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    Found Family
    Found Family
    Found Family
    Ebook288 pages4 hours

    Found Family

    By Meyari McFarland

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    About this ebook

    Families come in all sorts and sizes. From brutal lovers to tender lovers, strong parents to the dead we've left behind, family defines us all in many ways.

    Meyari McFarland has collected six stories of families in all their varied glory for your reading enjoyment.

    Includes:

    An Unrepentant Bastard
    Stolen Away
    Stardust In Your Veins
    Electric Time
    Ghosts of the Dead
    Tea and Knives

    With an excerpt of the new novella Crumbling of the Soul.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherMDR Publishing
    Release dateSep 29, 2017
    ISBN9781370180547
    Found Family
    Author

    Meyari McFarland

    Meyari McFarland has been telling stories since she was a small child. Her stories range from SF and Fantasy adventures to Romances but they always feature strong characters who do what they think is right no matter what gets in their way. Her series range from Space Opera Romance in the Drath series to Epic Fantasy in the Mages of Tindiere world. Other series include Matriarchies of Muirin, the Clockwork Rift Steampunk mysteries, and the Tales of Unification urban fantasy stories, plus many more. You can find all of her work on MDR Publishing's website at www.MDR-Publishing.com.

    Read more from Meyari Mc Farland

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      Book preview

      Found Family - Meyari McFarland

      Found Family

      By Meyari McFarland

      Other Romance Novels by Meyari McFarland:

      A New Path

      Following the Trail

      Crafting Home

      Finding a Way

      Go Between

      Like Arrows of Fate

      Out of Disaster

      Coming Together

      Following the Beacon

      The Solace of Her Clan

      The Shores of Twilight Bay

      You can find these and many other books at www.MDR_Publishing.com.

      Copyright ©2017 by Mary Raichle

      Cover image

      © Svetlanakroitor | Dreamstime.com - A Cup Of Herbal Tea, A Plate Of Fresh Pastry, Yellow Autumn Leaves, Ripe Red Currants And Garden Flowers On A Wooden Surface Photo

      All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

      Requests for permission to make copies of any part of the work should be emailed to publisher@mdr-publishing.com.

      This book is also available in TPB format from all major retailers.

      Dedication:

      This story is dedicated to my family: my parents, my husband, my brother and his kids, and to my fans.

      Table of Contents

      An Unrepentant Bastard

      Stolen Away

      Stardust In Your Veins

      Electric Time

      Ghosts of the Dead

      Tea and Knives

      Excerpt: Crumbling of the Soul

      Afterword

      Author's Note: The bonds of love can inspire some truly terrifying things. It can change monsters into princes. Or so the legends say. But those are just legends. Sometimes love does inspire the beast to bring someone close. That doesn't mean that the beast changes his stripes or that he'll hesitate to protect the family that he's claimed as his own.

      An Unrepentant Bastard

      1. Velvet Whip

      Darius hummed as he strolled from his limo to the front door of his most important and expensive brothel, the Velvet Whip. It was three stories higher than the surrounding buildings, nearly Gothic in its decoration compared to the blank concrete utility of the surrounding architecture.

      Where other buildings contented themselves with high steel-reinforced walls that had only one or two windows, Darius had ordered the brothel to be painted as though it had a dozen windows per floor, each with lush red velvet drapes. It looked at first glance like a huge Victorian house, which was appropriate to the theme of the Velvet Whip.

      Of course, none of the windows were real. Darius wasn't fool enough to risk his customer's health and well-being that way. A stray bomb or rocket could kill someone and that would be bad for business. Darius was allergic to doing things which were bad for business. He certainly wasn't going to fall to the level of the normal people around him.

      Good evening, Master Elshag, one of the bouncers said as he opened the door for Darius.

      Good to see you, Master Elshag, the other one said, his machine gun at the ready against the unlikely chance that someone would attack Darius as he entered the brothel.

      Good evening, boys, Darius murmured as he walked past them.

      They bowed properly, as did the men waiting inside. Darius paused to look over the lobby. The night had begun several hours ago so most of the people in the lobby belonged to Darius. A handful of the bouncers were true slaves, men who had failed the debt slavery system so badly and so completely that they were sold outright. While most Masters chose not to put true slaves in responsible positions, Darius found most of them to be so effective as bouncers that he didn't hesitate.

      If they overreached their authority it wasn't as though there were any problems with killing them, after all.

      Still, the majority of his workers at the Velvet Whip were debt slaves working to repay the money they owed Darius. All of them were comely enough to be attractive to the majority of customers. Every single one had been amply trained in sexual skills and they all knew to be bright, happy and welcoming to the customers.

      As he strolled through the red velvet decorated lobby with its plush couches and heavy drapes towards the stairs, Darius got bows and smiles from all of his employees. The few customers who'd apparently gotten a late start on the evening murmured respectful greetings as he passed. All in all, it seemed that the Velvet Whip was doing well this evening.

      He could hear the sounds of passion from upstairs. Such things tended to be boring so Darius headed downstairs to the 'special' floor in the basement where a group of his most rich and important customers had arranged an orgy. Ensuring that they were well taken care of was his primary reason for visiting tonight.

      Darius would not want to offend the Masters. They were richer and more powerful than Darius by far, as was appropriate given that they worked side by side with Master John Boles in the city. As much as Darius might like to increase his money and power by courting Boles' approval, he knew that it was fruitless. Boles was notably moral, to a level that Darius found quite ridiculous. The changes he would have to make to Elshag Industries wouldn't be worth it.

      Besides, Darius thought with amusement, it was better to be able to play both sides of the game. Black might be completely insane but he left Darius' businesses alone in exchange for the information his people gathered. Freedom from attack was well worth the lack of prestige.

      Master Darius, one of the bouncers at the base of the stairs murmured.

      Darius raised an eyebrow at the man's pale face and sweat-beaded brow. Problem, Anthony?

      Ah… no? Master? Anthony said, sweat forming in earnest now.

      Anthony, Darius murmured while staring him straight in the eyes. The man was easily twice as wide as Darius at the shoulders but he shook in his boots. Is there a problem?

      Anthony swallowed hard, closing his eyes for a second. The other bouncer at the base of the stairs was staring fixedly at the far wall but out of the corner of his eyes Darius could see him shiver. When Anthony opened his eyes again there was the sort of desperation that told Darius that someone, somewhere, was in need of an object lesson about following Darius' orders.

      The… prostitutes that Scourge brought in? Anthony said, shaking even harder when Darius frowned. Master, I… I don't think they brought the right people. I mean, Scourge said that he had the right people but… I think they screwed up, Master.

      Darius frowned in earnest at that. The last thing he wanted to do was offend the other Masters by presenting the wrong thing to them. It was bad enough that he'd been forced to contract with independent prostitutes for the orgy. Two of the other Masters were old fashioned enough that they wanted honest to goodness (or was that 'badness'?) whores, the sort who walked the street instead of working properly from a brothel.

      In general, Darius objected to independent prostitutes. Most of them were drug addicted. Frequently he found that they weren't taking care of their health properly due to their drug addictions or other mental health issues, leading them to having highly unfortunate social diseases that could be transmitted to his customers. However, his customers tonight had insisted on it so he'd arranged to have some brought in after ensuring that they were all clean, healthy and, relatively, sober.

      I see, Darius said. Thank you for informing me of the issue, Anthony. I'll go ensure that it's taken care of.

      Thank you, Master, Anthony sighed, his shoulders slumping with relief. You're welcome, Master.

      Darius left them behind, following the hallway to the back entrance where the prostitutes and other support staff were preparing for the orgy. The basement level was decorated with black velvet and gold trim. It was still unbearably gaudy but Darius found it far more comfortable than the upstairs' red frippery.

      Before he'd even opened the door Darius knew that Anthony was quite right to warn him. From the sounds of the argument on the other side, Scourge had once again decided that he was free to exceed the rather stunning level of freedom Darius had given him.

      Please! I'm not a whore! You can't! Stop it! a young man's voice squawked.

      Darius raised an eyebrow as he studied the scene before interrupting. The back room was appropriately Spartan, with simple metal tables that were easy to scrub and hard wooden chairs. The bare floor was covered in old linoleum that showed the abuse it had gotten over the years. Two of the prostitutes were sitting along the wall, watching the show while the other three chatted together quietly by the door into the orgy area. All of them were naked other than the jewelry that Darius' people had provided. To Darius' approval they had already had the appropriate makeup applied.

      Nearer to Darius, Lunk was wrestling with a truly gorgeous young man in jeans and a simple black T-shirt. While the young man protested, Lunk attempted to get him to strip by tugging at the shirt and glaring down at him. The young man had stunning cheekbones, lips that almost looked made up but for the lack of shine, and obviously dyed blue and blond streaked hair. He was most certainly not one of the prostitutes that Darius had contracted with though the blue streaks on blond background had some slight resemblance to the young man Darius had chosen.

      Quit fighting and do what you said you'd do, you whore, Lunk snarled.

      Lunk finally managed to get the shirt off to reveal a creamy chest nearly devoid of hair. He appeared to be a natural blond based on the tufts of hair on his chest. Darius smiled appreciatively. Whoever the young man was, he was quite attractive enough to be a prostitute of the highest caliber. That he wasn't actually in the profession was clear from the young man's ferocious blush.

      I'm not a whore! the young man squawked, breaking free of Lunk's hands by desperately wrenching his arm out of Lunk's fist. Leave me alone! Who are you people?

      Is there a problem? Darius asked, smoothly leaving his place by the door to stride towards Lunk and the boy.

      He saw how his expensive suit, perfect shoes and impeccable grooming reassured the young man. Inwardly, Darius couldn't help but be amused by that. The boy might be calmed by Darius' presence but everyone else in the room tensed up, understanding quite well that the danger quotient of their evening had just increased a thousand percent. His gopher-slave Scourge pushed off of the wall, coming over to bow ever so slightly to Darius.

      Apparently the kid got a better offer for the night, Scourge said, shrugging. He doesn't want to play anymore.

      I am not a whore! the young man bellowed.

      Who are you, then? Darius asked. His outrage made Darius smirk and raise an eyebrow at him.

      Um, Jason, the young man said as he blushed brightly. Jason de Havin. I work at Murphy Burgers up the block. I had to close tonight and this guy, pointing at Scourge, grabbed me and hauled me in here. I'm a cook, nobody special. I'm not a whore!

      I see, Darius said, nodding calmly while Scourge started twitching and Lunk gave the young man back his shirt. You'd probably do well as a prostitute. You do have the looks for it.

      He turned to Scourge and waved a hand to cut off his protests of innocence, of blame. They were meaningless and they both knew it. Scourge had made an unforgivable mistake, pure and simple, probably out of boredom or his twisted sense of humor. The man had pushed against the limits that Darius set since the day Darius acquired him.

      Rather than allowing it to continue, Darius pulled his handgun and shot Scourge through the chest, calmly adding a second bullet to the forehead once Scourge was lying on the ground. Lunk sighed and went to get the mop and bucket. Jason gave a little scream and clutched his shirt to his chest, knees shaking violently. Across the room, the proper prostitutes barely even noticed Scourge's death.

      There, Darius said, tucking his gun away in his holster, that's taken care of. Let's get you home, Jason.

      What? Jason asked, his voice squeaking through a throat obviously gone too dry and too tight. He looked like he was going to be ill.

      Home, Darius said, smiling at him. He truly was gorgeous cowering there half dressed. Put your shirt on and I'll escort you home.

      Jason put his shirt on so quickly that it was almost like magic, bare chested one second and dressed the next. He was still white-faced and shaking as he swallowed hard as one of the other men dragged Scourge's body away, leaving a bloody trail that Lunk calmly started mopping up.

      The rest of Darius' men did their best to be invisible, not wanting to be noticed by their boss right now. Being noticed could lead to being dead. Darius did prefer to dispose of all his problems at one time rather than having to pay for the disposal of the bodies over and over.

      Th-thanks, but I'll take the subway, Jason said, voice quivering.

      Nonsense, Darius said, nodding at the clock. You've already missed the last train, dear boy. My men have inconvenienced you and caused you to endure things you should not have. Allow me to make amends. I insist.

      Jason didn't seem able to say no as Darius looked down at him. Part of that was clearly shock. The boy's eyes were far too wide and he shook rather violently. Another part of it appeared to be a level of latent attraction to Darius that was surprisingly rare in Darius' experience.

      People who did not know him generally said he was either 'fierce' or 'terrifying' prior to learning his identity. Only a couple of people had ever said that he was attractive. Darius was quite aware that his carefully chosen garments and well-groomed hair were only making the best of what he'd been given by genetics. A hawk-like nose coupled with a jaw excessively square and strong generally did not combine well with high, sharp cheekbones and somewhat sunken eyes that even his mother had described as 'intense'.

      Still, Jason licked his lips while pulling his shirt on. His eyes even flicked appreciatively over Darius' body. The way he smoothed his hands over his thighs suggested quite a bit of attraction that Darius found appealing.

      Jason truly was gorgeous. In the general run of things, Darius would have taken him back to his penthouse and had his way with the boy whether he willed it or not. A generous payout soothed even the worst of offense, especially once the offended party understood just how badly their life would change if they didn't take the offered money. As Darius considered doing precisely that with Jason, Jason straightened up and let out a shuddery breath.

      Um, thank you for saving me, Jason said, the shock subsiding into a mixture of fear, stubborn determination not to show it, and the attraction that Darius had already noted. I really appreciate it. That was, that was terrifying.

      He met Darius' eyes without undue quivering or nervousness. Darius quite literally couldn't remember the last time someone had looked at him with such open honestly. It made him smile and bow his head slightly towards Jason. No, he wouldn't sweep the boy off for a night of passion followed by never seeing the boy again.

      Jason was different. He liked different. Better than that, Darius liked that Jason was effectively his to shift around as he wished. The Murphy Burgers chain was his, which meant that if Darius wished, he could transfer Jason to a job which better suited the boy's potential.

      You're quite welcome, Darius said, already plotting where to place Jason and what to have him do. Now, let's get you back to your home, shall we?

      The drive back to Jason's house in the suburbs was quiet. Darius had ensured that the privacy window was rolled down as they left, only because Jason twitched nervously as he settled onto the seat next to Darius. Having it down seemed to calm him somewhat though the boy was obviously quite unsure of himself.

      Darius settled into the seat, crossing his ankle across his knee. He studied Jason, allowing himself to take in all the details of the young man. His hair was long enough in front that Darius would have thought that it needed to be cut but the buzzed short sides and back made him believe that the drape of blue and blond bangs was deliberate. Two studs adorned his left ear, both simple silver balls. The right ear had just one stud.

      His T-shirt was obviously one that had been worn many times given how fragmented the silkscreen printing promoting the band Freedom's Bitch was but it wasn't ratty. The jeans were similarly worn and comfortable, without visible tears. Both were well within the dress code for Murphy Burgers.

      As he watched Jason, the boy twitched more. His face went white, then red. After several minutes and one traffic stoppage for a murder alongside the road, Jason glared at Darius with an annoyed expression that was darling in its attempt at ferocity. He even fisted his hands on his thighs.

      Why are you staring at me? Jason asked.

      Once again, he met Darius eyes far more forthrightly than anyone had in years. Truthfully, Darius hadn't had anyone be this open and sincere with him since he took over his father's business with a bullet to the back of the skull. His mother had disappeared years before that, probably after being caught in an affair by his father. The affair itself wouldn't have been an issue if only her lover hadn't been a major rival to Elshag Industries.

      You're attractive, Darius said, smirking as the way Jason went crimson. Quite attractive. Is it a crime to appreciate beauty when you find it?

      It's a crime to commit murder! Jason exclaimed.

      Not at all, Darius said with a calm shrug. Scourge was a true slave, albeit a rather more than normally independent one. He wasn't a person and ending his life is not legally murder. He was on his last warning. I'm afraid that Scourge never managed to learn how to take orders without twisting them for his own amusement. You were caught in yet another of his little games. I will not tolerate such things. Scourge knew it. He paid for it.

      Oh, Jason breathed as his eyes went wide. I didn't…oh.

      Jason looked out the window, staring at the scenery as the large concrete reinforced buildings gave way to smaller family homes that were far more like what Darius remembered being normal when he was a small boy. All of them had security bars over the windows and signs stating that they were protected by this or that alarm system, but they were wood-framed houses with small lawns and occasionally shrubs.

      I don't… have much to do with that sort of thing, Jason admitted. Slaves, I mean. My family's pretty good at managing our debt so I've never spent much time around debt slaves. I don't think I've ever met true slaves before.

      At your level of society there would be little reason for it, Darius said, amused by the boy's sheer naiveté. True slaves are the province of the truly rich and most debt slaves come from much lower levels of society. You should be proud of your family for staying away from the debt slavery system so successfully. It's quite rare.

      Um, thank you, Jason said.

      His cheeks were pink when he turned back to Darius. A tiny shy smile graced his lips, prompting Darius to once again think about snatching the boy away from his current life and into Darius'. Truly, someone this fascinating shouldn't be hidden away in the kitchen of Murphy Burgers.

      You're quite welcome, Jason, Darius purred at him, tempted to pat the seat to have Jason edge closer.

      The faint blush turned into a violent one at Darius' tone. He couldn't resist a chuckle even though it made Jason huff at him with annoyance. They arrived at Jason's family's home shortly after that. It was a nice house, a respectable two-story building with a three-car garage and a well-manicured lawn. There were shrubs on each side of the front door that had been trimmed well enough that they couldn't be used for cover. There was also a fence around the back that had a sign saying ‘beware of dog' next to the 'Elshag Security Systems' sign. It was cozy, respectable, and decidedly upper middle-class, everything that Darius wasn't and never had been.

      Here you are, Darius said, smiling at Jason as the driver came around to open the door for him. Do let me properly apologize for subjecting you to such a dreadful experience, Jason.

      It's all right, Jason said, looking at his family's home and then turning back to Darius with a faint blush staining his cheeks once again. Nothing happened to me so really it's all right.

      Good, Darius said.

      He abruptly pulled the boy into his arms and caught the back of his head. Darius kissed him, using Jason's startled gasp to plunder his mouth. He almost laughed as Jason at first struggled, then stiffened and then nearly melted into his arms, clinging to Darius' neck as though he was an anchor in a storm. He tasted of cola and fries, smelled of burger fat.

      For one so young and apparently inexperienced, Jason was an excellent kisser who responded instantly to anything that Darius did to him. A tongue slid along his teeth made Jason shudder. Sucking his tongue into Darius' mouth made Jason groan loudly. Darius' nails along Jason's spine made him shudder, whine and buck his hips.

      When Darius finally let him go, Jason's lips were swollen and wet. His eyes were a bit unfocused as he gave a little whimper of loss. He clutched Darius' collar until he realized what he was doing and then shook his head. Jason blinked twice before pulling sharply out of Darius' arms.

      Good night, Jason de Havin, Darius purred, settling back into his seat with a confident smirk that he felt quite justified in. It's a pleasure to have met you, no matter what the circumstances.

      Jason made a garbled noise that was somewhere between 'night', 'what?' and 'eep' before he dove out of the limo. He hurried up to the front door of his house. When Jason looked back before opening the door, his body turned just enough that his erection was clearly visible in the porch light. It

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