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Bound byTrust
Bulletproof Series Book Two
(UNEDITED AND SUBJECT TO CHANGE)
J.L. Baldwin
Prologue
Jayde
6 Weeks Later
Sometimes in life we only get a handful of chances. Chances that could ultimately determine the very future we are destined to venture into. Everybody has to make their choices in life in order to keep everything in balance. The balance between good and evil. That line that has never been crossed until now. Where ever I am, it’s dark. Oh god, am I dead? No I can’t be dead. It’s not possible. I imagined heaven wouldn’t be dark like this. No, I won’t believe I’m dead.
Little bits and pieces of what happened are coming back. If there was a time I should have trusted my damn instincts, it was now. I can’t move my hands. There’s something covering my face. A blindfold? The darkness of whatever happened is creeping back into me. A shuffling of feet and scraping of some chairs brings my mind back to wherever the hell I’m at.
“Is she tied up?” A male voice asks.
“Yeah, she is tied up real good and tight. The bitch isn’t going anywhere.” Another male voice asks. This one, more familiar. I can’t place it but I know I’ve heard it before. The familiar tension in his voice is what makes it recognizable.
“I still don’t understand why you had to kidnap her. She wouldn’t have talked if you just threatened her. The girl was no liability to us at all, so this shit is pointless.” The other calmer voice said. There was something about him that was still unnerving. I listened very closely to both voices who sounded a million miles away. There was an echo in both of their voices so maybe I’m in some kind of warehouse? Oh god, where the hell am I?
“She’s a liability to me! The bitch will pay, and if she doesn’t pay then there will be consequences. I have plans for her.” The other male voice shouted out angrily. A loud bang was heard then footsteps. They’re coming over. A sharp pain radiates through my skull as a hand grasps the back of my head and pulls. Ow, that hurts like hell.
“This is what happens when you double cross me.” My head is pushed forward and if it wasn’t for the rope holding me back, I would have been thrown to the floor. Thank god for this damn rope. My mind is hazy. Nothing makes sense. Do they even know I’m awake and I can hear them? Probably not so I should stay quiet for now.
The other male voice sighs in defeat and speaks again. “Alright fine. But this is your fucking mess Cole, nobody else is going to clean up from the damage you’ve caused.”
That name. I know that name. Shit, what happened? A memory flash hits me full force. The ball. Finn. Zac. Oh god Zac. The memories start to flood back and the tears can’t be held in any longer. Without drawing any unnecessary attention, I lean my head down as if I’m still asleep but I’m clearly anything but.
“Just to be on the safe side, you should give her another dose of whatever the fuck you gave her because if she wakes up and has memories, she will go straight to the police and you don’t want that.” Wait, give me something? Is that why my memories are so fuzzy? This can’t be happening. It has to be a dream. Maybe I’ll wake up and be laying in Zac’s arms as he snuggles me close to protect me from this hell of a nightmare.
“Don’t worry boss, I got it taken care of.” Bracing myself for what’s to come, I cringe when I feel a sharp needle plunge into my skin, making the dizziness return. A throbbing in my temporal is the only recognition that this is real. Whatever he gave me takes effect immediately. It’s clouding my brain. I can’t let go just yet. Zac would want me to hold on. I just…wait, what’s going on? What am I doing here? Who am I?
Cold, clammy hands softly touch my face, removing this fabric that’s covering my eyes. Dammit, what happened and where am I? I blink a couple times until the blurriness disappears. Looking up, I notice a beautiful pair of brown eyes staring back at me. He seems to be studying me, analyzing me, looking at me like he wants to devour me. God, he’s handsome but I sense an uneasiness from him.
Whoever he is, he smiles maliciously at me when I start to look around. “Wakey wakey little robin. It’s time to pay the piper.” He says with an evil smirk making my senses go on high alert.
“What do you mean? I don’t even know you. I don’t even know myself.” I stammer for coherent words. Nothing.
Another smile crosses his beautiful face making me shiver from either pleasure or from pain. It’s hard to tell right now.
“Oh trust me sweetheart, you’ll get to know me. You’ll get to know all of me very well. I have big plans for you my little robin. Just wait, you’ll see.”
Please god, let this nightmare be over soon. Oh my god.
About the Author
There’s a lot to be said about a person that is gifted with the talent of writing and to be given a chance to do something huge with that gift. J.L. Baldwin is a friend, an introverted comedian (yes, I am aware it sounds like an oxymoron), a family-centered person, and a very talented writer, just to name a few things. She comes from a very small, conservative town in Virginia and is a debuting author that all of you are seeing a glimpse of for the very first time.
Jessica is not your typical writer. She got her start in the writing world through online role play. Luckily, enough people loved the characters she portrayed which encouraged her to take it a step further and write a book. At first, she was terrified to allow people to read her work because of the conservative views that she was raised with and feared that others would not approve. With the help of her close friends, she came out of her shell and took a chance and she made the incredible leap of faith. Please, take the same leap but as a reader; open your mind and let your imagination get the best of you. I hope you enjoy reading her first book has much as she has enjoyed writing it.
Acknowledgment
To everyone who has been patiently waiting for book two, I would like to thank you all for your patience. I couldn’t have done it without you all pushing me and motivating me to bring this book to you. I know it’s not book two, but I Sarah and Anna were speaking to me therefore, I had to get their story out while you are waiting on more from Zac and Jayde.
First and foremost, I’d like to thank the special people who helped make this novella pretty and something to be proud of! First, to Clarise for designing yet another beautiful cover! I absolutely fell in love with the picture she used and I knew it was the one. I don’t know what I would do without her mad designing skills! Second, a thank you to Judy at Judy’s Proofreading, who did an excellent job catching all the grammar & spelling issues in this novella! A special thank you to her! Check her out at www.judysproofreading.com!!
Second, I of course would like to think the people who helped bring this novella to life. My friends, (author and non-author) helped motivate me to finish.
Third, I would like to thank the readers for taking the time to read Sarah and Anna’s side story! This book was a lot of fun to write and I do hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it!
Xoxo
J.L. Baldwin
Keep the Faith (Bulletproof #1.5) Page 12
