by Levine, Nina
I got everyone settled with food and drinks, and then raised my glass. Looking around at the family I’d assembled here tonight, I couldn’t help but feel blessed. “Merry Christmas,” I started. “Here’s to new beginnings, and to family, and to a year ahead that wipes enough of the bad from our mind so we’re able to embrace the new and the wonderful. I know we’ve all been through a lot this year, but there’s so much to be thankful for and to look forward to. We’ve got each other and I hope we never forget that. Our family is strong and Storm is strong. We can get through anything so long as we stick together.” I lifted my glass a little higher and watched as my family all nodded in agreement and raised their glasses, too.
I truly believed every word I’d said.
Storm could survive anything so long as we clung to our ties of loyalty and family.
THE END
Sneak Peek At Illusive - Coming 25th August
Griff
I settled back into the barstool and raised my beer to my lips, chugging the drink until there wasn’t any left in the bottle. Jerking my chin at the bartender, I indicated for him to get me another. I’d been here for two hours – he knew my drink and had it to me fast because he also knew I’d tip him for that, and in a city that didn’t do tips, and in a job that didn’t pay well, he was out to make every last cent he could. I knew that because this bar happened to be my local and I frequented it daily at the moment.
Christmas fucking time.
The time of happy families and presents and love and time together…
Time.
People had no fucking clue how little time they may have left on this Earth, and they pissed that time away on mindless pursuits and petty arguments that, when all was said and done, didn’t mean a damn thing.
I knocked back more drink, letting old memories take over my thoughts.
My mother smiling as she served our traditional roast meal for lunch on Christmas day, my father settled in his armchair with his beer as he watched the cricket on Boxing Day, and my younger brother, Simon, playing with his lego. He fucking loved that lego, even as he got older.
Yeah, Christmas at the McAllister’s was all about the food, the cricket and the goddamn lego.
Fuck.
I lifted my drink to my lips and finished it.
Why the fuck do you do this to yourself every fucking year?
My hand squeezed the glass as I placed it back on the counter. Staring into it, I thought about that question.
Why?
Fuck knew, but what I did know was that as much as I had tried to move past what had happened to them, the murder of your family wasn’t something you ever got the fuck over.
And when that murder had taken place the day after Boxing Day, the memories of cricket and lego and food didn’t surface quite as easily as the memories of blood and horror that a murder scene never let you forget.
Yeah, the gift that keeps on fucking giving.
I’d thought this year might be different. Madison and her Christmas party had almost dragged me away from my yearly ritual of trying to wipe the memories out with alcohol every day leading up to the anniversary, but in the end, nothing ever dragged me from it.
Storm might be my family now, but sometimes, even family isn’t enough in life.
Sometimes, all you have is you and the choices you’ve made and the bed you choose to lie in.
And I’d made my bed years ago.
Pre-Order Illusive - Coming 25th August 2015
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Also by Nina Levine
Storm MC Series
In Order:
Storm (Storm MC #1)
Fierce (Storm MC #2)
Blaze (Storm MC #3)
Revive (Storm MC #4)
Slay (Storm MC #5)
Illusive (Storm MC #6) – COMING 25TH AUGUST 2015 – ORDER NOW
Command (Storm MC #7) – COMING 20TH OCTOBER 2015 – ADD TO TBR
Havoc Series
Destined Havoc (Havoc #1)
Inevitable Havoc (Havoc #2) – COMING 2015 – ADD TO TBR
Sydney Storm MC Series
Relent (Book 1)
Nitro’s Torment (Book 2) – COMING 2015 – ADD TO TBR
Devil’s Vengeance (Book 3) – COMING 2016 – ADD TO TBR
Hyde’s Absolution (Book 4) – COMING 2016 – ADD TO TBR
King’s Wrath (Book 5) – COMING 2016 – ADD TO TBR
Crave Series
All Your Reasons (Book 1)
Be The One (Book 2)
Untitled – Van’s Story (Book 3) – COMING 2016
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About the Author
Nina Levine is an Aussie writer who writes stories about alpha men and the strong, independent women they love. When she isn’t creating with words, she loves to create with paint and paper. Often though, she can be found curled up with a good book and some chocolate.
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Copyright © 2015 Nina Levine
Published by Nina Levine
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form, including electronic or mechanical, without written permission from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews. This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental. Nina Levine is in no way affiliated with any brands, songs, musicians or artists mentioned in this book. This book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This book may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person you share it with. If you are reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then you should return it to the seller and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the author’s work.
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