by Coralee June
Blythe and Lowe exchanged weary expressions before nodding.
Every single bone in my body ached. It felt like there was no cartilage in my joints. “Here,” Ash said before digging in her corset top and handing Cyler and me both pills. She wouldn’t meet my gaze, and that broke me. I couldn’t help but wonder if she was ashamed. “It’s the death pill.”
We got into the transport in silence. Lowe made quick work of pressing buttons on the dash, and as the garage slowly opened, I let out a curse when I saw guards loitering outside. The small group snapped their attention to us and began walking over, but just before they could intercept us, a loud explosion of fire and destruction went off in the distance. Clouds of flames filled the sky almost immediately.
“What the fuck?” Cyler asked while placing his hand on the window and peering outside. The guards were temporarily distracted, and Lowe took the opportunity to input the coordinates.
“Take it now. I’m not sure where the barrier is. You’ll want it off before we leave here,” Ash said quickly.
Staring down at the pill in my palm, I weighed the pro’s and cons. I was only about eighty percent sure that we’d wake up. Our bodies had just experienced some traumatic damage, and I couldn’t be for certain that this pill wouldn’t push what little life we were clinging to over the edge. But we didn’t have much of a choice, and I refused to tell Ash. She’d insist we stay, otherwise.
Once again I found myself making one of the hardest decisions of my life: Risk her, or risk myself. In the end, I’d always pick her happiness and survival over mine.
Blythe handed us water, and the guards ahead started running around like mad men, as if unsure where to go. Glancing at Cy, I placed the pill on my tongue and gulped it down. After we wordlessly exchanged a look of solidarity, he quickly followed suit.
The darkness started to claim me, and I made sure to stare at Ash. I wanted her to be the last thing I saw, just in case. The transport jolted forward and flames engulfed the sky outside, giving her a red silhouette of fire. She looked beautiful.
“Wow,” Lowe began, as my vision went black. “You really are Queen of the Walkers.”
Coming soon
Acknowledgments
This book would not have been possible without the support of my dear friends, Denise, Savannah, Claire, and of course my wonderful PA, Mads.
Also, I am especially indebted to my author tribe. They not only encourage me to work hard, but inspire me to be a better writer.
I am grateful to all of those with whom I have had the pleasure to work with during this book. I’d like to especially recognize my editor, Helayna Trask. She always takes the time to dive into the worlds I create and make sure they are perfect for you all. I would also like to thank all the dedicated members of CJ’s Elite and The Zone.
Nobody has been more important to me in the pursuit of this series than the members of my family. I would like to thank my parents, whose love and guidance are with me in whatever I pursue. Most importantly, I wish to thank my loving and supportive husband, Joshua. Thank you for working hard for our family. And to my two wonderful children:
Everything I do is for you. Everything.
About the Author
I’ve always been passionate about storytelling and impressed by the influence it has on people. I love engaging with the projects I work on, diving headfirst into developing real, raw, and relatable characters.
I like flawed and beautiful things.
I’m an English Major from Texas State University and my wild affair with literature began at a young age. I love angst. I love to crack open a book and borrow the character’s emotions for a bit. It’s how I approach writing, too.
I live in Dallas, Tx with my husband and two beautiful, headstrong daughters. I enjoy long walks through the ice cream aisle at my local grocery store and listening to gangster rap in my minivan.
For more information about me, and my upcoming releases, please visit my website at:
www.authorcoraleejune.com
Also by CoraLee June
Sunshine and Bullets
Sunshine.
It’s a nickname I haven’t heard since I lived on Woodbury Lane, where the houses were pretty but the secrets? Deadly. It was a pet name known only to the Bullets. Rough, violent, and ruthless, they laid claim to the town — and my heart.
I wasn't supposed to fall for a boy from the wrong side of the tracks—especially not four of them. But they were the only ones who understood that sometimes hell hides in plain sight.
I was the girl with all the conveniences a privileged upbringing could provide. The world only saw two loving parents and a pristine home life, but I knew the truth. And it was going to get me killed. So, I disappeared, from everyone and everything I’d ever known. I changed my name and my appearance, but the scars I carry, they’re still the same.
The Bullets are all grown up now, too — a crime boss, a pro fighter, a bounty hunter, and a federal agent. Life took them in different directions, but they once shared the bonds of a brotherhood forged under the harshest conditions. Together they were fearless. Brutal. Unstoppable.
I'm praying they can find that unity again. If I'm going to survive this, it'll take everything they have. Because that's the thing about running from the past.
Eventually, it catches up to you.
