Unleashed

by Shelley R. Pickens

Aimee killed a man. Worse yet, she enjoyed it.

Aimee has survived a bombing, a killer’s torture chamber, countless evils harbored deep within the minds of psychopaths and killers, and even death. But now, the greatest threat is the evil barely contained within.

With her ascension, Aimee gained great power. She no longer needs to touch a person for their every memory and thoughts to be divulged. With that power, she now feels the pull to become judge, jury, and executioner to those who commit evil in this world.

Despite her desire to be alone with Logan and live a normal life, she soon realizes that she, in fact, is the greatest threat to the normality she craves. Without control of her own powers, she inadvertently causes harm to those she loves the most. Aimee is forced to seek out the only other person in this world that can help her: Brett.

Together, they explore the world as ascended beings, reveling in the intoxication of mind control, as flames of love ignite between them. With each new emotion explored, the reasons behind the origin of her powers are slowly revealed.

But a dark threat looms in the horizon—a sinister plot that will cause the monster within Aimee to emerge.

With Logan kidnapped and Brett unable to face his sinister father, Aimee must battle the lure of infinite power to save the two boys that hold her heart captive.

Or risk being lost to the evil forever.

Table of Contents

Unleashed

Preface

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

Epilogue

About the Author

Previews

Preface

I killed a man. Worse yet, I wanted to kill him. The darkness I’ve fought so hard to keep out of my life had somehow seeped into my soul without me knowing it. My ascension brought great power, but at a horrible price. All it took was a moment. A fleeting thought, and when it was over, the man before me, lay dead and my soul cried out in agony. I stand above him now, watching my reflection as it bounces off his lifeless eyes. This isn’t the girl I’m supposed to be. The girl I know would never have harmed a living soul. Yet, here’s the proof right in front of me, staring lifelessly into nothingness. I know he never saw death coming for him because his expression is a strange mixture of pain and surprise. I want to help him, but there’s nothing I can do, he’s gone. I watched his thoughts end, his soul dispersed to the sky above. Still, his face remains stubbornly determined; like he wants nothing more than to return so he can admonish me for my sins. But he can’t.

And I’m the reason why.

I slowly back away from him, still unsure of what to do. My progress is halted abruptly when I run straight into a solid wall of muscle. His arms come around to embrace me from behind. It’s comforting despite the complete inappropriateness of it in the face of death. He holds me as I stare helplessly; hovering over the body of the man I just destroyed.

It’s all right, he begins in a soft tone. You did what you had to do.

I turn around and look at my companion, my equal in both power and stubbornness. No, I didn’t. I did what I wanted to do. For that, I’m going to burn in hell.

My self-proclaimed soul mate stares at me with a puzzled look on his face. He seems confused, as if hell is a place that shouldn’t be feared. After all I’ve been through in the short sixteen years of my life, I’m more certain than ever that hell is very real.

And it’s a place I now seem destined to visit.

Though my companion seems understanding and empathetic of my remorse, he isn’t quite able to hide the pride he feels for my eliminating someone with my powers. I don’t need to see his thoughts; it shines clearly through every aspect of his expression.

He moves his hands up to cup my face, catching the latest tear as it falls from my regret filled eyes. Then we shall burn in hell together, my dark princess.

Chapter One

~ Screwed Up Justice ~

Washington, D.C.

The man rushes along the busy streets beneath the lights, unaware that he’s about to be sentenced to death. DuPont Circle is only a block or two away, he can make it if he runs. Holding his tie with one hand and his briefcase with the other, Senator Jay Rollings begins to run. Or at least waddle since his rather large midsection prevents him from outright running. He silently curses his love for Krispy Kreme donuts.

The night air is thick with fog making it hard for the senator to breathe as he makes his way around the corner to the bench in front of the apple tree. He was told to meet there at midnight. A source close to the investigation told him they had evidence that would help him indict his longtime nemesis, Henry Marr. Rollings has been waiting for years for the slimy bastard to make a mistake and it’s finally happened.

He’s practically glowing with impending success as he rounds the tree and sits on the bench to wait for his contact. But his anxiousness is making him edgy so he doesn’t sit for long. As he paces the small space surrounding the bench, he licks his lips in anticipation.

After years of secretly investigating his fellow senator, he may finally have the evidence he’s sought for so long, implementing Marr in bribery and extortion in his last two campaigns. He thinks he’s untouchable simply because he’s head of the Defense appropriations committee, which sadly has provided him with protection and key people needed to help cover up his crimes. The bastard has been lucky, but tonight, that luck ends. Rollings knows that Marr has committed multiple crimes; he can feel it in his gut.

And his gut is never wrong.

The frustration of his continued failure has slowly poisoned him from the inside out. His heart is close to failing. Before he goes though, he wants to take the lying, cheating bastard Marr, down with him. As the head of the Crime and Terrorism committee, it’s his duty to punish those who’ve done wrong.

A crackling sound from behind startles Rollings from his vengeful thoughts. He turns quickly on his feet and comes face to face with his informant. Are you Charles Steed? asks Rollings, barely able to contain his excitement.

The pristinely dressed man in his mid-forties folds his well-manicured hands in front of him and simply stares at Rollings, unable or unwilling to answer his question. An action that almost drives the senator mad.

I asked you a question, dammit! Are you Charles Steed? Do you have the information I requested? he asks furiously; confused by the other man’s unwillingness to cooperate when he was the one that arranged the meeting in the first place.

The mystery man unfolds his hands and steps closer to Rollings so that his face is partially illuminated by the light on the path just behind the tree. The man’s green eyes practically glow in the moonlight as they bore into Rollings’ blue ones. The intensity of his stare unnerves Rollings, rendering him momentarily speechless. His earlier elation all but smothered out by this man’s intensity. Uneasiness fills Rollings, making him squirm beneath the unspoken judgment forced upon him.

After what seems like an eternity, the man finally speaks. I find you lacking, Jay Rollings. Your puny efforts to squash the dealings of Henry Marr have failed because I will it so. I judge you and find you guilty. Your sentencing begins…. now.

Pain like Rollings has never experienced before, hits him full force. He grabs his head with his hands, trying to ease the onslaught of torment but it’s no use. Series of small explosions have taken over his brain. Thought is no longer possible. Within seconds, he’s blind and blood trickles out from the corner of his eyes. The moon hides behind the clouds, aware that death is imminent. Cloaked in darkness, the senator is helpless to fight the onslaught of memories invading his mind. Blood pours from his eye sockets as synapse after synapse fires rapidly from brain cell to brain cell, leaving nothing but charred remains in its wake.

The senator breathes, No, one last time before he collapses beneath the tree, death claiming him before he hits the ground.

The tall man, in the pristine black suit, turns and retreats swiftly, the senator all but forgotten. No worries boggle his mind; no regret tarnishes his soul. He serves no purpose higher than his own. His power and intellect serve him well. He is judge, jury, and executioner. The people of this world would do well not to cross his path.

Chapter Two

~ Fleeting Heaven ~

Buford, GA

I'm watching the clouds push their way across the bright blue sky as I lie on a blanket with Logan in my backyard. Though I can't see the blue of the sky anymore, it doesn't bother me as much as I thought it would. Just being able to lie in the arms of the boy I love is enough to make up for the lack of color that's invaded my life six weeks ago. Our legs are intertwined and my head is nestled in the crook of his neck. Logan is running his hands up and down my covered arms. It still amazes me how far I’ve come in respect to someone being so close to me; touching me freely through my always covered skin.

I’m no longer afraid of his thoughts, his touch.

After David's death and my subsequent ascension, many of the former fears I kept close to my heart, have disappeared. It's like a light has turned on within me, illuminating areas of myself that have changed the way I see the world. With this new light, I'm no longer afraid of the darkness lurking within people's memories.

The color disappeared from the world I see with my eyes, but it didn't forsake me completely. It just moved. I see colors everywhere. They just now reside within peoples’ thoughts. All I have to do is look at them, and waves of color free flow from their brains in strands. Within each color, are sentences representing thoughts. The color warns me what they are feeling since each color has its own meaning. For example, red represents love. I see that color practically gush off Logan every time he’s with me. Blue is a happy thought; also something I see relatively frequent when I’m with Logan. Black is, of course, all kinds of bad.

I could do without seeing any of those strands for the rest of my life, but I can’t escape it. It’s my curse to see the dark thoughts that people try their best to hide from others. I don’t care whether they act on these dark thoughts or not, the thoughts are still black as tar and evil as hell. I prefer the light colors, the colors of good. Right now, I don’t see anything since my eyes are closed while I’m lying in Logan’s arms. I can feel his memories buzz within me and it comforts me, makes me feel closer to him than any physical contact ever could.

I grow quiet as I lie in his arms, doing my best to soak up as much as I can of the calm that Logan emanates. But I can tell that my quiet unnerves him. It’s not unusual for me to be quiet, but what Logan endured while in his coma somehow changed him. Where I no longer fear the darkness, he’s become terrified of it. If my eyes were open, I’m sure I would see his thoughts are orange, the color of determination and curiosity.

Penny for your thoughts? he asks as he kisses my hair. You're pretty quiet today.

I moan and push myself further into the crook of his neck, refusing to answer him. I'm not trying to be coy; I'm just not ready to share my new world with him. Mostly because it’s a world I don’t understand. How can I possibly tell him about powers I have yet to explore?

Fleetingly, I wish Brett were here to help me, but I quickly choke down that idea. The memory of his betrayal still stings. Besides, I need time to understand myself first before I have any hope of explaining to Logan what happened to me.

My thoughts must have gotten away from me because Logan becomes impatient. Are you worrying about your gift again? he asks exasperated. I've already told you that I'm not scared of you. You didn't put those memories into my head. You took them out. You saved me. I owe you my life and I intend to spend every minute of the rest of my life making it up to you, he declares gently as he nudges my face up and pulls me closer until his lips meet mine.

I gasp involuntarily, relaxing as the few memories since our last kiss only a day ago, enter my mind. Logan’s memories are pleasant and to be honest, a bit boring. Which I don’t mind one little bit. Mostly, his thoughts are kind and consumed with the welfare of others. Today, however, I absorb memories of his twin brother. I feel the fear that he tries to hide from not knowing where his brother is. I’m not surprised that he’s scared since last time they met, his brother tried to kill him in an attempt to take over Logan’s life. There always seems to be one asshole in every family. Too bad you can’t choose who your siblings are.

I feel Logan tense as I experience the memory. I pull him closer and wrap my arms around his neck, desperate to take away his pain. We kiss until I'm dizzy and my lips are numb. We both so desperately want to forget the bad things that happened to us these past weeks. A good kiss can make you feel better. But an amazing kiss is the only thing that can help you forget. And boy, do we need to forget.

The darkness we harbor, born from the hatred that ultimately destroyed Brett’s brother, will consume us if we let it. That awful time when Logan was thrown into a coma from harboring evil memories David inserted into his mind, will forever remind us of the time when our world became unhinged. Luckily, this is my world now, the small space within Logan’s arms. It’s a world I never want to leave.

Though I only had my first kiss a few months ago, I can't imagine a better kisser than Logan. His scent intoxicates me and the feel of his lips against mine is pure heaven. Logan shifts infinitesimally until his upper body is on top of me. Surprised, I squeal in glee, not fear. He moves to deepen the kiss and I feel his tongue touch mine. I open my eyes in fear and joy, wanting to take in all the romance of this moment, but the minute I open my eyes, I see the tornado of thoughts cascading out of his head like a kaleidoscope. It’s blurry and it makes me nauseous as I watch it swirl above us, waves of color invading my mind. It’s too fast and I can’t process any of it. All I know is