Falling With You

by Carrie Ann Ryan

  Falling With You

  A Fractured Connections Novel

  Carrie Ann Ryan

  Contents

  Praise for Carrie Ann Ryan….

  Falling With You

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Epilogue

  A Note from Carrie Ann Ryan

  About the Author

  More from Carrie Ann Ryan

  Falling With You

  A Fractured Connections Novel

  By: Carrie Ann Ryan

  © 2019 Carrie Ann Ryan

  ISBN: 978-1-947007-54-3

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  Cover Art by Charity Hendry

  Photograph by Sara Eirew

  * * *

  This book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This book may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person or use proper retail channels to lend a copy. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return it and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  All characters in this book are fiction and figments of the author’s imagination.

  * * *

  For more information, please join Carrie Ann Ryan’s MAILING LIST.

  To interact with Carrie Ann Ryan, you can join her FAN CLUB

  Praise for Carrie Ann Ryan….

  “Carrie Ann Ryan knows how to pull your heartstrings and make your pulse pound! Her wonderful Redwood Pack series will draw you in and keep you reading long into the night. I can’t wait to see what comes next with the new generation, the Talons. Keep them coming, Carrie Ann!” –Lara Adrian, New York Times bestselling author of CRAVE THE NIGHT

  “Carrie Ann Ryan never fails to draw readers in with passion, raw sensuality, and characters that pop off the page. Any book by Carrie Ann is an absolute treat.” – New York Times Bestselling Author J. Kenner

  "With snarky humor, sizzling love scenes, and brilliant, imaginative worldbuilding, The Dante's Circle series reads as if Carrie Ann Ryan peeked at my personal wish list!" – NYT Bestselling Author, Larissa Ione

  "Carrie Ann Ryan writes sexy shifters in a world full of passionate happily-ever-afters." – New York Times Bestselling Author Vivian Arend

  “Carrie Ann’s books are sexy with characters you can’t help but love from page one. They are heat and heart blended to perfection.” New York Times Bestselling Author Jayne Rylon

  Carrie Ann Ryan's books are wickedly funny and deliciously hot, with plenty of twists to keep you guessing. They'll keep you up all night!” USA Today Bestselling Author Cari Quinn

  "Once again, Carrie Ann Ryan knocks the Dante's Circle series out of the park. The queen of hot, sexy, enthralling paranormal romance, Carrie Ann is an author not to miss!" New York Times bestselling Author Marie Harte

  Dedication

  To Liz.

  Thanks for believing and trusting

  Falling With You

  The day I lost my best friend was the day I realized that I'd been living in the past. I've tried to find a way to heal, to mend that break. Somehow, I came through it partially whole. But I know I couldn't have done that without Aiden Connolly.

  The problem is, he once loved my best friend. And now she's gone, and I refuse to be in that shadow, or worse, a replacement for someone we both loved.

  I left them all behind.

  My brother.

  My family.

  My best friend.

  And her.

  Only Sienna Knight doesn't realize what she means to me. But before I can make sure she knows, I need to figure out exactly what that is.

  Chapter One

  Sometimes life knocks you down. Getting back up seems like something just for the movies.

  -Sienna, age 14.

  * * *

  Sienna

  I had a headache, and I didn’t think having another drink was going to help. Was it going to stop me, though? No. Was the fact that I needed to drive home going to stop me?

  Totally.

  I’d only had one glass of wine, but that would have to be enough for me. Because although I loved drinking at my friends’ bar, I wasn’t going to be an idiot about it.

  Oh, I could be an idiot about many things, but not when it came to the amount of wine I had before I got into my car.

  But none of these precautions actually helped my headache.

  I looked over at my sister, Violet, and held back a cringe. I didn’t really have any room to comment on headaches, considering that Violet got migraines almost constantly, and they sometimes came out of nowhere and left her in debilitating pain.

  I didn’t have that kind of pain. I just had a stress headache from two long days at work and trying not to think about everything that I was thinking about.

  But I was fine. Everything was fine. I would just go home and forget that I was stressed about my job, that I was still missing my best friend, and the fact that I had a crush on the guy currently sitting next to me.

  A guy I really shouldn’t have a crush on.

  Because I’d had that crush for a decade now.

  A freaking decade. And he hadn’t even been in my life for some of the years in the middle. Plus, he had been dating my friend at the beginning.

  I had no right to have a crush on Aiden Connolly.

  But it was really hard not to when he kept smirking, glowering, glaring, or sometimes even smiling.

  Not that he smiled often, but I still had that crush even when he didn’t.

  It was a no good, terrible, very bad crush.

  No wonder I had a headache.

  Because Aiden always gave me a headache.

  No, thinking about him gave me the headache.

  And despite how hard I tried not to do it, I tended to think about Aiden more than I should. That meant a lot of stress, a lot of headaches, and a lot of just feeling like I was making one wrong decision after another.

  “What’s wrong?” Harmony asked, leaning into me on my other side.

  We were sitting at one of the round tables in the corner at the Connolly Brewery. Our friends from back in our school days—now our friends again—owned the place. It used to be owned by Jack and Rose Connolly before they passed away, and then had been passed down to their three kids.

  Cameron, Brendon, and Aiden were foster brothers, although Aiden and Cameron were actually twins who had then been adopted into the family. There was a fourth brother now, the half-brother to Cameron and Aiden, but they were all still Connollys, if not by blood or name then by choice.

  The place had almost gone bankrupt a few months ago, but the three brothers had come together to find a way to make it work, and now it thrived.

  That meant it was very busy in the place, and even though it was their night off, all three men were constantly getting up to help. Even Violet and Harmony pitched in, and considering that Violet was dating Cameron, and Harmony was dating Brendon, it made sense that they wanted to help their men.

  I wasn’t dating any of the Connollys. No, not even Aiden. Or even their younger—very younger—brother, Dillon.

  So, since I was not dating any of them, that meant if I tried to help, they all just gave me weird looks.

&
nbsp; Not that I wasn’t actually helpful, but because it naturally meant that I usually ended up having to help Aiden because of the logical pairing.

  And the two of us fought. A lot.

  I had no idea why, but he just got under my skin. I might have a huge crush on him, but that didn’t mean he didn’t annoy me.

  And he annoyed me so much.

  “Sienna?”

  I shook my head and looked over at Harmony. “I’m fine. Just a little headache.”

  “I’m sorry, is there anything I can do?” Harmony asked, her voice soft.

  Harmony was the nicest of us all. She had been through hell and back and had come out stronger for it, even though I would never say that to her. She hated the word strong, and considering that it came to my mind often when I thought about her, I could see why she hated it. She had lost her husband a couple of years ago and had had to rebuild her life. And then we’d all lost our best friend, Allison, after she had taken her own life.

  So, we’d all gone through hell, but Harmony had been through more. But now, she was smiling more, and even though I thought she was slightly delicate, she was always sweet and amazing.

  That probably had to do with the fact that the man she’d fallen in love with sat on her other side. Brendon Connolly. Our friend, and now Harmony’s other half.

  The two of them had recently started dating, and I knew it was love and all the lovely magic that happened at the beginning of relationships.

  I knew I probably sounded a bit cynical with that, but it was actually true, and I had a feeling that these two would go all the way. Marriage, maybe even babies. The same with Cameron and Violet.

  That left me alone. Along with Aiden. But that was not going to happen.

  Of course, there was some new blood in the water now, too—and no, not the eighteen-year-old Dillon.

  The bartender Beckham had joined our group, even though he was working tonight and not sitting at our table. He was one sexy, bearded man, and I knew he had given me a few looks.

  But for some reason, he didn’t put on any moves, and because I didn’t want things to get awkward, especially considering all of the connections we had with each other, I didn’t put any moves on him either.

  And that was just fine, because I had a feeling his eyes were for someone else.

  But that person wasn’t with us tonight either.

  “Sienna? Are you okay?”

  I tossed back the last of my water and nodded. “I’m fine, just lost in my head. And because of that, I think I should head home. I have an early day tomorrow, and I’m just not feeling it. You know?”

  Harmony reached out and gripped my hand. “If you’re sure. We’re here if you need us.”

  “I’m fine. Seriously. Nothing’s wrong. I’m just a little out of sorts tonight. Maybe a long bath and a good book before I go to bed will help. You know?”

  “That sounds wonderful,” Harmony said, smiling.

  “Did someone say bath?” Brendon asked, his voice a little low and too growly for me. He kissed Harmony’s neck, and I rolled my eyes.

  “Okay, you two. Paws off each other while I say goodbye to everyone.”

  “Oh? You’re leaving?” Violet asked as she stood up with me.

  “Are you sure? Are you feeling okay?”

  “I’m fine. I just explained to Harmony that I have an early morning. You guys have fun tonight because you all deserve it. I deserve a nice warm bath.”

  “Okay, text me when you get home so I know you’re safe.” Violet kissed my cheek and gave me a hug, and then I went through and hugged all of the others, saying my goodbyes. I ended up at Aiden’s side, and he just raised a brow at me.

  “Do you want a hug, too, Connolly?”

  “I’m sure you’ll give me one, but I need to head out too since I’m not actually working tonight, and sitting here and trying not to micromanage the kitchen is starting to get under my skin.”

  Aiden was possibly one of the best chefs I’d ever met. I’d had some amazingly prepared food in my time, but Aiden was the best. He had left his job at a Michelin-starred restaurant to come work at the bar.

  I knew it might seem like a step down for some, but Aiden had been very clear in saying that he hadn’t liked his other place. That he wouldn’t have made it far there because of who owned the restaurant and who the other sous chefs were. Apparently, everybody at that place preferred hiring cousins and sons rather than chefs with any actual talent.

  So, he was sprucing up the brewery and making the place a little classier than it had been.

  I was just fine with that because it meant I got to taste all the good things.

  Not that I’d tell Aiden that he was amazing. That might just give his ego a little bit too much of a boost. And he did not need help with his ego.

  “Aw, did the big, bad Aiden have a bad day? Was he yelling at all his poor little people?”

  “Why do you have to sing-song when you ask that? I just can’t with you.” He shook his head and then handed me my purse. “Let’s go.”

  “I can walk to my car just fine. It’s not like there aren’t lights everywhere.”

  “Yeah, you can. But I’m going the same way. So, let’s just get this over with.”

  “Oh, my hero. Whatever shall I do without you?”

  He just grunted something under his breath, and I had a feeling it wasn’t anything nice. But it didn’t really matter what it was. I was heading out the door, and I was going to get over my crush.

  Because having a crush on Aiden Connolly had done nothing for me over the past decade. And keeping with it was only going to make things worse.

  We had made it just around the corner when Aiden cursed under his breath.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “I forgot my phone. Do you want to come back with me?”

  “Not particularly. I’ve probably walked this street over a hundred times on my own. I’ll be fine.”

  “I’d rather not leave you alone,” Aiden growled.

  “I have my little cat ears that I can stab someone with.” I took out my keys and made a little punching motion with the keychain’s sharp, pointy ears.

  “You look adorable.”

  “You said that so truthfully, too. I totally believe you.”

  “Come on, Sienna. Walk back with me.”

  “I’m tired, Aiden. I’ll be fine. Go, get your phone. I’m going to head home. I’ve worked later hours before, and the place where my job is at is in an actual bad part of the city. We’re not exactly there now.”

  “Just don’t be stupid, short stack,” Aiden growled and then turned on his heel, jogging towards the bar.

  Knowing him, he would probably run there, get his phone, then sprint back so he could walk with me the last bit of the way. I didn’t mind him being protective, it was just when he got overly so that it got weird.

  But I wasn’t going to be stupid. So, I made sure my crossbody bag was secure, my little cat ears were firmly on my fingers, ready to punch out, and I had my phone in my other hand, queued to call 911 just in case.

  You couldn’t be too careful when it came to being a woman alone, even if it wasn’t quite dark out yet.

  I had just turned right when the first hand grabbed me.

  At first, I thought it was Aiden, trying to teach me a lesson or something, so I didn’t punch out when I should have.

  And I really should have.

  One hand grabbed my neck, the other pulled on my hair.

  And when the hot, putrid breath slid across my neck, I knew it wasn’t Aiden.

  “What?” I asked, trying to get words out. Suddenly, another hand was on my neck, and I knew there was more than one man.

  And those hands were big, rough, and callused.

  They smelled, they were dirty, and they were on me. Someone pushed me into the brick wall of the alley, and I screamed. Only no sound really came out because there was still a hand over my mouth.

  Tears formed in my eyes at the pain as m
y cheek scraped the brick, but I couldn’t freak out, I had to get out of this. Hadn’t I just told Aiden that I was safe?

  I tried to reach for my phone, but the guy took it and tossed it down the alley, the crunching sound echoing in my head.

  “Bitch. Give me all your money.”

  But he was tugging at my purse, hard enough that the strap dug into my shoulder. I knew it would leave a bruise. I kicked out, trying to remember what I had learned from that week of self-defense classes I had taken.

  They hadn’t been enough. I had been so sure that I was safe, that I was making mistake after mistake now that I wasn’t.

  There were three of them with grabby hands tugging on my coat, my purse. They weren’t touching me anywhere else, they were being very careful not to. Maybe I was just blocking it all out.

  I fought back, kicking and trying to scratch them. But one man had his hand firmly around my wrist, squeezing so hard I thought he might break it. My hand opened, my keys fell out, and the cat ears that were supposed to save me did nothing.

  And then the men were off me, and I could breathe again.

  I hit the ground, my knees radiating sharp pain.

  And Aiden was there, punching, kicking, using his fists all on one man’s face.

  I tried to get to my feet, but I was achy, and my head felt light.

  I hadn’t even realized that the man’s hand had been so tight around my throat earlier, squeezing. I’d been so far in my head, trying to figure a way out, that I hadn’t realized I hadn’t been breathing.