“Wow…” Darla stood at the window, peering outside. “All those newspeople. They’re here for you?”
I looked out and tried to pretend there weren’t razor-winged butterflies in my belly. “Afraid so. They’ll eat up anything that promises ratings.”
“And this…” She glanced at me and then around the house. Sean had given her a quick explanation. They were moving in. Not right away, though. Sean had told me he’d set aside money for one other thing—an engagement ring.
It was on my hand now.
He’d given me that long after the lasagna had gone cold and we’d decided what to do with that money in the briefcase. He was donating it to Nora’s Door. There was going to be an area called Darla’s House—we’d set it up especially for runaway teens.
I loved the idea.
Sean seemed to like it, although he kept telling me it wasn’t his money, really, and I could do with it whatever I liked.
He was going to turn in his notice at the B&B once everything was settled with Darla. I told him he didn’t have to, but he said the owner kept eyeing his arse and his arse was mine now.
He said he could find a bartending job—it wasn’t like he didn’t have experience, and he could work during the day, too.
I’d had another suggestion.
I asked if he’d like to work in the kitchen at Nora’s Door.
The light in his eyes had gleamed. I think he liked the idea.
But first …
I had to do this.
The past twenty-four hours had been a rushed flurry of activity. I’d rescheduled the press conference for early afternoon, giving me a little more time, since my afternoon had become strangely chaotic.
But it was showtime.
I’d told Sean what I was doing.
He’d been oddly quiet, and I couldn’t tell what he was thinking.
Then he’d grabbed me and pulled me up against me. “There’s my queen. Laying down the law, just as you should. I’ll be there with you, if you want that.”
“I want that.”
So he was going out with me.
We were going to talk about both our pasts, we’d decided. His past would come out at some point and we’d decided it would be better to do it our way, rather than having somebody else dig it up. Better to face it head-on than have it smacked in our faces.
If the state tried to take Darla away, they would find themselves with a much bigger fight on their hands now.
Tom appeared in the doorway. He held the revised statements in his hands, and if he was nervous, you couldn’t tell.
“It’s time.”
I nodded. I looked over at Sean. “Are you ready?”
His response was to give me a hard, fast kiss.
“Let’s get this done, love. What they did to you? They wanted to break you, but they failed.” He took my hand and led me to the door. “I never was a victim, Ella. I won’t let any of them think that.” “I know. But I’ll tell you what Tom told me. I don’t want to be a symbol. He said I was anyway.” I sucked in a breath, pausing before I turned the doorknob. “You talked about how many kids are forced into prostitution. They don’t have a voice. You can be that, Sean.”
He grimaced. “I don’t want to be a symbol, either, Ella.”
“You’re about to become one. They need a voice, Sean.”
He stroked a hand down my hair and leaned in. After one more kiss, he nodded. “Then let’s give them one.”
I opened the door and strode to the podium erected on my front porch.
Lights flashed. Sean settled at my side, a solid, warm presence.
“Hello. Thank you for coming. Please hold all questions until the end. I will answer them, but only if you wait until it’s time. I have a great deal to tell you, but I need to start with a story. It all began just a few blocks from here, with a little girl. Her parents often made her wear a party…” My voice hitched.
Sean leaned in and whispered, “Remember … they failed.”
I steadied. Giving him a quick smile, I looked back out over the sea of faces.
“Her parents often made her wear a party dress. They wanted to break this little girl. But they failed.”
The End
Don’t miss a moment of Shiloh Walker’s sensational 3-part e-serial Thirty Nights with a Dirty Boy from HeroesandHeartbreakers.com.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Shiloh Walker has been writing since she was a kid. She loves reading and writing, anything paranormal, anything fantasy, and nearly every kind of romance. Once upon a time she worked as a nurse, but now she writes full time and lives with her family in the Midwest. She has authored dozens of works of romantic suspense, contemporary and paranormal romance, and urban fantasy under the name J.C. Daniels. Look for her new romance Headed for Trouble, coming soon from St. Martin’s Press. You can sign up for email updates here.
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Contents
Title Page
Copyright Notice
Dedication
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
About the Author
Copyright
This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.
“Thirty Nights with a Dirt Boy: Part 3” Copyright © 2016 by Shiloh Walker.
All rights reserved. For information, address St. Martin’s Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10010.
www.stmartins.com
Cover photograph © Amoklv/Shutterstock
Author photo © Ayrica Bishop
Our e-books may be purchased in bulk for promotional, educational, or business use. Please contact the Macmillan Corporate and Premium Sales Department at (800) 221-7945, extension 5442, or by e-mail at [email protected].
eISBN 978-1-250-09460-5
First eBook Edition: February 2016
Thirty Nights with a Dirty Boy: Part 3: A Heroes and Heartbreakers Serial Page 9
