Pain.
Something I could recognize. Too fuckin’ raw not to be real. Before I had time to wonder what the hell had ripped a hole inside of her that wide, her phone chirped with an incoming message.
She didn’t even glance down. I don’t even think she heard it. She kept staring at me as if she were trying to persuade me to believe her by eye contact alone. It didn’t work, of course, but it was totally unnerving.
“Your phone just went off,” I prompted, more than a little freaked by the intensity of her gaze. I didn’t mind being up on stage in front of thousands of screaming fans. In fact I craved that. Distant admiration was a fuckin’ rush, but not this. Not this one on one soul searching, emotional connection shit.
“Huh?” she asked looking glazed.
“Your phone, Pink. I think someone’s trying to get a hold of you.”
“Oh.” She blinked a couple of times, then reached into her pocket and pulled out, I shit you not, a pink rhinestone encrusted cell. She glanced briefly at the display. “Damn.” She turned, looking over her shoulder at the forested area behind her as if she expected to see Sasquatch come crashing through the thick underbrush any minute. “I gotta go.”
“Go on then. Don’t let me keep you from anything. Do me a fuckin’ favor and get lost.”
I don’t know why I was surprised when she did the opposite taking a step closer. Nothing this bitch did made any fuckin’ sense. She must be bars in the window, over the rainbow crazy. Out here in the middle of nowhere, alone, at the crack of dawn acting out some old black and white movie. Only druggies, the homeless, and pick pockets hung out in Montliff Park at this hour. She looked too sweet and smelled too nice to be any of those.
So then what the hell was she?
A portion of proceeds from this book go to Covenant House.
http://www.covenanthouse.org/
They have a helping hand for single mother’s program that acknowledges that being a good mom is one of the toughest jobs in the world but also one of the most important. The program offers free on-site day care so moms can complete their education or hold down a job.
“It would be so much easier with someone else to rely on.”—Bridget Dubois
I could never do any of this alone. I am forever grateful to…
My readers, your reviews and your recommendation of my books to friends are the key to this indie author’s success.
My husband of twenty-six years.
My two boys who put up with all my ramblings about fictional characters.
My bff and biggest fan, twins separated at birth, Lisa Kinzel.
The bff of my heart, Michelle Warren
My soul sister and endless source of inspiration, Shaina Shaye-Baby Abbs
My copy editor, Dr. Diane “cool” Klein
My beautiful proof reader, Hazeline Paddock-Ng
My lovely Black Cat Divas: Wendy Neuman Wilkin, Rita Jinkins Post, Tressa Sager, Jamie Sager Hall, Chantelle Stx, and the infamous Harvey Gaudun-Stables
My always and anytime encourager, Kimberly Schaaf
Book bloggers who I am also blessed to call friends: Lisa Kano at Three Chicks and Their Books, Mandy Anderson at MandyIreadIndie, Denise Tung at Flirty Dirty Book Blog, Kim Person at Stick Girl Book Reviews, Peggy Warren at Le’ BookSquirrel, April Merriman at Cuddle Buddy Books, and Brandee Engle Veltri at Brandee’s Book Endings.
MICHELLE MANKIN is the author of the Black Cat Records series of novels.
Romance with subtext.
For many years she worked in the insurance industry as an underwriter. Somehow, the boredom didn't kill her but the hour and hours of looking at facts and figures provided ample time for her mind to wander.
Black Cat Records in Vancouver provides the central backdrop for all of Michelle’s current novels. Love Evolution, Love Revolution, and Love Resolution are a Brutal Strength centered trilogy, combining the plot underpinnings of Shakespeare with the drama, excitement, and indisputable sexiness of the rock 'n roll industry.
Things take a bit of a darker, edgier, once upon a… turn with the Tempest series. These pierced, tatted, and troubled Seattle rockers are young and on the cusp of making it big, but with serious obstacles to overcome that may prevent them from ever getting there.
When Michelle is not prowling the streets of her Texas town listening to her rock music much too loud, she is putting her daydreams down on paper or traveling the world with her family and friends, sometimes for real, and sometimes just for pretend as she takes the children to school and back.
BRUTAL STRENGTH SERIES:
Love Evolution
Love Revolution
Love Resolution
TEMPEST SERIES:
Irresistible Refrain
CONNECT WITH MICHELLE MANKIN
On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Author-Michelle-Mankin/233503403414065
On Twitter: https://twitter.com/MichelleMankin
On her website: http://www.michellemankin.com/
Table of Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty-One
Chapter Thirty-Two
Chapter Thirty-Three
Chapter Thirty-Four
Chapter Thirty-Five
Chapter Thirty-Six
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Chapter Forty
Chapter Forty-One
Chapter Forty-Two
Chapter Forty-Three
Chapter Forty-Four
Chapter Forty-Five
Chapter Forty-Six
Epilogue
Preview of Captivating Bridge
Acknowledgments
About the Author