by L A Cotton
“I think me and that boy need to have another talk,” my dad said around a half-smile. He leaned in. “But between you and me, he gets my blessin’. We’ll make him work for it a little longer though.” Dad winked.
“That’s a good thing,” my voice wobbled, even though I said the words with complete conviction. “Because one day, Daddy, I’m goin’ to marry that boy.”
Eva
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I woke to an empty bed.
“Rafe?” Pushing up on one elbow, I rubbed the sleep from my eyes and scanned the room. There was a note on the pillow beside me.
* * *
Woke early but didn’t want to wake you. Snuck out with Fenton to get breakfast.
Love you more than words,
R.
* * *
I flopped back onto the soft pillows, smiling at the memories of the night before.
After the show, we had all come back to the suite, my parents included. We ordered a bunch of room service and talked well into the night. There had been jokes and stories and laughter. So much laughter. Hudson always seemed to be laughing at something or other, but it had filled my heart hearing the guys joking around and genuinely enjoying themselves. Even Levi had embraced it, surprising us all with his very own rendition of Jolene for my mom, who had revealed she was a huge fan of Dolly Parton. Of course, he’d dragged me up with him, and the two of us had entertained everyone until the whole room had joined in with us.
It had been more than just a celebration. It had been a group of people bound together by love and friendship and family. And I couldn’t think of a single place I would rather be.
It still all felt like a dream—Rafe, the tour, the future—except I knew it couldn’t be because he had whispered the names of every city we would visit, every city he would kiss me in, as he made love to me.
A small knock at the door pulled me from my reverie. “Eva, can I come in?” Letty peeked her head around the door, her hand covering her eyes.
I chuckled. “It’s okay, I’m decent.”
“Thank God for that.” She slipped into the room but didn’t return my smile.
I instantly sat up. “What is it, what happened?”
“We have a problem.” She came and perched on the edge of the bed, thrusting her phone at me. I frantically scanned the article.
“My drug-fueled night with a rock star... Mystery woman spills all on sordid night with Black Hearts Still Beat frontman Levi Hunter.”
“What the hell is this?” My body trembled as I tried to read the article.
“It was posted this morning. It doesn’t name the source and the details are pretty vague but social media chatter is already going wild.”
“Oh God, I feel sick.” I folded my legs underneath my body.
“Breathe. We’ve dealt with this kind of thing before. I checked the tabloids and it hasn’t broken yet, but stories like this gain interest. PR is already on it... but there’s something else.” She took her cell phone from me and clicked a few buttons before holding it up for me to watch. “It’s grainy; he’s barely recognizable.”
All the air left my lungs. This couldn’t be happening. Not when things were finally good between everyone.
“Eva?”
“Is… is he doin’ what I think he’s doin’?” Letty was right. The video was grainy, but there was no mistaking Levi snorting a line of powder off a woman’s stomach.
Bile rose up my throat.
“What do we do now?”
“We wait. The lack of clarity suggests the source is holding out for an exclusive. If we can figure out who is behind it before that happens, we may be able to stop them.”
“I know exactly who’s behind it,” I said quietly, anger flooding me.
Just then voices filled the air, and heavy footsteps sounded outside the bedroom. “Eva?” Rafe sounded fraught.
“I’ll let you two talk, okay? If you need me just call.”
“Thank you.”
“Eva?” Rafe burst into the bedroom, inhaling a ragged breath.
“I’ll just be...” Letty thumbed to the door, slipping around Rafe. He stepped into the room, his eyes locked on mine, begging me to fix it.
“What are we going to do?” He stalked toward me, dropping to his knees at the side of the bed. “Things were finally looking up for him.”
I nodded, shuffling to the edge and letting my legs fall on either side of him. “I know, but we’ll figure it out, okay? Does Levi know?”
Rafe’s expression darkened. “He spent the night with Phoebe. I haven’t seen either of them yet.”
“Crap,” I muttered. “This is bad, real bad. You know who did this, right?”
He nodded. “There’s only one explanation that makes sense.”
Except it didn’t make any sense. What the hell was Levi doing with Riley? But my gut told me I was right—that somehow, she was behind this.
“I can’t believe she would stoop so low,” I said. “What will happen if she gives the exclusive?” Riley, like all other employees at Razorsharp, would have signed an NDA.
“The label can seek damages. But it won’t change the fact the video is out there. It’s grainy, but if the exclusive interview breaks, the video will take on a life of its own.”
A drug-fueled sex tape.
Just what the band didn’t need.
Just what Levi didn’t need.
And Phoebe... oh God, poor Phoebe.
Thank you for reading
Look out for Levi’s story, Ruin: The Encore, coming later this year. Available to pre-order now
For updates you can join my reader group here
Playlist
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I Only Lie When I Love You – Royal Blood
Glory and Gore – Lorde
Better Love – Hozier
Outnumbered – Dermot Kennedy
Sorry – Halsey
End Credits – Chase and Status, ft. Plan B
Sign of the Times – Jasmine Thompson, Sabrina Carpenter
Helium – Sia
Arrows – Haux
Die A Little – YUNGBLUD
Million Reasons – Lady Gaga
Train Wreck – James Arthur
The Blackest Day – Lana Del Rey
Like Everybody Else – Lennon Stella
Deep End – Birdy
Look After You – Aron Wright
Carry You – Ruelle, Fleurie
I can’t believe it’s the end of Eva and Rafe’s journey. Gah, I love them! I hope you enjoyed it – and I hope you’re excited for Ruin. Something tells me Levi’s story is going to be one bumpy ride.
As always, publishing requires a tribe, and I have pretty damn awesome one!
Andie, Nina, and Anna thank you for being in my corner. Jennifer, your continued input has been so valuable, thank you. Ginelle, thank you for always being there to prooferead. To Sarah Puckett and Michael Johnson for bringing Eva and Rafe to life in audio (and Doug Johnson and Jon Ryno for the amazing songs) – I can’t wait to hear the rest of the series. Kim and Tammy, thanks for being on hand at the drop of a hat to help organise my promo and formatting, you rock ladies!
To my promo team - thank you for always having my back. You girls rock! My Indie Girls, you know who you are, thanks for always being there when I need to vent or just chat about what’s working and what isn’t. To my readers / spoiler groups – your enthusiasm and support for my characters and stories makes it all worthwhile.
And finally, to the bloggers, reviewers, and bookstagrammers who continue to support me – I see you, and I’m forever grateful.
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Until next time,
L A xo
Angsty. Edgy. Addictive Romance
Author of mature young adult and new adult novels, L A is happiest writing the kind of books she loves to read: addictive stories full of teenage angst, tension, twists and turns.
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Home is a small town in the middle of England where she c
urrently juggles being a full-time writer with being a mother/referee to two little people. In her spare time (and when she’s not camped out in front of the laptop) you’ll most likely find L A immersed in a book, escaping the chaos that is life.
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L A loves connecting with readers. The best places to find her are
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www.lacotton.com
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www.instagram.com/authorlacotton
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Did you love Rule: The Finale? Then you should read Prince of Hearts: Nicco & Ari Duet #1 by L. A. Cotton!
An all-new angsty college mafia romance from bestselling author of the Rixon Raiders series.
Arianne Capizola is her father's daughter.
Humble. Hardworking. Honest.
She'd rather spend her days helping at the local shelter than brushing shoulders with her vain and entitled classmates.
Niccolò Marchetti is his father's son.
Dark. Dangerous. Deceitful.
He'd rather spend his days getting bloody in the ring than attending class and keeping up pretences.
When their paths cross at Montague University neither of them are willing to drop the walls they've spent so long building. But he can't resist the girl with stars in her eyes, and she can't forget the guy who saved her that night.
There's only one catch.
Nicco isn't Arianne's knight-in-shining-armor, he's the son of her father's greatest enemy.
He is the enemy.
And their families are at war.
*Prince of Hearts in the first book in Nicco and Ari's duet. Due to mature content that some readers may find distressing, this book is recommended for readers 18+
Read more at L. A. Cotton’s site.
Also by L. A. Cotton
Black Hearts Still Beat
Rush: The Beginning
Rise: The Interlude
Rule: The Finale
Ruin: Levi Hunter's Story
Riot: Hudson Ryker's Story (Coming Soon)
Chastity Falls
Loyalty and Lies
Salvation and Secrets
Tribulation and Truths
Affliction
Redemption and Regrets
Penance and Promises
Absolution
Fate's Love
Fate's Love
Love's Spark
Love Collides
Liar Liar
Liar Liar
Truth or Dare
Rixon High
Off-Limits (Coming Soon)
Rixon Raiders
The Trouble With You
The Game You Play
The Harder You Fall
The Endgame Is You
Steinbeck University
Trick or Treat
The Maverick Defense Series
Deliverance
The Wicked Bay Series
Wicked Bay: Part 1
Wicked Bay: Part 2
Verona Legacy
Prince of Hearts: Nicco & Ari Duet #1
King of Souls: Nicco & Ari Duet #2
Villain of Secrets (Coming Soon)
Wicked Bay
Wicked Beginnings
Wicked Rules
Wicked Lies
Wicked Games
Wicked Needs
Wicked Surprise
Wicked Hearts
Wicked Promises
Wicked Truths
Wicked Forever
Standalone
Lucky Penny
Chastity Falls: Box Set
Rixon Raiders (The Collection)
Black Hearts Still Beat: Eva and Rafe's Trilogy
Mistletoe Kisses
On The Rebound
Watch for more at L. A. Cotton’s site.