Corrupt Savior
Page 1
Corrupt Savior
CORRUPT SAVIOR is the continuation of CRUEL SANCTUARY.
To truly enjoy Damon and Aislinn’s epic love story, you should start at the beginning. If you haven’t read CRUEL SANCTUARY, you may download it here.
Becca, this one is definitely for you. Aislinn is Damon’s bright light and while writing their story, you were mine.
Copyright © 2019 Tara Leigh
First Edition
All rights reserved. Except as permitted under the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without prior permission of the publisher. Please protect this art form by not pirating.
Tara Leigh
www.taraleighbooks.com
Cover Design: Regina Wamba, Mae I Design
Editing: Becca Hensley Mysoor, Edits In Blue
Karen McVino, Expressive Editing
Marla Esposito, Proofing Style
Formatting: Mesquite Business Services
The characters and events in this book are fictitious. Names, characters, places, and plots are a product of the author’s imagination. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.
Print ISBN: 978-1-7328010-7-3
eBook ISBN: 978-1-7328010-6-6
Acknowledgments
My readers—you are EVERYTHING!!! I love reading your reviews and value your honest feedback! And all those messages/posts/tweets/e-mails you send as you’re reading—they make my day! **hugs** In so many cases you have become friends. Thank you for letting me into your lives!!
A huge thank-you to, Jessica Alvarez of BookEnds Literary Agency. Your critiques and career guidance are invaluable!
Becca Hensley Mysoor, I absolutely love our long phone calls. Your insight on story structure and plotting is invaluable. You are stuck with me forever!
Karen McVino, I love all your comments and voice messages! So thrilled to work on another story with you!
Marla Esposito, thank you for your attention to detail and taking my book baby on vacation with you!
Regina Wamba, thank you for this GORGEOUS cover! (and for putting up with me!)
Devyn Jensen, thank you for ALL THE THINGS!!! You are an expert at everything I don’t know how to do and I am so grateful!
Danielle Rairigh, working with you is such a pleasure! Thank you for your feedback, encouragement, and friendship.
Yamina, you are the sweetest to always check up on me! Thank you for all of your feedback on this book and for all our messenger chats. You get my brand of crazy! ;)
Nadine, thank you for putting up with my never-ending screenshots and “So, is this better?” questions!! You are too good to me!!
Melissa Teo, I know you have a “real” job now but you are never getting rid of me. Thank you for your friendship, daily have-you-heard? messages, and so many gorgeous graphics and teasers!
Serena McDonald, I heard your voice in my ear as I was writing this book—I hope Damon is dirty enough! Thank you for encouraging me when I’m feeling lost and helping my books reach more readers. Your minion messages always make my day.
Amy Halter, you are one of the sweetest and most supportive women I know. I am so lucky to have you in my corner!
Lana Kart, getting your seal of approval was a career goal of mine—thank you so much for the multiple chances, lol! I was so nervous to reach out to you, but you couldn’t have been nicer. And I love our ridiculously long voice message chains!
A.L. Jackson, thank you for sharing your fabulous daughter with me. You are an inspiration and a role model in this crazy, chaotic, wonderful business.
Nicole Westmoreland, thank you for your friendship and for helping me with the VIPs! I love all our message chats!
Maria Kusel, you make such pretty things for me. I love my banners and bags and bookmarks. And I love you, too!
Ava Harrison, what a small world! Beefalo BFFs 4eva!
Stephanie Sab, thank you for being my go-to for all things signings!!! I hope we can actually meet up at one of them soon!
Abby O’Shea & Christina Westrich, thank you so much for taking a chance on me. It is such an honor to be a part of The Romance Reveal Book Box, and I am truly grateful for the opportunity!
Julie Linhart, you are the queen of swag and make every order a pleasure!
Mary Dube, no matter where you are in social media land, I will follow you. Although … my favorite place is in my messages. Love, you!
Angie McKeon, connecting with you over my Lies Duet was completely surreal, and you are every bit as sweet as your reviews. Thank you for taking a chance on me!
Lauren Layne and Anthony LeDonne of Last Word Designs, thank you for my gorgeous logo and website, www.taraleighbooks.com!
Lexi Smail, you taught me what great editing is. I miss you and the team at Forever Romance, and hope we will work together again one day!
S.L. Scott, you have become one of my very favorite people. I love our chats about book world business and nonsense, writing and kidlets!
Skye Warren, you are incredibly generous with your expertise and the 2018 Romance Author Mastermind conference was a career highlight. Thank you for everything you do for this industry.
Sierra Simone, I devour every word you write and come away inspired and refreshed. (after shaking my fists in the air and wishing for one thimbleful of your talent).
To my family & friends—I adore you all … and I’m sorry for ignoring your calls when I’m writing!
My neighbor Cindy, you are a wonderful friend to me and an absolute blessing to my kids. Moving next door to you was one of the smartest decisions Stephen and I ever made!
My Beta Beauties: Amy, Amy, Danielle, Lana, Nadine, Yamina—thank you for your insight and encouragement! Each of you helped breathe life into Damon and Aislinn, and they are so much better for it.
Thank you to all the amazing bloggers and author assistants who have become a virtual cheering section for me, and I hope that I do the same for you. You are the unsung heroes in this wonderful place called Romancelandia and I am so grateful for your support.
In particular, Andrea, Ashley, Astrid, Aurora, Brigid, Brittany, Carol, Cat, Chele, Christy, Elizabeth, Emma, Gemma, Jackie, Jaime, Jemima, Jen, Jenn, Jessica, Karen, Kelly, Liana, Lisa, Mary, Mariela, Marta, Megan, Meghan, Nikki, Paramita, Pernilla, Pavlina, Sara, Sarah, Sheila, Siobhan, Stephanie, Vanessa, Wendy, Weronika … and so many more. I can fill the pages of this book with everyone that has made me laugh and smile and cry with your incredible reviews and personal messages. I hope you enjoy this book—believe me when I tell you, you are the reason I spend endless hours at my laptop. I hope you enjoy this one!
My ARC Team, you remind me why I write. Thank you for your encouragement and honest feedback. Writing is a solitary endeavor, but because of you, it isn’t a lonely one.
My Bookstagram Team, I am in awe of the creativity, energy, and effort you put into your bookstagrams! I hope you enjoy playing with this duet!
RWA and CTRWA, I wouldn’t be published without my membership in these incredible organizations, and I’ve met some of my best author friends at meetings and conferences.
Grandma, you left me nearly twenty years ago, and not a day goes by that I don’t miss you. For any smokers reading this—put the cigarette down. Think of the people in your life who will one day watch you struggle to breathe and when you lose that battle, will miss you desperately.
Thank you to my mom for never ripping all those “bodice-rippers” out of my hands as a teen/tween, and to my dad for showing me what it means to work hard. (Who needs weekends or vacations, anyway?)
Stephen, thank you for being a wonderful husband
and supporting my dreams. I love you. Logan, Chloe, and Pierce, thank you for being such great kids & genuinely considerate of my writing time. I am blessed to be your mother. Our lives are enriched by our sweet rescue puppy, Pixie. The wonderful organization that brought Pixie into our lives is Goofy Foot Dog Rescue, and if you would like to welcome a dog into your family or donate to their organization, please visit their website: www.goofyfootrescue.org
And if you would like to see more pictures of Pixie and get updates on new releases, sales, and behind-the-scenes snippets, please sign up for my newsletter at http://bit.ly/TaraLeighNwsltr.
Contents
1. DAMON
2. AISLINN
3. DAMON
4. AISLINN
5. DAMON
6. AISLINN
7. DAMON
8. AISLINN
9. DAMON
10. AISLINN
11. DAMON
12. AISLINN
13. AISLINN
14. AISLINN
15. AISLINN
16. DAMON
17. AISLINN
18. DAMON
19. AISLINN
20. DAMON
21. AISLINN
22. DAMON
23. AISLINN
24. DAMON
25. AISLINN
26. AISLINN
27. DAMON
28. AISLINN
29. DAMON
30. AISLINN
31. DAMON
32. DAMON
33. AISLINN
34. DAMON
35. AISLINN
36. DAMON
37. AISLINN
38. DAMON
39. AISLINN
40. DAMON
41. AISLINN
42. DAMON
43. AISLINN
44. AISLINN
45. DAMON
46. AISLINN
47. DAMON
48. AISLINN
49. DAMON
50. AISLINN
51. DAMON
Epilogue
Let’s Keep in Touch!
Also by Tara Leigh
About the Author
1
DAMON
“We have a problem.”
Normally, I would dismiss Finley’s statement as false. I don’t have problems.
I have solutions. Answers. Schemes.
However, the fact that she is in my bathroom before I’ve even wrapped a towel around my hips is proof that I do indeed have a problem.
And I know.
I know before I slick the water from my hair. I know before I glimpse the pained expression on Finley’s face. I know before she utters a single detail.
Aislinn Granville is in trouble.
It’s a problem, all right. A big fucking problem.
My problem.
Because Aislinn Granville is mine.
However, even as fury seethes within my bones, it is an altogether different emotion viciously attacking the rest of me. Fear.
Fear I won’t ever lay eyes on Aislinn again.
Fear my mistake in judgment will be a fatal one.
Fear I never deserved her in the first place.
That the hell I’m now in is exactly where I belong.
That she’s in a hell I cannot save her from.
It is fear that sends a cyclone of adrenaline whipping through my body. Ominous winds pummeling my ribs. Toxic rain corroding my skin, contaminating my veins and muscles and sinews.
But as that useless emotion works its way through me, it transforms into something else entirely. Rage. A rage so potent and powerful it becomes fuel.
“Where is she?” I ask, the initial spike of my heartbeat already slowing to a level that will allow me to operate with cold, hard, methodical logic. Aislinn’s life may depend on it.
Finley responds as if she’s reading from a report. “Final destination is currently unknown. She was abducted by a three-man team, one posing as a dog walker. The dogs attacked our men while she was pulled into a white van.”
“A van?” Jesus Christ. A shard of composure breaks loose to stab at my brainstem. It is like the events of twenty years ago have come back to haunt Aislinn all over again. “Our men?”
But there is a difference between then and now. A big difference.
Me.
“Just puncture wounds from the bites, minimal bleeding. Once the van was out of sight, another van pulled up, someone whistled and the dogs released our men and jumped in. The first van drove a block and a half away before pulling into a commercial parking garage. It was abandoned there and I have a team going over it right now. The second van—”
“I don’t give a fuck about the damn dogs,” I snap. Maybe later, I will want the intel. But right now, all I care about is Aislinn. “Security cameras in the parking garage?”
“I’ve already downloaded the feed, but the transfer of Aislinn from the van to another vehicle, a late model Jeep, was done out of range. I have a team analyzing it right now.”
“Parking attendant?”
She shakes her head. “We found blood spatter in the booth, but no body. My guess is that they shot him and took the body with them.”
Which means Aislinn might be lying in a pool of someone else’s blood right now.
My gut is a painful, gnarled lump stewing in toxins. When I find the fuckers who put her there, they’ll be swimming in a red river of their own.
“I’ll be downstairs in a minute. All hands on deck, Finley. Getting Aislinn back, alive and unharmed, is all that matters.”
She acknowledges my order with a quick nod and then spins on her heel.
Minutes later, I am in my basement lair, hair still damp, jaw unshaven. The hive of activity momentarily freezes at my arrival, everyone glancing away from what they were doing to regard me silently.
Christ. “Anyone not contributing to Aislinn’s safe return is a participant in her abduction,” I say loudly. “And don’t think for a second I won’t hold each and every one of you responsible. Get back to fucking work.”
As pep talks go, it is less than impressive. But it is the truth, and every second counts.
Rather than heading directly into my office, I join Finley at her workstation. She is looking at me with one brow raised, a strange expression on her face. “What?” I snap.
Eyes that serve as a painful reminder of Aislinn’s give a slow blink. “Remember who you are. Damon King doesn’t lash out at his staff, and he doesn’t—”
“Lose a woman he’s sworn to protect?”
We glare at each other for a moment before turning our attention to the screens on the wall in front of us. But her point is taken. Pull yourself together.
Several screens contain images of a white van. Same for a battered blue jeep.
Neither would stand out on the streets of Manhattan.
There are closeups of two license plates, both New York. A man whose face is obscured by a Yankees ball cap walking a pack of German shepherds.
Aislinn tangled up in leashes.
Aislinn, her face upturned, mouth open as if saying something to the dog walker.
The dog walker, leashes gone, his hands wrapped around Aislinn.
Aislinn pulled through the open side door of the van.
Goddamn it. I work to swallow down the mangled knot of fury and shame taking up residence inside my throat.
I knew this would happen. I allowed myself to become emotionally invested in Aislinn Granville. To treat her as more than just a woman needing my protection. To care for her more than I should.
Who am I kidding? I’ve cared about Aislinn since I first saw her face on a picture scotch-taped to the cement wall of my prison cell.
But I had no idea that the woman herself would be even more enticing than her beautiful face and bombshell body.
No idea that her zest for life would reignite my own.
The one woman I shouldn’t have has become the one woman I can’t live without.
Consequently, I’ve made myself vulnerable to my enem
ies in a way I never have before.
I’ve put Aislinn in danger.