RELEASE
DATE: January 26th
I’D
TAKEN HER, but ultimately, she’d taken me.
I’d
tried to destroy her, but serendipitously, she’d destroyed me.
This
was the beginning of the end.
Not
the end of my feelings for her but the way of my life, my world.
Something
would have to change.
Something
would have to give…
…
Someone
would have to die.
I
EXISTED WITH a brain full of betrayal, schemes, and plotting.
Living
with the Hawks was utterly exhausting. Every day was a challenge to
figure out the truths from the lies. But no matter how hard I worked,
I could never seem to unravel reality from fiction.
He’d
won.
And
with a winner came a loser. One triumphant and one depressed. A
trophy over misery.
Two
days had passed since Kestrel had granted the truth to one huge
mystery. Two days in which I hadn’t been able to think of anything
else.
I
wanted to hate Jethro for duping me—for stringing me along like an
idiot.
But
whenever my anger boiled over, needing desperately to confront him, I
remembered one thing.
One
important, vital thing.
He’d
initiated contact before he was told.
He’d
communicated with me almost as if it were a cry for help, rather than
a plot to deceive.
If
this were another trick, then so help him, I’d find a way to
castrate him.
But,
somehow, I didn’t think it was.
I
had a horrible feeling this was the one way that he would let me in.
An avenue of truths that he felt comfortable enough to continue,
because a silent written word didn’t have as much weight as a
loudly spoken one.
Which
brought me back to my vitally important conclusion:
Jethro
wants to be honest.
He
wanted to stop playing charades and show me everything he kept
hidden.
He
wanted to talk to someone. Perhaps, for the first time in his life,
he wasn’t satisfied with the hand life dealt him and…
Stop
fabricating excuses.
All
day, I’d been coming up with theories on why he was how he was and
reading too far into things that he’d done.
It
could be as simple as: he’d been told to get in touch. Told to
initiate contact in a way that could potentially mould me into a more
submissive captive, especially if I were to believe he was on my
side.
I
wanted to believe he’d acted against his father. But no matter how
much I wished it, it didn’t make it was true.
How
do you explain the knowing then?
I
slouched against my pillows in bed. That was true. A part of me just
seemed to know.
Call it either sheer idiocy or feminine intuition. I believed he’d
texted me because I was the first outsider permitted into his
world—the only one not a Hawk.
My
brain hurt.
When
we were alone, when we weren’t arguing or fighting, there was an
enchanting calmness. A connection.
Closing
my eyes, I let my mind skip back to Kes’s unwilling promise. The
way his eyes had darkened with secrets as I’d collapsed into his
arms from the vertigo spell two days ago.
“Nila?”
A
crushing headache appeared from nowhere. It was the most I could do
to stay present and not permit my mind to relive every text Jethro
had sent to see the hidden agendas now that I knew it was him.
“I’m—I’m
okay. You can let me go.” I struggled out of Kes’s embrace, my
skin humming from his touch. I needed some space. I needed a world
full of space to get over the treachery and lies.
“You
didn’t know? You hadn’t guessed?” Kes crossed his arms, never
taking his golden eyes from mine.
I
glowered. “How could I know? I thought the messages were from you!”
He
flinched. “Yes, that was the plan. To make you believe it was me,
so he could continue on with whatever little mind games he was
playing.” Leaning closer, he added, “I haven’t been privy to
any of the messages he sent you or you sent him—so don’t feel
like I’ve intruded on details that I shouldn’t.”
Anger
infused my blood. “If you were both in on it—why didn’t he show
you the messages? Why were you so nice to me? What does all of this
mean?”
Kes
moved away, reclining against a sapling. “I was nice because that’s
just who I am. Yes, I come from a family with twisted up morals and
I’m loyal
to those twisted up morals, but I also did it out of loyalty to my
brother. If you’re pissed, direct it all on him. Not me.”
“Oh,
believe me. I’m pissed. Beyond pissed.” My hands balled as my
mind filled with crazy ideas of retribution and revenge. I would make
him pay.
“I’d
cool down before you spring it on him. Best to keep it quiet. Cut
doesn’t know. It was just me who knew Jet had been in touch with
you before he was given the go-ahead to collect you in Milan.”
I
froze. “Why did he initiate conversation with me almost five weeks
before he could claim me?”
Kes
shook his head. “The day I understand my brother is the day I’ll
gamble my entire inheritance on the stock market. I can’t work him
out. The only thing I can do is be there for him. And I only found
out ‘cause he changed pretty much around the same time he started
messaging you. Something was different—we’re close. So, I saw it
before the others.”
My
brain throbbed trying to figure out just what had changed in Jethro.
He’d seemed the perfect Hawk when he’d come to collect me. Cold
as ice and deadly as a sword.
Now
that I knew his secret, I had power. And I had no intention of giving
that power back. Jethro had been playing me for far too long. He’d
successfully screwed with my head. It was time for payback. “Don’t
tell him that I know.”
Kes’s
eyes popped wide. “Pardon?”
“You
heard me. Don’t tell Jethro about today. Let him continue to think
I’m clueless.” My heart frothed with rage and unhappiness. I was
so stupid to believe I’d gotten through to him on some level. The
sex between us left both of us stripped bare. Something more than
family feuds and hatred existed when he slid inside me and sent both
of us shattering into dust.
I’d
let him inside me. In so many ways. It was my turn to do the same.
“You
know I can’t do that, Nila. As welcome as you are in our household,
and as much as I like hanging out with you, I can’t betray Jet. Not
after everything he’s been through.”
I
pounced on the small thread of truth about my tormentor. “What has
he been through, Kes? Tell me and I’ll march back to the Hall right
now and tell him myself.”
Kes
shifted uncomfortably, refusing to meet my eyes. “Slip of the
tongue. Forget it.”
Crossing
my arms, I hissed, “Fine. Seeing as you’re so capable of keeping
secrets, keep this one for me.”
Kes
scowled. “Keeping my own flesh and blood’s issues hidden isn’t
the same thing as helping out a Weaver.”
My
heart raced. If Jethro hadn’t taught me how to stand up for myself,
I would’ve cowered at the thought of being so pushy with a
full-grown man all alone in a forest. Now, I was raging and fully
intended to get my own way. “Give me two weeks. Two weeks before
you tell him that I know. Do that and I’ll be forever grateful.”
His
shoulders slumped in defeat. “How can you be forever grateful when
forever isn’t something anyone has.”
Especially
me, seeing as my lifespan was destined to be significantly shorter
than his.
“Just…please,
Kestrel. One favour.”
It
took him a while to give in. His allegiance to his brother was
strong.
Finally,
he huffed. “Fine. But it won’t save you from his temper when he
finds out.”
However,
I had no intention of suffering Jethro’s wrath. I had every right
to deceive him after he did it to me. My revelations were safe—for
now. I trusted that Kes wouldn’t say anything. I didn’t know why,
but on some level I did
trust Kes—just enough to use him in my plans. And I was fully
committed to tripping Jethro up.
It
was his turn to divulge things he might not have if he’d known the
truth. Hiding behind the pretence that Kite was Kes had made him
softer the past few weeks. I would use that chink to make the crevice
I’d been trying to form since I gave him a blowjob after hunting me
down.
I
couldn’t think about anything else. I couldn’t focus on
sketching, sewing, reading.
Nothing.
My
brain was a whirly-gig of Jethro. Kite. Jethro. Kite.
And
I’d had enough.
Throwing
myself out of bed after another sleepless night, I wrenched back the
curtains and glowered at the dismal weather.
The
watery dawn did nothing to inspire either anger or contentment. The
sky was grey. Fog looked like haunting ghosts, threading its ghoulish
tentacles over the lower woodland of the estate. No birds chirped or
sun shone.
Summer
had truly abandoned us. The bite in the air shouted ‘go back to bed
where it’s warm’ but my brain had no such intention.
I
hadn’t relaxed for two days. I’d stared at my phone, determined
to text Jethro and trip him into revealing everything he kept secret,
only to stare blankly at an empty message.
Now
that I knew it was him, my willingness to show so much had gone.
Knowledge was power and he had too much of mine already. How could I
dig deeper into his mystery while maintaining all of mine?
The
answer—I couldn’t. And that made me incredibly nervous. To find
out who he truly was, I had to show everything that made me real. And
despite the emotional growth spurt I’d endured at the hands of the
Hawks, I wasn’t ready to evolve again. I’d lost so much of myself
already—how much was I prepared to leave behind before I became a
perfect stranger?
“Ah!”
I dug my fingers into my hair. I needed a reprieve from my racing
thoughts, and I knew exactly how to do it.
Mother
Nature’s sudden urge to switch seasons from summer to winter
couldn’t stop my itch.
I
needed fresh air, and I needed it now.
Racing
around my room in the new Weaver quarters where Jethro had made me
beg and come apart with his cock deep inside me, I found my black
spandex shorts and highlighter pink sports bra. Pulling the clothing
on, followed by my sneakers, I quickly smoothed my hair into a bun,
and shot from the room.
I
hadn’t worn my exercise gear since the morning of the Milan runway
show. I’d sprinted until I’d collapsed off the treadmill at the
hotel, hoping I could dispel my anxiety enough to hide my stupid
nerves and prevent a vertigo spell in front of the press.
It
had worked—mainly. Until Jethro arrived, of course.
The
moment when I’d set eyes upon him, I’d been done for. He’d been
so dashing with his suit, tie, and diamond pin. So perfectly refined
with his elegant haircut, chiselled physique, and sculptured lips.
Even though his soul was dark, his body had summoned me.
He’d
called to me, and like the stupid Weaver I was, I’d followed him
blindly.
Now,
it’s his turn to follow my whims, my rules.
Jogging
down the corridor, my racing mind and temper eased, already reacting
to the stress relief I’d sought all my life.
I
need him out.
It
wasn’t fair. I was supposed to seduce him and make him care for
me—not
the other way around. I wasn’t supposed to fall for my own games.
Lust
was as dangerous as love. Only it was worse because it had the power
to make even the worst ideas seem plausible—and even
recommended—when a sexual reward was given.
The
moment Jethro gave in and kissed me, I’d betrayed more than just
myself. I’d betrayed my entire family line and all the Weaver women
who’d died before me.
I
had feelings for him.
A
dangerous softness toward my would-be-killer.
It
has to end.
I
had to find a way to seduce him…to make him love me, all while I
kept my heart frigid and locked away in an ice fortress.
I
laughed under my breath. You
sound just like him.
I wanted to turn into the female equivalent of his glacial shell.
Only,
ice wasn’t impervious. Ice melted and succumbed to fire.
I’d
proven that over the past month.
The
house breathed around me with gentle heartbeats only ancient
dwellings could have. Spirits of past generations lived in its walls,
revenants danced in the drapery, and figments of long forgotten
lovers floated through the tapestries.
A
grandfather clock tick-tocked as I jogged past, showing the time at
six thirty a.m.
After
being privy to the business meetings with Kes and the Black Diamonds,
I knew the men never got up this early. They worked late, dealing
with shipments and the transportation of stones worth more than any
dress I could sew. Darkness was their asset, the sun their foe.
At
least I could run and be back before anyone tried to stop me.
I
didn’t want them to draw the wrong conclusion that I was trying to
escape again. I blinked as I ran head first into a horrendous
conclusion.
Even
if you found the boundary this morning, you wouldn’t leave.
My
heart thumped harder at the tangled web I lived.
Freedom
was something I wanted more than anything. But even if I escaped the
Hawks, I would only run back into the trap of pity and vertigo. I
wanted more than that. I deserved
more
than that.
If
I found the estate edge, I wouldn’t disappear. I couldn’t.
My
captivity wasn’t just about me anymore. It was about the future. It
was about Jethro.
Admit
it…
It
was about living.
The
passion, the intensity, the blazing ferocity of existing with enemies
and plotting beneath their noses was a much worthier cause than
sitting at home sewing for the masses.
This
was about me. Me standing up for myself, and for a future I wanted,
not a future already planned for me.
This
was about so many twisted things.
I
wrenched open the French doors at the end of the corridor and
stumbled into the foggy dawn. Fresh air welcomed me and I found a
reprieve from my scrambled thoughts.
I
can’t forget my ultimate plan.
No
matter how Jethro endeared himself to me—giving me glimpses of
someone barely coping inside his wintry armor—I wasn’t going to
forget my goal.
Freedom.
Not
just for myself, but for the rest of my legacy. My children and their
children and their children’s children would never have to go
through this. I intended to be the last Weaver stolen.
It’s
time for a new debt—one that owes us life, not death.
Sucking
in lungfuls of crisp air, I steeled myself in what I had to do. In
order to win, I had to guard my soul. I had to play along with
Jethro’s mind games and hope to God I won first.
A
cool breeze whistled through the trees, sounding like haunted
laments. I shivered, wishing I’d brought a jacket.
You’ll
be sweating in ten minutes. Ignore it.
Gritting
my teeth against the cold, I bent over and stretched my quads. The
tug and slow release of muscles was heaven after the stress of the
past few days.
My
body hummed with the knowledge it was about to run.
And
run.
And
run.
For
fun this time, not for survival.
Bouncing
on the spot, I rolled my shoulders, eyeing up the sweeping lawn
before me. If I went right, I’d loop around the stables. If I went
left, I’d cut through the sprawling rose garden and orchards.
Go
straight.
Down
the meandering path that disappeared over the horizon.
I
switched from bouncing to jogging.
“And
just where do you think you’re going?” a cool voice whispered
through the silver fog.
I
wrenched to a stop, peering behind me.
No
one.
“I
thought you’d realised running wasn’t a viable option, Ms.
Weaver.”
His
icy voice sent a strange mixture of hot and cold desire down my
spine. Jethro morphed into being, seeming to solidify from the mist
like a terrible poltergeist. He leaned against one of the pillars
holding up the portico, crossing his arms.
My
heart collapsed, unable to untangle the maze of hypocrisy between us.
My skin begged for his touch. My lips tingled for his. Every inch of
me craved
what he could deliver.
Heat.
Passion. An eruption that I felt in every cell.
But
none of that was real.
And
I refused to believe in trickery any longer.
Mirroring
his body language, I crossed my arms. “I realise escaping
isn’t a viable option. But I’m not escaping. I’m running.
Running is my only
option to escape the mess you’ve made.”
His
jaw clenched. “The mess I’ve
made?”
“Yes.”
I took a step backward as he advanced. “You’re messing me up, and
I’m done playing whatever it is that you’re doing.” I sucked in
courage and embraced honesty. It seemed to work around him, and I
needed him to see how serious I was. How hurt I was with his
deception.
He’s
Kite.
Bastard.
Baring
my teeth, I said, “It seems I have a weakness for you, but I
changed my mind. I don’t—”
A
low growl escaped him. “A weakness? You call what happened between
us a fucking weakness?”
My
breathing ratcheted as if I’d already run two miles. “The worst
kind of weakness.”
He
smiled, but no mirth entered his gaze. If anything, his golden eyes
were luminous with anger. “You’re the one who started it…Nila.”
I
gasped at the delicious decadence of my name on his lips. The sound
echoed in his mouth, shooting straight to my core.
Shit.
Jethro
advanced again, his body trembling with barely veiled lust. “You’re
the one who created this problem.” His hand came up, fingers
slinking through my tied-up hair, tightening around the back of my
skull. “I can’t hear the name Weaver without getting fucking
hard. I can’t even think of you without boiling with need.”
His
nose brushed against mine, his lips so damn close to stealing all my
scrambled plans and sending me headfirst into a life of debauchery.
“You
should never have said those two words, Ms. Weaver. I told you. We’re
both fucked now.”
My
mind was blank, every synapse focusing on his fingers in my hair and
his mouth only millimetres from mine. “What two words?”
He
chuckled. The sound was self-deprecating and almost morbid with dark
intensity. “Kiss me.”
I
shivered in his hold. “You’re reminding me of what started this
mess, or you’re asking me to kiss you?”
Ask
me. And I will. God, how I will.
I’d
kiss him until I’d stripped him of his arctic armor and destroyed
it, I’d lick him until I tasted his truth, and I’d bite him until
I’d eaten every morsel of his soul.
I’d
do all that so he had nowhere left to hide.
We
stood wrapped in foggy silence. The drawn out anticipation of a kiss
turned my legs to jelly. If he pressed his mouth to mine, I wouldn’t
be going for my run. I would climb his body and impale myself on his
cock.
Fakery
be damned.
Kite’s
messages and deceit be damned.
I
just wanted a raw connection—with this man, who made my soul
whimper for wrongness.
Jethro’s
tongue slipped between his lips, hypnotising me. Then…he let me go.
“No, I’m not asking you to kiss me. I won’t ever ask anything
from you.”
I
flinched as if he’d slapped me. “Why not?”
“Because
I own you. Everything I want will be given, not requested.”
Double
shit.
I
should hate him. I should smite him. So, why did his every word
seduce me, even while I knew his morals were chauvinistic and
heartless?
Forcing
my body to obey, I shoved the weakness I had for him as far away as
possible. My eyes trailed down his front. He wore tan jodhpurs, black
riding boots, and a tweed jacket. The bulge between his legs looked
heavy and far too dangerous to be legal.
“You’ve
been riding.”
A
gentle gust of early morning air blew his scent directly into my
nose. I inhaled, soaking my lungs in hay, horse, and all things
Jethro.
He
nodded, crossing his arms once again. “You run. I ride. Seems we
have something else in common.”
Something
other than being forced into this debt and finding each other
irresistible, you mean?
“Oh,
what’s that?”
Jethro
stepped closer, seeming to bring shadows into the smoky light of
dawn. “We both need time alone to hide from the things that chase
us.” He stiffened, his eyes churning with things he refused to
voice. A five o’ clock shadow decorated his strong jaw, his lips
parted while his gaze was pure brimstone.
Swiftly,
he cupped my cheek.
Oh,
God.
Electricity
instantly sparked beneath his fingertips.
Would
I always suffer the rhapsody of his touch?
My
skin smouldered; pinpricks of light, of fire, of hell, all burnished
beneath his hold. I swayed, pressing my face harder into his palm.
He
sucked in a breath, his fingers digging harder against my cheekbone.
The
chemistry and need to devour each other thickened with every
heartbeat.
One
beat.
Two
beat.
Three.
We
stood there, frozen on the stoop of Hawksridge Hall just waiting for
the other to move. The moment we did, our clothes would disintegrate
and I would willingly let him drag me into a bush and fuck me.
Lust
and tension swirled.
I
had so many questions and doubts; so many reasons to hate and fear
him. But when he touched me…poof.
I
no longer remembered, nor cared.
We
swayed closer, drawn against our will to close the aching distance.
I
couldn’t breathe.
Kiss
me. Please, kiss me.
The
moment stretched until it hummed with overwhelming possibilities.
Then,
it snapped.
Loudly.
Painfully.
Shattering
around our feet.
“You’re
too fucking dangerous,” Jethro muttered, removing his touch and
stepping away. Dragging his hand through his hair, he commanded,
“Wait here. Don’t go anywhere.” His hands went to his jacket
buttons, undoing them with nimble fingers.
I
blinked, struggling to shed myself of heavy need and focus on the
true reason why I stood barely dressed in the freezing morning. “I’m
not escaping. I’ll be back in forty minutes or so.”
He
shook his head, slipping out of his tweed and revealing a black
long-sleeved jumper.
My
mouth went dry. Even in clothing, I could make out every ridge of
muscle in his stomach, every ripple of energy as he breathed in and
out. He was designed straight from my fantasies, and I hated him for
being so splendid.
My
core clenched, sending flutters of wetness between my legs.
I
hadn’t seen him in two days, yet I’d panted after him as if he’d
been missing my entire life.
If
he suspected I knew that he was Kite, he hadn’t let on. After Kes
had told me the truth, I’d waited for Jethro to barge into my room
and swear me to secrecy.
But
he hadn’t.
He
didn’t look at me any differently; he gave no outward sign that his
lies had begun to unravel. As much as he confounded and frustrated
me, I couldn’t help admiring his perfection at hiding.
I
wanted to be like him. I wanted to protect my secrets so damn well
that whatever I did next would come as a surprise.
I
wanted to rule
him.
“I’m
coming with you. Don’t leave.” He disappeared into the house,
leaving me abandoned and covered in chills from both the morning air
and his departure.
Jogging
on the spot, I deliberated ignoring him and leaving.
Just
go.
What
was the worst that could happen? He’d have to chase me again. My
tummy coiled at the thought. I liked that idea way too much. I liked
the thought of what would happen after he found me.
The
power I’d felt giving him that blowjob. The awe and attraction
that’d glowed in his eyes.
I
want that again.
Screw
waiting like a good little captive.
Make
him hunt.
And
then I would make him explode.
I
bolted.
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Release
Date: January 22nd
Blurb
“I
tried to play a game. I tried to wield deceit as perfectly as the
Hawks. But when I thought I was winning, I wasn’t. Jethro isn’t
what he seems—he’s the master of duplicity. However, I refuse to
let him annihilate me further.”
Nila
Weaver has grown from naïve seamstress to full-blown fighter. Every
humdrum object is her arsenal, and sex…sex is her greatest weapon
of all.
She’s
paid the First Debt. She’ll probably pay more.
But
she has no intention of letting the Hawks win.
Jethro
Hawk has found more than a worthy adversary in Nila—he’s found
the woman who could destroy him. There’s a fine line between hatred
and love, and an even finer path between fear and respect.
The
fate of his house rests on his shoulders, but no matter how much ice
lives inside his heart, Nila flames too bright to be extinguished.
Series
Reading Order
Debt
Interitance (Indebted #1) ONLY $0.99
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First
Debt (Indebted #2)
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Second
Debt (Indebted #3) January 26th:
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About
the Author:
Pepper
Winters wears many roles. Some of them include writer, reader,
sometimes wife. She loves dark, taboo stories that twist with your
head. The more tortured the hero, the better, and she constantly
thinks up ways to break and fix her characters. Oh, and sex... her
books have sex.
She
loves to travel and has an amazing, fabulous hubby who puts up with
her love affair with her book boyfriends.
Her
Dark Erotica books include:
Tears
of Tess (Monsters in the Dark #1)
Quintessentially
Q (Monsters in the Dark #2)
Her
Grey Romance books include:
Destroyed
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