Read CRASH & BURN (Rule Breaker) for Free Online

where my parents thought it would be better if we acculturated ourselves to living in the United States. They live in Miami. A middle-class neighborhood. My father’s a dentist. They never allowed any whining. There are no excuses, no reason in the world good enough for failure as far as my mother and father are concerned. Growing up, I learned quickly to conceal weakness. My parents were immigrants. It wasn’t easy for them at first. They arrived from a tiny Portuguese town, changed their names, and assimilated into the culture of the States.”
    “Why? This is the world’s official melting pot.”
    “Sure. If you’re an American looking at it. But those coming here to live don’t want to stand out unnecessarily. Or at least not my father. Not when it came to his career.”
    “You do realize that’s not what we’re going for insofar as marketing you. Exotic is fantastic in the music industry right now. Are you alright with that idea? What about your family?”
    “My parents wanted me to grow up and do something less...colorful. More traditional. They’ve struggled with my touring and being out on the road without a chaperon.”
    He chuckled, “I can’t imagine you with a chaperon.”
    “Don’t laugh. I had to take an older family friend or my mother on a date when I was growing up.”
    “What is this, then? An act of rebellion?”
    “No. This is my dream. Besides, my father is very ill. I’m not rebelling against my parents. They had another dream. It wasn’t mine.”
    “I suppose they wanted you to marry a dentist and live in a house on a corner.”
    “Not exactly. My mother wanted me to be an opera singer.”
    His swung his gaze back to her. “Were those the voice lessons you spoke of earlier? Opera?”
    Her eyes clouded and she turned to gaze down at the floor, blinking rapidly. “They were. Over ten years of lessons. Twice a week. Competitions. Summer camps. My mom was a stay-at-home and taught singing from the Florida room at the back of our house. Not just any type of singing. Serious concert opera. When my mother carried a note, if crystal was nearby—watch out. Still to this day, my mom’s range and ability to hold a clear musical note both awe and frighten me. I mean, only because my parents act as though they’ve got a second chance at life through me. I know that’s kinda what happens with parents…but there’s this type of desperation for it to all work out.”
    No way in hell would he be able to keep his hands off her, with her quivering chin and soft pale lips trembling. Fuck. She needed understanding, and he did something he never would have considered before meeting her yesterday. “I went to boarding school. It was hell. I hated it. The yards of mindless rules. Family went there for generations and loved it. Couldn’t wait to get the bloody hell out. I can tell you, I’ll never send my kid to one.”
    Slowly, she nodded as she glanced up into his face. “Then you understand.”
    He reached over and slid his arm across her shoulders, squeezing lightly. The impact of touching her sent a wave of warmth through him. “A bit. About living under someone else’s expectations. Tradition can be crap sometimes. Truly, every time it involves parents and their ability to forecast our future. Stinks.”
    “I don’t know why I’ve told you all of this.”
    “If it makes you feel better, I’m not one to share my family life either. I stepped away from them to make it on my own. Didn’t want a hand-out or their control. I’ve never regretted it.” Rarely had he dragged up the past about his family, and definitely didn’t do it amongst his clients. She smiled at him, and laughed. The low, sultry sound brought him out of his bubble with a swift reminder of the biting edge of his hunger for her. After hearing of her family life, he wanted to uncover the mystery of her, both her body and her non-stop, enigmatic personality. Alana licked her pink lips with the tip of her