195: I was gonna answer him when the doo
Page 196 and 197: I stood in the hallway, staring at
Page 198 and 199: I chuckled, and put the spoon back
Page 200 and 201: “What is going on here?” Both m
Page 202 and 203: She gave me a dead-pan look and rol
Page 204 and 205: When the elevator’s doors finally
Page 206 and 207: The smell of a freshly baked cake a
Page 210 and 211: 18FRIGHTMADDOXI thought my heart mi
Page 212 and 213: just nodded, not really knowing wha
Page 214 and 215: I thought seeing all the blood trig
Page 216 and 217: intensifies. She showered and put o
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Page 220 and 221: She gripped my shirt, looking up at
Page 222: I grabbed the cake as Valentina sta
Page 225 and 226: But hearing her cry in her sleep, n
Page 227 and 228: I could see she was stuck inside he
Page 229 and 230: already had more tattoos than most
Page 231 and 232: They said I shouldn’t worry about
Page 233 and 234: “Thank you so much, Detective. He
Page 235 and 236: “Yeah, what he did wasn’t reall
Page 237 and 238: “What the hell was that?” Since
Page 239 and 240: Maddox's hand came to clasp Valenti
Page 241 and 242: 20WATERMADDOXValentina fell asleep
Page 243 and 244: “What’s up with your face?” T
Page 245 and 246: We finally stopped in front of a do
Page 247 and 248: “I never fucking ordered it, dete
Page 249 and 250: “Looks like life has been looking
Page 251 and 252: We were finally making progress and
Page 253 and 254: 21FIGHTSOFIAHe didn’t call.Maddox
Page 255 and 256: That’s why I was ready to make hi
Page 257 and 258: would make me feel uncomfortable to
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away from me.How… bizarre.“I fa
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Because yes, that nagging feeling,
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The realization hit me full force a
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spend hours licking and sucking on
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Did I have the same effect on him?
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Maddox stopped for a few seconds, p
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communicate better.”Maddox pushed
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22LOVESOFIALooking up at the ceilin
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to hear the most perfect man I had
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pressed against his chest like litt
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“Look, baby. Look how well you’
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“Yes. She was such a strong woman
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“Already?”“Yup. He stayed in
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“Whoever created that is a fuckin
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however, was that he didn’t speak
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for her, where she could paint and
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I groaned internally. That bitch kn
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My shift went on quietly and when i
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“Do you have it or not?”“Yup.
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too, was intrigued. Ray was the fir
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“Valentina, food's ready!” I he
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"In my heart?”“In your heart, b
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Sighing, I set up the last two pict
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“Ray woke me up, I think—“ Sh
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Valentina was going to love this.24
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His voice didn't leave anything up
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“Maddox, what have you done?” I
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I hated the taste of betrayal that
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He stared at me intently so I conti
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screams of my mother. They did so m
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out to paint, or when I tried to ge
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25DEVOTIONMADDOX"Maddox, are you su
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After Valentina told me about Jack
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We woke up on the couch, my whole b
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My thoughts were proven right when
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Deciding to try something different
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wanted Valentina to experience that
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eyes grew wide at how much sense th
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asleep before going to their room a
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EPILOGUEMADDOXFive years later.Look
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apartment, and wrapped her arms aro
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Her tenth birthday, our first trip
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“She was totally eavesdropping.
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Maddox’ Spanish was getting bette
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BONUS CHAPTEROn the day of Jack and
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I actually spit on the dirt on Jack
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“We… We were raised in the same
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THE END
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTSFirst and foremost,
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WHAT’S NEXT?Blood and Water book
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