Breaking Through (The Breaking Series Book 3) Read online

  Contents

  Title

  Copyright

  Dictionary

  Three Years Earlier

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Gui

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Gui

  Chapter Five

  Gui

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Gui

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Gui

  Chapter Twelve

  CHAPTER ONE Chapter Thirteen

  Gui

  Chapter Fourteen

  Gui

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Gui

  Chapter Seventeen

  Gui

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Gui

  Chapter Twenty One

  Gui

  Chapter Twenty Two

  Chapter Twenty Three

  Chapter Twenty Four

  Chapter Twenty Five

  Gui

  Chapter Twenty Six

  Chapter Twenty Seven

  Gui

  Chapter Twenty Eight

  Chapter Twenty Nine

  Gui

  Chapter Thirty

  Gui

  Chapter Thirty One

  Chapter Thirty Two

  Six Months Later

  What's Next

  Other Books

  About the Author

  Breaking Through

  by

  Juliana Haygert

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Copyright © 2016 by Juliana Haygert.

  All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  Manufactured in the United States of America.

  First Edition August 2016

  www.JulianaHaygert.com

  Edited by H. Danielle Crabtree

  Cover design by Najla Quamber Designs

  Cover photos by Lindee Robinson Photography

  Models: Madison Wayne and Mark Grisa

  Any trademark, service marks, product names, or names featured are the property of their respective owners, and are used only for reference. There is no implied endorsement if one of these terms is used.

  Dictionary English - Portuguese

  Note that some words and expression don’t have a perfect literal translation. The translation you see here is the one that fits the context of my novels.

  Ai – ouch

  Ainda bem – thank goodness

  Beijinho – a sweet made with condensed sweetened milk

  Bem – fine, good, well

  Boa noite – good night

  Boa sorte – good luck

  Boa tarde – good afternoon

  Bom – well

  Bom dia – good morning

  Bomba – item to drink chimarrão with

  Bombacha – gaucho pants

  Bombacha – typical pants used by gaúchos

  Branquinho – same as Beijinho

  Brigadeiro – a sweet made with condensed sweetened milk and cocoa powder

  Café colonial – continental breakfast

  Calma – calm down

  Carreteiro – typical dish made of leftover steaks from barbecues

  Chato – a name for someone who annoys you

  Chimarrão – herb-based drink from the south of Brazil

  Churrasco – Brazilian barbecue

  Churrasqueira – a type of a grill where Brazilian barbecue is made

  Claro – of course

  Credo – jeez/damn

  Cuia – kind of cup to drink chimarrão with

  Dança folclórica gaúcha – typical dance from the south of Brazil

  De nada – you’re welcome

  De novo – again

  Delícia – delicious

  Desculpa – sorry

  Deus do céu – Lord above/Oh my God

  Droga – crap

  E aí – what’s up?

  É assim – this way

  Eita – whoa

  Então – so?

  Eu não vou me atrasar – I won’t be late

  Eu te amo – I love you

  Eu vou te matar – I’ll kill you

  Feijoada – dish made with black beans

  Feliz Páscoa – Happy Easter

  Filha da puta (daughter of a bitch), mimada (spoiled), china (it’s like prenda, but in a bad way), rapariga sem vergonha (girl without shame), invejosa (jealous) – insulting names for women/girls

  Filho duma puta – son of a bitch

  Gaúcho(a) – people from the south of Brazil

  Graças a Deus – thank God, thank goodness

  Grande coisa – whatever

  Guria – girl

  Idiota – idiot

  Irmã – sister

  Irmãzinha – little sister

  Mãe – mother

  Me dá – give it to me

  Me deixa em paz – leave me alone

  Merda – shit

  Meu Deus – my God

  Morena – brunette, but in Brazil this term is used in a caring way, like darling or sweetie

  Não – no

  Negrinho – same as Brigadeiro

  Nossa – wow/whoa

  O que – what?

  O que é isso – what is this?

  Obrigado (a) – thanks

  Oi – hi

  Oi – hi/hello

  Ótimo – great

  Pai – father

  Pão de queijo – cheese bread

  Parabéns - congratulations

  Peão/Peões –cowboys in Brazil

  Perfeita(o) – perfect

  Pois então – well/you see

  Por favor – please

  Porcaria – crap/jeez/damn/shit/bad stuff

  Porra – fuck/shit

  Prazer – Pleasure, a short way of saying “nice to meet you”

  Prenda – just like a gaúcha

  Presta atenção – pay attention

  Preta – black

  Puta merda – fuck/shit/bullshit

  Puta que pariu – goddamn it, holy shit, fuck

  Que droga – crap/jeez/damn/this sucks

  Que foi – what?

  Que mentira – what a lie

  Que nada – nonsense

  Que porcaria é essa – what the hell is this?

  Querida – dear

  Rio Grande do Sul – southernmost state in Brazil

  Sem rodeios – without rodeos, means without dillydallying

  Senhorita – miss

  Sério – really

  Sete de Setembro – Brazil’s Independence Day

  Sim – yes

  Tá bom/bem – okay

  Tá tudo bem – it’s okay

  Também – too/also

  Tchau – bye

  Tche – common expression used by gaúchos – it can mean many things. A salutation, an exasperated exclamation, or even addressing someone

  Te amo – I love you

  Te comporta – behave

  Tia – aunt

  Tio – uncle

  Tudo bem/Tudo bom – how are you?

  Um minuto – one minute

  Vai com – go with

&nbs
p; Veado – deer. In Brazil, it’s a nickname for homosexuals. Between friends, it’s used as a friendly, teasing name.

  Vestibular – an extensive and hard test Brazilians take to enter college – each college has its own vestibular test and if the student doesn’t pass it, he/she doesn’t enter that particular college.

  Você – you

  Three Years Earlier

  Hannah shoved the halter and reins at me. “Go. The fourth stall to your right. It’s Belle. She’s easy and gallops fast. Just … hop on her, get her going, then put on the harness.”

  I just stared at her. “What?”

  “Just go.” She pushed me again and turned to the wall, grabbing another halter and reins for her. She retreated.

  “I don’t understand.”

  “They probably run faster than us, but they won’t run faster than a horse,” my sister explained, walking to another stall. “Now go!”

  Still confused, I whirled on my heels and counted four stalls to my right.

  A light brown mare stood behind the closed stall door, her ears alert. She wasn’t too tall nor did she look deadly, but that didn’t quiet my fear. And right now, I was swimming in a pool of fear.

  I heard Hannah cursing. “Shit.” Then, she cried, “Argus!”

  Okay, no time to overthink this. It was a question of life or death, and for my life, and Hannah’s, I would face this mare.

  I opened the door and stepped in. The mare didn’t move.

  “Hi, Belle,” I said, shaking for more than one reason. I wanted to ask her for permission to slide the halter above her head, but we didn’t have time for that. Still, my fear of horses stopped me from rushing to her and hopping on her.

  The mare snorted, and I decided to take that as a sign that she was okay with me here.

  Noises from the stable caught my attention—hurried footsteps, Hannah’s muttered curses, a horse whining.

  I took a deep breath and did what Hannah would have done. I ran a hand over Belle’s neck, hoping she didn’t notice how much I was shaking, and pushed the halter on her head. Next, I flipped a bucket around, not caring about all the grain spilling on the ground, and used it as a step stool to mount. Without a saddle. Surprisingly, the mare didn’t rear or throw me off.

  I tightened my hands around the reins and kicked her sides. “Go, Belle.”

  We exited the stall and I pulled the reins, forcing Belle to a stop.

  Pete, Eric’s bodyguard, entered the stable and the other man was closing in. Hannah grabbed a whip from one of the hooks on the wall and raised it in front of her like a sword.

  Pete halted and pointed his gun at my sister. “Don’t move!”

  She froze. I froze.

  Hannah’s eyes met mine. “Go, Hil.” She lowered her head, stepped to the side, and brought the whip down on Pete’s arm.

  The man cried out as he let go of the gun and cradled his arm. The second bodyguard entered the stable.

  I extended my hand to Hannah, but she didn’t see it.

  “Go, Hil,” she said, her eyes on the man pulling his gun from his waist.

  “But—”

  “NOW!” she yelled, interrupting me.

  I jumped, too afraid, too confused, too unsure. However, the mare had thoughts of her own. She turned her head to the back of the stable, pulling against my reins. I loosened my grip and let her take control. The mare took us out through the back gate.

  As soon as she stepped out, Belle broke into a faster pace and I hissed, holding on with all I had. Struggling not to fall off, I looked over my shoulder, trying to see Hannah, but Belle turned to the right, taking the back gate from my sight.

  My heart sank. I couldn’t do this. I couldn’t run away while Hannah was dealing with two armed men. Not to mention Eric, who would be on her at any moment.

  Oh, God, Eric. I couldn’t wrap my head around what had happened.

  Eric was my sister’s hot boyfriend of over two years. He was the perfect guy. I had a platonic crush on him since I was fourteen. He was the charming man I modeled my future husband after.

  And he had just beat me, pulled my hair, licked my face, nuzzled my neck, and slid his hands all over me. I shuddered, thinking about what almost happened. Of what I had escaped.

  I started sliding to the side. “Hey,” I said. “Slow down.” I pulled on the reins, not to make Belle stop, but so I wouldn’t fall. The mare slowed down.

  I heard tires squealing before I could see a SUV stopping in front of the stable. A guy jumped out of the SUV, holding a baseball bat. Holy shit, another guy wanting to hurt my sister?

  A sudden rush of energy surged through me. I had my phone with me! I let go of the reins with one hand and grabbed my phone from the hidden pocket under the belt of my summer dress. It was hard to dial 911 while bouncing over a saddleless horse, but I did it.

  “There are three, no, four armed men at my sister’s ranch. They are hurting her!”

  The dispatcher asked for the address and told me someone was coming our way. She also told me to remain calm. I almost laughed at that—a hysterical laugh did bubble in my throat, but I swallowed it.

  I returned both hands to the reins and pulled Belle to a stop.

  In the distance, I saw the baseball bat guy fighting Eric. Oh, so he was here to help. Then, Argus was there, right behind Eric. The baseball bat guy jumped back, taking Hannah with him, while Argus reared and descended his legs on Eric.

  I gasped, my hand over my mouth.

  I kicked Belle’s side and pulled the reins, guiding her back to the stable as the other horse collapsed to the ground too.

  Over the baseball bat guy’s shoulders, Hannah’s eyes met mine. Even across the distance, I saw the relief and the sadness in them.

  In that moment, I knew nothing would ever be the same.

  Chapter One

  This part of the evening was okay. Familiar, even.

  I sat in the driver seat of my car and looked at the house in front of me. I had known this house since I was a baby, and it had always been associated with good memories—even if it was a ranch beside a smelly stable.

  That all changed three years ago.

  Right after the incident, I had a panic attack just thinking about coming to my sister’s house. Noticing my anguish, and probably wanting to erase her own memories, Hannah had a huge house makeover. Everything about the house was different, except for the foundation. She had redecorated the bedrooms, the kitchen, and the living room. Even the exterior color of the house wasn’t the same anymore. There were no signs of that terrible day.

  I took a deep breath.

  I hadn’t gone to my therapist in five weeks, but I did call this morning when I realized what we were doing tonight and begged her to see me. She was able to squeeze me into her busy afternoon for a twenty-minute session. It seemed too little, but anything was better than nothing.

  She told me I could do this, so I kept repeating that mantra in my mind.

  I can do this.

  I cursed under my breath.

  Stop being a wimp, Hilary.

  I just had to face this evening as if it were normal, as if there wouldn’t be anything different.

  I glanced to the side where the girls’ cars were parked. Only Hannah’s sports car and Bia’s Grand Cherokee were here. I looked around. Leaving my car in this area of the parking lot would mean I would have to stay until it was over. I turned on the engine and parked my car in the farthest spot from the house, closer to the entrance road—it would be easier to leave later.

  I made my way to the house and knocked on the door to announce my arrival before opening the door and letting myself in.

  “Hannah? Bia?”

  “In the kitchen!” Hannah yelled.

  I closed the door and went to meet them in the kitchen. Hannah, Bia, and Gabi—I kept forgetting she was visiting—were around the kitchen island, preparing our food and drinks for the evening. I could hear the popcorn popping into the microwave.

  “Hey
you,” Bia said, coming to embrace me. “How is L.A.?”

  I forced a little smile. “It’s okay.”

  Gabi gaped at me. “L.A. is just okay? Ugh, I wish I lived in L.A. too.”

  Bia chuckled. “Gabi, as far as we know, you wish to live anywhere in the country, as long as it’s this country and not Brazil.”

  “Sim. Sad but true,” Gabi said, laughing.

  The microwave dinged. “First batch of popcorn is ready!” Hannah announced. “Let’s put some more in.”

  We usually had a girls’ night out once a month for the last three years. Even when Bia was living in Fort Murray, Hannah and I kept up the tradition, even if that meant I had to come up from Los Angeles more often. Then Ri married Lauren and Pedro started dating Iris, and the two girls were welcomed into our little group.

  Not to mention Gabi. She wasn’t around much, since she lived in Brazil, but she was part of our group nonetheless.

  After Hannah made tons of popcorn and Bia made chimarrão, we went into the living room.

  It was impossible not to look around this place. Eric had assaulted Hannah and me here. I confess the changes Hannah made in the house made me feel better, but I still avoided the corner in the living room where the couch had once been. Now it was a bookcase full of happy pictures and a few trophies.

  Soon, Lauren and Iris arrived, and we put on a sappy romantic comedy about desperate single people.

  Besides Gabi and me, Gui was the only single one in our group. We had our bets on when he would finally meet a girl who was able to tie him down, and add one more to our group.

  Knowing how much he loved the three Ps—polo, parties, and pretty girls—I had bet that it would take him another ten years to start thinking about settling down.

  As for me, I wondered if they had bets about me too. If I had to guess, I would say the options were that I would be single much longer than ten years. Maybe forever. Well, even I thought that was possible.

  I sighed and tried focusing on the movie.

  The main couple was kissing. I sighed again. The last time I kissed a guy had been before that day. Over three years ago. Gosh, that was too long. I still couldn’t think about touching a guy, let alone kissing one.

  Bia stretched and nudged my knee with her foot. She slipped her phone to me, and I read the message on the screen.

  Leo: We’re arriving.

  I reached to the curtain behind me and spied out. I could see the cars’ lights approaching. Right before they turned the last curve on the private road inside the ranch, they turned their headlights off.