by Emma Tallon
Josephine’s hand reached up and grasped hers, slipping slightly as it was slick with blood. It’s OK, she mouthed, no longer able to properly speak. It’s OK.
‘No, it’s not,’ Anna replied, her voice breaking. She stroked the hair back off her face with her free hand. ‘Oh, Josephine.’
Josephine’s own eyes filled with tears at the gesture of affection and she gripped Anna’s hand tighter as she gazed up at her. As Anna opened her mouth to speak once more, Josephine’s body suddenly convulsed and then stopped moving as the last bit of life left her. Her eyes glazed over and the room fell into total silence.
Epilogue
Anna walked out of the small church with her head held high and her eyes cast low in respect. Freddie walked beside her, his suit black to match her dress and the outfits of all the other attendees of Sammy’s funeral. They all stood together in silent unity by the graveside as his coffin was lowered into the ground. Anna gripped Tanya’s hand tightly with one hand and squeezed Ethan’s shoulder gently with the other, while the vicar read the text they had carefully chosen for the occasion. Freddie kept one hand on the small of her back, quietly standing as her rock while she stood strong for everyone else.
It had taken a while to get Sammy’s body released, but Sarah had made it happen as quickly as she could. Getting Josephine’s body had been slightly easier. After Freddie and Paul had rearranged the guns a little, it had been an open-and-shut case. A shoot-off between two women over the same love interest. Both had died and it had been assumed no one else had been involved. Josephine had been cremated the week before and now lay in a corner of the graveyard with an array of colourful flowers planted to mark her grave. It suited her, somehow, leaving her as colourful in death as she had been in life.
Anna and Tanya had taken the night after her funeral to celebrate Josephine’s life and talk about the good times, just the two of them. No one else would ever know what Josephine had done for them in the end. They would never know that she took the blame for Aleksei’s murder and lied about the events of that fateful night to protect them both from the fall-out that would come from the truth. In the end she had been the most loyal and loving friend of all, and for as long as she lived Anna knew that she would never forgive herself for treating Josephine so coldly in the last few weeks of her life.
After some deliberation the brothers had allowed Ali to go free on the condition he take Sophia’s children over to their family in Estonia and never return. Freddie had kept tabs to make sure he did as he was instructed and, to his relief, Ali did so quickly and quietly. The man seemed heartbroken over the loss of his employer, leaving Freddie to wonder whether there had been something more between them behind closed doors. But that was none of his business. The children were looked after and Ali had retired from London gracefully. All loose ends were tied up as far as he was concerned.
All loose ends except for Jim, that was. Freddie had run out of The Sinners’ Lounge after him but somehow Jim had disappeared. He had jogged down the road in each direction, looking down the side alleys and any likely hiding places, but the man was gone. He had disappeared into thin air like smoke in the wind. That was something they were going to have to deal with at some point, but it could wait for the time being. Freddie’s reach was long and he had all the time in the world. Jim wouldn’t be able to stay off their radar forever.
As the vicar’s sermon came to a close Freddie stepped forward and picked up the first handful of earth. He dropped it onto Sammy’s coffin below and stepped back as Paul and Bill followed suit. Next came Anna, followed after a pause by Tanya. Ethan bravely took his turn and Freddie nodded in approval.
This was Sammy’s family. Some families were bonded by blood, theirs was bonded by something deeper. These were the people Sammy had lived and died by, the way all of them eventually would. There were days when Freddie wondered if he should try and steer them towards a straighter path, a path less wrought with heartache and danger. But deep down he knew that he never would. This life was in his blood. It was in all of their blood – Paul, Bill, Tanya, even Anna. It had always been there, deep down. It was what had drawn them together, the underlying darkness in each of their souls.
Freddie held Anna’s waist a little tighter. Today the family suffered a loss. They’d had to say the final goodbye to one of their own. It wouldn’t be the last time and Freddie had no idea when the next blow would come, or from which direction. But, as always, he would fight with everything he had to keep this family safe and on top. And no matter what life threw at them next, the one thing he was certain of was that they would face it together.
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Books by Emma Tallon
Ruthless Girl
Fearless Girl
Reckless Girl
Fierce Girl
Boss Girl
Dangerous Girl
Runaway Girl
Available in Audio
Dangerous Girl (Available in the UK and the US)
A Letter from Emma
Dear readers,
Well! What a rollercoaster ride this has been. Ruthless Girl is the seventh and final book in the Tyler series. For now, at least. And looking back it all feels a little surreal. Runaway Girl was the first book I ever wrote and to see it turn into a series and to watch my characters develop through seven whole books has just been incredible. A huge part of me is so sad to bring this series to an end. The characters, Freddie, Anna, Tanya – they feel like family to me. I’ve probably spent more time with them than I have all the real people in my life these past three years.
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Writing this last book, Ruthless Girl, has been a journey in itself for me. I wrote the first half of it heavily pregnant and the second half with a newborn baby sleeping next to me. I pushed on through sleep deprivation, heavy post-C-section painkillers and mid pandemic lockdown to get this written. I laughed and cried, cursed and celebrated, but I got there in the end. And I’m really pleased with the result. I just hope you’ve enjoyed it too.
Now it is time to move on to something new. The next book I release will be the beginning of a new series, involving a new crime family called the Drews. I’ve had Lily Drew, the matriarch of the family, in my head for a while now. She’s been dying to come out and meet you all, so I’m finally putting her on the page. You may have noticed a sneaky mention of her in this book, so keep your eyes peeled for a little cross over with the Tylers down the line!
And so, it is time to say farewell. Thank you for coming on this journey with me. It’s been a blast. See you all on the next book.
All my love,
Emma X
www.emmatallon.com
Fearless Girl
Fans of Martina Cole, Kimberley Chambers and Jessie Keane will be hooked by Fearless Girl.
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When everything changes, you have to come out fighting.
It’s been three years since Freddie Tyler was sent to prison, now he’s back on the streets of London and about to find out that everything has changed.
As Freddie enters his West End club for the first time in years, he finds ex-girlfriend Anna Davis sitting behind his desk, confidently leading his team of men. Anna used to hate the world he lived in, but she has now become a big part of it. And she’s not about to give up running the family business easily.
Anna shows a toughness Freddie has never witnessed in her before when she tells him about her new enterprise, smuggling stolen diamonds through
London’s Hatton Garden. And alarm bells start ringing when Freddie meets Anna’s new partner. Cold and ruthless, Roman Gains isn’t someone Freddie trusts around the club and particularly not around Anna.
Whilst tensions flare between Anna and Freddie, a new Russian firm enters their world, determined to bring the Tylers down. And when they take out one of his best men, Freddie has to take drastic action to wrestle control from Anna. But she has other ideas. And when Roman becomes Anna’s closest ally, Freddie finally reaches breaking point. Could this be the fall of the Tyler empire and the last time Freddie and Anna are on the same side?
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Reckless Girl
Fans of Martina Cole, Kimberley Chambers and Jessie Keane will be hooked by Reckless Girl.
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She’s back and this time she has a score to settle.
Anna Davis and Freddie Tyler are finally getting their lives back on track when an unexpected face turns up on Freddie’s doorstep – a woman he wishes he’d never met. And she delivers a blow that could tear their lives apart.
Reeling from the news, Anna throws herself into her work. Her clubs are doing well and she’s opening a new business venture with best friend, Tanya. But she’s worried that the mystery woman has the power to destroy her and Freddie if they don’t do exactly what she wants.
Freddie’s got big problems with the business. A new gang is in town. They’re muscling in on Tyler turf and need to be dealt with. Plus, he’s still being closely watched by a Met detective determined to bring him down.
Freddie realises he’s barely a step ahead of the law when his rivals deal him a devastating blow, and his past catches up with an impossible choice. Could this spell the end of Freddie and Anna’s relationship? And will the rogue detective finally get the chance to arrest Freddie – burning the empire he’s built from scratch to the ground?
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Fierce Girl
Fans of Martina Cole, Kimberley Chambers and Jessie Keane will be hooked by Fierce Girl.
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When loyalty is everything, betrayal hits harder.
Anna Davis has grown up. She’s not the naive runaway who escaped her vicious gangland boyfriend anymore. She’s tougher than ever and she won’t let anyone take advantage of her – or the people she loves.
Anna’s devoted boyfriend, East End baron Freddie Tyler, is in trouble. There’s a rat in his organisation and he needs to stop the leaks before a very big mistake from his past is revealed to people who will want swift and brutal revenge.
Anna wants to help Freddie but she’s got problems of her own. Her best friend Tanya’s mother has turned up, and is staking a claim on Tanya’s share of their club. With Tanya buying her mum’s reformed sinner act, Anna knows she needs to act before both their friendship and Club Anya goes up in flames.
But if there’s one thing Anna and Freddie have learned, it’s how to play the game, and as their enemies close in they’ll fight with everything they’ve got to protect the life they’ve built.
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Boss Girl
If you love Martina Cole, Kimberley Chambers, Casey Kelleher and Jessie Keane, you’ll love Boss Girl.
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You’ll do anything to save your family, even kill for them…
Anna Davis is under pressure. With her West End nightclub packed full every night and the opening of another club just around the corner, she knows she can’t take her eye off the ball.
Her boyfriend Freddie Tyler practically owns London’s West End and he’s got a big deal on – one that could make the Tylers the most powerful family in London. He’s going into business with crime boss Frank Gambino. But visiting Anna at work one night, Gambino tells her he’ll only sign the deal with Freddie on one condition – that she hands over Club Anya to him.
With tension growing between Anna and Freddie, her mind is on other things. She doesn’t notice that someone is watching her every move. She doesn’t realise just how much danger she’s in.
When one night she doesn’t return home, Freddie is beside himself with worry. And as he races to save Anna, one thing is for sure – he’ll get back the girl he loves. Even if it means taking down the whole of the London underworld to find her…
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Dangerous Girl
If you love Martina Cole, Kimberley Chambers, Casey Kelleher and Jessie Keane, you’ll love Dangerous Girl.
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Sometimes your enemies are closer than you think
Anna is finally happy. She’s rid of her abusive ex and she’s co-owner of London’s hottest new club, with her best friend Tanya. But she is worried about her boyfriend, Freddie. He’s keeping things from her. And he won’t tell her where he goes in the middle of the night.
Freddie is furious. A girl has gone missing from one of his clubs and the police are all over him. When a familiar face turns up and threatens him, he’s offered a deal – find the girl or his girlfriend Anna will be killed.
With time running out, Freddie risks everything to save Anna’s life. And if there’s one thing Freddie Tyler is known for, it’s that he never gives up. Not without a fight…
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Runaway Girl
‘An ideal book for fans of Martina Cole, Kimberley Chambers, Mandasue Heller, Jessie Keane and Casey Kelleher.’ Ginger Book Geek, 5 stars
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You have to fight for the ones you love.
Anna Davis has spent years terrified of her sadistic gangster boyfriend. Right up until she runs away in the dead of night, she’s frightened he will kill her. And she knows he still will, if he ever finds her…
As Anna starts her new life in London, she meets two strangers who will change her fortunes forever. Tanya Smith is a gorgeous stripper with a big heart. Anna and Tanya quickly become inseparable and open up London’s hottest new nightclub together. And East End baron Freddie Tyler is everything Anna’s ex-boyfriend was not – he’s kind, caring and would do anything to make Anna happy.
Just as Anna begins to see a brighter future for herself, she begins to suspect her past is catching up with her. She could be about to lose everything – even her life. But she’s a different person now. She’s got something to live for and she’s not going to give up without a fight.
But are Tanya and Freddie, the only people she trusts to help her, telling Anna the truth about who they really are?
If you love Martina Cole, Kimberley Chambers, Casey Kelleher and Jessie Keane, you’ll love Runaway Girl. This fast-paced, gripping thriller will have you reading well after dark.
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Acknowledgements
To my readers. I say it in every book and I mean it more and more every time – thank you for all your incredible support. Seeing so many of you enjoy my books, reading your reviews and hearing from you through various different pathways means the world. I love what I do, but I wouldn’t be able to do it without you. So I am eternally grateful for that.
To my editor, Helen, you were the person who gave me and my books our chance in the publishing world, the first person to really see the potential and where we could go with these characters. You’ll never know just how much that changed my life. And now here we are, seven books in and counting. Words barely touch the surface, but thank you. For everything.
To all of my friends in the writing community, through thick and thin you keep me laughing and you keep me sane. (Or perhaps you keep me insane?) You bring the sunshine into my working day and I am so glad to have all of you amazing, crazy people in my life. Please never change.