by Anne Malcom
She’d added the fox part, obviously. It was written in her will. The one that left me half of everything. My father got the other half.
I’d added the part about Mick.
Gage let me stand there in silence for a long time.
I would’ve stood there for a lot longer.
Except the human inside me had other ideas.
We made it to the hospital, though I wouldn’t have been surprised if I gave birth in a cemetery—it was Gage’s baby, after all. But he didn’t let that happen.
Because since the second I’d found out I was pregnant with our son, there was not a single risk taken with that.
So Gage made sure David Mick Mathers was born in a hospital.
And he made sure he was the one to cut the cord with the same knife that had caused him so much pain. The knife that had torn at his skin. That had saved him.
He cradled our son in those scarred arms, tears streaming down his face. His eyes locked with mine and I saw the pain in his. The memories of another child clawing at him, teasing him with how easily the world could be taken away.
But he didn’t surrender.
He battled.
And he did that by laying his lips at the top of our son’s head.
Acknowledgments
This book was hard to write, for a number of reasons. And it was hard to let go of, if you’ve made it this far, you know just how long I held onto Gage and the entire Sons of Templar family.
They are where it all started and writing this book was like coming home in a number of ways.
But it was also hard. One of the hardest books I’ve ever written. Not just because of Gage and Lauren’s demons, but because of my own.
I am so thankful for the people who helped me through all my struggles, to get me here, to the end of this book. I’ll forever treasure the wonderful people I have in my life.
Mum. You’re always going to be here. Right at the top of this list. Because without you, I wouldn’t be here. I wouldn’t have turned my love of reading into writing if you hadn’t told me I could be anything I wanted to be. Thank you for your faith in me. Thank you for always being my best friend.
Dad. Another person that’s forever going to be at the top of this list. A list you’re never going to read, but I know you’re around, somewhere. You taught me to be a bad ass little girl before the world stole you away. I carried those lessons with me and now I’m a bad ass woman. Because of you. I miss you every single day.
My girls, Polly, Harriet, and Emma. The truest of friendships take no notice of postcodes, of time spent without speaking, and that’s what I’ve got with the three of you. I am so very lucky to have girlfriends who are always there for me as a shoulder to cry on, a partner in crime, or someone to drink wine with.
My #sisterqueen, Jessica Gadziala. What would I do without you? No, seriously, what in the heck would I do? You are always there with support, wisdom and a kick up the ass when I need it. I can’t wait to take over the world together.
Amo Jones. You’ve been with me since the beginning and I’ll be with you till the end. Ride or die.
Michelle, Annette, and Caro. You ladies are something special. I cannot tell you how much your support has meant to me this past year. I love you all, to the moon.
Ginny and Sarah. Thank you for putting so much work into this book, for helping me turn it into what it is now. You ladies are everything to me.
All the ladies at Hot Tree Editing. Thank you for your hard work on this book, and understanding the craziness of my life. You rock!
And you, the reader. Thank you for reading this book. You have made my dream come true just by taking a chance on me. I will be forever grateful.
About the Author
ANNE MALCOM has been an avid reader since before she can remember, her mother responsible for her love of reading. It started with magical journeys into the world of Hogwarts and Middle Earth, then as she grew up her reading tastes grew with her. Her love of reading doesn’t discriminate, she reads across many genres, although classics like Little Women and Gone with the Wind will hold special places in her heart. She also can’t get enough romance, especially when some possessive alpha males throw their weight around.
One day, in a reading slump, Cade and Gwen’s story came to her and started taking up space in her head until she put their story into words. Now that she has started, it doesn’t look like she’s going to stop anytime soon, with many more characters demanding their story be told as well.
Raised in small town New Zealand, Anne had a truly special childhood, growing up in one of the most beautiful countries in the world. She has backpacked across Europe, ridden camels in the Sahara and eaten her way through Italy, loving every moment. For now, she’s back at home in New Zealand and quite happy. But who knows when the travel bug will bite her again.
Want to get in touch with Anne? She loves to hear from her readers.
You can email her: [email protected]
Or join her reader group on Facebook.
Also by Anne Malcom
The Sons of Templar Series
Making the Cut
Firestorm
Outside the Lines
Out of the Ashes
Beyond the Horizon
The Unquiet Mind Series
Echoes of Silence
Skeletons of Us
Broken Shelves
Greenstone Security
Still Waters
Shield
The Vein Chronicles
Fatal Harmony
Deathless
Faults in Fate
Eternity’s Awakening
A Dark Standalone
Birds of Paradise