by R. E. Hunter
To my husband. My southern sexy ;) You’re my everything, my more. Thank you for believing in me, for loving and encouraging me and always pushing me to be better. Thank you for sharing me with my characters and this story, putting up with the crazy amount of cancelled plans and dates because I had to write instead, the late nights, the early mornings, for giving me inspiration and for being my best friend and my world. I love you more.
Lisa, Jose, QBB, Princess Obvious… the list of names goes on – I started on this journey looking for a beta and wound up with a best friend. You are the beans to my rice, the macaroni to my cheese, the salt to my margarita, the fruit to my sangria… I could keep going but I’ll spare everyone else. I honestly don’t know what I’d do without you. You know me and my characters inside out and aren’t afraid to tell me when my ideas suck, or when they’re awesome ;) You’ve been there from the very beginning, cheering me on, kicking my ass into shape and supporting me however you could—whether it was reading, pushing me harder, or buying me insane amounts of sweet tarts to fuel my writing. You’ve never once faltered; you’ve put up with my complaining, listened to me cry, laughed with me and been there for me through anything and everything. I’m sure I could fill an entire book with our inside jokes and stories, but I’ll just leave it at this: You’re my favorite Mexican and my life would not be the same without you. I wouldn’t smile or laugh as much on a daily basis, I wouldn’t be as inspired to continue writing, and I sure as hell wouldn’t have gotten through this book. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
Jennifer Wolfel – My wolfie, my whip girl. I’ve never loved and wanted to kill someone so much at the same time ;) You pushed me past my comfort zone and made me better, while never wavering in your encouragement or support. You helped mold this story into something bigger and better than what it was when you first got a hold of it and I can never thank you enough for that.
Andrea Kelleher – I know I’ve said it before but I will always be thankful for the hours we spent freezing our asses off waiting for the Boston signing almost two years ago, because it brought me to you. You’ve helped me in ways unimaginable, always believing in me and being there with me through Undone and now Unbroken. Your unending support and encouragement means everything to me and I’m so lucky to call you a friend.
SFAB: Melissa & Sharon – You ladies are amazing. No one works harder than you. Melissa, thank you for being a constant, for your amazing ideas, your unwavering support and encouragement and for just working your ass off for me every single day to help in any and every way possible. I will be forever thankful that I found you both!
Laura Dunaway – Thank you for being a true friend, for always believing in me, always caring, for being a shoulder to cry on, someone I can always talk to and bounce ideas of off, and for your constant support and encouragement. You’ll never know how much it truly means to me. We live closer now, but not close enough, so prepare for a writing weekend this coming year, it’s happening!
Nadine Winningham – I adore you. Thank you for the thoughtful gifts, for your friendship, for believing in my characters, my story, and most importantly, in me. I don’t think I could’ve kept going without your daily texts sending me every pumpkin spice product known to man, although I’m still disappointed we haven’t found the condoms ;)
Missy Swain – I’m so glad I found you! My first new friend in Texas ;) Thank you for making me beautiful swag, for eyelashes, for girl talk and long lunches and for coming in to read at the last minute and giving me that little boost of confidence I so needed.
Linda Russell – Thank you, thank you, thank you. For your honesty, your amazing and insightful feedback and your encouragement. You’re amazing!
To my early readers: Jenn Diaz, Krista Forristall, Tara Marie Barton and Kelly Adamo—this book would not have been published without you. Thank you for dropping everything to read, for loving this story and my characters and for being so supportive and encouraging. I could not have done this without you!
FYW – There are just no words. I feel honored to be part of such an incredibly talented, supportive, amazing group of women.
Bloggers – I’d be nowhere without you. To every single one of you who took a chance on me, who took the time to read, to review, to promo, to share a post or a teaser or tell your readers about Undone and Unbroken, thank you from the bottom of my heart.
Megan Hand – My editor. Thank you for bringing out every last drop of emotion in my words, for pushing me to be better and making this story what it is. You moved mountains for me, changing your schedule, making it work to help me meet my deadline even when it added more stress, all the while still encouraging and being so incredibly supportive. Thank you just isn’t enough.
Angela McLaurin from Fictional Formats – Girl, there are no words. Thank you for always coming through from me, even when I’m pushing us back until the last possible second. You make my words look beautiful on the page and I can’t thank you enough for being so wonderful and amazing!
Regina Wamba (Mae I Design and Photography) and Tomasz Zienkiewicz –Thank you both for making my vision come to life. With Tomasz’s beautiful photography and Regina’s amazing intuition and design, you’ve made my covers everything I could’ve wanted. You are both so incredibly talented and wonderful to work with. I can’t wait to see what we do next!
To my amazing, incredible and supportive parents (especially my mom, my amazing last minute plot partner and sometimes beta), my grandparents, aunt, and all my friends and extended family – I will never be able to thank you enough for your support. For believing in me and pushing me to follow my dreams, whatever they may be. Thank you for putting up with all of the unreturned calls and texts, and for loving me through all of this craziness. I love you ALL!
R.E. Hunter is a native New Yorker currently living in Austin, Texas with her husband and their crazy kitten. Surviving solely on Iced Chai and KIND bars, she spends her days writing angsty romance and chasing happily ever afters. When she’s not writing, you can find her on the beach with a glass of wine and a book in her hand.
Connect with R.E. Hunter:
Website: http://rehunterbooks.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rehunterauthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/author_rehunter
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7046339.R_E_Hunter
Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/rose.hunter
Read on for a preview of Addictive by Jessica Prince, book two in The Deadly Love Trilogy, and the conclusion of Gabriel and Marley’s story.
“Daddy!”
I’ve barely had time to get through the door before being plowed into like a freight train. With a laugh, I drop my briefcase to the ground and scoop up my little ball of energy. “Did you miss me today, bud?” I ask, staring into eyes a carbon copy of my own.
“Yup,” he answers with a big dimpled grin. No matter how strained my day is, coming home to this makes all the tension melt away. I look into the eyes of my boy and in that moment, nothing else matters. “Momma made me take a bath and eat vegables,” he says in disgust, his tiny lisp making his words sound so adorable it’s hard not to laugh. “And I got in trouble when I sneaked outside and peed in the dribeway.”
At that, I lose it. I can’t hold back the laughter that comes with the image of my four-year-old son dropping trow in the driveway to take a leak. There may be a strong possibility that I’m responsible for this new obsession he has for peeing outdoors, but I’ll be damned if I fess up to it. I appreciate getting laid on the regular. Pissing Camilla off is something I readily try to avoid.
“You know you aren’t allowed to potty outside, Robert Bertozzi,” we hear coming from the kitchen. Seconds later, my beautiful wife comes around the corner, hands planted on her hips and a stern expression marring her brow. “How many times do you have to be reminded that we don’t pull our pants down when we’re outside?”
“Sorry, Momma,” Robert says with a cute, little pout,
sticking out his bottom lip in a way I know my sweet Camilla can’t resist.
One corner of her mouth twitches as she obviously tries to contain her smile, but as usual, she fails. “It’s okay, baby, just no more peeing outside.”
“But Daddy said real mans pee wherever they want.”
When Camilla’s eyes cut to me, it’s my turn to stifle a laugh. “Is that so?” she says with a glare in my direction before turning back to our son. “Well, Daddy and I will be having a little talk of our own then. Go put on your socks and grab your cleats. We need to head out soon.”
“Okay, Mommy!” And just like that, I’m dismissed. He struggles to get out of my arms and bolts up the stairs to his bedroom once his feet are on the ground. All thoughts of missing Daddy gone at the reminder he gets to go to t-ball practice today.
“How was your day, baby?” Camilla asks as she wraps her arms around my neck and stretches to place a kiss on my lips. Even after all our years of marriage, I still can’t get enough of her. Running my hands through her light brown hair, I tangle it around my fingers and deepen the kiss, pulling back with a groan several seconds later.
“Exhausting, as always,” I finally respond after getting my taste of her.
“Still dealing with blowback from the changes you’re making?”
This woman knows me better than anyone does. Keeping secrets from her has never been an option. She manages to see through me with every attempt to lie. When our relationship first began, I was terrified of what would happen when I had to admit that before my father passed away, Bertozzi Enterprises was a front for a much larger operation. I knew long before I took the company over that my end goal was to make Bertozzi Enterprises completely legit and get out of the drug game all together, but it was easier said than done. I started taking the steps to move away from distribution the second I took over at nineteen years old, and now, at twenty-six, I’m still dealing with the backlash from people unhappy with the changes I’ve made. Money always manages to turn regular people into greedy bastards. And those who were already greedy turn downright evil. The company is finally one hundred percent legal; and despite some major bumps in the road I’m still dealing with, I’ve managed to maintain profitability. Keeping the vultures at bay for the time being, at least.
By the grace of God, my Camilla turned out to be stronger than I ever gave her credit for. She’s stood by me through thick and thin, being my rock when times got hard. I count my blessings every single day I wake up next to her. There have been times I didn’t think I could pull my plans off, but she has supported me every step of the way.
“You’ve got this, Gabe. You’ve already done so much. We’re seeing the light at the end of the tunnel now. It’s just a matter of time before people see that what you’re doing is the best thing for the company.” She places a soft kiss on my jaw. “I have faith in you, honey. You’re a good man.”
“I don’t know about that,” I tell her with a wicked grin, sliding my hands down her back to cup her ass. “I don’t think a good man would be visualizing you naked and tied to the bed while he took advantage of you in a variety of ways.”
“Mmm,” she moans as her eyes go half-mast, the deep amber color growing even darker. I know just what to say to hit every one of my wife’s buttons and tonight is guaranteed to be a fucking fantastic night.
“Tell you what. If I come home to a clean kitchen, I’ll let you do whatever you want,” she says with a sexy wink.
“Whatever I want, huh?”
“Yep.” She steps back and rests her hands on my chest. “But you’ve got to clean the whole thing, and I mean really clean. Not rinse the dishes and just leave them in the sink. You have to actually put them in the dishwasher and turn it on this time.”
I can’t help but laugh at being called out for past indiscretions. Like I said, she knows me better than anyone. “You got it,” I say, pulling her back in for another kiss. “Do you have any idea how much I love you?”
She runs her thumb over my bottom lip, wiping away the lipstick kissing her left behind. “Can’t possibly be more than I love you.”
“Wanna bet?” I reply with a smile. My wife and son hold my heart. I didn’t know true happiness until them. Things were rough after my father died and I was in a dark place for a while. The stresses from having all that responsibility dropped on my shoulders at such a young age wasn’t easy, but Robby and Camilla are my light. I can’t picture a single day in my life without them in it.
My boy comes tromping down the stairs, making more noise than a tiny four-year-old should ever be able to make. “Ready, Mommy! Is Uncle Aldo coming to my practice today?”
I pick my son up, hugging him tightly. “Not today, baby. He’s got some work to do, but he told me to tell you, he’ll be at your game on Saturday. He promises he won’t miss it.” He looks at me with bright eyes and places a kiss on my cheek before squirming to be released. “Okay. Love you, Dad!”
“Love you, too, buddy. Be good for your mom, okay?”
“Yes, sir.”
I give Camilla one last kiss as they head out the door, then turn down the hall toward the kitchen, determined to scrub the son of a bitch cleaner than it’s ever been.
I’m just about to round the corner when a series of loud bangs coming from the front yard stop me in my tracks.
Fear grips my chest and refuses to let go, making it difficult to breathe. I’d recognize that sound anywhere. Those are gunshots.
No. Oh God, please, no. I turn and run as fast as I can. I hear the sound of tires squealing before I even make it to the front of the house. Whipping the front door open, the sight in front of me causes my knees to give out. “No!” I yell as I crawl over to them. “Please, please! Wake up, baby, you’re okay. You’re okay, Robby!”
Tears stream down my face as I yell for help as loud as I can, holding on to both of them, begging them to wake up as I rock them back and forth in my arms.
I don’t know how long I sit like this before the sound of sirens blaring through the streets echoes in my head. Time just seems to stop. In a matter of seconds, my world has been completely destroyed, my heart shattered. Painful sobs wrack my body as I beg and plead for them to come back to me. But it’s too late. They’re already gone, taken from me.
I swear right then, as I hold the bodies of the two people who mean more to me than my own life, that the person who took them is going to pay. I’ll make sure he suffers horribly, showing no mercy, before I finally end his life.
“You sure you’re okay?” Carmen asks for the millionth time. The truth is, no, I’m so far from okay, it’s not even funny. But I refuse to keep going like this. I’ve let Gabriel consume my life so much I’ve forgotten how it feels not to have him in it. Somehow, I have to pull myself out of this painful void I’ve allowed myself to fall into. Other than crawling out of Carmen’s bed for the few required hours it took to take my midterms, I haven’t left her apartment since showing up there three days ago. I keep telling myself today is going to be the day I pick myself up and move on. Easier said than done.
To say Carmen took the news of my past badly would be a serious understatement. When I showed up on Carmen’s doorstep a sobbing, sniffling mess, there was no doubt in my mind she’d demand answers. The dam had already burst, so I took the opportunity to fill her in on everything, and I mean everything. I started with my childhood and talked until I got to walking out on Gabriel. It was a long—tear-filled on both our parts—exhausting conversation, but it was long past due. I should have confided in her a long time ago.
“I’ll be all right, Car. I promise,” I tell her… again. I’ve taken the past three days off work knowing I’d be worthless behind the bar, but it’s time to get back to my pre-Gabriel life. Even if every minute without him physically hurts. It’s like I’m missing a crucial part of myself. Every morning I wake up hoping it was all a horrible nightmare just to feel the loss all over again when I realize it’s real. I hate myself for still loving him, but I ju
st can’t stop no matter how hard I try. The things he confessed to should terrify me; frighten me to the core. But it’s like my heart is battling with my brain, reminding me of all the good times. My mind concentrates on the bad things he’s capable of, while my heart reminds me of all of his redeeming qualities. It’s a never-ending struggle.
I wish I could forget him. Unfortunately, he won’t let me. Gabriel refuses to go away. He blows up my phone day and night. He showed up at Carmen’s door and almost beat it down until she stormed out there and threatened to call the cops. He’s sent extravagant flower arrangements and expensive chocolates, all with cards begging me to talk to him. The flowers found their way to the dumpster, but Car refuses to let me trash the chocolate, so it’s currently hidden away where she can sneak pieces of it without me having to see.
“You know you don’t have to be here, babe. You can take more time off if you need it.”
I continue going about stocking the bar; going through the motions I’ve become accustomed to, so I don’t have to think about him. I’ve spent the last three days on autopilot. “I don’t need more time off, Carmen. I need to stay busy so I can keep my mind off all this shit.”
I glance up at her just long enough to see the sympathy in her eyes before she turns back to wiping down tumbler glasses. I hate that look. Ever since telling her about my life, she’s hovered over me like I’m a delicate piece of glass, at risk of cracking with the slightest bit of pressure. I’m not going to lie, most of the time that’s how I feel. Unable to navigate the emotions that are threatening to pull me under, I’ve found the slightest relief in the only coping mechanism I’ve ever had. I tuck all the bad into the tiny, dark corner in the back of my mind, and go about my life as if it never happened. If there’s one thing I know how to do, it’s evade and ignore.
Not exactly the healthiest way to handle things; but when you’ve lived the life I’ve lived, you hold on to any means of maintaining sanity. This is mine. There is no coping, only avoidance.
