Beautiful Chaos

Beautiful Chaos Copyright © 2023 by Jessie Emerson. All rights reserved. Cover Design by Cover Me Darling. Interior Formatting by Alex Grayson. Editing by Edits by Erin. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. The scanning, uploading, and/or distribution of this document via the internet or via any other means without the permission of the publisher is illegal and is punishable by law. Please purchase only authorized editions and do not participate in or encourage electronic piracy of copyrightable materials. All characters and events appearing in this work are fictitious. Any resemblance to real events or persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental. Contents Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15 Chapter 16 Chapter 17 Chapter 18 Chapter 19 Chapter 20 Chapter 21 Chapter 22 Chapter 23 Chapter 24 Chapter 25 Chapter 26 Chapter 27 Chapter 28 Chapter 29 Chapter 30 Chapter 31 Chapter 32 Chapter 33 Chapter 34 Chapter 35 Chapter 36 Chapter 37 Chapter 38 Chapter 39 Chapter 40 Chapter 41 Epilogue Want more? About the Author To anyone who’s ever felt like escaping. CONTENT WARNING Please be advised, this is not a light and fluffy read. There are some situations that may be triggering. I highly suggest taking heed of the warning below. This book contains scenes that may depict, mention, or discuss: assault, attempted murder, attempted rape, blood, cheating, child abuse, child death, death, hostages, incest, murder, pedophilia, physical abuse, poisoning, PTSD, rape, self-harm, sexual abuse, sexual assault, attempted suicide, torture PLAYLIST Courtesy of River Design Love and War - Fleurie Don’t Blame Me - Taylor Swift My Immortal - Evanescence Mirror - Lil Wayne and Bruno Mars Venom - Enimen Still Here - Digital Daggers Lost - Linkin Park What I’ve Done - Linkin Park It’s Not Over - Daughtry Immortals - Fallout Boy Had Enough - Breaking Benjamin This is the Best - USS Not Alone - Red The End is Where We Begin - Thousand Foot Krutch Until the End - Breaking Benjamin The Dark of You - Breaking Benjamin Close Your Eyes - Breaking Benjamin Evil Angel - Breaking Benjamin You’re the Reason - Shallow Side Whispers - Halsey &burn - Billie Eilish and Vince Staples The Reason - Hoobastank Chapter One Caterina I jerk upright in bed, my eyes darting around the dark room as the echoes of screams bounce around in my head. There’s a tightness in my chest, as if a boulder sits on my sternum, and my throat convulses, making it difficult for me to breathe. The eerie sounds felt so real that I half expected to find someone across the room, their haunted eyes watching me. Warm breath fans over my shoulder seconds before a hand touches my back, running soothingly up and down my spine. Taking a deep breath, I close my eyes, letting the comforting touch calm my rattled nerves. “Shh...,” a deep voice Chapter Two Hunter Walking into the kitchen, I come to a stop when I see the girl sitting at the table eating a banana, a half-full glass of orange juice in front of her. She’s wearing a purple romper with white polka dots and her long, dark hair is in two braids, both hanging over her shoulders. Her chin is propped on one of her hands with her elbow on the table as she stares out the backdoor window. I clear my throat as I continue across the room to the coffee pot already filled with coffee. “Good morning, Presley,” I say to the preteen girl. “What brings you by so