Her Villain: A Dark Bully Romance (Aqua Vitae Duet Book 1)
Page 18
“You okay, Julie?” Dad’s voice floated across the breeze to me.
I folded the letter quicky, pushing it back into the envelope and tucking it into my back pocket before turning around to smile at him.
He was such a good man. Loved Mom. Loved me. Was passionate about his art and being kind to people. He didn’t need to know about the letters; it would only break his heart. And what was the point?
“Yeah, I’m fine.” I walked to join him over by the hammock. “She left me those ruby earrings I always loved. The ones Grandpa gave her.”
He nodded. “Even in death, she’s having a little laugh. How many times did you borrow those without asking?”
“More times than I can count.” I laughed. “It’s weird though. I feel like the box wasn’t filled with things meant for me. Not exactly.”
“You know, I was surprised to see that box at the will reading.” Dad sat down on the hammock, almost losing his balance because he still hadn’t gotten the hang of the damn thing.
“Why?”
“It was her personal space. Where she tucked away her special things. The things that really mattered to her.” Dad got the hammock under control, swinging his legs onto the weave and sidling over to the middle to get balanced. “It was always under our bed until a month or so before she died. That was around the time she made some changes to her will. Said she took the box and some valuables to the bank for safekeeping. I really didn’t think much of it until… well, you know. They gave it to you.”
“She had her first wedding ring in it,” I leaned over the hammock and kissed him on the cheek.
He looked at me with tired eyes. “It wasn’t even real, you know.”
“The ring?”
“It wasn’t real,” he repeated, closing his eyes.
Did he know about Mom? Is that what he meant about it not being real? He looked so old, lying there in the hammock with his eyes shut. “You need to rest. I’m going to head back to the city, okay?”
He murmured an acknowledgment, and I gave the hammock a little push with my hip. He was snoring by the time I walked away.
I put the box in the passenger’s seat.
I couldn’t stop glancing at it on the drive home.
How could no one have discovered Mom’s affair?
Or if they had, how could it not be in any of the files?
I didn’t understand. I didn’t understand anything.
Except for one thing, Hugo was a lead.
He could be the killer.
Or the clue that finally led me to the truth. To the identity of The Rose Killer.
The bastard that killed my mother.
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Aqua Vitae Duet Book Two
HIS POISON
-Blurb-
Romero Montego
We’re from two different worlds.
Worlds that have always been at war.
I am the monster that goes bump in the night, and she is the monster hunter.
The price of a future together might be too great to pay.
With a currency of souls in the balance.
Yet I know I cannot hide in the shadows forever...
Juliette Capuleti
I’m getting closer to finding my mother’s killer. I can taste it.
And I’m scared.
Only Romero can keep me sane.
He’s like air, filling my lungs with the sweetest relief.
If he is by my side, I know everything will be okay.
It must be.
#
It started with a rose.
And will end with thorns.
The Rose Killer strikes yet again, taking out a serial rapist targeting women in the District of Columbia. Federal Agent Juliette Capuleti is finally allowed onto the official case, and it’s all hands are on deck as the hunt intensifies. At the same time, Juliette’s relationship with billionaire Romero Montego grows more serious.
Everything is going right, finally. Juliette is a step closer to finding her prey.
Until the night she sleeps at Romero’s home, and her curiosity causes her to find a secret that changes everything.
Can a serial killer and a federal agent be together? Or is their star-crossed love damned from the start?
**The Aqua Vitae Duet is dark, suspenseful, taboo, & forbidden. Consensual sex. Drinking. Violence. With brutal scenes like a car crash you can’t look away from, Her Villain and His Poison will leave you feeling like you need to take your own trip to confession for absolution. Romero & Juliette’s love is twisted and passionate with a tragic Shakespearean edge.**
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Aqua Vitae Duet Book Two
E L L I E
M E A D O W S
Ellie Meadows is the chosen pseudonym of an established-author wanting to jump feet-first into the contemporary romance scene. Her real (and faux) persona can be described as quirky, nerdy, and not afraid to love without reservation. She believes even when love is complicated and hard, it’s also very simple—be honest, open, and don’t lose yourself to the relationship. The people who really love you will want the authentic you. They won’t want you watered down. They won’t want you to hide behind walls or lie because it’s easier to swallow.
So Ellie believes you should say the tough stuff before it festers, whisper ‘I love you’ in the dark as often as possible, dance in the kitchen while the food on the stove burns, and fight when fighting’s necessary. But always—always—make up fast and furiously.
Lastly, on the subject of love, Ellie wants to say that consent is important at all stages in a relationship. Enthusiastic, happy-hearted, mutual consent. Even if you’ve been married for over a decade—ask, understand, and don’t take advantage. Far too often, we find ourselves using our sex to obtain things, or avoiding sex to make points. We say we’re tired and don’t want to have sex, when really what we want is to forge a deeper connection emotionally, before we continue to love physically.
Stalk Ellie Online:
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Other Books by Ellie
The King of Castleton Series
Bully, Brat, Brawl & Balls
(complete and ready to binge!)
Snag book 1 on Amazon and start the series!
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Heart Notes
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713 pages of heartfelt & bittersweet romance between a broken rock star and a pregnant runaway.
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Born to Darkness Duet
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Preorder book 1 of Ellie’s next series!
THE BEASTS OF GREENSTONE ACADEMY
1 Reckless Little Lie, 2 Ruthless Little Dares, 3 Ravished Little Souls
Thank you so much for reading Her Villain!
Until next time,
-Ellie M