She veered right, tripped and pitched over a rock. She hit the ground hard and rolled, her body caught in freefall—into darkness.
Taylor jerked her eyes open, gasping for breath, and sat up.
The darkness was closing in on her.
If it did, she’d die. She didn’t know how or why she knew it, but she knew that would happen all the same. She had to keep going. She had to fight. She wasn’t done yet.
“Taylor? Taylor!”
Hands grasped her shoulders.
She blinked her eyes, struggling to focus on the face hovering above her own.
Taylor knew that face.
She loved that face.
“Ian? Oh—oh my God, Ian.”
Speaking hurt. Her voice and throat were raw. The cool air whistling down her windpipe ached.
He leaned over the railing, clutching her tight. It hurt, but she welcomed the pain. Pain meant she was alive, it meant she was here.
“You’re okay. You’re fine,” he muttered over and over again. His hair stuck up every which way and he had a few day’s growth covering his jaw.
“I love you,” Taylor blurted.
“What?” He stared at her.
“Before I nearly die again, I need to say that.” She exhaled and let the pillows cradle her.
“How about we skip the dyin’ again part?” Ian pressed his lips to the back of her hand.
“I’m game if you are.” She winced. Okay, maybe she was dying a slow and painful death, because her whole body was throbbing.
“You have no idea.” Ian leaned over the railing and kissed her. “I love you, Taylor.”
“I heard you say that.” A bit of memory tickled the back of her brain.
“Yeah, I said it the other night an’ we never had the chance to talk about it.”
“No...I heard you say it. I was...there were shadows and darkness and your voice. I heard you say that.”
“Did you—”
The door opened and the nurse’s cry of alarm drowned out what else Ian said, but that wasn’t important. She was alive, and so was he.
Epilogue.
Two weeks later...
Taylor collapsed onto the sofa. No sooner had she closed her eyes than a puppy pawed at her leg, whining.
The damn things were so spoiled.
Any minute now—
The front door banged open and Delilah, Stacey and Chloe charged in, full tilt.
“Girls, girls, quiet!” Chloe bellowed.
Taylor winced.
So much noise and life. It was overwhelming at times.
“Taylor, sorry, didn’t see you there.” Chloe set her tote down on the coffee table and plopped on the sofa next to her. “You busy?”
“You mean, is there something I should be doing? Yes, but I’m ignoring it, in favor of sitting here.” She wiggled her fingers at Doc, who was almost big enough to jump up on the sofa by himself. What was she going to do with seven dogs? Stacey had thrown a fit when Taylor had made noises about adopting a few out, and Ian was all too quick to say it was perfectly fine for them to have seven dogs.
Who had seven dogs? No one with common sense.
“I’ve got somethin’ I want to run by you real quick while I have you.” Chloe sat forward. That was her excited face. Taylor recognized it because Ian’s looked pretty similar. It was the I have an idea and you might hate me for it expression. Taylor had grown to dread that look.
“Okay...” Taylor peered up at her roommate-slash...whatever they were. It wasn’t like Taylor could tell Chloe no, not when she was being so kind as to let Taylor, Stacey and all seven of their puppies stay here.
“I was thinkin’, what with your background an’ everythin’...what if you took over teachin’ the homeschoolin’ group for the rest of the year? Not immediately, but...in a few weeks? Hannah’s in over her head, an’ the kids could really use someone who...knows how to wrangle the lot of them.”
Taylor blinked at Chloe.
“We all chip in, so there’s some money to be made. It’s not a lot, but it might give you somethin’ to do that you’re better at. And Hannah...” Chloe rolled her eyes and sighed. “She’s a dear, but she has no idea what she’s doin’ with more than two kids, an’ now that they’re gettin’ older, she’s spendin’ more time preparin’ than teachin’.”
“Uh, well, have you talked to Hannah?” Taylor had met Hannah the first day, when she and Stacey moved in. Nice woman, sweet, but very mousey. Taylor could see how a classroom full of excitable children would run right over her.
“She’s the one who suggested it.”
“Well, it would give me something to do...”
“Fantastic! I’ll text Hannah and you two can get together.”
Taylor bit her tongue.
It was a nice opportunity, but teaching a bunch of homeschooled kids wasn’t going to come close to paying any kind of bills. What was worse, it would cut into time she could work.
What would Ian say?
Probably go for it.
“Oh, before I forget. I went by the post office, an’ this was there for you.” Chloe handed over yet another legal-sized envelope of fat papers.
Taylor groaned and considered tossing it down for the puppies to chew.
Between the hospital paying out the ass so she wouldn’t sue and the upcoming federal case against the remaining Commission members, Franco, and his New York counterpart, Taylor dreaded mail.
She ripped the end of the envelope off and dumped the stack of papers into her lap.
It wasn’t from the FBI or the hospital...
She recognized that bank.
There’d been a sweet clerk who’d given her lollipops when her mom took her there. God, she hadn’t been there in ages. Why the hell were they sending her a stack of paper?
Taylor scanned the first document and nearly swallowed her tongue.
“Afternoon ladies,” Ian called out from the back door.
“Ian! Ian get in here!”
“What is it?” Chloe leaned over her shoulder and gasped.
“What’d I miss?” Ian perched on the arm of the sofa and read over her shoulder. “Holy shit... What is this?”
Taylor sat forward, her rib aching as she struggled to breathe.
Dear Miss Cartwright,
Our efforts to reach you have not met with any response.
Blah. Blah. Blah.
“At this time, we would like to distribute the trust in your name to a bank account of your choosing.” Taylor flipped the letter over to a detailed statement. “Holy shit...”
“That’s a lot of zeros,” Ian muttered.
“What—what do I do?” Taylor clutched the paper to her chest. This was more money than any person had reason to have. And it’d been hers all along? What the hell was she supposed to do with that?
“Maybe you should think about a vacation?” Ian grinned, his eyes twinkling.
“That is not helpful.” God, she loved that infuriating man.
“Let me see it.” Ian took the papers from her, scanning page after page. “It looks like your mum set up a trust and paid into it a lot over the years. Right up until her death.”
Taylor collapsed back into the sofa.
“It’s a gift from your mum.” Ian handed it back. “She always meant to give you a way out, and she did.”
Ian pulled Taylor across the mattress.
“Stop readin’ it. It won’t change the words.” He kissed her shoulder.
“I know, I just...it’s too good to be true, you know?” Taylor shoved the pages onto the night stand and turned to face him. “Like, something bad’s going to happen now.”
“Nothin’ bad’s goin’ to happen.” He stroked his fingers through her hair.
“You don’t know that.”
“No, but I know you can’t live your life afraid to enjoy the good things that come your way.”
She bit her lip, worry etched into her face.
“It just feels like—with that much
money, there’s a lot to worry about.”
“Only if you want to.”
“What’s the right thing to do? And should I tell Vito? How’s he doing, by the way?”
“Zain has him doin’ some admin things, but once he’s back into shape, I think he’ll fit in nicely.”
“Thanks for finding him a job like that. You didn’t have to.”
“He’s family now.” Or would be as far as Ian was concerned. It was a nice, neat box to put the guy in, considering the other option was a high-noon-style shoot-out with the winner getting Taylor. He didn’t think Taylor would appreciate that.
“I can at least pay Chloe for letting us stay here.”
“She’s glad to have you.”
“Yeah, but we’re still encroaching on her space.”
“Enough about my sister. I’d rather talk about how I’m goin’ to make sure you take care of me now.”
“Oh, right, because you just think I’ll be your—what? Sugar Mama?”
“You could be. I’m awfully cute.”
“Not that cute.”
“Oh, I dunno.” Ian settled on top of her, careful to keep his weight on his forearms.
“You aren’t that cute,” Taylor said, all serious and stern-like.
Ian kissed her chest and nuzzled at the plunge that went down right between her breasts. Taylor sputtered and laughed, sounds he’d never get tired of hearing.
Not once since she’d woken up had the fear been back.
She was free, and she loved him.
This, between them, was still new.
Taylor cupped his face, pulling him up until she could kiss him.
“I love you,” she whispered against his lips.
“You just love me because I made sure you got your happy endin’.” He traced the band of lace at her thigh.
“Well, that’s one reason for sure.” Taylor grinned.
You can stay up to date on the whole Twisted Royals team in Her Prince (coming March 28th) and Reckless Prince (coming May 9th). Make sure to check out the origin story by signing up for Sidney’s Newsletter at
www.SidneyBristol.com.
Her Prince
Twisted Royals 2
Once upon a time there was a brave princess and a smart gypsy boy who saved the day...
Kade Tsaplin left behind his nomadic family to live a different kind of life—one where he doesn't have to read cards and lie for his next meal. When a beautiful woman with adventure in her eyes crash lands into his life, the last thing Kade expects is to get drawn into one of his brother's cons. But Shelby is more than she appears, and makes him an offer he can't refuse.
Shelby Amos is an art thief trying to right the wrongs of her past. Kade’s supposed to be a means to an end—an accomplice she can trust on this most dangerous undercover job. With Kade's help bringing down a criminal mastermind she might finally get the answers she's been searching for. Only, she never counted on falling for Kade.
Working both sides of the job takes its toll, until Kade and Shelby find themselves in a den of thieves, with only each other to rely on. As danger draws them closer, the lovers unwittingly play right into the spider’s web, handing over the true prize—Shelby herself.
Dangerous Attraction
Ex-Navy SEAL Travis Ration is an expert hunter. Whether his prey is criminal or victim, he always gets his mark. He's no hero, just a man doing his job. It’s all he has after a felony conviction after a bad judgment call. When the FBI call in a favor and ask him to look into a serial killer over the holiday break, he jumps at the opportunity to fill the long, cold days with something besides regret and bad movies. In Las Vegas, he's on the hunt for a prolific serial killer no one wants to admit exists. The leads are dry and the evidence gone, until she walks into his life. Bliss Giles—curvy, sassy and everything he can't have.
What’s worse, Travis knows Bliss’ sister is the killer's latest victim. She fits the profile. Time is running out and the fastest way to retrace the killer's path is with Bliss at Travis' side. In the seat of danger. He vows to keep Bliss safe and his hands to himself, after all, a nice girl like her doesn't need a guy like him in her life. Too bad no one told Bliss Travis was off-limits. She tests his boundaries and pushes his control every minute they're together until he can't remember why wanting her is a bad idea.
The hunters become the hunted in this tale of serial killers and SEALs for hire. One broken man must unpack his baggage, a woman has make a leap of faith and a sister chooses to live in this new, romantic suspense serial by NYT & USA Today bestselling author, Sidney Bristol.
Warning: Hold onto your panties, because nothing is safe.
Dangerous in Training
Disgraced Navy SEAL Mason Clark knows how to track his prey. He is an expert operative with a history of wrong-place-wrong-time luck. Landing a gig as a vacation bodyguard should have been an easy job—if he wasn't supposed to be protecting her body.
Hannah Stevens. His boss's virgin daughter. Their lust is forbidden and a relationship is out of the question—but what happens in Mexico is their secret. Getting lost between the sheets is their one and only goal, until Hannah's friends are brutally kidnapped by a human-trafficking ring. Things quickly spiral out of control when the kidnappers put Hannah in their cross hairs.
Mason is a man ready to put it all on the line to rescue the woman he loves. Love and honor are put to the test in this new, romantic suspense series by NYT and USA Today bestselling author, Sidney Bristol.
Warning: Deflowering virgins doesn't come with volume control.
Dangerous Games
Ex-Navy SEAL Zain Lloyd is good with his hands and even better with his head. As the chief intelligence officer for the private security firm, Aegis Group, it's his job to tackle problems before they costs his friend's their lives. Which is why R&R time away from the high-stress environment is always a top priority, and a week at ComicCon is just what this closet-geek wants most, until a fateful elevator ride with the woman of his internet fantasies.
Andrea Clark can't trust anyone, least of all the mysteriously sexy man she meets outside of her trashed hotel room. But Zain might be her only hope of making it through the convention and home alive. He's her very own superhero, made of all the stuff to make her fall fast and hard. With no safety net in place, she can only pray that Zain will catch her when she falls.
A web of lies and deceit ensnare two lovers. Zain must use more than his brain and quick fingers to put a stop to the doxxing and death threats before a killer emerges from the ranks of Andrea's friends.
Warning: The geeks do it better.
Dangerous Assignment
Veteran Navy SEAL Luke Briar has a solution for every problem, except when his latest job goes sideways. Things were so much simpler when all he had to worry about was how to put a smile on Abigail's face, though nothing he does chases the shadows from her eyes. Now Luke and his lovely new partner must protect a pair of criminals from people trying to kill them.
Abigail is a lie. Everything about her is false, but keeping the truth from her partner is becoming increasingly difficult. Her mission was simple, kill two internationally wanted criminals and get out. But she wasn't counting on him. Luke. He awakens parts of her she long thought were dead. But people like her don’t get second chances at life, and her betrayal will crush any happiness they might have had. Falling for Luke can't happen.
When the tables are turned and someone else gets to Abigail's targets before she can, all hell breaks loose. Luke doesn’t know if the woman he’s fallen for is a terrorist or something worse. Explosive desire isn't a license for murder, but he can’t live without her. With the authorities closing in, Luke must decide who to trust—law or love.
Warning: Explosive chemistry ahead.
Dangerous Protector
Retired Navy SEAL Marco Benally knows the cost of right and wrong, and he's willing to pay the price. After his family's home is stolen out from under them by a company covering up their illegal activi
ties, Marco takes matters into his own hands. No cost is too great to reclaim the generational homestead. Even if that means someone else has to take the fall. Or that's what he tells himself until he meets her. The woman with the tight skirt, tall heels and darkness in her eyes. One night, one lie to get the evidence he needs and then it's over. Or at least that's what he tells himself.
Fiona Goero survives by following very careful rules. She's lived more of her life in Witness Protection than out of it. As one of the Internet's Most Wanted for helping the FBI put away a group of hackers, she is never safe. She's the traitor. The hacker who turned against her own. For one night she wants to indulge her every desire. To be held. To feel again. What should have been a passionate encounter becomes a snarled mess of lies and spies. Someone close to her is not only using her, they're trying to kill her. Her one-night-stand might be the only thing between her and being six foot under.
Marco is a man on a mission to set things right before Fiona discovers that not all of the danger can be laid at her enemies' feet. The greatest danger Fiona faces just might be from Marco—the man she's falling for.
Warning: Stubborn heroes fall the hardest.
Book List
Twisted Royals
Alpha Prince
Her Prince
Reckless Prince
Aegis Group
Blind: Killer Instincts
Dangerous Attraction
Dangerous in Training
Dangerous Games
Dangerous Assignment
Dangerous Protector
Hot Rides
Drive
Shift
Chase
Bayou Bound
Picture Her Bound
Duty Bound
Bound Memories
Bound & Tamed
Other BDSM Titles
Committed
Bound with Pearls
Collar Me in Paris
Festive Seduction
Electric Engagement
So Inked
Under His Skin
The Harder He Falls
His Marriage Bargain
Standalone Titles
Falling for His Best Friend
Dream Vacation (free read)
Alpha Prince (Twisted Royals, #1) Page 26