Within
the Walls
by
Dre Keeton
Genre:
Paranormal Romance, Dystopian
Perfect
opposites in a far from perfect world.
Jackson
and Lenah are from two different worlds. Lenah is among the elite in
Sundale City. Jackson, on the other hand, is broke, Psycho Infected
and has a criminal record growing by the minute. It’s safe to say,
in another life, the two would never have crossed paths.
But
when Jackson is assigned to work for Lenah in an effort to use his PI
abilities for something productive, things get complicated.
As
their worlds collide, they realize how much they’ve both suffered
and struggled with the darkness the infection brought the world.
But
the closer they become, the more dangerous things get. It isn’t
just that PI and human relationships are forbidden, but Lenah's
powerful fiancé has no intention of letting her go. And as people in
the American Walled Cities start disappearing, Jackson and Lenah
discover there's something even more sinister at play than her
pending nuptials.
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“Lenah,
get down,” Jackson whispered, but she wasn’t listening to him. She probably
didn’t even hear him. She was a deer in the headlights, panicked and afraid
before she decided to run.
“Lenah,”
Jackson said, anticipating her next move. “Don’t…”
She
took off, moving quickly into the direction of the exact danger he wanted them
to avoid.
“Shit.”
Scrambling to his feet, Jackson moved after her.
Lenah
had only made it a short distance ahead of him, and he would have caught her if
she hadn’t run smack into the large man waiting at Jackson’s door.
The
man grabbed her by the shoulders and lifted her off the ground. “Oh, hello,” he
drawled. “Blessings are raining today. Just when I needed a snack.”
He
tossed her over his shoulder and held her there as she kicked and screamed,
trying to wriggle her way out of his grasp. It was a futile struggle, aside
from being the largest man on the planet, he was also PI. She didn’t stand a
chance.
Jackson
backed up. The man hadn’t seen him yet, and he had plenty of time to hightail
it out of the city.
“Goddammit,”
he cursed, knowing he couldn’t leave Lenah behind.
Putting
everything he had into it, Jackson took off at full PI speed, barreling into
the man in a flash of haste and pain. The impact rang through his body, and he
was certain he’d just shattered at least a dozen bones as he went down onto the
street. It was like hitting a block of cement or a sturdy,
immovable
brick wall.
If
it hadn’t been for the sneak attack, Jackson would have surely failed. But the
man was startled. He spun in a circle, looking for his attacker and stumbled
over his own feet. He hit the ground hard, his size working against him as he
lost his grip on Lenah.
She
quickly rolled away, scrambling to her feet before she took off running again.
“Lenah,
wait,” Jackson called out to her, but she wasn’t listening.
“Goddammit,
Lenah.” He growled in frustration as he prepared to run after her, scraping
himself off the ground. But the second he was upright, a hand caught him around
the back of his neck and slammed him back down into the pavement.
“Ah,”
Jackson cried out, trying to swear, but there wasn’t enough air in his lungs.
He wheezed as his chest hit solid ground, cracking nearly every rib inside of
his body. Warm blood dripped down his face, and he struggled to breathe,
wincing as each inhale created a harsh lightning strike of pain through his chest.
He
could feel the sharp edges of broken bones perforating his heart, and it was
agonizing. He reached up trying to maneuver the bone into a more comfortable
position, but a foot pressed against his back pushing him hard into the
pavement.
Blood
filled the back of his throat, and he coughed, spewing it across the road. The
pressure on his back created a drowning sensation as blood spilled from his
lips.
“I
got him,” the man pressing him into the ground called out.
He
kicked Jackson over and pressed his foot to his stomach, creating a new
sensation of pain.
Jackson
couldn’t make out his face. His vision was red and blurred as the veins in his
eyes seemed to overfill. He closed his eyes and waited.
Whatever
is to come, will come.
“Jackson,
Jackson, Jackson.” Oliver’s voice came in muffled as Jackson’s ears whirred
with the rhythm of his struggling heartbeat. “I had hoped you were getting off
that bus to bring me my money, or at least hand over that pretty little thing
you’re traveling with, but it seems you have a death wish.”
He
couldn’t disagree there. Clearly, he had a death wish. Why else would he run
head first into danger like he did? Even if he managed to survive it all,
recovery would be hell. Good thing survival isn’t likely.
The
thought bit at him. He wasn’t afraid to die but to have Oliver, of all people,
do it made him cringe. The moron with his name painted on the back of his head
is going to kill me. It almost made him want to fight, but the throbbing pain
in his head brought him back down to reality.
Oliver
ripped him up by his shirt, pulling him into a sitting position. He spoke
deliberately as he crouched down to meet Jackson’s eyes. “I told you not to
screw me, Jackson, and now I’m going to make you suffer.”
Jackson
mumbled incoherently, his inclination to be a smartass distorted by the blood
bubbling in the back of his throat. He wasn’t going to fight for his life, but
he refused to be some cooperative saint. Letting his mouth fill with blood, he
spat it into Oliver’s face.
Oliver
drew back, and Jackson was suddenly very disappointed that he couldn’t see his
face through his blurred sight. He closed his eyes and imagined his disgust,
smiling at the imagery even though it hurt like hell.
“Big
mistake,” Oliver grumbled before lifting him by the collar of his shirt.
Jackson
cried out as he was dragged backward into his shop. He’d never noticed how
ragged the edge of his door frame was until he was being hauled over it. It
took him a moment before he realized that the frame hadn’t always been that
way, but someone had ripped the door off the hinges.
Hey,
asshole. I’m going to have to fix that.
“Leave
us. Go back to the house and wait for me,” Oliver hollered over his shoulder.
Jackson hadn’t realized that Oliver’s henchmen had been watching the ordeal
until he addressed them. Fear flooded through him.
Why
was Oliver sending away his flunkies? What did he plan to do to him?
Oliver
tossed him into the hard cement wall and pinned him in place with an elbow to
his neck. “Oh, I’m going to enjoy this,” he said, his breath unwelcomingly
tickling Jackson’s jaw. “Any last words?”
“F-f-f-ahh-ooo,”
Jackson gurgled.
“A
pain in the ass till the very end.” Oliver slammed his foot into Jackson’s
already broken ribs and slung him across the room.
Brittle
remnants of bone broke off inside of Jackson as he choked on more blood. He was
going to die in pieces. Oliver laughed, watching him on all fours as he heaved
up his insides, panting as he tried to catch his breath.
“Want
to see what we found when we were going through your freakshow of a home?”
Oliver made his way across the room and grabbed him by the leg.
Jackson
shouted in pain as he was suddenly yanked through the office’s back door to the
shop’s garage. The sound of his body scraping the cement echoed through the
room.
Oliver
threw him into the corner next to his toolbox and began rifling through it.
Stopping, he pulled out Jackson’s long blade, his favorite blade, the blade
that had fed him for years.
“See?
Isn’t it nice?” Oliver teased, holding the blade in front of Jackson’s face. “I
should cut your head off right here and now with this.” He ran the sharp edge
across the side of Jackson’s neck, nicking him just enough to draw blood.
Live
by the sword, die by the sword. Jackson steeled himself. “What?
Nothing
to say about that, smartass?” Oliver scoffed as he threw the blade over his
shoulder. “I don’t need a blade. I’m going to rip your head off your shoulders
with my bare hands and string you up in the streets.”
Oliver
reached out and grabbed Jackson around the throat, lifting his body off the
ground until his tiptoes barely scraped the cement. He tightened his grip
around Jackson’s neck squeezing until he strangled and struggled against the
chokehold.
Oliver
gave another throaty laugh as the edges of Jackson’s vision darkened.
“Hey,
stop!”
Jackson
would have rolled his eyes at the panicked, shaking voice if he hadn’t been
certain they were on the verge of popping out of his head.
Oliver’s
grip on his neck loosened, and he sucked in air, reconsidering how annoyed he
was with Lenah for resurfacing. At least he could breathe again.
They were both
going to die now, but for the moment, he was thankful.
“Oh,
hey, pretty girl.” Oliver dropped Jackson onto the hard ground as he stepped
away and toward Lenah. Jackson blindly reached out, trying to grab him and hold
him back.
Dammit,
Lenah. Run! He flattened against the ground, unable to hold himself up.
“You
leave here right now, or I’ll have you arrested.” The tremble in Lenah’s voice
seemed to have dissipated, and Jackson wanted to groan. She really believed
that she had the upper hand, and it irritated Jackson more than anything. “My
boyfriend is Declan Meyers, and I’ll have no problem telling him about your
violence toward me and my friend,” Lenah insisted.
“Don’t
worry, beautiful. I won’t tell your boyfriend about our…” Oliver licked his
lips and blew her a kiss. “Connection.” He continued to move toward her, his
movements slow and deliberate.
Lenah
backed away, probably realizing she was in no position to bargain.
“We’re
going to have a good time, sweetheart. Don’t be afraid. I like to play with my
food before I eat it,” Oliver taunted. “Y-y-you better not touch me,” Lenah
stammered, and Jackson thanked the heavens at least she had enough sense to be
afraid. It wouldn’t do her much good now; she’d certainly just signed her death
certificate by sticking around, but it was good to know that she had some
instincts.
Lenah
turned to run and Oliver lunged for her, toppling her to the ground. Crawling
on top of her, he pinned her arms over her head and kissed her neck.
“Oh,
yes,” he purred, dragging his tongue across her cheek.
Helplessly,
Lenah kicked at him, but he was three times her size and superhuman. She was a
goner on her own.
Sucking
in a breath, Jackson put his weight onto his hands, attempting to lift himself.
The impulse to save her was miraculous, magical in the way that it pushed the
adrenaline through his body, clearing his sight and making him stronger.
Dragging
himself across the room, using his palms and elbows, he picked up a wrench as
he closed in on Oliver. He was completely focused on Lenah, giving Jackson the
element of surprise.
Oliver
leaned in to kiss her, and her eyes went wide before her jaw clamped down on
his bottom lip. Blood spurted from his mouth as Oliver reeled backward, letting
out a growl of fury.
He
yanked his hand back in the same instant that Jackson climbed shakily to his
feet.
The
sound of the smack he delivered to the side of Lenah’s face sparked a wild rage
in Jackson, and he reeled back and swung the wrench down with all of the might
left in his body.
It
connected with a loud, sickening crack to the back of Oliver’s skull, drawing a
stream of blood between the tattooed “Oli” and “ver” scrawled there.
Yelping,
Oliver brought his hand to the back of his head, covering his fingertips in
blood. “You just can’t wait to die, can you?” he snarled.
Whirling
around, he kicked Lenah out of his way as he reached out.
Jackson
leaned back, trying to duck him, but he’d used everything he had to help Lenah.
His legs gave out from underneath him and he collapsed.
Oliver
leaned down for him, dragging him up by his shirt.
Jackson
closed his eyes, waiting for death. At least he’d given Lenah a chance to run,
even if it was in vain. Oliver would probably sniff her out as soon as he
finished ripping him apart.
“Hey,
I said stop.”
No,
Lenah. Why are you still here?
“Shut
up. You’ll have your turn,” Oliver promised.
“No.
I said stop.” There was a certainty in Lenah’s tone that puzzled Jackson, and
he opened his eyes.
Oliver
must have been just as curious because he dropped him to turn and look at her.
“You’re
feisty. I like it. I bet you’ll be spicy when I taste you.”
Lenah
narrowed her eyes. “I dare you,” she challenged, and Jackson deflated. She was
a dead woman; he was sure of it. Smiling, Oliver took a step forward.
“Accepted.”
He
bared his teeth, and Jackson wracked his brain for any last-ditch effort to
save her. He nearly choked when Lenah pulled out her shiny little gun. She
didn’t even hesitate as Oliver advanced on her.
Pop!
Pop! Two shots fired into Oliver’s chest, and he stumbled backward.
Oh
shit! Oliver’s body crashed into him, taking them both down to land hard on the
ground.
Get
him off me. Get him off me. Jackson frantically tried to push Oliver over, but
he was far too weak and the weight on his battered chest left him suffocating.
Lenah
barreled toward him. “Oh crap, oh crap, oh crap. What do I do? Jackson, what do
I do?” Lenah dropped to the floor, her eyes wide with terror as Oliver flopped
around on top of him. Just roll him, Lenah. Get him off me.
As
if she could read his thoughts, she sprang into action, grunting as she pushed
Oliver’s weight off of him.
Oh,
thank God. Jackson sucked down as much air as his lungs would allow.
He
tilted his head, staring at Oliver as the Tethlythane worked through his
system. It was probably awful, but he felt joy watching Oliver writhe in pain.
He
smiled, or at least he thought he smiled. Darkness collected at the edge of his
vision, and he gave in to it. He’d done his part. Lenah was alive, and for the
moment, Oliver was out of commission. Everything else was up to the
universe.
While Lenah and Jackson both live inside within the walls
they may as well be from two different worlds. Lenah lives in Sundale City as
one of the elite and Jackson is one of the Psycho Infected and lives in Victory
with more between them than just a few miles.
Jackson and Lenah both have secrets from their past that
they would like to keep hidden. They both have done things that they feel guilty
about but they are things that they had to do to survive in their worlds.
Jackson is a broke man in more ways than one and this is
part of the reason that he was forced into becoming a protector for the elite
and coming to work for Lenah’s fiancé as her protector.
When Jackson met Lenah he wasn’t looking for a friend and
never expected to find friendship with an elite but Lenah can be very
persuasive. There was something about Jackson that made Lenah want to know who
he is and what made him the person he is today. Jackson came into Lenah’s life
when she needed someone the most. With a fiancé that is gone most of the time
leaving Lenah home alone a lot she just needs someone to talk to or maybe even
just to listen to her. I think Lenah felt a connection to Jackson in lots of
ways.
When Lenah and Jackson’s worlds collide and they start
learning things about each other, the elites and the Psycho Infected Lenah’s
eyes start to open and she sees the world around her to what is going on and
what is happening to the Psycho Infected. Jackson helps her to see the truth
that has been hidden from her. He helps her to remove the blinders that were
put on her the day she was born to keep her from knowing the truth. What is
going on within the walls? What are they hiding?
I love dystopian worlds and was so glad to have been given
the opportunity to fall into Lenah and Jackson’s world of the Psycho Infected.
Within the Walls has an amazing story line and all the character are just as
amazing. I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough wanting to know what was
happening next and wanting to know more about Lenah and Jackson. I can’t wait
for the next book to see where Lenah and Jackson take us next. The ending just
about blew me away I couldn’t believe it. It definitely left me with a lot of unanswered
questions that I hope will be answered in future books. Within the Walls is
another one of those books that will stay with me long after I have read the
last word.
I highly recommend Within the Walls to anyone who loves a
good book. It is impeccably written and the world building is just as perfect.
Dre
Keeton is the oldest of three children, a tequila enthusiast, and
fueled by plants. One of her favorite things, aside from chatting
with her dog, is creating fictional worlds that seem likely. Dre is
an avid promoter of diversity in literature and seeks to mirror that
in her own work.
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