by Lindsey Hart
JORDAN
By
Lindsey Hart
CONTENTS
BOOK DESCRIPTION
COPYRIGHT
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
CHAPTER 1
CHAPTER 2
CHAPTER 3
CHAPTER 4
CHAPTER 5
CHAPTER 6
CHAPTER 7
CHAPTER 8
CHAPTER 9
CHAPTER 10
CHAPTER 11
CHAPTER 12
CHAPTER 13
CHAPTER 14
CHAPTER 15
CHAPTER 16
CHAPTER 17
CHAPTER 18
CHAPTER 19
SCARS OF LOVE
BURNING TOUCH
AGAINST HIS WILL
HER CAPTOR
HIJACKED BY HER GREEK BOSS
BOOK DESCRIPTION
Jordan Wall.
Rich. Famous. Powerful.
That’s me.
But that’s all a facade, filled with secrets.
Secrets I’m never going to let anyone find out.
But then came Effie, with her sexy curves and startling doe-like eyes.
She’s the only one who understands me.
And the only one to discover my secrets…and the only one who now has the power to hurt and destroy me completely.
A never-before-seen romance novella that will tug at your heart-strings in all the right direction and give you that guaranteed satisfaction with it’s HEA!!
COPYRIGHT
All characters in this book have no existence outside the imagination of the author and have no relation whatsoever to anyone bearing the same name or names. They are not even distantly inspired by any individual known to the author, and all the incidents are pure invention. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, mechanical or electronic, including photocopying or recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, or transmitted by email without permission in writing from the publisher. While all attempts and efforts have been made to verify the information held within this publication, neither the author nor the publisher assumes any responsibility for errors, omissions, or opposing interpretations of the content herein. The book is for entertainment purposes only. The views expressed are those of the author alone and should not be taken as expert instruction or commands.
Copyright © Passion House Publishing Ltd 2018
All rights reserved.
You can contact the team at [email protected].
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Lindsey Hart is a married mom of a two-year old and lives in Ohio with her husband and two furry ball Persian cats who take themselves as the owners of the house.
She specializes in sweet to extra hot and dirty romance and strongly believes in happily ever after. If you are looking for a page turner, then you are in for a wild and naughty ride with feisty heroines and alpha male heroes.
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CHAPTER 1
Effie
“Soaked in my own blood I lay while my tormentors hovered above me, malicious violence burning and a perverted enjoyment in their eyes. Blood soaks into my eyes, runs down my face over my crushed nose and into my mouth. It leaches down my throat and trickles to my stomach. I want to vomit, but I am afraid of what they will do. I am already numb. I have already retreated to the place I go, a place where pain and degradation have no bearing. I go to a place of numbness. I go to escape and to survive. A swift kick lands in my ribs and what breath was left in my lungs rushes out forcefully. I don’t know then that I will spend the next month recovering from two cracked ribs and a broken one. As they walk away laughing, I hear one word repeated over and over, drowning out everything, cutting through the numbness in a way the pain never can. Freak.”
Cora Mason set aside the paperback with the glossy cover and the picture of their boss on the front. She popped a piece of cherry licorice out of the package beside her on the small table’s bench seat. She cocked a dark brow as she slipped one end of the candy between full, red lips.
“Do you think it’s true?”
“What?” Effie Jacobs’ attention was torn from her nails, which she was trying to painstakingly paint. It was a futile effort as the rocking of the tour bus pretty much made a steady hand impossible. It was more to kill the time as they ate up endless miles than anything.
She glanced at Cora. Her eyes swiveled beyond the licorice in her friend’s hand to the living room, as it was. The floor plans were all the same. Driver’s area, behind that, the kitchen, then living area, a small washroom, six bunks and a larger bedroom at the very back.
“I don’t know. All of it. This part especially just seems so harsh. Kicking someone’s ass like that, just because they’re mute… I mean, not being able to talk doesn’t exactly make you a freak does it?”
“I don’t think so.”
“Hmm. It’s a little ironic they call him a motivational speaker now when he can’t talk.” She paused to consider that, then her eyes returned to Effie’s face. “Have you even read the book?”
Effie rolled her eyes. “Why would I bother when I hear about it every single night?” She carefully didn’t mention how she lost sleep about those talks every single night. Or rather, about the speaker.
Cora considered that. She bit off another piece of the licorice and chewed thoughtfully. “You’re right, I guess. We’ve only done two shows though. I’m sure we haven’t heard all of it.”
“Each one is two hours long at least. It’s exhausting standing on the stage. The lights almost melt me. All that makeup we have to put on is disgusting.”
Effie also didn’t tell Cora that she knew more about Jordan Wall than she let on. Before she’d even submitted an application for her job, she’d looked him up online. She’d been haunted for weeks by his dark ice blue eyes. Just under thirty, the guy was handsome, there was no doubt about that, but it was his eyes that had grabbed and held her attention. She remembered thinking that they were sad. Haunted was probably a better word. She couldn’t forget his face and for someone who had never had more than a couple casual boyfriends here and there, that said a lot.
And now he’s my boss.
“That’s why you make the big bucks I guess.”
Effie rolled her eyes to cover up for the fact that she’d completely lost track of what they’d been talking about. Right. Makeup for the stage. “Yah right, the only person making big bucks is Jordan. He’s the one all those people come to see. The amazing Jordan Wall who survived so much trauma and turned it around into something good.”
Why am I being so mean? Effie felt the strangest need to protect herself against a man she’d hardly said more than a handful of words too. She translated for him on stage. That was it. Those eyes… not only are they haunted, they are haunting…
The licorice paused halfway to Cora’s lips. “You don’t believe it?” She asked again.
“What?”
“That he was bullied like that and that he overcame it and turned it into something positive? That he became the master of his own life? That he could control and shape his own happiness, so he could control his own fate?”
“First of all, I don’t believe in fate.” Liar. I know I was meant to get that job and be here. I�
��ve known it since I first saw his face staring back at me from my laptop screen. “Secondly, I don’t know if it’s true. It could just be a way to cash in. I mean, three bestsellers in the motivational field in four years is a lot. It kind of feels like he’s just churning out popular nonsense, writing the drivel that people eat up. How does anyone know it’s all true or that any of it is true? I don’t know. It could easily be a work of fiction or most of it at least.”
“You don’t think he was bullied as a kid for being different?”
“I can believe that. My own sister was bugged mercilessly. She was lucky we grew up in a small town and that kind of stuff wasn’t really allowed to happen, but sometimes all it takes is one harsh word.”
“She’s deaf right?”
“Yes. Has been since she was born.”
“And that’s where you learned sign language?”
“I don’t remember learning it, just like you don’t remember learning English or whatever your first language is. It was just always there.”
“Makes sense.” The rest of the licorice disappeared into Cora’s mouth. She held up Jordan’s first book. “I admit some of it seems a little far-fetched. Like how can anyone kick the shit out of someone like that and not be held accountable? Honestly though, I can see why it sells. He’s a good writer if nothing else.”
“And a good speaker I guess,” Effie admitted grudgingly. That certainly gives nothing away. “I just wish he could hurry it up. It just about kills me to stand up there for so long in one position all night. He gets so much energy from the crowd, but for me, it’s just intimidating. If I mess up or miss a sign, then I kind of just have to fill in or paraphrase what he’s saying. It’s a lot of thinking on your toes.” If he wasn’t so damn good looking it would be easier to actually focus on his hands and his signs.
“Which you must be damn good at considering you got the job when what, fifty or so people tried out for it?”
“I guess so. It was my mom who saw the posting and encouraged me to apply. I know her and my dad really want me to do something with my life. They think I’m in a rut.” They’re so right. “I had to drive to San Diego for the interview once I submitted my resumé and got the callback. It was almost a fifteen-hour drive from where I lived in Wyoming to San Diego so I’m glad it wasn’t for nothing.” She tore her eyes from her nails again. “Why did you apply?”
“The adventure. I wanted to see the country and at least this way I get paid even if it is just setting up sound equipment. I was never like my friends. I was always a geek or a tech nerd or whatever. The sound and computer stuff is easy for me.”
“I could never do that. I can barely even turn my phone on.”
Cora laughed softly. She reached into the package of licorice for another piece. “I’m sure you get along just fine. Anyway, I’m glad that we met. I know it’s only been two weeks, but you’re a nice girl, Effie.”
A rush of warmth flowed through Effie at the compliment. It was good to have a friend, especially seeing as she was going to be away from home, trapped on a tour bus, for the next six months.
Six months to visit every single state. That was Jordan Wall’s lofty goal. Take his bestselling message to the world. So far, he was selling out stadiums left and right. Their tour was almost guaranteed in full and would probably have the opportunity for an extension.
“Right back at you.” She painted another light pink stripe down her right index finger. Her hand shook, and the polish went all over the side of her finger. “Damn it,” she muttered. “I never was any good at this.”
“Here. Let me.” Cora set down her licorice. She stood slowly, already accustomed to the rocking sway of the moving bus. She sat down on the bench beside Effie, who moved over towards the window. Cora took the brush and deftly applied a neat couple strips. “Here. I’ll do the rest too. It’s true, you really are terrible at this.”
Effie grinned. “Yup. I was never overly girly. I just thought this would kill an hour.”
“I know. That’s the one thing that gets me. The boredom. I need to download some audio books. Get smart. Maybe take some online courses so that I can have a certificate in something when I’m done with the tour.”
“Wow. I hadn’t even thought that far ahead.”
Effie studied Cora from lowered lashes while Cora’s head was bent. Despite her avowal that she was a nerd, Cora was beautiful. She looked like a model at nearly six feet tall. She had long, thick black hair that was probably dyed that color, but still looked fantastic when paired with her pale porcelain skin, large dark eyes, long black lashes, straight nose, high cheekbones and lush lips that were just about always blood red. Not many women could pull off red lipstick the way Cora did. She was a true beauty, her body included. Long limbs, large breasts, a narrow waist followed by full hips… Effie felt pretty damn plain in comparison.
Which was probably why she’d been hired for the translating job. She wouldn’t even be noticed on stage next to Jordan. She wasn’t tall, just average at 5’6”. Her shoulder length blonde hair wasn’t the right shade of blonde. It was more white than it was yellow. Her blue eyes were too pale, her lashes and brows too light, almost not there at all. Her nose was straight and small, her lips probably too thin and her cheekbones not quite high enough. Her heart-shaped face sometimes gave her the look of a child, or at least that’s what people said. She thought she’d probably look fourteen for the rest of her life. Not many people would guess she was twenty-three. Her breasts were barely there, her hips not curvy enough, her ass too flat. She’d been called waifish, or if people wanted to be nice, ‘pretty in a bohemian sort of way’.
“I’m excited to get into Nevada. I can’t wait to see Vegas. I’ve never been. Have you?”
“Not a chance. I grew up in Wyoming in some little resort town. I certainly never considered Vegas. It was way too far to drive and way too intimidating once I got there.”
“You never had friends you wanted to go with?”
“Not really. I was pretty quiet in high school and afterward, I just worked at one of the ski lodges. I never went to college, since I didn’t know what I wanted to do. I think this is the first thing that I’ve done that my parents can be proud of me about. Not like my sister. She’s a damn lawyer. She’d deaf and she still went to college and got a law degree. She mostly does business law so it’s all office work. She doesn’t have to worry about going to court.”
“Wow. That’s intense.”
“Yah, tell me about it. Anyway, no I’ve never been to Vegas. I guess I’m excited to see it too. Perks of the job. At least we’re doing two shows there so maybe we’ll actually get a chance to see the main part.”
“The Strip?”
“Yah that’s it.” Cora finished off Effie’s hand and capped the nail polish. Effie waved her hands in the air. “I hope this doesn’t bother anyone else. I think they’re all napping so hopefully, they won’t smell it. I never even thought about that when I started.”
“Pff. They’re all boring anyway. Like I said, I’m glad that we’re friends. No one else on this bus is any good to talk to. They’re either sleeping all the time or spending the rest of the hours being catty and gossiping.”
“Isn’t that what all girls are good for? I wish we didn’t have damn segregated buses. We could have used a few guys in here.”
Cora winked. “It would have made it more interesting for sure. Have you seen Hank Zenith? He works in sounds too. God, he’s gorgeous.”
Effie couldn’t suppress a smile. “I haven’t noticed. I feel like I don’t have time to notice anyone but the six other girls who are on the bus with us.”
“How about Jordan Wall himself?” Cora snorted at the shocked expression Effie couldn’t hide. “Oh, come on. I’m just kidding. We all know Jordan is too high and mighty to consider anyone at all. He wouldn’t notice you if you blindsided him, even though you’re right up there on stage with him. That’s why he has a bus all to himself.”
“Really? I
thought it was because this was his tour and he’s the one footing the bill.” Effie’s stomach cramped strangely like it did when she was hungry, but she’d just had a snack half an hour ago. A storm of butterflies erupted violently, squeezing up to her throat.
Even his name makes me feel something. It both frightened and angered her that she couldn’t control her body’s reaction for a man she didn’t even know. Cora was probably right. Sad eyes or not, Jordan Wall was likely full of himself.
“I was just kidding. I don’t know anything about him other than what I’ve read in the book and the odd bit that I catch every night. I try to tune it out. Hearing it over and over again for the next six months could get pretty dry. I feel for you, having to repeat it every single night.”
“Honestly, soon I’ll just be able to tune out. It will be easier once I don’t have to pay attention.”
“Then he’ll probably change it up when you least expect it and take you off guard.”
“Probably.” Effie tucked her hands in her lap since her nails were pretty much dry. “Anyway, no I don’t find anyone attractive, especially not Jordan Wall. If you ask me, I think what he wrote is probably a lot of fabrication. The bad parts seem way too bad and the good parts way too good. I think life isn’t all demons one minute and sunshine and roses the next.”
“To be fair, it did take him years to figure that out.”
“Still. I don’t like him. He seems too confident and put together. Too polished. I think that’s greasy,” Effie lied, somehow managing to keep a straight face.
“Greasy?”
“Yah, you know, like those guys who wear suits and work in offices, but are really just snakes underneath it all.”
“I doubt he’s a snake. I hear he’s nice enough. People really respond well to him. I guess that’s how he sells books too. Magnetic personality.”
“He acts like he has a stick up his ass.” Oh my god, why am I saying these things? Talk about trying way too hard to throw her off track, a track I have no business being on in the first place. “He never goes out if any of us do after. He never even talks to anyone. Just goes from his bus to the stage and the stage to the bus.”
