Provoking the Enemy
Copyright 2019 Monica Clayton
Published by M.E. Clayton
All Rights Reserved
This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your enjoyment only, then please return to Smashwords.com or your favorite retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.
This book is a work of fiction. The entire content is a product of the author’s imagination and all names, places, businesses, and incidences are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons (living or dead), places or occurrences, is entirely coincidental
No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any manner whatsoever without the express written consent from the author, except in the case of brief quotation embodied in critical articles or reviews.
Formatting: Smashwords
Cover: Adobe Stock
Warning: This book contains sexual situations and other adult themes. Recommended for 18 years of age and over.
Table of Contents
Author's Note
Acknowledgements
Dedication
Prologue
1. Ava
2. Ace
3. Ava
4. Ace
5. Ava
6. Ace
7. Ava
8. Ace
9. Ava
10. Ace
11. Ava
12. Ace
13. Ava
14. Ace
15. Ava
16. Ace
17. Ava
18. Ace
19. Ava
20. Ace
21. Ava
22. Ace
23. Ava
24. Ace
25. Ava
Epilogue
Playlist
About the Author
Other Books
Contact Me
Newsletter Sign-up!
Author’s Note
Facing the Enemy had originally been a standalone work, but due to so many requests, I decided to write Roselyn’s, Liam’s & Deke’s stories, and so, the Enemy Series was born. I had also never planned on a fourth character, but upon writing Deke’s story, I fell in love with Ava, and how complicated she was, so Provoking the Enemy came to life. I liked the bond she shared with Delaney, so I felt the need to tell her story, too. I also added a short closer as proof that everyone did live happily ever after.
So, while I did my best to write this book in a style that can be enjoyed as a standalone, I suggest reading Facing the Enemy, Engaging the Enemy, and Battling the Enemy first, so that the supporting storyline might flow better. If not all three, Battling the Enemy should still be read before reading this book.
Also, as much as I tried (because I know how much everyone loved Ramsey’s and Emerson’s intensity), I couldn’t quite match the madness because…well, Ramsey’s a psychopath, whereas Ava is just complicated. I hope you still enjoy the book, nonetheless. Now, because Facing the Enemy was supposed to be a solo work, it was a challenge to match its intensity for the other four books, but I did my best, folks. I so promise I did my best.
Nonetheless, I hope you guys enjoy the series, and thank you, once again, to everyone who loved the book so much, you pushed for the additional stories.
*****
Just a couple of things before I let you go and get your read on. While I am doing my best to work with better editing and proofreading software, all my books are solo, independent works. I write my books, proofread my books, edit my books, create the covers, etc. I have one beta who gives me feedback on my stories, but other than that, all my books are independent projects.
That being said, I apologize, in advance, for the typos, grammar inconsistencies, or any other mistakes I may make. Since writing is strictly a hobby for me, I haven’t looked for commitments in regard to publishers, editors, etc. My hope is that my stories are enjoyable enough that a few mistakes, here and there, can be overlooked. If not, my books are probably not for you.
Also, I am an avid reader-I mean an AVID reader. I love to read above any other hobby. One of the things about reading that hurts my heart, though, is when I fall in love with a book, but I have to wait for the additional books in the series to be released. Because I feel that disappointment down to my soul, I vowed that if I ever write a series, all books will be published at once. Nope-no waiting over here…LOL. So, if you are reading one of my books, but can’t find any other books on the secondary characters of that book, that means the book is a standalone project.
Now, that being said, if there are enough requests for the secondary characters’ stories, I try to accommodate that. So, it is possible for a series to develop unexpectedly. Should that happen, I will do my best to release the rest of the requested book all at once.
Thank You! You are truly making my dreams come true!
Acknowledgements
The first acknowledgement will always be my husband (unless we ever divorce, then probably not so much after that), but seeing as how I can’t imagine that day ever coming, I can’t ever put myself out there without thanking him for all his love, support and belief in me.
Second, there’s my family; my daughter, my son, my grandchildren, my sister, and my mother. They are the people who love me the most, know me the best, and love me dearly, despite all they know…LOL!
And, of course, there’s Kamala. She insists that I don’t have to thank her in every book, but my love for her and gratitude for all her support and enthusiasm, claims otherwise. She’s the first person (outside my family) that I shared this dream with, and she’s been by my side every step of the way. Kam, you really are the best kind of friend!
And, finally, I’d like to thank everyone who’s purchased, read, reviewed, shared, and supported me and my writing. Thank you so much for helping make this dream a reality and a happy, fun one at that! There are not enough ‘Thank You’s in the world.
Dedication
For everyone who secretly liked Ava, but didn’t want to admit it –
This is for you!
Prologue
I had to hand it to her. I mean, I’ve seen her pull some great-looking men before, but I never thought she’d cross the line to cradle robbing.
Never mind that fact that she was actually home for a change, but usually when she came home, it wasn’t with someone my age. Granted, I could be jumping to conclusions, but I didn’t think I was. My mother never came home without a man in tow. And as history has taught me, she usually came home with a man in tow because she’s dumped her previous boyfriend and the new one needed to meet her daughter.
You know, because we were one big happy family, my mother and I.
I stared out my bedroom window and gave thanks for the fact that I had actually been home for once and not out partying. Had I walked in from a party to see my mother with a guy my age who knows what would have flown out of my mouth. While I very rarely curbed my tongue, I didn’t actually enjoy going rounds with my mother. The less interaction with her, the better. However, when I was drunk or high, all bets were off.
Staring down at the boy, man, guy??...whatever he was, the only conclusion I could draw was that he must be with my mother for money. Husband #2 had been one of the few men who had actually loved my mother and he had married her and left everything to her in his will. No one expected him to die suddenly from a heart attack a few months later, but it couldn’t ever be said that my mother hadn’t seen the silver lining amongst the tragedy.
But Ronald’s legacy still hadn’t been enough for my mother. She had developed a taste for the finer things in life early on, and after my father had left her, she had gone on a one-woman crusade to land as many wealthy men as she could.
And Elise Hill was racking up the points like a true professional and using my father’s last name to do it.
And why wouldn’t she be? My mother was stunning with her blonde hair, blue eyes, and pin-up figure. She was what every man fantasized about. She was beautiful, fancy, and did whatever you wanted her to for the right price. Now, the difference between my mother and me?
I gave it away for free.
I gave it away for free, and I didn’t even need to be drunk or high to do it. I also knew all the reasons I behaved the way I did, but I wasn’t looking to fix myself just yet. The effort seemed…pointless at this stage of the game.
Looking down at the guy, lazily circling our pool, I wondered what happened to Greg. My mother had been dating him for about a year, or so, and I had honestly thought he was going to stick around for a while. I’d only been around him a handful of times when my mom had to keep up her good-mom image and come home for the holidays and crap like that, but those few times when I had interacted with Greg he seemed to really like my mom. He wasn’t the worst that she’s ever brought home.
I laughed. That’s probably why she dumped him. He was too nice for her.
I was only eighteen-years-old, but I’ve seen my mother go through so many men, I once told her we needed a revolving door installed on the house. She had slapped me, but it wasn’t like it had been the first time she’d ever put hands on me.
The real shame? While I couldn’t make out the guy’s features clearly from how high up my bedroom window was, I could tell he was good-looking. He looked to stand tall and his body was filling out his jeans and plain white t-shirt. He had dark hair, but I couldn’t tell if it was brown or black. I could see the details of his physique as he rounded the side of the pool closest to my window and I hated to admit he looked good.
His t-shirt showcased solid, muscular arms and you could see the dips and valleys of ripped flesh molded to his shirt. He had jeans on with some Timberlands, but he looked to be proportioned evenly everywhere.
I immediately hated him.
Sure, it wasn’t his fault my mother was a gold-digging slut, but something made me take offense to his presence in my house. And make no mistake. This was my house. I was the one who lived here day after day with the maids, gardeners, cooks, etc., not my mother, her current boyfriend, or anyone else.
Me.
Just me.
My foot stepped back, ready to ignore Elise’s newest flavor, when suddenly his head shot up and he was looking at me through my window. I stared back down at him, and later down the road, I’ll realized that watching him watch me had been my first mistake.
Chapter 1
Ava~
I stood by the window staring down at him, waiting to see what he was going to do next. There’s no way I would cower. No current lover-one my age, no less-was going to run me scared. He couldn’t. There wasn’t anything he could say or do that I haven’t seen or experienced to make me shrink like a wilting violet. He was temporary. Whatever he brought to the table wouldn’t last long, so I could endure whatever he could dish out.
The way I saw it, there were only two ways he could play this since he was so young. He could own up to what he was, or he would pretend to love my mother dearly and profess that age was just a number. However, it didn’t matter which role he chose because-again-he was temporary.
We stood trapped in this unspoken standoff for a full couple of minutes before his head jerked to the side and I saw his lips move and his head nod. My mother must have gone looking for her young lover which meant introductions were close at hand.
I decided to go on the offensive and left my window to face the music. I was a lot of things; a whore, a drinker, a drug partaker, you name it. But I wasn’t a coward.
I’ll never be a fucking coward.
Leaving the confines of my bedroom, I danced down the stairs leading to the backyard, and made my way through the back enclosed patio until I was strolling across the deck towards the pool. The entire time Mom’s boy-toy’s gaze never wavered, and he waited silently with his legs braced apart and his hands in his pockets. I stopped when I was standing directly in front of him, and I was immediately hit was disgust so palpable, I was sure he could see it all over my face.
My mom’s current flavor was stunning. He was absolutely gorgeous, and not in the has-a-nice-face kind of gorgeous. He was gorgeous in a way that made him hotter than hell. He had to be hands down the best-looking boy I’ve ever seen, and that was saying something.
Sands Cove was populated by the One-Percent who felt comfortable leaving their children unattended to be raised by the household staff. We all went to Windsor Academy where we were all being groomed like little robots to follow in our parents’ footsteps. And because we were the kids of the rich, there wasn’t a shortage of perfect-looking teenagers around town. Whether by a gift from God or a surgeon’s scalpel, perfection was everywhere. I didn’t know who this guy was, but he could give Ramsey Reed a run for his money, and Ramsey Reed was beyond perfection in Sands Cove.
This guy stood over six-foot, and this close up, I saw that his hair was a dark brown. He had matching brown brows that sat above a pair of eyes so golden, I wanted them to be contacts so that it would take away from his appeal. He had a straight nose, sharp cheekbones, and a pair of lips that looked soft and inviting. He had a strong jawline, and I was right about his physique. He was strong, toned, and muscular everywhere. His clothes did nothing to hide his hard, chiseled body.
“Who are you and what are you doing in my yard?” I asked, injecting as much sting in my voice as I could.
He lifted a brow and did that stupid shit all good-looking guys do when they smirked, and it looked sexy instead of arrogant. “Who are you?” he returned.
“None of your goddamn business, since this is my house and not yours,” I said scathingly. “Now, who in the fuck are you?”
His grin was slow and lethal. “A guest,” he replied vaguely.
I shook my head in disgust. He couldn’t even bring himself to admit he was Elise’s boyfriend, and I knew he had to be at least that. Elise didn’t bring home one-night stands. She only brought home men to meet me who were going to be around for a respectable amount of time. However, it never mattered who did the breaking up, none of her relationships were designed to last. Elise was constantly having a midlife crisis, and she was always looking to upgrade. It didn’t matter how rich or good-looking the man; she was always ready to trade in her used models for something better.
I hated that this guy was in the ‘something better’ category.
“There are hotels in town, Guest, if you’re looking for a place to stay,” I informed him, contempt dripping from every word.
“Nah,” he said casually. “I like it here. The…scenery isn’t what I’m used to.”
“I’m only going to ask one more time before I call the fucking police,” I threatened. “Who in the fuck are you and what are you doing in my yard?” Even though I was already pretty certain who he was, I wanted him to say it. I wanted something to fuel the constant anger I felt towards my mother.
The sonofabitch kept that smirk in place, but his voice had taken on a different vibe. “You need to be careful who you talk to like that, Kit,” he rumbled. “I get that you might be used to ordering around these privileged little fuckers around you, but you might want to know who you’re dealing with before you get all brave on someone.”
I laughed-scoffed, actually. He had a seriously misconstrued opinion on the people of Sands Cove. Sure, there were a lot of people in this town who were spoil and soft, but they didn’t outnumber the entitled population that ran this town and school. You give kids unlimited money, with no parents around to teach them responsibility and basic human morality
, and you got a generation of kids who didn’t give a fuck and could buy their way out of those fucks not given.
Digesting his words, my thoughts raced right towards Ramsey Reed, Deke Marlow, Liam McCellan, Emerson Andrews-or, I guess, Emerson Reed now-Roselyn Bell, and my best friend, Delaney Martin. Except for Delaney, the other five were as cutthroat and ruthless as a person could get. Ramsey was at the top of the food chain with Deke and Liam right there next to him. Delaney was Deke’s girlfriend and Roselyn was Liam’s girlfriend. Emerson used to be Ramsey’s girlfriend until he married her the week after we had graduated. We were only two weeks into summer vacation before we all headed to our respective colleges, but the rumor had been that Ramsey wasn’t going to wait any longer to make Emerson his wife. He married her and made her the top of the food chain. It was no secret that Ramsey would slit someone’s throat for daring to even look Emerson’s way. He was a psychopath that way. So, this fool, standing here insinuating that we were privileged brats, was in for a rude awakening.
I planted my hands on my hips and let him know exactly what I thought about his assessment. “I don’t know who you are, or what you’re doing here, but what I do know is that you’re seriously delusional if you think this town is full of nothing but weak, spoiled kids.”
He took a step towards me and I had to really tilt my head back to hold his gaze. But my neck could kink up and be stuck like this for days before I’d ever break eye contact with this asshole. What this guy didn’t know was that it wasn’t possible to intimidate me. Now while I didn’t go looking for trouble, I didn’t shy away from it either. I wasn’t afraid to stand my ground.
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