A noise woke me a second before my eyes flew open. I reached for the lamp to turn it on when a hand shoved me down on the bed. I cried out. “What the fuck?” I yelled out, terror surging through my veins.
“Right where they said you were going to be.”
I didn’t know that voice and struggled to sit up, to roll over, but he had me pinned by the center of my chest and there wasn’t a thing I could do. I kicked up my legs but someone at the end of the bed grabbed them, holding me down.
“Who are you? What do you want?” I could barely speak. This was a nightmare I hadn’t known I’d had, even after being kidnapped.
With his free hand, the man turned on the light. That didn’t help anything. I had no idea who this person was. He had dark hair and dark eyes, a chin that jutted out and had a cleft in it. His hair was short, styled so that it was slightly longer on top than anywhere else, but neatly kept. He wore an expensive looking suit. That was all the information my brain could take in about him in the seconds that I stared.
He spoke again, his voice low, his tone amused. “Do you know who I am?”
“My name is Benjamin Gray. Does my name ring a bell?”
Should it? “No, I’m afraid not.”
“I sit on the council of The Alliance, an existence you should know nothing about but do. That’s okay because you won’t know about it very long. You have been given to me in trade for Judson Smythe’s seat on the council.”
What? “That doesn’t make any sense.”
“Well, of course not. They’d not have explained it to you. Why would they?” He patted my arm like we were friends and shivers of dread tore into me. Whatever this was, whatever this lunacy turned out to be, it was going to be very, very bad.
I forced myself to look at the man holding me. He had his head bowed. I couldn’t see his face but blond hair fell forward, it was long. He wore all black with a red sash—the kind that a beauty queen might have—across his chest. He bobbed his neck slightly, adjusting, and that was when I got a better look at him. He wasn’t a man at all. In fact, I was pretty sure he was a teenager. What in the ever-loving fuck was going on?
I had to stay calm, had to think. Surely, whatever was happening could be resolved.
“You see, there is always a gift that the new council members make to the senior member of the council. The five men you’ve been spending time with were all my trainees at one point. As idiot over there is.” He nodded toward the asshole holding my legs. “They know me. They know I have a certain proclivity toward young brunettes. The gift is almost always a young woman who is somehow connected to The Alliance. It’s simpler that way. Your father screwed them over. Taking you made sense. Or at least that’s how Kade explained it to me. He does like to talk, that one. Anyway, here we are. You’re mine until I kill you. They needed someone to blame. Your father was unfortunately that man and you, as they say, are the sacrificial lamb. It’s nice to meet you, Everly. I don’t know how long I’ll keep you. You’re going to wish it wasn’t very long.”
He slammed a cloth down on my face and as I fought against it, I breathed in chemicals that knocked me out. Colors passed before my eyes.
And then… nothing.
I woke up alone, nauseated, in a basement that smelled like mold. I coughed, trying to breathe. I wasn’t tied down, wasn’t restrained at all. I was just alone in the pitch black basement.
I didn’t know how long I would stay there, how long I’d even get to live. Tears flooded my eyes, and I let them fall. Somewhere I could hear the sounds of what I thought were rodents running in the walls above my head, voices traveled down to me. I couldn’t make them out, but they were all men, and they seemed to be chanting, repeating words over and over together. It was almost sing-songy.
I tried to remember through the haze in my head what Ben had said to me. I was his prisoner because the five Letters had given me to him. I couldn’t believe it. He was lying. He had to be. I’d gotten to know them, and despite Constance’s warning, I was sure that they’d cared about me, really had. They wanted me to stay with them.
Or maybe it had all been a show. An elaborate ruse like the one Trace did with the man he wanted to fund the trips to Mars. A long con they’d all engaged in. They’d kept me calm and gotten their jollies off in the meantime.
That phrase. My grandmother had used it. I sniffed. What was going to happen now? I had to hold faith. This was a huge mistake. In fact, when the guys found out what happened they were going to come and get me.
Weren’t they?
Dearest Reader
Don’t kill me. I did warn you in the beginning this was going to be a long, dark trip for Everly before we got to her Happily Ever After. Stay tuned for news about Kiss Her Goodbye #2 coming soon. And if you could leave this book a review I’d be so grateful. Also, please join me in my reader group on Facebook Rebecca’s Randomness where we talk about all things books all the time! https://www.facebook.com/groups/RebeccasRandomness/
In the meantime, maybe you’d like to check out some of my other titles, like Kidnapped By Her Husbands (Wings of Artemis #1) https://amzn.to/2QmjAJ4
Please turn the page for a complete listing of my novels and visit my website at www.rebeccaroyce.com to sign up for my newsletter.
I promise, there is a lot more to come in Everly’s story.
RR
About the Author
As a teenager, I would hide in my room to read my favorite romance novels when I was supposed to be doing my homework.
I am the mother of three adorable boys and I am fortunate to be married to my best friend. I live in Austin Texas where I am determined to eat all the barbecue in town.
I am in love with science fiction, fantasy, and the paranormal and try to use all of these elements in my writing. I've been told I'm a little bloodthirsty so I hope that when you read my work you'll enjoy the action packed ride that always ends in romance. I love to write series because I love to see characters develop over time and it always makes me happy to see my favorite characters make guest appearances in other books.
In my world anything is possible, anything can happen, and you should suspect that it will.
I'd love to hear from you! Please visit my website at www.rebeccaroyce.com to sign up for my newsletter and learn about my books!
Here’s where you can find me online:
www.rebeccaroyce.com
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Cheers!!
Rebecca
Other books by Rebecca Royce…
Wings of Artemis
Kidnapped By Her Husbands
Rescued by Their Wife
Crashing Into Destiny
Meeting Them
Reclaiming Their Love
Loving Them
Ship Called Malice
Saving Them
Dark Demise
Light Unfolding
Still Waters (coming soon)
Rising Tides (coming soon)
Last Hope (completed series)
Tradition Be Damned
Past Be Damned
Destiny Be Damned
Compassion Be Damned
Future Be Damned
Dragon Wars (completed series)
Forever
Eternal
Always
Evermore
Endless
Wards and Wands
Hexed and Vexed
Curse Reversed
Meow, Baby (novella, Coming Soon in Petting Them antho written with Ripley Proserpina)
Tragic Magic (Coming Soon)
Safe Haven
Everywhere and Nowhere
Dimension X (coming soon)
More coming soon….
Soul Bound
Prisoner of the Dragons
More coming soon….
Shadow Promised
Strange Days
Weird Nights
Bizarre Years
More coming soon…
The Warrior (completed series)
Initiation
Driven
Subversive
Redemption
Justice
Warrior World (spin off of The Warrior, completed series)
Deacon
Micah
Jason
The Westervelt Wolves (completed series)
Her Wolf
Summer’s Wolf
Wolf Reborn
Wolf’s Valentine
Wolf’s Magic
Alpha Wolf
Angel’s Wolf
Darkest Wolf
Lone Wolf
Fallen Alpha
Alpha Rising
Alpha’s Strength
Alpha’s Sacrifice
Alpha’s Truth
Alpha Enticing
Hidden Alpha (coming soon)
The Capes (completed series)
Seductive Powers
Adrenaline Rush
Last Ascension
The Conditioned
Eye Contact
Embraced
Unlawful (coming soon…)
The Outsiders
Love Beyond Sanity
Love Beyond Loyalty
Love Beyond Sight
Love Beyond Expectations
Love Beyond Oceans
Love Beyond Flames
Love Beyond Lies (coming soon)
Cascade (completed series)
Haunted Redemption
Phoenix Everlasting
Fragility Unearthed
Persuasion Enraptured
Reverse Harem Story (completed series)
Unconventional
Unexpected
Undeniable
Kiss Her Goodbye
Hard Truths
Book 2 coming soon
Stand Alone Titles
Planet Bear
Under The Lights
No Quitting Allowed
Mr. Wrong
Bite Marks
Bitten Surrender
The Vampire and The Virgin
Demon Within
Crimson Lust
Call Me Crazy (coming soon)
Writing with Ripley Proserpina
The Storm
Lightning Strikes (coming soon)
Thunder Rolling