by Olivia Howe
while writing First and Only, some included in this novel.
“Kings Never Die” by Eminem and Gwen Stefani
“Come Back Home” by Chris Pureka
“Lean On” by Major Lazer and DJ Snake
“Love Me Like You Do” by Ellie Goulding
“Smells Like Teen Spirit” by Nirvana
“Everytime” by La Ley
“Wildest Dreams” by Taylor Swift
“Only You” by Tesla
“Song and Emotion” by Tesla
“Far Behind” by Candlebox
“You Should Know Where I’m Coming From” by Banks
“Hello” by Adele
“Changes” by Tesla
“Someone Like You” by Adele
“The Scientist” by Coldplay
“To Be Free” by Emiliana Torrini
“All of Me” by John Legend
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Olivia Howe resides in a small town in Maine. Born in 1994, she is a very young bestselling author. Although originally from Florida, she considers herself a Mainer. In her spare time, she loves to write, listen to rock music, and spend time with her family and friends. Olivia’s family is her life. She has three beautiful nieces whom she adores. They’ve helped inspire her to continue her writing career. She’s big on supporting authors and their books. She owns a book blog called Beautifully Broken Book Blog.
She is known for the two Amazon bestselling series: The Dark Love Series and The Killer Novella Series. Her newest books are Pretty Bird, 7 Days of Christmas, and I’m Yours. She has many more books in the works and some being published soon.
Olivia is a huge fan of the Golden State Warriors, the Patriots, and the Boston Red Sox. She’s a TV show fanatic. And she loves rock music. Her favorites include Led Zeppelin, Aerosmith, Nirvana, Tesla, The Cure, Godsmack, Audioslave, Evanescence, Lynyrd Skynyrd, and many more.
CONTACT INFORMATION:
Website:
www.oliviahowe.webs.com
Author Blog:
authoroliviahowe.blogspot.com
Facebook:
www.facebook.com/authoroliviahowe
www.facebook.com/darkloveseries
E-mail:
[email protected]
Twitter:
@OliviaMaeHowe
Book Blog Links:
www.facebook.com/beautifullybrokenbookblog
beautifullybrokenbookblog.blogspot.com
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Thank you to my three beautiful nieces: Melissa, Mariah, and Aubrey. Thank you for always believing in me. I love you all to the moon and back.
Thank you to my wonderful family: Mom, Dad, stepdad Steven, Amanda (Sestra). And my friends: Tiphanie, Amy, Cammi, and Nancy.
Thank you to my book manager and my editor.
Thank you to my wonderful street team for all your hard work promoting my books. It’s an honor. Thank you, my pretty birds. You all rock!
Thank you Colbert Creative Design for making me another lovely cover. You are amazing at what you do!
A big thank you to my readers. Thank you for reading me.
SNEAK PEEK OF
PRETTY BIRD
BY OLIVIA HOWE
CHAPTER 1
LIVING OR DYING
PLANES ALWAYS MAKE ME JITTERY. Maybe I should cut down on all the scary movies. They’re Derrick’s favorite, though. Thankfully I can usually distract him with sex or draw his attention to something other than his beloved horror films.
I giggle. He would never stop laughing if he heard the thoughts that are jumbling up my head. He would never let me live it down.
“What’s so funny?” Derrick stares at me with his big sea-blue eyes and handsome, chiseled face.
“I’d rather not say.” I snuggle into his chest; the warmth so comforting. I could sleep in a tent with a blizzard blowing outside and, so long as Derrick was there, it would be nice and toasty.
“I know what you’re trying to do.” He kisses my forehead lightly. His lips feel like a calm summer day. My nerves disappear. The things he does to me with just a single touch... I’m on cloud nine when I’m in his arms.
I smile, burying my face more into his chest. I could stay in this position for a lifetime. “I love you.”
“There you go again, sweetheart. Changing the subject.” He finds my hand, holding it against his cheek. “I love you too, Kenn.”
I reach for my phone, forgetting there’s no service thirty-five thousand feet in the air. I wonder how my sister is doing. Amanda was upset about me leaving, even though it’s only for three days.
“Are you worrying about work? Jim gave you permission to take a vacation. Calm down and enjoy our quality time together.” Derrick pulls my hand to his face, kissing it with his warm, addicting lips.
“I was thinking about Amanda.”
Derrick lets out a laugh. “Kenna, you two are always together. You need some time apart. When we land in Hawaii, you can call her and tell her we made it safely.”
“I know. She has Chase to gossip with for the next few days.”
Derrick chortles. “Chase’s going to be ripping his hair out... or hers.”
His comment makes me laugh so hard my stomach hurts. The other passengers stare, telling us to shut up with their piercing eyes.
“Speaking of your sister, did I tell you she called me the other day?” Derrick holds his lips together tightly.
My face goes still. “Uh-oh, what did she say?”
“She told me I needed to keep my woman on a leash and not let her run to her house so early in the morning.”
We both fall into a choir of laughter.
“Jeez, leave it to Amanda to say something like that,” I say through my laughter. “So, where’s that leash?” I joke.
“I’ll go fetch it.”
I kiss his lips. “One more hour until we land, and you’re all mine for three long days.”
I bite his top lip seductively. His lips spread into a smile. “This is going to be the longest hour of my life.”
I nod. “You think it would be noticeable if we both get up and use the bathroom together?”
“Very noticeable.” He continues to kiss me, making it harder for me to resist him.
“We need to stop.”
Derrick takes a deep breath. “I agree.” He takes his phone out from his pocket, searching through it.
“Now you’re the one who’s worrying.” Time to get serious. “Are you okay? You’ve been acting kind of distant lately.”
Derrick shoots me a confused look. “Of course I’m okay, baby. Work has been crazy and wearing me out. I’m... uh... I’m worried about Jake. He cut his leg at work the other day. It was pretty deep. He got twenty-five stitches.”
“Was it at one of your construction jobs?”
Derrick nods. “Yes. The last time we talked, he was doing pretty good, enjoying having his wife wait on him hand and foot.”
“It’s tough to be the boss, but you’re great at it.”
Derrick smiles with those dazzling eyes. “You’re pretty great, you know that?”
“I know.”
“Kenna, I meant to tell you this, and I don’t want you to take it the wrong way. Okay?” Derrick arches his eyebrows.
“Sure. What is it?”
“If something were to ever... If something were to ever happen to me, I want you to know I have a safe deposit box at M&J Bank. It has what you might call my insurance policy.”
“Why are you telling me this? Is something wrong, Derrick?” I’m worried now. Why would he all of a sudden bring this up? It doesn’t make any sense.
He shakes his head. “It’s nothing like that, baby. It’s a ‘just in case’ type of matter. Everything is perfectly fine. Okay?”
I nod. “Okay.”
“Do you believe me?”
“Of course I do.”
“Get some sleep. You look exhausted, baby. I’m going to use the bathroom and then come back and cuddle with you.”<
br />
I smile from ear to ear. “Hurry.”
“Don’t go falling in love with someone else while I’m gone.” His joke makes me laugh. He kisses my forehead and tucks the blanket around my body. I shut my eyes, drifting into dreamland.
***
I wake to the sound of screaming. Everyone is freaking out, crying, yelling, and cursing. The plane is shaking, throwing me from side to side. I grope for Derrick’s hand, but he’s nowhere to be found. Where the hell is he? What the hell is going on?
Then, the unthinkable happens: the plane falls. It’s like the bottom’s dropped out. I grip the arms of the seat, my hands trembling. The passengers are holding their loved ones for dear life. Not me, though. My loved one is nowhere in sight. It’s like he’s vanished into thin air.
This can't be real.
Yellow oxygen masks pop from a small compartment overhead. The screaming around me gets worse. With quivering hands, I slide the mask onto my face.
I try unfastening my seat belt. I need to find Derrick. It won’t come loose. It won’t unfasten. My seat belt is jammed.
The shaking grows worse, and then, all of a sudden, it stops. The lights shut off, along with what sounds like the engine. Everything is completely quiet. There is a moment when everything goes silent. It’s like time ceases before my eyes for one single throbbing moment. Then the plane starts falling faster.
With every beat, my heart accelerates. Sweat dribbles down the side of my face, but for some reason, I don’t panic. I don’t cry and freak out. Hell, I should be losing it like everyone else.
A row up from me, a man is gripping a cross, praying his heart out. Across the aisle, a tight-lipped elderly couple holds onto each other as if they are ready to accept their fate. Whatever that may be. That could be Derrick and me in forty years, still so deeply in love.
They kiss each other and smile. The old woman speaks, and I read her lips. “I love you.”
How can she not be scared?
Then it hits me. She’s not scared because the love of her life—the reason she’s made it this far in her existence—is sitting right beside her.
“Derrick!” I scream. Where the hell is he? Why would he leave me like this? I need him next to me right now. “Derrick!” I scream again, though I doubt he will be able to hear me over the bedlam of the other passengers.
At this point, I’m gasping for air. The oxygen mask isn’t working any more—well, that’s what it feels like. Everything around me is spinning.
“Derrick!” Tears pour down my cheeks. “Derrick, please!”
In that moment, I know I’m about to die. I will never see my parents or sister again. I will never see my two best friends or my beautiful nieces. I just wish I could at least tell Derrick how much I love him, how truly happy he makes me feel.
People say, when you’re about to die, your life flashes before your eyes. It’s true. Images of when Derrick and I first made love pop into my head.
I remember him smiling at me, taking my hand in his, telling me, “I want to give you all of me.”
The tears are now uncontrollable.
That’s what flashes through my head in my last moments.
Suddenly, I feel like I’m going to faint. Before I know it, everything blurs, and I’m surrounded by darkness.
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