~Author's Note~

Hey guys, here is our new story as promised! This is a prologue and little short because of that, but, trust me—later chapters will be longer. Please let us know what you thought with some reviews, and leave a follow or favorite if you liked! :)

Rated High Teen for suggestive themes, romance pieces, heavy angst, slight violence, language and sensitive topics.

Notes: dark kick, au, jerryxtaylor, some OC's.

Willing to Risk It All

Prologue—Operation Vanguard
1511 Hours (3:11 pm, EST)
Brewer, Jack

There's a saying that goes something along the lines of, "Failure is not an option."

I've heard it all my life and though it's exaggerated and cliché; I've never known anything less.

You see, when you come from a family background of army men; there's not a single moment when it's peaceful, calm and loving. Its tough love, determination and pride. My father was king of making my life, your life—hell, anyone's life—miserable.

He operated on two levels.

One, to make me into the man that would make our family proud. And two. To defeat the enemy at any cost. Being weak was not an option and you quickly learned what you were made of.

Ever since I could remember; I would wake up at the crack of dawn, being punctual was key to being 'army strong' (and damn if dad didn't drill that into my head), and completed all my chores; everything being pristine and to perfection. I would then take off to school, always being in the highest of classes, needing to outrank my fellow classmates in every shape and form.

So, as you could imagine, making friends was not an easy thing for me.

As the days carried on and I got older, I realized two things; that I wanted more to life than what I had and that I wanted to be the best I could be—no matter the cost. By the time I was a teenager, I was top dog, ruler of my high school and the one everyone wanted to be. It was also helpful that I was tall, lean and good looking. I was a god in people's eyes and everything I was taught was paying off.

But then, then the attention became too much and from the wrong people.

It was like my mind and body were on overdrive, almost reaching the breaking point.

Until one day, everything changed. She came into my life and completely transformed it. We had similarities. The same outlook on the popularity scale and the way we viewed education, her being right on my tail in the rankings. But, it was her heart that made all the difference.

She actually had one.

There was a distinctiveness to her that intrigued my mind. But, I wouldn't give in.

I couldn't.

But you see, that's the funny thing. Feelings, they always come when you least expect it. And for me, I wouldn't get lured in by her trap. I was an army guy who was going places and all this, was just a moment of dare I say, weakness. I couldn't feel anything for this girl and like my mother always said, "Sometimes it's better to be alone. No one can hurt you."

But I knew this girl, if I didn't keep my distance she would get through me, break down the walls I had oh-so-carefully-built-up. She was so alluring though, something to be reckoned with and that—that was the thing that pulled me in.

Soon, I was in too deep to find my way back out.

Then, everything went to hell before either of us knew what was happening and . . . now, the past has come back to haunt us.

And I don't know if either of us will still be sane by the end.