Type X
Page 26
“When I saw you together that night two years ago, I knew what I had to do. I knew to achieve the end I desired, I would have to cultivate those emotions. To make him love you even more, I tempted you away—all in the hope that it would torture him to know of the sacrifice you made to keep him safe. But it didn’t take long for me to realize that, so long as you’re in control, I would never see either of my wishes come to fruition. If I’m being honest, PHOENIX did me a favor by intervening. Only through losing you did I grasp what’s necessary to reach my goal.”
I hear Ezra make a muffled sound behind me, but I pay no attention to him—too consumed by the endless questions buzzing in my head. One stands out more than the rest.
As the words rush from my mouth, a terrible feeling weighs in my stomach.
“You knew where I was the entire time, didn’t you . . . ?” The memory of the surveillance drones takes hold of my thoughts.
He cups his hand around the back of my neck and trails his thumbnail along the edge of my hairline.
“I’ve always been with you. Right here.”
Vomit burns my throat as I visualize the hidden tracker implanted by my spine. Shaking my head, I force myself to focus on what he said before.
“But Rai—” I gasp, trying to make sense of it.
He presses a finger to my lips, silencing me.
“We will be together,” he assures me. “Until the end, just like we were meant to be.”
He leans in again to whisper in my ear, and my body shudders at the feel of his hot breath on my skin.
“Now show it to me. Show me the destruction you spoke of.”
As his fingers graze my throat, everything around me becomes distorted, encompassing me in a solitary devastating sound. It thunders around me, reigniting my worst nightmare.
I hear it over and over again, pounding in my ears like a raging alarm. I hear the click of the lock as it pops open. I hear the sound of the metal as it collides with the ground.
The air kisses my newly exposed neck. My hand trembles as I touch my collar bone, and in a stunned daze, my eyes crawl to the floor.
All the while, my mind forms only one coherent thought. My knees buckle as it gravitates to the forefront of my brain, coming down on top of me as if carrying the weight of the world.
It crashes to my feet alongside my collar, taking my control with it.
COMING SUMMER 2018
Thank you for reading Type X! I hope you enjoyed the second part of Wynter’s story and that you’ll continue this journey with me in the third and final installment, Subject Zero.
To keep up with the latest news about my work, sign up for my newsletter at www.maphipps.com. Subscribers will also receive The Richter Files, a Project W. A. R. companion serial told from the journalized perspective of Dr. Richter. My website also features an interactive version of the map found at the beginning of this book.
I love to hear from readers, so feel free to get in touch! You can contact me directly through my website or on any of my social media accounts.
Thanks again for reading Type X. I hope you’ll continue to enjoy my work!
This story wouldn’t have been possible without the help and support of so many people. First, I would like to thank my editor, Catherine Stovall. I couldn’t have done any of this without you. Thank you for your unwavering encouragement and guidance.
I would also like to extend my gratitude to Alisha Wood. We began as nothing more than an author and a reader, but we have quickly developed into so much more. Although we stand on opposite ends of the world, I am glad to call you a friend. You helped make this book what it is, so thank you from the bottom of my heart. P. S. Jenner sends his love.
A special thank you to Nathalia Suellen for your beautiful work on the cover. You are a master at taking my ideas and bringing them to life. Thank you for putting up with my nitpicking!
To Maranda Schoppert and Rebecca Gibson, my two original readers who always know how to push me—thank you for always listening to my incessant ramblings about story ideas and for brainstorming with me when I’m stuck.
I can’t end these acknowledgements without thanking someone very special. To Martina McAtee, my publisher and sassy soul sister, I honestly don’t know where I would be without you. There is no one else I would rather have on my side in this industry.
Lastly and most importantly, thank you to my husband, Daniel, for giving our family a wonderful life and for telling me every day how proud you are of me.
M. A. PHIPPS is an American author who resides near the ocean in picturesque Cornwall with her husband, daughter, and their Jack Russell, Milo. A lover of the written word, it has always been her dream to become a published author, and it is her hope to expand into multiple genres of fiction. Type X is her second novel.
Visit her online at:
www.maphipps.com
www.7sisterspublishing.com/martinamcatee