Tactical Heart Read online

  Contents

  Psst...Not a Gamer?

  Gamer Glossary

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Epilogue

  Want to get updates?

  Notes

  Acknowledgments

  About the Author

  Other Books by S.K. Rose

  Tactical Heart by S.K. Rose

  Copyright ©2019 S.K. Rose.

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other non-commercial uses permitted by copyright law.

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

  For permission requests, write to the author at the email address below.

  [email protected]

  Cover Design: Miss Bliss Designs

  Editor: Fairest Reviews Editing

  Formatter: Pink Elephant Designs

  Dedication

  For those who stomp their way off the beaten path wearing the label “weird” like a badge of honor.

  For those who dare to be different.

  Papa, this book is also dedicated to you, my biggest fan.

  I remember you constantly asking me when it would be done, and when could I come out and do a book signing. You were so excited even though I internally cringed at the idea of you reading some of the more explicit scenes in this story. I could have begged you to skip this book until I was blue in the face and you would have ignored me. How could I be mad? It was all because you were so incredibly proud of me.

  At your funeral, in the midst of tears and shared memories, the strangest thing happened. I was bombarded with people wanting to talk to me about my debut book, the one that you handed out to everyone like it was candy on Halloween. Someone had even brought their copy for me to sign. Pops, you would have been downright giddy about it. In a sea of grief, you were right there holding my hand. Reminding me to push forward and follow my dreams.

  I love and miss you so much. Thank you for raising me as your own, even though I was a little hellion.

  Thank you for allowing me to be different, to be a little strange and weird, even when you didn’t understand.

  Thank you for believing in me every step of the way.

  Psst...Not a Gamer?

  It’s cool, I mean we can’t all be awesome, right?

  Hah! Kidding, kidding.

  Look, I made this “Gamer Glossary” so that noobs like you don’t feel lost when you hear awesome gamer slang. Throughout the story (featuring yours truly, what’s up ladies?) keep an eye out for bolded words with a tiny little number by them. When you click on them my personal definition of the word will pop up. This way BOOM you know exactly what the word means, and you won’t have to throw this book at someone in frustration.

  Unless it’s sexual frustration because you want my hot bod. ‘Cause that I would totally understand, heh.

  Okay, test run, shall we? Let’s say you see the word grind1 see that little number indicated it’s not the “grind” that your perverted mind immediately imagined. Now click it and read the gamer definition. C’mon it will be fun.

  Seriously, click it right now.

  I’ll wait.

  Did you click it?

  Niiice. Made you click!

  See, now as you read, you’ll learn more shit and can keep up with gaming nerds like me! Don’t say I never did anything for you, noobs.

  Deuces, Kane OUT!

  Gamer Glossary

  As explained by Kane Decker

  AFK: Away From Keyboard.

  Aggro: When a hostile group of monsters takes notice of a certain character and actively tries to take that person out.

  Debuff: A negative status that gets placed on your toon, like poison that does damage over time. It ain’t fun bro.

  Gank: When a group of players gangs up on a lone player and kills him. It can also refer to being taken out by a single character if there is an unfair advantage (such as a huge difference in player levels).

  Gold: The in-game currency for Tactical Heart. Want to buy cool shit for your character? Better get that gold baby.

  Grind: Okay pervert, yes, your mind probably went straight to the “bump and grind” definition, but in games, this is not the case. Grind means to do something over and over to acquire gold or armor or whatever for your character. Think of “the daily grind.” I know, super exciting, right?

  HP: Hit/Health points, how much life you have before you’re dead as a doornail.

  Loot: The goods or rewards you collect in a game; it can be anything from healing potions to weapons.

  MMORPG: Massively-Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game (Damn that was a mouthful). Basically, there are role playing games where you can play with lots of other people.

  NPC: A nonplayer character. Complete artificial intelligence, there's no mouth breathing player pulling the strings behind these toons.

  OP: Over powered. Strong as shit, unfairly so.

  Noob: Amateur hour, baby, means you’re a novice or inexperienced (or you just plain suck donkey balls).

  Raid: A mission where a number of players work together and try to accomplish a feat or defeat a powerful enemy. Teamwork, baby!

  Respawn: When you come back alive after being dead in the game.

  Shooter: A type of video game where you go around shooting people and stuff. Pew pew.

  Stats: Statistical information on an item that tells you if it’s badass or total garbage.

  Toon: This is the little character you’re controlling and pretending to be in a video game.

  Troll: Someone who deliberately stirs up drama for shits and giggles. An asshole.

  1

  SCARLETT

  “Hmmm?” I tilt my head to the sound of my sister’s voice, but my eyes remain glued to the screen in front of me. Reaching my hand out blindly toward the table, I smile when my fingers brush across a ceramic bowl. I grab a handful of M&Ms and pop them into my mouth. Letting the chocolate melt against my tongue, I release a content sigh.

  “Bitch, are you serious right now?” She huffs, moving to stand between me and the mob of bloody skeletons on the screen that are clawing their way closer by the second. Craning my neck to try to see around her, I bash the controller buttons and hope for the best. Seconds later, a monotone voice booms from the game.

  “Game Over.”

  Sonofabitch.

  “Jules, seriously? Your fat ass got me killed.” I toss the controller next to me on the couch and slouch back into the cushions with a pout. Her eyes widen as she turn
s to inspect herself in the reflective surface of the television.

  “Oh my god, I knew I gained a few pounds over Christmas!” She gasps, hands flying to inspect her stick thin waist.

  “Oh c’mon. Have you even looked in a mirror lately? You probably disappear when you turn sideways.” I pinch the outside of her thigh with a laugh.

  She drops to the cushion beside me with a grunt. “Don’t hot shame me, bitch. Why are you gaming over here anyway? I know you have a perfectly good nerd den back on campus.”

  “Whiskers was up,” I grumble.

  “Um, am I supposed to know what that means?”

  “Nessa made a door hanger. It has a picture of a cat that says “Pussy in Play.” She hangs it on the door knob whenever she has...company.” I swear I landed the horniest roommate in existence. I suppose I should be grateful that she’s actually warning me now. I can’t unsee the amount of bouncing tits and swinging testicles I’ve walked in on since we became roommates at Greenfield University.

  Julie barks out a laugh. “That’s amazing. Seriously, I want her as a sister. Can I swap you guys?” she teases, resting her head on my shoulder.

  “Never should have let Nessa’s skank ass use my printer.” I sigh.

  My sister’s eyelashes flutter as she looks up at me with a sly grin. “So, I was thinking…”

  “That’s dangerous for a blonde,” I retort.

  She shoves away from me. “Shut your face. This is serious sister business.”

  “Fine,” I relent. “What were you thinking?”

  “Leo told me his hot roommate is still single.” Her eyes sparkle with mischief.

  “And that qualifies as sister business?”

  She gives a curt nod. “It’s my sisterly duty to make sure you don’t become the college spinster. Duh.”

  Biting the inside of my cheek, I hold back the wave of swear words that struggle to tumble off my tongue. I grab a magazine from the coffee table and flip through the pages slowly. Here we go again. “Not interested.”

  “Don’t be like that,” she whines. “Just go on one date, that’s all I ask.”

  “Swipe left,” I drone, continuing to avoid her pleading eyes.

  “He’s smoking hot with a six pack and dreamy blue eyes,” she presses. “He’s into video games and learning and all that nerdy shit you like. Talk about a match made in heaven!”

  I slam the magazine shut and whirl around to face her. “Do I need to blow my whistle? No. Means. No.” I catapult off the couch, but she grabs my wrist and yanks me back down.

  “Look, Scar, I know you don’t like to talk about him, but it’s been months of watching you mope around. Cody was a fucking asshole and a half, but that doesn’t mean you need to swear off dick for good. It can be totally casual, whatever you want, but you have to stop hiding behind your games at some point. I’m worried about you.” Her hazel eyes glisten with unshed tears that chip away at my heart.

  “That’s cheating.” I scowl, and her lips tug into a small smile.

  “Just one little date,” she coaxes, grabbing my hands and placing them between her perfectly manicured ones.

  I sigh in resignation and press my tongue into my cheek. She claps her hands with an inhuman shriek before I have a chance to officially agree. “Oh my god, yay! I can’t wait to tell Leo. You guys are seriously perfect for each other, just wait.” She begins tapping away at the screen of her phone, likely texting her beloved boyfriend Leo to tell him the splendid news.

  “Uh, so you gonna give me a name or will I just awkwardly call him ‘Leo’s roommate?’”

  “Why, so you can google him to death and find a reason not to go? Dream on.” She smirks, looking proud of herself.

  “Fine. Can I get a picture?”

  “Nope.”

  “His age? Horoscope? A dick pic? Give me something here.”

  She giggles but shakes her head. “Nope. You’re just gonna have to trust me, big sis.”

  “You’re the bane of my existence,” I mutter.

  “I know.” She blows me a kiss and returns her attention to the phone in her hand.

  With her eyes glued to the screen, I soften my gaze. It’s supposed to be my job as the older sister to worry about her, not the other way around. But if I’m painfully honest with myself, even though I’ve been on this earth a year longer, Julie has always been three steps ahead. Always knowing what to do or say to naturally fit in to her surroundings, my sister the social chameleon.

  When puberty came knocking, she was gifted with good looks, grace, and charm.

  I had the damn door slammed in my face.

  Gawky and covered in freckles from head to toe, I was already struggling to fit in. Throw in braces and a love for all things geeky and the Mavis family had a full-blown case of ‘nerd’ on their hands.

  To her credit, Jules never used her God-given powers for evil. When we were in school together, she was always kind, never picking on the misfits or gossiping with the cheerleaders. My little sister did her best to help me fit in, but it only ever seemed to make matters worse.

  We were inseparable in grade school, and when an idiot jock pegged us “Beauty and the Bookworm,” well, it stuck, and it stuck hard. I tried explaining to the meathead that beauty, in fact, was a bookworm in the Disney movie, but that just made everyone laugh harder.

  So I became “Bookworm,” which was soon shortened to “Worm.” But even with the whispers that followed me through the hallways, Julie wouldn’t let me give up. She was the blond bombshell with the meek nerd following her around.

  Then I laid eyes on Dylan McCreery and the world as I knew it shifted. It was love at first sight when I saw him walking across the cafeteria in slow motion. Julie knew I liked him right away, not that I was very subtle with the drool pooling under my chin. He was my first crush, “puppy love” my dad would tease, but with half the school still calling me “Worm,” I refused to even look in his direction.

  The next week, after she’d whittled down my resolve, Julie took me shopping, painted my nails, and taught me beginner makeup techniques. We spent the night having mock conversations where she pretended to be Dylan and guided me on what to say and how to flirt using body language. Although more often than not, these little “lessons in love” ended in a fit of giggles, I learned so much from her.

  For the first time in my life, I felt like I could finally fit in.

  I felt like a new woman, and just in time for the big Sadie Hawkins dance. At lunch, I walked right up to Dylan, in my pretty blue dress, and flashed him a proud smile. Before I could open my mouth to say two words, his face twisted like I had stuck a bag of shit under his nose. He couldn’t get away fast enough, his head shaking in revulsion, appalled that “Worm” approached him in front of all his friends. I ran home in a blur of tears and a vow to find a place where I could fit in.

  To find a place I could belong.

  Where no one would turn their nose up at my love of dragons, wizards, and epic quests. That very night, I wiped away my tears, and I took my first nosedive into the expansive world of the Internet. I discovered chat rooms full of others who had the same interests as me. The geeks, the outcasts, the misunderstood, all in one place, talking about the latest book they read or debating the strength of fictional characters.

  I found my people, and then, I found video games.

  My tiny world was suddenly infinite, full of endless possibilities. I could be anything and everything my heart desired. Monday, I was a queen with an army of ten thousand; Wednesday, a survivor hacking her way through zombies, and on Friday, an architect building magnificent cities.

  I wasn’t just happy, I was inspired. I began making sketches of my characters, designing new creatures and sets of futuristic armor. I mapped out a plan for my future, one that included the design and production of video games.

  Every day when I got home from school, I escaped into fictional worlds that could hide me from reality. Why hang out at the mall and get sneered at by classma
tes when I could be loot1ing treasure and leveling up my character?

  I became good, really good.

  In the gaming world, I cultivated a reputation and garnered respect from those around me, something that was always out of reach in the real world for a flat chested geek like me.

  Like most awkward teen phases, I grew out of it. My cup size doubled, the braces were removed, contacts were popped in, and the ugly duckling became a swan. A swan clipped by the incessant cruelty of the real world.

  To my sister’s dismay, I still wanted nothing to do with the dating scene or the latest style trends. When our dad died, the only person who at least attempted to understand me, it got worse. Hidden behind sunglasses and a ballcap, I kept my head down, and in the age of social media, I practiced the lost art of becoming invisible until graduation.