About Taboo 3: Go Man Go
by Willa Okati
32 pages
/ 11800 words
978-1-60370-325-3, 1-60370-325-X
Available file types - html, lit, pdf, prc
Heath and Vanner are trying hard to keep their family together without giving away their secrets, but when Heath’s friend Lucy barges in on them making love, it seems that everything is going to be exposed.
But before they can come to terms with Lucy knowing not only about their relationship, but about their sister Marybeth as well, they find out that someone else knows about Marybeth, someone who isn’t a friend.
Can they rescue Marybeth without exposing themselves further?
Sample
Lucy's heard Marybeth. Oh, fuck, Lucy heard Marybeth kicking up a fuss. They'll all know about her now. They'll say we're not fit to care for our sister.
They'll take her away, and it'll be the death of her.
It's Vanner's worst nightmare.
The hell of it is that he can't run, not like he wants to and not like Heath's urging him to.
Not yet. Not when Marybeth needs them with her here to get her through the "now".
Heath doesn't understand. He looks ready to punch his twin for not immediately hauling Marybeth, still hysterical and all, down the road to a Greyhound station. "Vanner, I swear to God. We don't have time for this."
"Hell we don't. I'm not gonna scare her even more, so you shut your mouth."
"Okay, yeah. She needs to calm down. Then we've got to move. Lucy wouldn't do a thing to hurt us, not on purpose, but if she tells a soul..."
"Shouldn't have let her take off," Vanner snaps.
"Damn it, Vanner. What should I have said to stop her?"
Vanner doesn't bother answering. His mind, for once, is nowhere near his twin or the fucked-up whatever that's come between them, all red-hot fire and dark blossoming rage. The more he looks at Heath, the more he thinks about that bastard Sidney and swear to God, he wants to ball up his fist and punch Heath on the chin for being such an ass. Safer to push Heath aside for the moment and take care of what business he can.
"Vanner, look at me when I'm talking to you."
"Piss off, Heath," Vanner warns. His hands curl into fists at his sides as he hunts, looks like in vain, for the little bag of treats that he uses as a last, last, last resort when Marybeth needs calming down. A play-doll-sized pink Barbie knapsack he found at some junk shop down in Fort Worth. Cost him half his dignity to buy the thing, but it made her smile, and that made it worth both the cash and the blushes.
Heath sighs, sounding like he's bearing up under the weight of the world just to humor Vanner. "What are you looking for?"
"Marybeth's things."
And doesn't that set Heath right off again? "If you're getting her stuff, I'll get ours. We can leave now and--"
"And what?" Vanner growls. "We're not goin' anywhere."
"The hell you say, we're not. Vanner, listen to reason."