by Gwyn McNamee
No.
I shake my head. “You don’t mean that…”
He grasps my chin and forces me to look up at him. “I do. Every single day, every single hour, every single minute since you left has been agony for me. I never thought I’d find anyone I wanted to be with, who I wanted to give myself to so badly. And then you come along—quite possibly in the most complicated fashion in the history of two people meeting—and you changed everything for me.”
For me too.
But he can’t mean this.
Can he?
“We are tied into this deal with the Marconis, but now that my eyes are open to everything that’s going on, now that you opened my eyes, I know it’s time we need to try to get out.”
“But how?”
His jaw tics, and he shakes his head. “I’m working on that. The point is, it’s all because of you. Because you kept asking questions, because you kept pushing me even when I was a total asshole and didn’t want to examine the things you so easily saw.”
“You were an asshole. A lot.”
He grins and brushes some of my hair behind my ear. “I know, and I probably always will be. It’s that asshole part of me that isn’t willing to let you go. That isn’t willing to live without you.”
Tears burn my eyes.
This is what I’ve wanted to hear, isn’t it?
So why doesn’t it feel real?
Because there’s too much that has happened between us…
Because this can’t possibly work.
“But this has to be your decision. The decision that you make free from any pressure on my part. I’m laying it out there for you, but you’re the one who has to do something with it. If you decide you don’t want to risk putting yourself in the line of fire again, I completely understand. If you decide I’m just too much of an asshole, I more than understand. And…”
His eyes drift down to my stomach
I lay my hand against it.
“If it turns out you’re pregnant and you don’t want my baby within ten feet of me, within a hundred feet of me, I more than understand that too. I won’t do anything to put you or that baby in danger. It needs to be your decision to be with me, and if you want that, then I’ll do everything in my power to make sure you and the baby are safe. If there is a baby…”
If there is a baby…
I wasn’t prepared for any of this. I thought he was coming in to take care of the baby business and move on.
Of course, I’ve considered what a life with Warwick would look like.
Despite the danger, despite the unknowns, if I am pregnant, I have no doubt in my mind Warwick will protect me and the baby with his life. And so will the other guys.
We may never be a hundred percent safe…
But who is? Nobody.
And what’s life if you can’t live it with the person you want to be with, the person you are meant to be with.
Am I meant to be with Warwick?
All of this happened for a reason, and while anyone who knows the whole story on the outside may not be able to understand it, may not be able to comprehend how two people who met the way that we did could possibly ever be together, could possibly ever make it work, in the end, it shouldn’t matter what anyone else thinks.
All that matters is what we feel and what we can make happen.
Warwick Pike appeared like a squall line on the horizon—unexpected and ominous on an otherwise perfect day. Dark. Powerful. Menacing. He battered everything in his path and left behind the irreparable damage.
I never thought I could love a storm so much.
But I can’t risk my heart to this man if there are any doubts on his part.
“You’re sure this is what you want?”
He nods, and I blink away another rush of tears.
“More sure than I’ve been about anything in a really long fucking time. My life is all about uncertainties. But not you. You are never an uncertainty, not anymore.”
Those are the words I didn’t even know I needed to hear all these weeks. The ones that immediately fill the void in my chest that’s been there since we said goodbye.
“Oh, Warwick. I’ve missed you.” I throw my arms around his neck and bury my face against his warm skin.
He kisses my temple and squeezes me tightly.
I let him hold me for a moment, just savoring the feeling of his strong arms wrapped around me, his warm, steady breath against my ear, that rhythmic thud of his heart against mine.
I finally pull back because we can’t delay any longer. “Let’s go do this.”
He nods and kisses me gently before I take his hand and lead him down the hallway to the bathroom.
He stares at the door and shifts awkwardly. “Do you want me to come in with you?”
I laugh and shake my head as I release his hand. “I think I can handle that part by myself.”
“Oh, right.”
Warwick nervous has to be about the cutest thing I’ve ever seen. The man is always so dark and broody, so intent on maintaining a stern, authoritative air. Seeing him like this, all discombobulated and unsure of himself, really is something I need to cherish because I know it won’t happen very often in our future.
I pull the door shut behind me and turn to face the tiny bathroom and the pink box I left sitting on the counter for his arrival.
My heart has never beat faster than it does at this very moment. Not even with Warwick’s gun pointed at me. Not even in front of Arturo or Il Padrone.
The next five minutes can change everything.
I suck in a deep breath.
Don’t think about it. Just pee on the damn stick.
If I let myself think about it too much, I may have a panic attack, and that’s the last thing we need right now.
What we need is an answer.
I get my business done, set the test on the counter, and wash my hands.
There. It’s done.
Now, we just wait.
I open the door and lean against the jamb. Warwick hasn’t moved from his position propped up against the wall just outside the door. His eyes meet mine. One corner of his mouth curves up.
“How long do we wait?”
“Five minutes.”
His warm eyes darken slightly, and he opens his arms to me. “This is going to be the longest five minutes of our lives.”
I chuckle and push off the jamb. I offer him a grin, and he cocoons me in his hold. “Probably.”
Epilogue
War
Rion, Cutter, E, and Preacher stare back at me from where they sit around the table. I lean over the monstrosity, my palms flat against the harsh wooden surface.
They’re waiting for me to say something.
Since I’m the one who called this little meeting, I better get straight to the point. There’s no reason to beat around the bush.
This has gone on for far too long—the danger, the uncertainty, the inability to live for ourselves and decide our own fates.
It doesn’t need to be this way.
Not anymore.
“It’s time we did something about the Marconis.”
A dark grin spreads across Cutter’s lips underneath the reflective sunglasses. “About damn time.”
Rion, E, and Preacher all nod.
I couldn’t agree more.
I hope you enjoyed reading Squall Line, the first book in The Inland Seas Series. The second book, Rogue Wave, will be releasing July 25th and is available for pre-order now at all retailers.
CUTTER
Complete the mission.
It’s what I was trained to do—no matter what.
But when things go to shit right in front of me, my objective gets compromised by a set of fathomless amber eyes.
This isn’t a woman’s world.
Yet, Valentina refuses to see how dangerous the course she’s plotted really is.
How dangerous I am.
VALENTINA
The man who saved my life is just as lethal
as the one trying to take it.
Maybe even more.
While he may have rescued me, in the end, Cutter is my enemy.
The one intent on destroying everything I’ve strived for.
But the scars of his past draw me closer even though I know I should move away.
Cutter and Valentina.
Anger and desire.
Fight and surrender.
This wave may drag them both under…
Pre-order Rogue Wave: books2read.com/RogueWave
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About the Author
Gwyn McNamee is an attorney, writer, wife, and mother (to one human baby and two fur babies). Originally from the Midwest, Gwyn relocated to her husband’s home town of Las Vegas in 2015 and is enjoying her respite from the cold and snow. Gwyn has been writing down her crazy stories and ideas for years and finally decided to share them with the world. She loves to write stories with a bit of suspense and action mingled with romance and heat.
When she isn’t either writing or voraciously devouring any books she can get her hands on, Gwyn is busy adding to her tattoo collection, golfing, and stirring up trouble with her perfect mix of sweetness and sarcasm (usually while wearing heels).
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OTHER WORKS BY GWYN MCNAMEE
The Hawke Family Series
Savage Collision (The Hawke Family - Book One)
He’s everything she didn’t know she wanted. She’s everything he thought he could never have.
The last thing I expect when I walk into The Hawkeye Club is to fall head over heels in lust. It’s supposed to be a rescue mission. I have to get my baby sister off the pole, into some clothes, and out of the grasp of the pussy peddler who somehow manipulated her into stripping. But the moment I see Savage Hawke and verbally spar with him, my ability to remain rational flies out the window and my libido takes center stage. I’ve never wanted a relationship—my time is better spent focusing on taking down the scum running this city—but what I want and what I need are apparently two different things.
Danika Eriksson storms into my office in her high heels and on her high horse. Her holier-than-thou attitude and accusations should offend me, but instead, I can’t get her out of my head or my heart. Her incomparable drive, take-no prisoners attitude, and blatant honesty captivate me and hold me prisoner. I should steer clear, but my self-preservation instinct is apparently dead—which is exactly what our relationship will be once she knows everything. It’s only a matter of time.
The truth doesn’t always set you free. Sometimes, it just royally screws you.
AVAILABLE NOW AT ALL RETAILERS:
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Tortured Skye (The Hawke Family - Book Two)
She’s always been off-limits. He’s always just out of reach.
Falling in love with Gabe Anderson was as easy as breathing. Fighting my feelings for my brother’s best friend was agonizingly hard. I never imagined giving in to my desire for him would cause such a destructive ripple effect. That kiss was my grasp at a lifeline—something, anything to hold me steady in my crumbling life. Now, I have to suffer with the fallout while trying to convince him it’s all worth the consequences.
Guilt overwhelms me—over what I’ve done, the lives I’ve taken, and more than anything, over my feelings for Skye Hawke. Craving my best friend’s little sister is insanely self-destructive. It never should have happened, but since the moment she kissed me, I haven’t been able to get her out of my mind. If I take what I want, I risk losing everything. If I don’t, I’ll lose her and a piece of myself. The raging storm threatening to rain down on the city is nothing compared to the one that will come from my decision.
Love can be torture, but sometimes, love is the only thing that can save you.
AVAILABLE NOW AT ALL RETAILERS:
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Stone Sober (The Hawke Family - Book Three)
She’s innocent and sweet. He’s dark and depraved.
Stone Hawke is precisely the kind of man women are warned about— handsome, intelligent, arrogant, and intricately entangled with some dangerous people. I should stay away, but he manages to strip my soul bare with just a look and dominates my thoughts. Bad decisions are in my past. My life is (mostly) on track, even if it is no longer the one to medical school. I can’t allow myself to cave to the fierce pull and ardent attraction I feel toward the youngest Hawke.
Nora Eriksson is off-limits, and not just because she’s my brother’s employee and sister-in-law. Despite the fact she’s stripping at The Hawkeye Club, she has an innocent and pure heart. Normally, the only thing that appeals to me about innocence is the opportunity to taint it. But not when it comes to Nora. I can’t expose her to the filth permeating my life. There are too many things I can’t control, things completely out of my hands. She doesn’t deserve any of it, but the power she holds over me is stronger than any addiction.
The hardest battles we fight are often with ourselves, but only through defeating our own demons can we find true peace.
AVAILABLE NOW AT ALL RETAILERS:
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Building Storm (The Hawke Family - Book Four)
She hasn’t been living. He’s looking for a way to forget it all.
My life went up in flames. All I’m left with is my daughter and ashes. The simple act of breathing is so excruciating, there are days I wish I could stop altogether. So I have no business being at the party, and I definitely shouldn’t be in the arms of the handsome stranger. When his lips meet mine, he breathes life into me for the first time since the day the inferno disintegrated my world. But loving again isn’t in the cards, and there are even greater dangers to face than trying to keep Landon McCabe out of my heart.
Running is my only option. I have to get away from Chicago and the betrayal that shattered my world. I need a new life-one without attachments. The vibrancy of New Orleans convinces me it’s possible to start over. Yet in all the excitement of a new city, it’s Storm Hawke’s dark, sad beauty that draws me in. She isn’t looking for love, and we both need a hot, sweaty release without feelings getting involved. But even the best laid plans fail, and life can leave you burned.
Love can build, and love can destroy. But in the end, love is what raises you from the ashes.
AVAILABLE AT ALL RETAILERS:
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Tainted Saint (The Hawke Family - Book Five)
He's searching for absolution. She wants her happily ever after.
Solomon Clarke goes by Saint, though he’s anything but. After lusting for him from afar, the masquerade party affords me the anonymity to pursue that attraction without worrying about the fall-out of hooking-up with the bouncer from the Hawkeye Club. From the second he lays his eyes and hands on me, I’m helpless to resist him. Even burying myself in a dangerous investigation can’t erase the memory of our combustible connection and one night together. The only problem… he has no idea who I am.
Caroline Brooks thinks I don’t see her watching me, the way her eyes rake over me with appreciation. But I’ve noticed, and the party is the perfect opportunity to unleash the desire I’ve kept reined in for so damn long. It also sets off a series of events no one sees coming. Events that leave those I love hurting because of my failures. While the guilt eats away at my soul, Caroline continues
to weigh on my heart. That woman may be the death of me, but oh, what a way to go.
Life isn’t always clean, and sometimes, it takes a saint to do the dirty work.
AVAILABLE AT ALL RETAILERS:
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Steele Resolve (The Hawke Family - Book Six)
For one man, power is king. For the other, loyalty reigns.
Mob boss Luca “Steele” Abello isn’t just dangerous—he’s lethal. A master manipulator, liar, and user, no one should trust a word that comes out of his mouth. Yet, I can’t get him out of my head. The time we spent together before I knew his true identity is seared into my brain. His touch. His voice. They haunt my every waking hour and occupy my dreams. So does my guilt. I’m literally sleeping with the enemy and betraying the only family I’ve ever had. When I come clean, it will be the end of me.
