Snow Flakes (Burnt Ashes #0.5) by K.E Taylor Read Free Book Online Page A

hear it ri-ri-right now.” The poor thing is shaking like a leaf.
    “I think Braden should have some clothes that fit you, if you can dig through some…as long as you tell me what happened.”
    He growls, and it makes my stomach flip. God, even in women’s clothing, this man is achingly beautiful. I really need to seek professional help. Logan runs up the stairs, leaving the sandals at the bottom.
    “Oh, and Logan?” I call up after him. I can hear him pause in his rummaging through Braden’s room. “Stay outta my closet,” I laugh, and can hear him mutter a few choice words in Spanish, continuing his hunt for warm clothes.

“Dad, don’t!” I shout, running up behind the man who I have had to call my father since birth. He is standing there, the bat held up above Chace, who is leaning against the mini fridge.
    “You two need to learn some fuckin’ respect!” he yells, about to bring it down in a final arc.
    The door opens, and the scuffling of feet can be heard as two figures come swooping toward the bar. I can’t take my eyes off the scene that may be about to play out before me. I feel as stunned as a deer caught in the headlights of an oncoming car.
    “Put it down,” a familiar voice says. “You need to think things through.”
    “Don’t you tell me what to do.” He raises the bat, and Chace recoils, using his arms to cover his face. There is a sudden oomph , and I close my eyes. I just can’t watch. The sound of something dripping on the floor is all I can hear. I didn’t hear the savage snap or crack , or the wet and heavy thud from impact, but that might have been because I didn’t want to.
    “Sam, get Chace outta there now!” the voice cries.
    Slowly, I open my eyes and see my dad wiping his face on his sleeve.
    “Fuckin’ no good kids. Fuckin’—” The scent of scotch is thick in the air. I still can’t will my legs to move.
    “Trey,” the voice snaps. Trey hops over the bar, and stands between my dad and Chace. His arms are out to his sides, making himself as big an obstacle as he can.
    “Don’t do it, Batman!” Trey shrieks, as the other figure helps Chace over the bar. As the shock starts to wear off, I realise that the mysterious figure can only be Braden.
    “Braden, I…,” I start to say, but my head feels packed with cotton. I just can’t seem to snap back into reality. It feels like I am watching the whole thing from a distance.
    “Sam, get away from him.” Sluggishly, I start to move, my body nearly completely unresponsive.
    “Gonna teach you boys,” my dad says darkly. “Come ’ere, son. Come and get your lumps.” Gooseflesh erupts up my back. I feel like I want to scream but can’t.
    “For fuck’s sake, Sam! Move !” Trey yells. I slowly look between my old man and Trey, and feel utter fear.
    “Watch, boys,” my dad says, still wiping something out of his eyes as he marches toward me. “You know better, right, son? One and done.” A chilling smile spreads over his face. “One and done.” This time, it’s just a whisper.
    One and done ... It was what he used to say to my mom, when she was around, when he took off his belt, but there would always be more. One was never enough to satisfy his hunger. He would say the same thing when he went for my mom…until it drove her away, leaving me behind. Did she think he’d stop if she wasn’t around? Well, he didn’t.
    My dad is on me, his face contorted into a grotesque mask.
    “I deserve this,” I say quietly to myself. “I deserve th—”
    “Snap the fuck out of it, Sam!”
    I am rocked by a sudden startling impact. A blast of pain erupts across my face, my jaw feeling unhinged. I fall to the floor in a heap, shards of broken glass digging into my skin.
    The blow is enough to snap me out of my reverie. Colours start to seep back into the world. My face already feels swollen and bruised. I turn around and snarl at who dished it.
    “Braden?” I say, stunned. When the hell did he get here?
    “One