Tainted Dreams

Copyright © 2023 Turnit Publishing LLCAll rights reservedThe characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.No part of this book may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without express written permission of the publisher.Turnit Publishing LLC112 Bartram Oaks Walk #600981Jacksonville, FL 32260eBook ISBN: 979-8-9867417-6-5Paperback ISBN: 979-8-9867417-5-8ASIN: B0C179N24XPrinted in the United States of America To those who find beauty in the darkness. Contents CopyrightDedicationPlaylist Content Warning 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 SixteenChapter Seventeen Chapter Eighteen Chapter Nineteen Chapter Twenty Chapter Twenty-One Chapter Twenty-Two Chapter Twenty-Three Chapter Twenty-Four Chapter Twenty-Five Chapter Twenty-Six Chapter Twenty-Seven Chapter Twenty-Eight Chapter Twenty-Nine Chapter Thirty Chapter Thirty-One Chapter Thirty-Two Epilogue Books by Kimberly QuayFollow AlongAcknowledgments Playlist “Addicted” by Saving Abel“Goodbye” by Cannons“In Dreams” by Ben Howard“Fire for You” by Cannons“Mr. Sandman” by SYML“Bringing Me Down” by Ki: Theory (feat. Ruelle)“Black” by Peal Jam“Nothing Else Matters” by Metallica “Grey Street” by Dave Matthews Band“Bad Romance” by Lady Gaga"Closer" by Nine Inch Nails“Two Ghosts” by Harry Styles“One Way Or Another” by Blondie“Creep” by Radiohead“Stronger” by Kelly Clarkson“Wide Awake” by Katy Perry“Go Your Own Way” by Fleetwood Mac“The 1” by Taylor Swift“I Knew You Were Trouble.” By Taylor Swift “Burn” by Ellie Goulding“Woman” by Mumford & Sons“The Reason” by Hoobastank“Monster” by Mumford & Sons Content Warning To my readers, This book contains content that may be difficult for some, such as graphic violence, explicit sex scenes, profanity, a possessive anti-hero, murder, stalking (light & welcomed), mention of past child and domestic abuse, mention of drug use/addiction, and death of a parent (mother). It's possible I've unintentionally left something out, but I trust you to know your limits before continuing.Overall, the book is about overcoming the demons of the past and finding the light in the dark. At its core, it is a love story. Much love and happy reading, Kimberly Quay Chapter OneSkye With the glow of the sunrise at my back, I sat in my small art studio, taking a moment to look at the paintings lining the walls. The sounds of the city faded as my eyes swept over the canvases. Each one was full of raw emotion, the hauntingly beautiful colors and brushstrokes portraying pain and despair. Each one captured the same woman in various stages of torment.The painting on the back wall always struck me the most. She sat hunched over with her head in her hands. Her hands hid her face from view, but her agony was palpable.Her defeated posture combined with the dark, moody backdrop of a seedy bar screamed anguish without the viewer having to see the tears falling from her eyes. There were countless others of her. Each piece of work revealed another level of her inner turmoil and her downward spiral into hell.There was one, hidden behind all the others, of her when she was happy. It was a stark contrast to the rest, showing her in a moment of pure joy and happiness. The setting was the woman’s art studio during her daughter’s seventh birthday party. She stood in the center of ten little girls, all of them trying to smear paint on her face. She had her head thrown back in laughter, her eyes sparkling with joy.Of all the paintings in the room, it hurt the most to look at. The emotions it evoked tainted its beauty. It was a reminder of the happiness fate had cruelly ripped away from her. A painful vision of what could have been and was no longer possible.I’d painted it five years ago and hadn’t looked at it again.To shake off the weight of my thoughts, I let my gaze settle on a painting I’d done nearly two years ago. It was the only one in the room that didn’t feature the woman. Instead, it depicted a tall man wearing a crisp, gray suit clearly tailored to fit his broad, muscular frame.I’d seen him one afternoon on my walk back from the market. I couldn’t take my eyes off him as he slid into a sleek black Bentley SUV while his driver held the door open for him. As I passed by, our eyes met for just a moment.It happened so quickly. I barely remember what the driver looked like, but the man getting into the car had been seared into my memory.Except his eyes. I had been too far away to see the color of his eyes, and it was the one detail missing, the one thing that prevented me from finishing the painting.I had hoped to run into him again, to catch a glimpse of his eyes and finally complete the piece. Despite making the same trip countless times, I never saw him again. It was as if he vanished, leaving me wondering if he was even real.Looking at the painting, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of longing. Just the thought of him had my pulse quickening. He’d caught my attention, not only because he was insanely handsome, but because his dark brown hair had fallen to cover one eye.It had surprised me because I expected someone dressed so impeccably, someone with a freaking driver no less, to have perfectly styled hair with not one strand out of place.That one unruly lock of hair made me think that the immaculately dressed businessman had a wild side to him, and I found myself yearning to explore it.That’s when it happened. He’d turned his head ever-so-slightly to blow the wayward lock from his face and our eyes met. In that split second, a butterfly took flight in my stomach and prickles of heat danced over my skin.We’d seen each other for only a millisecond, but the impact had lasted well into