Broken (Broken Trilogy Book 1)

by Drake, J. L.

  My eyes focus on something taped to the back of Cole’s nightstand. I shift, pretending to pull the cover over me more. I see what it is and feel like fate is finally on my side. Taking a deep breath and closing my eyes I make a silent promise to myself for the second time in my life that I will make it back to my family. There’s a difference between living and surviving, but this right here is neither. I lean up slowly to look at Keith; he’s fast asleep. I reach for the handle, slipping it out of the holster, my hand slippery with tears. Still clutching the teddy bear in one hand, I raise the pistol to my temple with the other. For the first time in a long time I finally feel like I’m at peace.

  ***

  Major Mark Lopez - 01:52 am

  Mark sits at Cole’s desk, sipping his brother’s brandy. He's finally gotten his hands on the DVD the Cartels sent. He had to convince Frank to let him have it before he left in the morning. He feels strongly they are missing something—he just doesn’t know what.

  He presses play and watches the tape again and again when finally something catches his eye, he backs up the tape and watches frame by frame. “What!” Mark whispers in disbelief, setting his drink down so quickly it splashes over his hand. He shifts forward, watching the last scene before Cole slumps to the floor.

  “Holy fucking shit!”

  The End

  Acknowledgments

  A huge thank you to Corporal George Myatt and Officer Darcy Wood.

  About the Author

  J. L. Drake was born and raised in Nova Scotia, Canada, later moving to Southern California where she now lives with her husband and two children.

  When she is not writing she loves to spend time with her family, travelling or just enjoying a night at home. One thing you might notice in her books is her love of the four seasons. Growing up on the east coast of Canada the change in the seasons is in her blood and is often mentioned in her writing.

  An avid reader of James Patterson, J.L. Drake has often found herself inspired by his many stories of mystery and intrigue. She hopes you will enjoy her books as much as she has enjoyed writing them.

  Note to my readers

  Thank you for reading the first book in my Broken trilogy. This story came to me in a dream one night. When I woke the next morning I started writing as fast as I could as the story flowed out of me. I completed the book in about two months. It was never meant to be a trilogy, but even after the second book I realized that I still needed more of Cole and Savannah. Their story just kept unfolding and growing. These two characters hold a very special place in my heart. As in my first novel, What Lurks in the Dark, there are some scenes that I have pulled from my own life. I truly hope that you will fall in love with Cole and Savi as I have.

  If I was able, I would release this book like a TV series—a week at a time just to make the story last longer and savor their journey together.

  Please keep in mind that this is a fictional story and that I do understand that in real life, unlike fiction, things happen much more slowly than they do in the book. The story moves along quickly and takes place in only a few months.

  “Shattered” Book Two, and “Mended” Book Three of the Broken Trilogy will soon be released by Limitless Publishing.

  What could be worse than being broken? Shattered.

  Jx

  Novels by this author:

  What Lurks in the Dark

  Bunker 219 (Found in the

  Unleash the Undead Anthology)

  Upcoming releases:

  Shattered (2nd in the Broken trilogy)

  Mended (3rd in the Broken trilogy)

  Darkness Follows (The Dark Series)

  All In (Tragic Anthology)

  Facebook:

  https://www.facebook.com/JLDrakeauthor

  Twitter:

  https://twitter.com/jodildrake_j

  Goodreads:

  http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8300313.J_L_Drake

  Website:

  http://www.authorjldrake.com/