Fierce-Jade
Natalie Ann
Copyright 2020 Natalie Ann
All Rights Reserved
No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner without a written consent.
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Contents
Author’s Note
Also by Natalie Ann
About the Author
Blurb
Prologue
1. It Was Meddling
2. Pretty Damn Lucky
3. Intimidated By Her
4. Putting Down Roots
5. Military Brat
6. New Dreams
7. Dinner Meeting
8. Take For Granted
9. Her Shield Up
10. To Be Involved
11. Special Treatment
12. Speak The Truth
13. Seen Me Sweat
14. Dressing the World
15. Nosy and Meddling
16. Heavy Dreams
17. Same Thoughts
18. Fall Prey
19. A Thing For You
20. Conflicting Emotions
21. Craving Her
22. Secret Weapons
23. My Special Day
24. Playing House
25. A Good Cause
26. Deciding Factor
27. Makes You Happy
28. Not a Compliment
29. A Little Intense
30. Landed In My Lap
31. You Need To
32. Just Different
33. Fears or Worries
34. Love To Give
35. Shit Happens
36. So Scared
37. A Lot of Music
Epilogue
Also by Natalie Ann
About the Author
Author’s Note
Author’s Note
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, events and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
Also by Natalie Ann
The Road Series-See where it all started!!
Lucas and Brooke’s Story- Road to Recovery
Jack and Cori’s Story – Road to Redemption
Mac and Beth’s Story- Road to Reality
Ryan and Kaitlin’s Story- Road to Reason
The All Series
William and Isabel’s Story — All for Love
Ben and Presley’s Story – All or Nothing
Phil and Sophia’s Story – All of Me
Alec and Brynn’s Story – All the Way
Sean and Carly’s Story — All I Want
Drew and Jordyn’s Story— All My Love
Finn and Olivia’s Story—All About You
Landon Barber and Kristen Reid- All Of Us
The Lake Placid Series
Nick Buchanan and Mallory Denning – Second Chance
Max Hamilton and Quinn Baker – Give Me A Chance
Caleb Ryder and Celeste McGuire – Our Chance
Cole McGuire and Rene Buchanan – Take A Chance
Zach Monroe and Amber Deacon- Deserve A Chance
Trevor Miles and Riley Hamilton – Last Chance
Matt Winters and Dena Hall- Another Chance
Logan Taylor and Kennedy Miles- It’s My Chance
The Fierce Five Series
Gavin Fierce and Jolene O’Malley- How Gavin Stole Christmas
Brody Fierce and Aimee Reed - Brody
Aiden Fierce and Nic Moretti- Aiden
Mason Fierce and Jessica Corning- Mason
Cade Fierce and Alex Marshall - Cade
Ella Fierce and Travis McKinley- Ella
Fierce Family
Sam Fierce and Dani Rhodes- Sam
Bryce Fierce and Payton Davies - Bryce
Drake Fierce and Kara Winslow – Drake
Noah Fierce and Paige Parker - Noah
Wyatt Fierce and Adriana Lopez – Wyatt
Jade Fierce and Brock James – Jade
Ryder Fierce and Marissa McMillan- Ryder
Love Collection
Vin Steele and Piper Fielding – Secret Love
Jared Hawk and Shelby McDonald – True Love
Erik McMann and Sheldon Case – Finding Love
Connor Landers and Melissa Mahoney- Beach Love
Ian Price and Cam Mason- Intense Love
Liam Sullivan and Ali Rogers - Autumn Love
Owen Taylor and Jill Duncan - Holiday Love
Chase Martin and Noelle Bennett - Christmas Love
Zeke Collins and Kendall Hendricks - Winter Love
Troy Walker and Meena Dawson – Chasing Love
Jace Stratton and Lauren Towne - First Love
Gabe Richards and Leah Morrison - Forever Love
Blake Wilson and Gemma Anderson – Simply Love
Brendan St. Nicholas and Holly Lane – Gifts of Love
Paradise Place
Josh Turner and Ruby Gentile – Cupid’s Quest
Harris Walker and Kaelyn Butler – Change Up
Philip Aire and Blair McKay- Starting Over
Nathan Randal and Brina Shepard – Eternal
Ryan Butler and Shannon Wilder – Falling Into Love
Brian Dawson and Robin Masters – Mistletoe Magic
Amore Island
Family Bonds- Hunter and Kayla
Family Bonds- Drew and Amanda
Family Bonds – Mac and Sidney
About the Author
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Blurb
Jade Fierce thought she had it all. Many looked at her and assumed the same thing. She’s been misunderstood her whole life and was just sick of it. With all her brothers sliding into love around her, the dreams she’s had of wanting the same were suffocating her. But the last thing she plans on having done is her parents setting her up!
Brock James’s life changed forever the day a bomb exploded leaving him injured. With his military career over, he sets his sights on a new adventure. This one needing some help from none other than the sexy engineer he was partnered with at his best friend’s wedding the previous year. Only now he is worried she’s going to find out her parents might have had a hand in it and want nothing to do with him.
Prologue
Jade was in the kitchen of her townhouse that she shared on campus with three other girls. No one was home but her and she was happy for that.
She started to sniffle and pushed it back. There was more rage than anything at this point. Damn Dylan for what he’d said. For what he’d done. She’d bet if she hadn’t confronted him, he’d keep it up too.
“Are you cleaning the kitchen in a skirt and leather shoes?” Miranda asked when she walked in the door. Miranda had a room on the other side of the townhouse with Stephanie. Jade really didn’t care for Miranda much, but you don’t know everything about someone until you’ve lived with them.
“I am. If you guys were cleaner I wouldn’t have to do it all the time.”
Miranda laughed. “You don’t need to pick up after us. We aren’t that messy, but you can’t help being the control freak. So much so you can’t even change into old clothes to do it.”
She’d been too pissed off when she walked in the door and she knew the mindless task of scrubbing
the kitchen and counters would help her a little. She didn’t want to lose control and break down in front of anyone, least of all her roommates who were like vultures on a carcass on the side of the road.
“So I heard Dylan ended things with you,” Miranda said in that voice of hers that gloated about everything.
“I think you heard wrong,” she said back completely in control now. Never let them see you sweat or being weak. That was how she felt.
It was probably the last straw when Dylan started flinging insults at her and she laughed in his face and told him to stop being so childish and act like a man and admit what he did. She was fully aware he was going to trash her now and it looked like he didn’t waste much time.
“Are you and Dylan done?” Miranda asked.
She had no idea how Miranda could know this soon when it only happened an hour ago. Guess snake venom spread fast. She could lie, but there was no point. “We are.”
“He dropped you because you’re too rigid,” Miranda said. “We’ve been telling you that for years.”
Years was an exaggeration since she’d only talked to Miranda for the last two and if she’d had her way they wouldn’t be sharing a townhouse together, but she didn’t.
She’d been dying to be on her own and go to a different college than the rest of her family. Than her twin. If she’d gone to Duke she could have been rooming with her cousin Ella all along. But nope, she’d thought she was ready to do it alone.
Little good that did when it seemed like she had more conflicts with girls here than she did with all her male brothers and cousins.
She’d thought it’d be better to get out from under them and the way they intimidated all the boys she’d dated, but she found that she would welcome their interference today.
No, that was wrong. She handled Dylan on her own even if he was spreading lies. And she was going to be the bigger person and pretend indifference even if she was heartbroken once again and feeling betrayed.
“He didn’t drop me,” she said, turning and crossing her arms.
“That’s not what he’s saying.”
Jade laughed. “Of course he isn’t going to admit I found out he was kissing someone else and confronted him. I don’t care to be with cheaters.”
“Cheaters,” Miranda said. “I didn’t know you guys were that serious. Dylan has been on a handful of dates in the last month with other women. I thought you knew. We all did.”
Miranda was trying to get a rise out of her like she did most girls on campus. She thrived on it. It wasn’t happening with Jade. “Well, I was exclusive when we started dating and he now knows what I will and won’t tolerate. If it makes him feel better that he is telling everyone he broke up with me, fine. But if what you are saying is true, then we had nothing to break up in his eyes.”
Miranda flushed and Jade knew she’d called the bluff. As always Miranda wanted to cause trouble. “Whatever. Doesn’t matter. You always have some excuse as to why relationships don’t last but the truth is you need to look in the mirror.”
“Excuse me?”
“You heard me. It’s not your brothers since they aren’t here. It’s you. You’re rigid. You’re controlling. It’s your way or the highway.”
Jade snorted. “I’d hardly say that.”
“Really?” Miranda asked. “Your boyfriend that you’ve been gaga over for weeks is caught kissing another girl and you’re not even upset over it. Instead you’re in the kitchen cleaning the way you want it done and rearranging everything to what suits you.”
She wasn’t going to acknowledge any of what Miranda was saying. Not even that she did move the silverware into another drawer that she felt it should have been in all along.
“Why do you care so much?” she asked instead.
“I don’t,” Miranda said.
“I think you do,” she said coolly. “I think you like to see other people upset and hurting. That you thrive on it and it’s just driving you insane that I’m indifferent.”
“That’s a good word for you,” Miranda said. “Indifferent. Another reason why you’ll be alone for a long time to come.”
She turned her back and picked the sponge up, Miranda getting bored and leaving now that Jade wasn’t giving her what she wanted.
When Jade knew the coast was clear, she went into her room and grabbed her pillow, then sat down on the bed, burying her face and letting the tears fall. No one was around and if they returned they wouldn’t hear her.
Never let them see you vulnerable. People like Miranda just ate it up.
She should be used to this by now. Used to men not understanding her. Not liking her for who she was or the person she wanted to be.
They saw a pretty face and a name that carried some clout but then got bored.
When her tears were done falling, she glanced over at the clock and noticed it’d been almost thirty minutes. She picked up some clothes and went into the bathroom to shower and scrub her face clean, then put a cold washcloth over her eyes.
By the time her other two roommates returned ninety minutes later, she was cool and composed cooking dinner.
“Hey, Jade,” Kaylee said. Kaylee shared the same half of the townhouse with her. “How are you doing?”
“Fine,” she said. “Why do you ask?”
“Miranda delighted in texting me that Dylan broke up with you.”
Bitch, Jade wanted to say, but didn’t. “I see she still wants to say her own version of it.”
Kaylee grinned. “You know her. But you look fine to me. I guess I shouldn’t expect any differently. Nothing seems to bother you. I’d be all red-eyed and sitting on the couch in a blanket with a gallon of ice cream on my lap right now.”
Jade wouldn’t admit she’d had a bowl earlier. No one was around to see her. “I’m not like you.”
“You’re not like a lot of women,” Kaylee said. “You’re much stronger and you’ll be better off for it in the end.”
“Not per Miranda. She thinks strong women are alone most of their lives.”
“But if you’re strong then who cares? You don’t need anyone. That’s what I think.”
Jade just smiled. Why couldn’t she be strong and want someone by her side at the same time? That possibility had to exist, right?
1
It Was Meddling
Thirteen years later
“You’re feeling good about yourself, aren’t you?” Jade asked her mother. They were at her Aunt Jolene and Uncle Gavin’s summer party. Wyatt was here with his girlfriend, Adriana, and Jade was positive her mother had something to do with that relationship.
Just like she suspected her Aunt Diane set up her cousins Sam with Dani, and Bryce with Payton. She’d been on the fence about her parents having a hand with her brother Drake and his fiancée, Kara, because they worked together and since Jade was in the office too, she’d seen how that relationship developed. Even if she still suspected more was going on.
The same with her other brother, Drake’s twin, Noah. He and Paige met when Noah had to call Paige in for a fight her nephew, Sebastian, had gotten into. Noah was the high school principal; Paige had custody of her teenage nephew.
Again, it could have just been fate or luck, but she suspected it was meddling.
The latest was her twin, Wyatt. The one that she’d consider the player of her brothers. Wyatt never dated anyone longer than a month most times and not anyone quite like Adriana. But the two of them were going strong. And of course, regardless of the fact Wyatt, a doctor, and Adriana, an OR nurse, worked together, her mother admitted that she’d asked Wyatt to introduce himself to Adriana since she was new in town. A request from Adriana’s stepmother, Maggie...who worked with her mother.
As if that wasn’t enough to get her radar up, the fact her cousins and brothers were falling in love in birth order—just like her cousins in Charlotte who were set up by their parents—was enough for her to know her parents and other aunt and uncle were behind this. You’d think they’d be busy w
ith Drake’s wedding in January and Noah’s in February, but she wouldn’t put anything past them now.
“Of course I am, Jade. You should be thrilled your brother is happy. I’m ashamed of you,” her mother said.
Jade laughed. “I am thrilled. I like Adriana a lot. She won’t take any of Wyatt’s crap either. Did you hear about the breakfast she made him?” She had a feeling her mother hadn’t and couldn’t wait to let her know that her mom wasn’t privy to everything.
“What? No. I didn’t know she was cooking for him. Even better,” her mother said. Yeah, it was little comments like that that reinforced something more was going on. She couldn’t believe her brothers were so blind to it all.
“An omelet so spicy that sour cream, a glass of milk, and five antacids didn’t help,” she said.
“How do you know that?” her father asked. Her parents were sitting with her Aunt Diane, Uncle Grant, Aunt Jolene, and Uncle Gavin. The six of them were always together when they were in the same town.
“Because he told me. I gave him the antacids,” she said.