Force of Nature

FORCE OF NATURE A BEROTTE FAMILY BOOK MONICA WALTERS CONTENTS Introduction Prologue 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 Epilogue From the Author… Other Titles by Monica Walters INTRODUCTION Hello, readers! Thank you for purchasing and/or downloading this book. This work of art contains explicit language, lewd sex scenes, violence, moments of grief/depression, and topics that may be sensitive to some readers. It also contains urban elements, which is why it is listed as a genre category for this book. This is book eleven of a new family of books… The Berotte Family (pronounced Bee-Rot). It starts with the father, and the following books trickle down to the kids and their friends. So if some things seem incomplete where the sub characters are involved, that was done intentionally. Those issues will be resolved in later books. This book is about Shyrón’s friend, Ali Joseph, an honorary Berotte. You first became more acquainted with him in book four, I’m The Remedy. It’s highly recommended that you read the previous books of this family series before indulging in this one, because it typically picks up right where the last one left off and updates ongoing issues that I don’t go into great detail about. Love On Replay Deeper Than Love Something You Won’t Forget I’m The Remedy Love Me Senseless I Want You Here Don’t Fight The Feeling When You Dance I’m All In Give Me Permission Also, please remember that your reality isn’t everyone’s reality. What may seem unrealistic or unrelatable to you could be very real and relatable to someone else. But also keep in mind that despite the previous statement, this is a fictional story. Ali and Riley’s story has a lot of back and forth and plenty of drama. So brace yourselves. Again, issues from previous stories are resolved and/or updated, and new issues have surfaced. So I hope you enjoy the ride this story is going to take you on. Monica P.S.- Riley’s last name, Domingue, is pronounced Dō-main (like a website domain). DEDICATION Thank you, Ashanté a.k.a. Taby, for allowing me to use your image for Riley Domingue in this book. I can still vividly remember us as kids, and my mama and daddy taking us to visit at y’all’s house. I always loved seeing your mom’s beautiful smile and happy demeanor. Whenever we came over, she always seemed excited to see us. My mama absolutely loved Charcy. I mean she loves DJ, too, but I can also remember how happy she was to see Charcy. I loved you and Enricka’s hair. I wanted to play in it so bad, but because I was so shy back then, I would have never said so. Y’all were like beautiful dolls to me. LOL! Memories of being there with you, Ricka, Carl, Ursula, and Elvin (I think that was his name. He goes by Joe now, I think. LOL) played vividly in my mind in a certain scene of this book. Plus, all the times we met up for New Year’s Day at your grandparents’ house, Cousin Agnes and Cousin Dalton Domingue, were times I’ll never forget. The best original Arnold Palmer (lemonade and tea mix) I’ve ever drank was something I looked forward to, not to mention sharpening my Uno skills. I’ve absolutely loved watching your journey to a better you. Watching the weight you’ve lost has been so inspiring. Your hard work hasn’t gone unnoticed. You looked amazing before, but you look even more amazing now, because I can see a light that wasn’t there before. Girl, then you started lifting weights and even competed! I’m so proud of you, Taby. Our daughters stand side by side in the choir stand on second Sundays, and I have to constantly remind Lecee that Alana is her cousin. SMH. We need to get together PROLOGUE ALI “This yo’ last fucking option. I’m sicka yo’ shit. I’ve been beyond patient because I know I fucked wit’ yo’ feelings and shit, but you fucking wit’ a killer… I will literally blow yo’ fucking brains out all over this wall.” Talisha was trembling as I held her by her neck with my gun to her head. I didn’t know what the fuck I was thinking when I told DJ I would distract her for him. This bitch was crazy as fuck and on my last fucking nerve. She’d been following me all over Beaumont, but her breaking windows at Watchful Eyes was the final straw. “Okay. I’ll move. I’m sorry, Ali. You just got me crazy as hell. I ain’t never met a man that treated me like you, no matter how much of an act you say it was. I don’t want to let that go. How could you treat me so good and make that shit feel believable?” “I didn’t. I just played on your desperation. You didn’t notice the signs, because you liked the attention.” She started crying, and all I could see was my mother suffering at the hands of my father. I lowered my gun and backed away from her. When I did, she ran to me and wrapped her arms around me. Yeah, she crazy as fuck. There was no way she should want to hug me right now. I just had a gun to her damn head. “Man… come on na.” I pushed her away from me. This chick was as ugly as they came, but now that she was crying, I swore she was even uglier. Despite that shit, her tears still moved me and brought out my sensitivity. I slowly shook my head and said, “You gotta get