The Dirty Dozen: Alpha Edition
Page 48
There will be no children that we make together. We won’t spend years learning all there is to know about each other. I won’t come home to see Seraphina curled up on the bench seat that surrounds my picture window, drinking hot chocolate and reading on her kindle. My girl will be left to battle her hardships without her man to take her back. She will grieve and cry, learn to accept and then have to let go of what should have been. Seraphina will have no choice but to draw for the well of strength I know lies inside of her.
The memories of her soft skin, silky, smooth hair, the feel of her body as it pressed against mine and the scent of her perfume on my sheets gives me comfort during my last few seconds of consciousness. Her sweet, husky voice invades my mind, telling me it’s okay to let go. If I didn’t know any better, I would swear she was here with me; the weight of her hand on my arm, the feeling of her lips on my cheek. But she isn’t, and for that I’m glad because the darkness here is no place for a woman whose soul is pure light and goodness.
My eyes blink shut for the last time, my body finally succumbing to it’s injuries. The last thing I think as my mind fades to black is that I wish I had the chance to give my girl one last kiss.
The End...For Now
Part Two Coming Soon
About the Author
Born in, New Zealand, Natasha Thomas moved to Australia the year she turned eight. She grew up with her younger brother and two loving parents, and it wasn't long before she realized her love of reading, creative writing, all things rock 'n' roll, concerts, ripped jeans and vintage heavy metal t-shirts.
With the support of her husband and three children, she was able to break into the Indie Author scene with her first self-published title, Burnt, Book One in the Devil’s Spawn MC series. Since then, Natasha Thomas has gone on to write many titles in both the MC and Contemporary Romance genres, some of which have made the Amazon Bestsellers list.
Author Links
Facebook
www.facebook.com/NatashaThomasAuthor
Amazon Author Page
https://www.amazon.com/Natasha-Thomas/e/B00SWXJ0F8
Goodreads
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7087505.Natasha_Thomas
Website
www.natashathomasauthor.com
Twitter
https://twitter.com/NatashaThomasAu
About the Author
Kay Maree is a mother and a wife. Born and raised in Newcastle, NSW Australia.
Kay’s passion was to show her children that you are never too old to make your dreams come true.
Which is what lead her to write and publish Angel Mine in 2017.
With support from her family and friends, Kay has managed to accomplish something she never thought she could.
And Kay just hopes you fall in love with her characters as much as she has.
Author Links
Facebook - @KayMareeAuthor
Twitter - MisKay85
Insta - miskay
Readers Group -
https://www.facebook.com/groups/AngelsKittensSugars
Website
https://kaymareesmutlover.wixsite.com/contemporary-romance
Come the Fall
JOLIE VINES
COME THE FALL
Copyright © 2019 by Jolie Vines
The right of Jolie Vines to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by her under the Copyright Amendment (Moral Rights) Act 2000
All rights reserved. This publication (or any part of it) may not be reproduced or transmitted, copied, stored, distributed or otherwise made available by any person or entity (including Google, Amazon or similar organisations), in any form (electronic, digital, optical or mechanical) or by any means (photocopying, recording, scanning or otherwise) without prior written permission from the author.
This is a work of fiction. Similarities to real people, places, or events are entirely coincidental.
Dedication
To all the women who ever made a mistake.
Your story needs to be told
Blurb
Being on the run leaves no time for distractions. Unless your new boss is alpha, Scottish, and built
Autumn has taken her baby nephew and is fleeing for their lives. Almost reaching the safety of a small wintery Washington State town, she narrowly avoids a collision as her car spins out on ice. The other driver is a huge mountain man who speaks only in glares. The instant attraction is like nothing she has experienced, but she isn't hanging around, no matter the enticement to stay.
Bull will never trust again, certainly not a single mother with secrets. But he can't stop the draw. Autumn's sass drives him to distraction, her body has him burning up. Working side by side with her at his bar every day is enough to awaken his protective side once again.
But the past will always catch up with you, no matter how far you run or who you fall in love with on the way.
Come the Fall features one hot alpha male and one strong heroine, and is a novella in the Marry the Scot world. Autumn features in Hero but this novella is entirely standalone.
Read this steamy and small-town romantic suspense now!
CHAPTER ONE
One Massive Vampire
Autumn
The brakes of my rental car squealed, and I manoeuvred us down the precarious forest road, my fingers in a death grip on the steering wheel and my nerves in tatters over the final stage of our forty-eight-hour journey.
Of course, the last stretch had to be snow-covered and almost vertical.
Exhaustion tinged the edges of my vision red, and it was only adrenaline and the safety of the little boy dozing in the back seat that kept me alert.
I needed sleep. I needed a shower and a shoulder to cry on. There was not a single person in the world I could confide my troubles in.
Either side of the road, rocky outcrops interrupted thick trees and, overhead, a grey
sky darkened as the afternoon drew in. I eyed the next junction with trepidation. I wasn’t a stranger to driving in freezing conditions, but this was my first time behind the wheel of an automatic car—all they had available at the Seattle hire place.
I gritted my teeth in determination. This day had been a beast, but it was almost done.
“Ma,” Benjamin muttered, sleep talking.
I glanced in the mirror at his scrunched up face. “Not Ma. Just me. Sorry, kiddo.”
He didn’t reply, and I concentrated on the approaching turn. I had to make a left to get to Falls Ridge, the small town that was our end point. Soon, we could rest.
Emotion rolled through me, and I blinked hard to hold it together. Come on, we’re so close.
If only my cross-continent escape could go the way of the romance book I’d read on the plane, with some handsome man swooping in to offer me safety. I’d reread the first Twilight story, in honour of where Benjamin and I were headed. After two flights, we were now in Washington’s Olympic National Park, a vast wooded area surrounded on three sides by the sea, according to my map. To the north were place names I recognised from the vampire story—Forks, La Push beach, Port Angeles. Our destination was nearer the southern end.
At the stop sign, I halted, glancing into the main road.
Shit, wait.
We hadn’t stopped at all.
The car kept moving, skidding on invisible ice.
“Oh no,” I whispered to myself, panic rising. Back home at the airbase, when the roads were frozen, I’d shift up a gear, but what should I do in an automatic?
We drifted left, and I pumped the brake to stop. The car lurched, sliding over the centre line and into the wrong lane. Argh!
I floored the accelerator. The car shot forward. “Yes!” I cheered.
Too late, I spied the huge black truck hurtling the other way.
“Ah!” I slammed on the brakes again, sending us into a spin.
The wheels screeched. We rotated one-eighty, then hit something w
ith a crunch and a tinkle of glass.
Fricking awesome.
Outside my window, a rock wall had embedded itself into my headlights. As crashes went, it could’ve been worse but, with trembling hands, I hauled on the handbrake to secure the car and twisted around to check Benjamin. He slept on, unaware. We’d barely jerked—the car had taken all the damage.
A glance in my mirror showed the other vehicle a few metres behind. It appeared intact and wasn’t close enough to have hit.
“Thank God for that,” I breathed and popped my door.
Raising a hand, I quick-stepped over to the other car. The driver jumped down from his cab, his boots making two big thuds on the ground.
I blinked, taking him in. The bearded, black-haired man must have been six-six. Maybe bigger.
Total Autumn catnip.
“You’d make one massive vampire,” I told him, then shook my head and tried again, rationally, this time. “I hit ice.”
The man didn’t speak, or laugh, but instead ran his gaze over me. I folded my arms over my chest, wishing I’d grabbed my jacket. I’d had the heat up full blast so Benjamin could sleep in comfort so only wore a thin sweater, the sweetheart neckline showing more cleavage than I typically would in the middle of nowhere.
“I’m not hurt. Are you? Did you have to brake hard?” I asked.
He nodded as if to himself then, still not answering, passed me and moved to the front of my car.
I padded after him, the cold seeping through my fine leather boots. “Uh, hello? I just want to know if you’re okay.”
Behind us, a large truck rumbled along the road and came to a halt, Hank’s Auto Repairs emblazoned on the side. I blinked at the coincidence then waved to the driver. Thank the heavens.
A portly, older man in green overalls clambered out and joined us. “What’s happened, Bull? Running ladies off the road?” He smiled at me but addressed the big man.
The man, Bull, I guessed, furrowed his brow, sending two dark slashes of eyebrows crashing together, and gave a little shake of his head.
“Look at that.” The second man eyed the damage and tipped his chin at me. “You’ve bent your wheel arch, miss. You can’t drive this now.”
I stared between the two people who must be acquaintances. My car couldn’t be broken. It couldn’t. I was so tired, my legs shook.
“No. It can’t be. I’m almost there,” I squeaked. My eyes heated, tears threatening. Tears? When did I ever cry at anything? In everything that had happened over the past month, I hadn’t shed a tear. Now, one leaked and ran down my cheek.
“Oh lord. Listen, I’m Hank and I have a mechanic shop a few miles east. Where are you headed?”
“Falls Ridge.” I peeked back at his truck. Sure enough, a large winch swung on a metal arm.
Hank squinted at me. “The Mathers’ place?”
My mouth dropped open. “How did you know that?”
He waved a hand. “Small-town life. There’s no secrets here.”
I inched closer, my pulse quickening. “No. Really, how did you know?” Because no one could know where we were.
His smile dropped, and he palmed the back of his neck. “My wife babysits for Lena Mathers. She mentioned last night that a friend of hers was coming to town. I just put two and two together, with you both being British. Nothing more. Didn’t mean to alarm you.”
I’d called Lena, my sister’s closest friend, only yesterday morning. News travelled fast. Okay, this is okay. I took a breath, trying to dial back the crazy. “Right. Sorry. Yep, that’s me. Lena’s friend.”
Hank’s happy smile returned now we were back on track. “I’ll get you there. Bull can vouch for me. It’s that or you call roadside assistance, and they’ll probably send me anyway.”
I switched my attention to the big silent man. He raised his chin as if confirming Hank’s statements.
Why should I trust him? He still hadn’t said a single word.
“Thank you,” I said to Hank. “I’d really appreciate that. I’ll talk to the rental place about the accident, but if you can get me to Lena’s place, I’d be so grateful.”
“I know the drill. Give me a sec and we’ll get going.” Hank slapped my bonnet then hummed a show tune, strolling back to his vehicle. He pulled ahead, reversed into position, and began securing the winch.
“So, Bull, is it?” I said to the man who stood, watching me. It bugged me, his lack of questions, or any conversation for that matter. He’d been speeding, which was foolish on such a dangerous stretch. He, a local, who knew the state of the road. That was irresponsible, wasn’t it? He could’ve injured us.
My sleep-deprived gaze became a glare. “Am I going to get a whiplash claim or are you okay?”
His mouth quirked up at one corner. “No claim.”
He found me amusing? “You know, you were going really fast. We could’ve been hurt.”
At my back, the winch cranked, a chain rattling.
“We?” Bull’s attention shot to my car, and he put two fingers to his lips and whistled once, shrill and loud.
Hank stopped short. “Problem?”
Bull strode to the hire car and tugged the door open. His eyes widened.
A little gurgle of happiness came from inside.
Shit!
“Benjamin!” I leapt, pushing past Bull. My nephew beamed as I collected him from his car seat, and I cringed, clutching him to me, bringing his baby blanket with him. I’d left him in there. Where on earth was my brain?
“Uh, miss? Your boy will have to come with you in the cab. He can’t stay in the car when I’m towing it.” Hank popped a disapproving hand to his hip.
“I know, I know. I wasn’t thinking.” For a second, I closed my eyes, because this was beyond embarrassing.
My life, in quick succession, was falling apart. I was more of a wreck than the car, and I’d jeopardised Benjamin’s safety—the one person I needed to protect the most—all because I’d become distracted getting annoyed at a stranger.
“You’re a bitch,” my sister had once told me, accurately diagnosing my major personality flaw. “But never change, because no one will ever walk over you. There’s nothing worse than someone who’s weak.”
“That’ll do. Now, unless there’s any more in there, I’ll try again.” At my snipped denial, Hank started up the winch once more. “See you, Bull,” he yelled.
I swung my gaze around to see the tall man stalking away.
He shook his head, his shaggy black hair coming loose from a tie. He dashed it from his eyes, anger now apparent in his moves.
“Hey,” I called after him.
The stranger got into his truck, slammed the door, and hit the gas. He didn’t look my way as he sped past, and his jaw was clenched so tight he’d give himself toothache.
Great. Five minutes in our temporary new home, and I’d already made an impression.
Way to go, Autumn. Start as you mean to go on.
CHAPTER TWO
Stay
Autumn
Lena met us at the door of her cute clapperboard house, her hands to her mouth and her short fair hair stuck up at angles. “I’ve been so worried.” She held out her arms for Benjamin.
He clamoured for her. I gave him up.
Before my sister had been jailed, she and Lena had served in the Royal Air Force together. Only a couple of months ago, Lena had quit the service and relocated to this far-flung corner of the world. She’d had two kids at the Highlands base but was ready to live a quieter life in her husband’s home town.
I’d lived on the same base, though only because Dad had been the Wing Commander. He’d run the place.
And embezzled millions from the government.
Now, he languished in a military jail, the same as my sister, the two of them convicted and locked away. All so fast, my head swam from the recoil.
Lena’s warm hand took my shoulder. “Come in. You must be exhausted.”
“Hush. You’re safe here.”
Her words were the final straw. A juddering sob erupted from me, right as Hank brought the suitcases from the car.
“Is she okay?” he whispered to Lena, who was apparently now the authority on me.
“Family troubles,” Lena replied, gesturing for me to go into the lounge. “We’ll take care of her. What happened with the car? Did it break down?”
Hank continued talking, but white noise in my head drowned him out.
Sinking into a chair, I stared at the unfamiliar surroundings then curled into a ball. In a short space of time, I’d gone from being a pampered daughter of a respected, if cruel, military leader. Now, I was on the run, exhausted and scared.
I had no idea what to do next.
My eyes drooped, and I didn’t try to fight the sleep that overtook me.
****
“Benjamin, catch!” Lena’s three-year-old daughter, Stephi, tossed a ball across the breakfast table.
Benjamin flailed a little fist at it, a huge grin on his chubby face, happier than he’d been in days.
“He hasn’t forgotten us,” Lena observed. “Does he miss his mum?”
“He’s asked for her a few times, but he’s not cried.” I took a sip of hot coffee, the night’s sleep and the new day doing wonders for my mood. I was a good traveller, usually, but spiriting a one-year-old out of Scotland and across a vast continent had taken it out of me.
“Maybe Tabby’s last tour was a blessing. She was away for months. Benjamin knows you as well he did her. Maybe even better.” Lena returned to the table. She’d just seen her son to the school bus and her husband to his job running the family saw mill. From what I could see, they had established themselves nicely. Their place was homely and bright.