Grace Street

(A Chapter 8 Novel,#1)

Copyright © Ella Dominguez 2014

All rights reserved

Published at Smashwords

Smashwords License Statement

This ebook is licensed for your personalenjoyment only. This ebook may not be resold or given away to otherpeople. If you would like to share this book with another person,please purchase an additional copy for each reader. If you’rereading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchasedfor your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com andpurchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work ofthis author.

Dedication

To the most wonderful & precious peoplein my life - my daughter, husband, mother & family.

Acknowledgements

To the fantasticgroup of beta readers I’ve been blessed with, who gave up theirspare time to help me and on short notice – THANK YOU! (althoughthank you’s don’t seem like enough): Gwen from G Book Diva Blog,Yvonne, Christina, Terri T. from My Book Boyfriend Blog, Terrie A.,Monica, Becki, Dorothy & Gabby.

Gratitude, ‘kindness & smiles,’ sent toCL Smith of Go On Write (www.goonwrite.com) for this beautiful coverand the many others he has provided me with.

To Mallory M. for her assistance andfriendship. I wish her the best of luck in her new endeavors. YourMama Toon loves you!

Much love to my coworkers for theirencouragement. I’ll miss each and every one of you. I’ll becreeping on your FB pages daily. You’ve been warned. ;)

Thank you to all of my loyal readers forputting up with my indecent writings and sense of humor, and whosekind words and support are what keep me going.

To the new readers who have given me a chanceto prove myself – thank you.

Contents

Acknowledgements

Prologue

1:Deliberate

2:Intentions

3:Calculated

4:Premeditated

5:Anticipation

6:Rules

7:Hesitation

8: Unpredictable

9:Exacting

10:Challenging

11:Respite

12:Layers

13:Absence

14:Details

15:Eye-Opener

16:Bared

17:Light vs. Dark

18:Obsession

19:Invested

20:Clash

21:Wrath

22:Resilience

23:Possession

Other Books

Prologue

Victor tossed his jacket over the back of thecurved white couch, and threw himself onto it. His solid, lean bodysunk into the leather as he laid his head back and closed his eyes.With his mind racing, he suddenly jolted upright and reached forthe journal on the abstract-shaped table only a foot in front ofhim. Just as he began scribbling furiously into it, his phone rangout. C7 lit across the screen.

Would this bullshit never end? Letting out aheavy sigh, he answered, his deep, baritone voice clipped withagitation. “Why must you persist with this?”

“Please, Mr. Black, I need to see you,” ashrill female voice choked out.

The corners of his mouth twisted upward intoa wicked, satisfied grin. “I can only imagine the pain you’re goingthrough.”

“Please, just one more time. Please…” shepanted out in a tear-smothered voice.

He shuffled the phone between his hands,contemplating what to do. He had already granted C7 a goodbye fuckjust before heading home. For fuck’s sake, he could still smell hercunt all over him.

“I already made you come once tonight. Don’tbe greedy,” he shot back with his usual coldness.

“I am greedy! I want you!” she yelled intothe phone, the panic in her voice vibrant and chilling.

Her high-pitched tone and obvious alarmgrated on his nerves. She was unstable and volatile, twocharacteristics he had no patience with or time for.

Without emotion he responded, “No, I’m donewith you. Move on.” When she began to cry, he momentarily paused.He knew she was capable of doing something rash and he didn’t wantor need the drama. “You agreed to our arrangement, Em. Remember?”he said only slightly less frigid than before.

“How could I forget, you cold-heartedbastard, when you constantly reminded me of that? But I need moretime with you. Just a little more time. Please, Mr. Black, I needmore time to prove myself worthy,” she began to sobuncontrollably.

He seriously didn’t have time for this shit.Hell, he had already wasted too much of his precious time on heralready. She would never prove herself as anything other than amajor pain in the ass.

“Time’s up,” he stated with finality as hehit the end call button.

Guilt coursed through his veins for only asplit-second, and somewhere deep in his blackened subconscious theword asshole flashed in bright neon lights. Without anotherthought to it, he brushed it aside. He had no room for remorse inhis life. It was useless and only complicated things, and‘complications,’ immaturity and people who didn’t do exactly as hesaid, didn’t fit anywhere on his agenda.

He reached for his journal again and flippedto the page he had been jotting down his closing thoughts on hismost recent test subject and finalized his entry.

Chapter 7– Game over.

Now that things were officially finished withChapter Seven in his mind and on paper, he had important matters toattend to. Calling his realtor, he confirmed his meeting at TheGrace Street Brewery and reached for his jacket again. He glancedoptimistically at his journal one final time before leaving.

With any luck, the next Chapter would proveherself more valuable than the others and worthy of his time andeffort. Perhaps she would provide him with everything he wanted andneeded in a plaything. Hopefully, the next Chapter would be the oneshining pupil in his long line of failures. Maybe, just maybe, thenext Chapter in his life would finally see him for who he reallywas and allow him to let all his demons loose on them.

1: Deliberate

It was always darkest before the light and,God, how Elsa needed the light. It had been dark for so long, shehad nearly forgotten what the warm feeling of happiness felt like.She needed a new beginning and a new life. Not one to normally runfrom her problems, she had done that very thing in hopes thatRichmond would provide her the change that she so desperatelyyearned for. It was time to move on and start over and there was notime like the present.

As she drove to The Grace Street Brewery, shereminded herself to stay focused and to remain lady-like at alltimes. That meant taking it easy on the chardonnay.

When she entered the large establishment, sheheard her name called over the loud din and live background musicand turned her head to see Vivien, her neighbor, waving her over tothe bar. She smoothed her cream-colored pencil skirt over herthighs and strode over to the bar with her long, slightly-curled,henna red hair swinging around her shoulders. Seating herself, shepromptly ordered a cranberry-orange sangria, sans alcohol. The lastthing she needed was to get lit so early on.

The atmosphere was invigorating. She had onlybeen on Grace Street twice before but somehow, she felt like shewas in her element with all the different shops, restaurants andold brownstones lining the street. “I love the energy here. Itfeels like home,” she half whispered to herself. Facing herneighbor, she thanked her and returned the smile that Vivien wasgiving her. “Thanks for inviting me out.”