by Bethany-Kris
Lily scoffed, disbelief filling her to the brim. “Turn rat, you mean.”
“Lily,” Damian said quietly.
“No, that’s what he’s saying. Or rather, what he won’t because he’s a coward.”
The detective shrugged. “I’m just suggesting that you could be a great help.”
Fuck this.
“Get out,” Lily said, pointing at the kitchen entryway.
“Doesn’t it bother you at all that someone killed your brother?” the man asked.
Lily felt a stab of pain pierce through her heart. “You have no idea how I feel. You don’t have the first clue what it feels like to—”
“You’re protecting the very same people who killed him.”
“All right, that’s enough,” Damian said, anger heating his tone.
Lily didn’t need Damian to come to her defense. “Get out!”
Storming past the detective, Lily made her way to the front of the house. She opened up the front door wide, pointing at the outside. She waited, her agitation rising, as the man took his time putting on his shoes and suit jacket.
Standing on the front steps, the detective turned back to Lily. “If you change your mind—”
Lily slammed the door in his face.
Damian stayed leaning against the wall, his features downcast as he regarded her with a stare that made her sadness swell. Because he knew—her heart was breaking and she couldn’t breathe. A meltdown was just around the corner if she couldn’t reel it back in and fast.
“Oh, my God,” Lily whispered, pressing her palm to her chest.
“Lily, it’s going to be okay.”
She nodded, but nothing felt true.
“Lily, breathe,” Damian murmured.
How could she?
Before she blinked, Damian was standing in front of her. He cupped her cheeks in his palms and tilted her head up so she could see the worry and love swimming in his gaze. Over and over, he kissed her lips with soft pecks until her tears had stopped falling and her lungs worked again.
“It’s just beginning, isn’t it?” Lily asked.
The fighting between the families had only grown worse since Damian and Lily’s wedding. Terrance Trentini’s murder seemed to tip the Trentini family over the edge. Lily remembered when Damian got that phone call on their honeymoon perfectly. She was sure he was the cause of the Outfit boss’s death.
Lily chose not to ask. She knew he would tell her the truth if she did and Lily wasn’t sure if she was ready to hear it.
Nonetheless, things were bad between the four families and getting much worse.
“It’s going to be okay,” Damian said again.
“Who did that to Dino?” Lily asked.
“I don’t know.”
“Please don’t try to save my feelings.”
Damian sighed, using his thumb to trace her lips. “I’m not, sweetheart. No one knows.”
“But … someone must know something, Damian.”
“It’s war. Nobody has to know anything.”
War.
Lily shivered. Somehow, her brother’s plans to upset the Outfit had turned on him. “Dino did this for me.”
“You, Theo … himself. I don’t even know if he realized what he was really doing.”
“How do I settle that in here?” Lily asked pointing at her chest where her heart was racing out of control.
“Lily—”
“He started a war for us.”
Damian pulled her close and kissed her hard. Lily let him. “We’ll be okay.”
“Promise?”
“Always, Lily. You and me, we’re the kind of people who survive. That’s just what we do.”
God, she hoped so.
“My heart hurts,” Lily said softly, willing away her tears.
Damian kissed her tenderly. “I’ll take it away.”
Yeah, he always did.
About the Author
Bethany-Kris is a Canadian author, lover of much, and mother to three young sons, one cat, and three dogs. A small town in Eastern Canada where she was born and raised is where she has always called home. With her boys under her feet, a snuggling cat, barking dogs, and a hubby calling over his shoulder, she is nearly always writing something … when she can find the time.
Find her at her website at www.bethanykris.com, on Facebook, Twitter, or her blog.
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Coming Soon
Reckless & Ruined
The Chicago War, Book Two
Adriano Conti & Alessa Trentini
“Did anybody see you come around?” Alessa asked.
“No,” he responded. “I parked a few blocks away and jogged down the backroad before coming in on the property. We’re good.”
Alessa sighed. “Thanks. I’m sorry I didn’t answer you back the last few days.”
“Are you?”
“Yes,” Alessa said. “But I’ve been … stuck in my own head, trying to figure out what I was going to do. I thought I should let you know so you can stop worrying about me and move on to your own thing, Adriano.”
“You are my thing,” Adriano replied. “Don’t you know that?”
Alessa dipped her head down, keeping her face out of his view. “I can’t be your thing.”
“Stop it with that shit. None of this matters to me. It never has.”
“I can’t be your thing,” Alessa repeated firmly. “Not anymore. Not now.”
“Hey.” Adriano took a step forward, and Alessa answered it by taking a step back. “What is up with you?”
Alessa shrugged. “It’s been settled. I’m going to have to marry Dean Artino. The engagement and wedding date isn’t official, but I’m sure Joel will be an asshole and send an invitation to your father. I wanted you to find out from me and not someone else through the grape vine.”
Air cut through Adriano’s lungs with a searing burn. A ball of rage and possessiveness swirling in his midsection hard and fast, threatening to take him under with the current. Alessa was, and always had been, his.
Like fuck was he going to hand her off to some useless bastard like Dean Artino.
Over his dead body.
It wouldn’t happen.
“No,” Adriano said in a growl, stepping closer to her.
Alessa blinked up at him. “W-what?”
“No. You’re not marrying Dean.”
“I don’t think you understand, Adriano.”
“Oh, I understand perfectly fucking well.” Adriano couldn’t help but notice how Alessa didn’t back off the closer he came. Once they were toe-to-toe under the willow tree, she had to look up at him to hold his gaze. “I get it, but it’s not happening.”
Alessa’s tongue peeked out to wet her lips. “Right now, it’s just the promise of an engagement between Dean and me soon, but Joel assured the wedding would happen within the next few months. I don’t get a choice and it’s not fair to you, so let me do what I have to. Okay?”
“No.”
“Adriano—”
“No,” he repeated darkly.
Acknowledgments
The War books started with a couple that the readers won’t see until the very last book—Tommas and Abriella. While I knew their story, I also knew there was so much that had to come before them but I wasn’t sure if that should be told, too. Others disagreed and this small idea started growing. But this small idea wouldn’t have been possible at all, and I wouldn’t have fed the voices talking, had it not been for a few people that all but demanded I put these characters onto paper and let them go.
Eli, my pretty girl, thank you for loving these words and letting me do my thing, even when I make you a little crazy. Your opinions and help are invaluable. And to Eli’s wonderful hubby, who helped us to figure out a few technical things, many thanks to you, too. Tracy, my lovely pre-reader who never fails to tell me when something is off, thanks and love and so many hugs to you. W
e’re miles apart, but we’ll get closer someday. Promise. And Sheila, thank you for your advice with this story and your help. Thanks isn’t enough, really.
To my editor, so much love and gratitude.
To the readers, you’re beautiful people and you make these stories and characters come alive for me. Always.
Jay, for the cover, God, you just get it. So much. What else do I need to say? Thank you.
And to my hubby … Always to my hubby, I don’t know how you do this with me, D. I don’t know how you sometimes put up with this craziness that is inside my head when it comes out, but thank you for giving me the time, space, and support to get it out and done. You’re priceless.
Love and hugs,
Kris
Copyright © 2015 Bethany-Kris. All Rights Reserved.
WARNING: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted material is illegal and punishable by law. No parts of this work may be reproduced, copied, used, or printed without expressed written consent from the publisher/author. Exceptions are made for brief excerpts used in reviews.
eISBN: 0-9947909-6-5
eISBN 13: 978-0-9947909-6-5
Print ISBN: 0-9947909-7-2
Print ISBN 13: 978-0-9947909-7-2
Editor: Dominique S.
Proofreaders: Eli P. & Sheila K.
Cover Design © Jay Aheer
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, organizations, corporations, locales and so forth are a product of the author’s imagination, or if real, used fictitiously. Any resemblance to a person, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
Table of Contents
DEATHLESS & DIVIDED
Dedication
PROLOGUE
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER NINE
CHAPTER TEN
CHAPTER ELEVEN
CHAPTER TWELVE
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Chicago Map of Outfit Families
About the Author
Coming Soon
Acknowledgments
Copyright
