Rage

by Elizabeth Reyes

  Only those closest to Felix know the real truth behind his sudden downward spiral. And if Felix has his way¸ no one else ever will. With an uncertain future ahead of him, he heads back to his roots—5th Street—the gym that started it all for him. It’s where he meets the humble but mighty little Ms. Ella.

  The only times Felix had ever decided to forgo the usual meaningless fling and try a real relationship he was burned badly. Now the adorable but tenacious self-defense instructor has him considering this love thing one more time.

  Then just when he begins to worry that his past is letting his possessive and jaded heart get the best of him, he’s blindsided in the most brutal way—he’s brought to his knees—to what could be the one low in his life he may never recover from.

  When Rose tagged along with her big sister to a baby shower the last thing she expected was to meet a guy. But this wasn’t just any guy. This was the exciting, sexy as sin, way out of her league black sheep of his family–Vincent Moreno. Even more surprising, this heart-stopping bad boy seemed interested in her.

  Fate always had a way of interfering in Vince’s best-laid plans. His forced attendance to his annoyingly perfect cousin’s baby shower was no different. He was sure to be bored out of his skull, but instead, he met sweet little Rosie Zendejas.

  What begins as a unlikely friendship between two very different people turns into one of the most intense and passionate relationships that neither ever saw coming. But just like it had so many times in Vince’s troubled past, Fate steps in once again, threatening to take away the one thing he can’t seem to even breathe without now—Rose.

  He ruled out attachments years ago. Then one day he crosses paths with a beautiful but pampered daddy’s little princess. History has taught him one thing about women like her—steer clear.

  She was starting over. She moved back to her home town, took a new job assignment, and left her past behind. For the first time in over eighteen months, she’s even intrigued by a man—a sexy but cold and indifferent drill sergeant. Despite feeling drawn to him, she has no time to figure out his inexplicable aversion to her.

  Then Fate steps in one night, forcing them together. There’s a connection neither can refute, and they both consider giving into the undeniable attraction.

  Fate however can also be cruel. Just when they surrender to their heart’s desires, past demons resurface in the most unexpected way, threatening the happiness neither realized they so desperately needed.

  Good girls cheat too.

  It’s a bitter reality Lorenzo Moreno knows all too well.

  After his “good girl” fiancée blindsides him by cheating on him with her ex Lorenzo swears off relationships for a while, if not forever.

  Until Fate steps in.

  Unable to fight the incredible pull he feels to Olivia, a girl who was supposed to be just a meaningless one night stand, Lorenzo gives into his heart. But only after making one thing utterly clear. He will not deal with any exes or other men in her life. Period.

  She’s not that person anymore.

  For too long Olivia Romero shamefully put up with an manipulative and overly controlling boyfriend. So when Fate pairs her up with the gorgeous but intense Air Force pilot she’s ready to stand her ground. Cutting all ties with her ex is no sacrifice for Olivia. It’s why she willingly complies with Lorenzo’s uncompromising stipulation.

  As their relationship intensifies, so do Lorenzo’s suspicions about any man in her life. Determined to not be that weak girl anymore, Olivia demands to be trusted. Despite how vehement her new boyfriend can be, her diligence seems to be working.

  But when an unforeseen crisis arises Olivia is forced to make a decision. A decision she knows in Lorenzo’s jaded and suspicious mind could be unforgivable.

  No regrets. Just lessons learned.

  Having lived through the torment of losing his first love to someone else—all because he never spoke up—Sydney Maricopa vowed never to repeat that mistake again.

  So when he finally admits he’s fallen for his new best friend, he refuses to lose her too, especially once he realizes his feelings for her might be requited. There’s only one problem.

  Her perfect boyfriend.

  Still, Sydney’s determined to fight for the girl he loves this time. He has what it takes to go up against Mr. Perfect. Most importantly, he and his new best friend have something even her boyfriend can’t compete with—their profound connection. One he intends to use to win her over.

  Until he finds out what she’d be giving up if she chooses Sydney.

  Something no one should ever give up. Would he dream of selfishly asking her to? Or should he do the honorable thing and sacrifice his own happiness for hers? Allow the girl he loves to sail off into the sunset with another man as he stands back and watches in agony . . . again?

  Besides working three jobs, worrying about her family back home, and running from her past, the worst thing to complicate Bethany Amaya’s life further would be a romance. But after a second-run in with the irresistibly sexy detective Damian Santiago, that’s exactly what she gets. In the blink of an eye, she’s caught up in a passionate romance with one of the most intense men she’s ever met.

  Awestruck for a second time by the beautiful and intriguing performer, Damian is both surprised and delighted that Bethany agrees to something he didn’t even expect to be asking for so soon—exclusivity. As things heat up, Damian’s skills of detecting and reading body language begin to raise suspicions—Bethany is keeping something from him. Try as he might to calm his suspicions, the blatant signs become impossible to ignore.

  Some things are better left unsaid. At least that’s what Bethany keeps telling herself. She never imagined falling in love so quickly, and she refuses to get Damian caught up in her troubles. She knows what he suspects—sees it in those possessive eyes. With Damian’s suspicions mounting, time is of the essence. The race is on, and Bethany finds herself scrambling to fix the past before the truth comes out and Damian finds out that it’s much worse than he suspected.

  Fear of abandonment has been a crippling issue for Henrietta her entire life. It’s why when her bestie comes out of the closet in college, admitting to being in love with her she agrees to take their friendship to another level.

  Aaron’s led a charmed life. He has a perfect family, a dream job, and his business is booming. He also plans on marrying his equally perfect girlfriend who he’s been with for over ten years. Then he meets his kid sister’s college buddy Henri.

  At first it’s easy to deny and even try to forget the incredible connection they felt after just one conversation. But when Henri accepts a job working for Aaron and they begin seeing each other almost daily, what they’re feeling for each other becomes impossible to deny.

  Should Aaron and Henri stay with the ones they love or take a chance on something so extraordinary it’s impossible to even explain—understand. Making such a life-altering decision is truly scary.

  But even more scary than that?

  Regret.

  Defining Love. Which is the forever kind?

  Acknowledgments

  As always, writing the story is mostly all about what’s gnawing at me until I get it down on paper. But bringing it all together takes a small army. I couldn’t possibly do this alone. I’d like to thank everyone who contributes in some way to every single book I put out.

  To my husband and “assistant,” Mark, thank you for believing in me always and encouraging me to do this. I appreciate your patience and calm when I have one of my mini meltdowns. You truly are my rock who helps me not lose my mind at times I feel like I might. I love you, babe!

  To my two grown babies, thank you for putting up with and respecting my time in the cave. I appreciate that you understand that even if I am in my PJ's and slippers and haven't run a comb through my hair in days, I really am "working." Thanks for the stories you share with me that often times make it into my books. As always, Momma loves you and is so proud of you both!
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br />   To my beta readers, Judy Devries, Dawn Winter, Emily Lamphear, and Amanda “Hootie” Clark, thank you all SO much for your always completely honest opinions and feedback. I promise you the next one you won't be sending me scathing emails asking WHY? in the middle of your read. Wait. I just remembered something. Never mind. ;)

  I’d also like to thank the many bloggers out there who have supported me and have pimped, reviewed, and participated in my cover reveals and announcements. You guys have been a HUGE part of my success, and I thank every single one of you from the bottom of my heart!

  Thank you InkSlinger and my publicist Tara Gonzalez for all the work you've done so far. This is new for me, but so far I've been impressed by the excellent communication and diligent work you've done! I look forward to continuing working with you!

  Thank you to Theresa (Eagle Eyes) Wegand, my one-stop superhero, beta reader/editor/formatter, listener to all my whiny rants/vents and obsessive worrying, and friend—even when you’re brutally honest. LOL ;) I promise I’ll never hold it against you and truly appreciate it! As always, your work is impeccable, and I can’t say enough about it. I hope to be working with you for years to come! Thank you so much!

  Shout out to “my FP girls,” my incredibly talented group of superstar authors. Thank you for the love, empathy, and your friendships. Each and every one of you!

  Thank you to Amanda Simpson of Pixel Mischief Design for my cover art. You’re an amazing talent and awesome to work with. So far you’ve created some gems for me, and I’m excited about what’s yet to come and working with you on many more! I'm dying to do the reveal of Isaiah's story, His to Guard, and show the world his luscious lips! ;)

  Thanks to my good friend New York Times Best Seller JB Salsbury for turning me on to my new cover artist! And also for being such a great fan of my work! I look forward to seeing you again and doing a little collaborating like we talked about. =D

  Shout out to my street team “Team Reyes!” To my admins, Leslie Cary, Jenn DaSilva, Delashawne Acevedo, and welcome Sarah Mannering. You're all doing such a great job I have no idea what I'd do without you! A special shout out to Leslie, who put together this year's first annual meet and greet! It was SO much fun! I can hardly wait for second annual team meet and greet next year!

  And, of course, my incredibly awesome readers! You're the REAL reason I continue to do and LOVE my "job"! You're what makes my fictional world go round. I hope to have something special for you next year in the Moreno world. Stay tuned for announcements. I love hearing from you, so keep the messages, comments, and emails coming! <3

  About the Author

  USA Today Bestselling Author, Elizabeth Reyes, was born and raised in southern California and still lives there with her husband of almost twenty-two years, her two adult children, a Great Dane named Dexter, and one big fat cat named Tyson.

  She spends eighty percent of time in front of her computer, writing and keeping up with all the social media, and loves it. She says that there is nothing better than doing what you absolutely love for a living, and she eats, sleeps, and breathes these stories, which are constantly begging to be written.

  Representation: Jane Dystel of Dystel & Goderich now handles all questions regarding subsidiary rights for any of Ms. Reyes’ work. Please direct inquiries regarding foreign translation and film rights availability to her.

  For more information on her upcoming projects and to connect with her--she loves hearing from you all—here are a few places you can find her:

  Blog: www.ElizabethReyes.com

  Facebook fan page:http://www.facebook.com/pages/Elizabeth-Reyes/278724885527554

  Twitter: @AuthorElizabeth

  Email EliReyesbooks@yahoo.com

  Add her books to your Good Reads shelf

  She enjoys hearing your feedback and looks forward to reading your reviews and comments on her website and fan page!