‘Charge up again. She’s not responding.’ They shocked her again and again. Finally, he leaned over her, listening. Isaac and Molly couldn’t breathe.
The medic looked up at them and smiled. ‘She’s back. She’s a fighter, this one. A warrior.’
Isaac nodded, tears falling down his face. ‘Yes, she is.’
She understood now that pain wasn’t a symptom but a way of being. Every nerve in her body screeched with the agony and Sarah Quinn begged whatever higher power there was to release her from it. Only the thought of him was keeping her from letting go. The bullets ripping through her; the bloodlust in Dan’s eyes as he shot her; they were nothing to the brief glimpse she got of the unimaginable grief on Isaac’s face before she passed out. She drifted between consciousness, little snapshots coming back to her. Hands pushing on her body, trying to stem the blood. Molly’s sobs. Then his voice, broken but devastatingly beautiful, saying her name over and over. Isaac, I love you, she thought, I love you. She had let the darkness take her.
Isaac sat by her bed, his fingers laced with hers as he watched her breathing in and out, the tube down her throat helping her to live.
‘Please don’t go. I know that’s monumentally selfish of me, I can’t imagine the pain you must be in. But, Sarah….please. You are my love. For all time. All time. You are in every beat of my heart, every moment with you I realize why I’m here on Earth. Don’t go. Stay with me and I promise I’ll never let anyone hurt you ever again. Please don’t leave me.’ His voice, so steady and sure, cracked at the last and he choked back his emotion, tears dropping down his pale face. Her hand in his felt tiny, so still, too still. He squeezed her fingers gently, willing her to return the gesture, his senses heightened, waiting, waiting. Nothing.
Isaac let out a long, shaky breath and laid his head down on the bed. Silence broken just by the beep of the machinery. Eventually, the steady rhythm invaded his exhausted mind and he slept and when he slept he dreamed of Dan pumping bullets into Sarah over and over and over, vicious, merciless and Sarah falling, bloodied and broken, drifting further away from him. He reached for her but she slipped further and further away…
There was a strange feeling on his head, a pressure. Fingers stroking his hair tenderly. He knew that touch, would know it anywhere. He opened his eyes and raised his head.
Sarah smiled down at him, her face pale, dark shadows under her eyes but still…alive and smiling and so, so, so fucking beautiful…
‘Oh god, thank you, thank you…’ he choked out as he took her face in his hands and kissed her.
A year later…
Sarah Quinn swept her hair up into a loose ponytail and went out of the back door to find her husband. She soon found him in the large garden of their new home, running around and playing like a teenager with Scooter and Biggs – their two large and very silly rescue dogs. Sarah joined in with their game, passing a drool-soaked tennis ball back and forth to Isaac as the dogs barked and snapped at it. She started giggling as the dogs tackled Isaac to the ground and went crazy both trying to get the ball and licking their new master.
‘Yeah,’ she said, ‘you look like…what was it…America’s Hottest Billionaire…right now.’
Isaac grinned up at her and she pulled him up. He locked his arms around her and kissed her, nibbled on her ear to make her squirm. ‘Tickles,’ she protested, chuckling. ‘Anyway, I came out to find you. Molly and the kids will be here soon.’
Molly, who had always been a Seattle girl, had politely turned down Isaac’s offer to buy her and Mike a new home in Portland. Now that Isaac and Sarah had moved down there permanently, they didn’t see her as much and Sarah missed her.
‘You’ve already been so generous,’ Molly had said, the night Isaac had asked her and Mike the question. Sarah had still been in hospital but well on the way to recovery and she and Isaac had decided very quickly to leave the city, leave the state.
‘I love this city,’ Sarah had told him, ‘but too much has happened here. I need to move on.’
Within the week, QuinnCorp’s had opened a new office in Portland and Sarah was looking at properties. Isaac had told her to choose whatever she wanted and now they had this beautiful European-style home, all exposed brickwork, and massive fireplaces. So different from her old home. That had been her only other condition. She wanted to start again – completely. She even let Isaac have free-reign about how much money he spent on her. Everything was different. New.
Sarah had enrolled at the University of Oregon to finish her architectural degree, much to Isaac’s delight. ‘When you graduate,’ he said, ‘I have the perfect project for you.’
She had looked at him curiously but he wouldn’t tell her what it was.
Now, she tugged him into the house. ‘Come on, wash up. You’re a bad influence on those kids.’
Molly arrived and they were soon surrounded by hugs and love and kisses and the kids, hopped up on sugary drinks from their journey. Mike had come too, deciding at the last minute to join the gathering.
When they were settled in the garden, Isaac fired up the barbecue and began cooking while Sarah excused herself.
Molly watched Mike and the kids playing with the dogs for a moment then went to see if Isaac needed any help.
‘How’s she settling in?’ She asked after some easy chatter. Isaac grinned widely.
‘Wonderfully. She’s doing so good, Molly, you should see her.’
Molly smiled and hugged him. ‘I’m so glad .’
Isaac looked up to see Sarah coming out of the house, a loving smile on her beautiful face – and a small child in her arms. Her dark skin looked like her mother’s – despite the fact they shared not one drop of DNA. Sarah brought her and Isaac’s newly adopted daughter over to see her aunt and uncle, handing her to Molly, who cooed and trilled at the little girl, Sophie.
Isaac wrapped his arms around his wife then, as they watched their daughter being fussed over, and kissed her temple. ‘Mrs. Quinn,’ he murmured, ‘God damn but I think we made it.’
Sarah turned in his arms and kissed him. ‘We sure did. We made it through hell. Now we get the good stuff.’
Isaac smiled down at his beautiful wife, who had survived the darkest hell of what humans could do to each other and still had a heart full of love to give and knew, without a doubt, that they would only see the sunshine from now on
The End.
THE BILLIONAIRE’S
WINGS
Of
THUNDER
By Michelle Love
Desire. Secrecy. Dilemma
Eden Fontaine is a man on a mission as he seeks out his betrothed bride he’s allowed to live a normal life up until the time has come to make her his wife and begin their new life as legendary shifters.
Alyssa Devlin is living a normal life in Cloudcroft, New Mexico with her over-protective parents. She’s kept a secret from them. She has a boyfriend and they’re planning on moving away together.
When Eden finds out what’s happened and that she’s fallen in love with another, he speeds up his plans and decides he wants her to fall in love with him and choose him over the other man.
Kyle Stephens is Alyssa’s boyfriend and first true-love. He’s not about to let her go, and finds her love for him takes him into the paranormal world the three have to move onto.
Twists and turns fill the pages of the full length novel, ‘The Billionaire’s Wings of Thunder’. Get ready for steaming hot romance, sizzling heated scenes, and a look at an existence where the unreal becomes real.
Chapter 1
ALYSSA
My heart beats hard in my chest as Kyle pulls me through the forest of tall pine trees. A large, dark shadow follow us from above the trees. I keep glancing up to see if it’s still there. It seems impossible.
Another clap of thunder fills the surrounding air. How strange, I didn’t see any lightning. There’s no rain, and the only wind comes from directly above us.
I can’t remember a time I’v
e felt wind blowing from above me. A small patch of flat terrain gives me a chance to look up again without worrying about tripping.
What the hell is that?
Shit, there’s two of them! They’re huge. I’ve never seen any bird so large. I tug at Kyle’s hand, trying to get him to stop.
I want to look at them, not run from them. They can’t be stalking us, they’re just birds.
His eyes are wide and full of fear as he looks back at me, still running. “What are you doing, Ally?”
“Let’s stop. I want to look at them.”
The look I get in return assures me he thinks I’m nuts. He keeps running then a horrific shrieking sound vibrates down my spine.
I look up and see giant, black wings beating through the light blue sky. Kyle’s speed increases. I’m practically flying behind him. My feet barely touch the ground as he pulls me along.
Thing is, as weird as this might be, I’m not afraid. Kyle is, though so I’m not trying to stop him again. I don’t want him to feel like a fraidy cat.
His feet hit the ground with loud thumps as the wings continue to beat above us. The noise the huge wings make is so loud. I can’t help thinking how magnificent they must look.
The gate of our privacy fenced back yard looms only a few yards ahead of us. As Kyle hits the latch to allow us into my back yard the sound stops.
They’re gone!
We both stop and look up, turning in a full circle. It’s as if nothing was following us at all. The sky is bright blue. Not a single bird flies above us.
Crap, I really wanted to see them. I was hoping I could get a good look as they flew over our yard. This is really disappointing.
Kyle looks back at me as we walk into the yard. “What the fuck?”
My eyes go crazy wide. It’s no secret my parents are the strictest people in the entire world. Make that the universe.
“Kyle! Language!”
He bends his head to speak in my ear. “Sorry, baby. But seriously, what was that?”
Shrugging my shoulders, I say, “I don’t know. But whatever those things are, they’re gone now.”
He tugs at my hand, pulling me further into the yard. “That was weird. Don’t you think it was weird, Ally?”
I roll my eyes. “Of course, I think it’s weird, Kyle.”
“Isn’t it strange when you kissed me the thunder of wings began?”
I laugh. “You kissed me, not the other way around.”
Suddenly I’m halted, his hands on my shoulders. The twinkle in his sky-blue eyes captivating my attention.
“I asked you to go to Texas with me, and gave you a ring, then you kissed me after you said yes. Remember, Ally?”
I nod, making him smile. My parents are not going to be happy, but I’m going to Austin with Kyle after graduation. Only three weeks away. I turn eighteen the day after, so I’ll be legal and they can’t stop me.
Right?
God this is scary. So much scarier than those birds were.
How could they have just vanished? Man, I wanted to see them clearly!
My hand is still in his. That’ll be a problem as my father’s looking directly at us. He’s frowning.
I’m not supposed to be touching my boyfriend. My parents don’t think he is what he is. They think he’s a friend. A longtime friend, but only that.
When I was thirteen, I had to promise my parents I’d never engage in any relationship until I turned eighteen.
Ludicrous, right?
My dad yells out, clear across the large back lawn, “What’s going on, Alyssa?”
Kyle drops my hand. “Sorry, sir. Something happened in the woods.”
My younger, pain in the butt, brother, Scotty, approaches us. A smile on his mischievous face. “You’ve made Daddio mad, Kyle. Not good, dude.”
My mother comes out the back door, carrying a large tray and Kyle sprints across the lawn to help her. “Please let me get that for you, Mrs. Devlin.” His voice is a mixture of Middle America and the south.
His parents are from Texas. They moved here to Cloudcroft, New Mexico because his mother is a real estate agent who got a break in the tourist business our town has. She’s not my biggest fan.
Perhaps my parents’ lack of understanding of teenage romance is the reason. I’m not at all sure of why she dislikes me, but she does. One time she even said my best friend, Laura, would be perfect for Kyle.
They live three houses down from each other. I just about had a shit-fit with her words. But Kyle stopped me from acting like a freak in front of his mother and father.
I let him know exactly what I thought about that once we left the confines of his family home.
Kyle’s help with my mother’s burden seems to have helped. My father’s frown has turned into a slight smile. Not an entire one, though.
I jog up next to Kyle. Just to test the waters with my parents I run my arm around his waist and place a kiss on his cheek. “Thanks for helping my mom, babe.”
My father shoots me a look, but Mom stays cool. I need to get them ready for our news.
Wow, our news. That sounds weird.
The touch of his lips on my cheek send chills down my spine, and not for the reason you might think. I know it’s about to explode.
“Hey! What the hell?” Dad yells.
Kyle further surprises me. “Mr. Devlin. We have something to tell you.”
“No, we don’t.” I try to stop my true love from getting himself annihilated.
When Kyle’s sky-blue eyes meet mine, I melt into his side.
Damn I love this guy!
“Mr. and Mrs. Devlin.” He raises my hand, the one with the ring on it. “Ally is moving with me to Austin after graduation.”
The next things happen in a blur. My father goes for Kyle’s throat. Scotty and Mom blindside Dad, taking him away from my one, true love.
“Dad!” I scream as I pull Kyle back from the monster my father has become.
My father is usually a very calm man. He and my brother look a lot alike. Tall, soft brown curls and light green eyes. This attack upon my boyfriend, while anticipated by myself, was not by my sweet Kyle.
“Mr. Devlin,” Kyle says. “Please don’t think I’ve any bad intentions with your daughter. I love her with everything in me. I want to marry her one day. It should be after I’ve made something of myself. Which is exactly what I will do.”
My ears are burning. Did he just say he wants to marry me?
I turn to him. “Kyle, you don’t have to explain.”
A pat on my hand from my mother lets me know she has things back under control.
Thank you, God!
“Seems like some things have gone unnoticed by your father and myself. We’ll discuss this new information in private. For now, we need to eat,” she says with the soft comfort her voice always brings.
My mother is from Connecticut. Jet black hair and eyes of blue. She and I stand five foot two. Almost identical. I think she’s much prettier than I am, but she says the same of me.
“Thank you, Mom. There’s no need for this,” I say as I take a chair at the table on our patio. Kyle pulls out the chair next to mine, planting himself in it.
Just to piss my father off I take Kyle’s hand. Kyle looks at me with his eyebrows cocked. “You sure about this, Ally?”
I look at my father, directly in his eyes. The horrible part is he looks right back into mine. “Get used to it, Dad,” I hear myself say.
Shit, am I really doing this?
“I love Kyle. The rest of my life will be with him.”
To my complete amazement, my father smiles at me. “How wonderful, baby. You couldn’t have chosen a better man. Kyle, I expect you to take good care of my daughter.”
Scotty chokes on his cherry cola, and I give him a go to Hell look. “Sorry, Sis,” comes from his mouth as he dabs at it with a paper napkin.
Unbelievably, my mother starts doling out potato salad as Dad cuts the brisket. We all eat in silence. My Spidey sens
es are on overload.
Something is not right. Things are too calm!
The silence is deafening. I can’t take it anymore. “Mom, there’s a dance on Saturday. Kyle asked me to go, his band’s playing at it.”
Mom jerks her fork, loaded with meat, towards my father who sits next to her. “Don’t ask me, dear.”
Reluctantly I look at my father. He smiles at me.
Didn’t see that coming.
“Sure you can. But only for a little while. I want you back by ten. You do remember you have a curfew, right? I mean, you seem to have forgotten our deal about no relationships until you’re eighteen, so I have to ask.”
Kyle answers for me, “Mr. Devlin, I can assure you she’ll be home by her curfew. And just to let you know. We haven’t broken your no dating rule.”
Kyle looks directly into my father’s eyes. That’s no easy task as my dad is glaring back at him. His words come out much nicer than his look, “Thank you, son. I appreciate your respect on this matter. I’m sure Alyssa has also let you in on the fact she’s not allowed to have sex yet, either.”
My gasp happens before I realize I’ve done it. He’s gone too far!
“Dad! Stop that right now! The dinner table or patio table or whatever this is, is no place to talk about such things.” I can feel the heat on my cheeks. I must be scarlet with embarrassment.
My mother gives Dad a stern look. “Sorry about that, dears. Seems David needs to relax a bit. Come, help me clean up and take things into the house.”
Kyle jumps up, grabbing his empty plate and mine. “We’ve got this, Mrs. Devlin. You and Mr. Devlin cooked so we can clean up. Can’t we, Scotty?”
My brother looks up at Kyle with a scowl, his words coated in sarcasm, “I guess so, now you’ve included me. Thanks a lot, dude.”
Dad glares back at Kyle as Mom drags him into the house. I hate to think of what I’m in for once Kyle leaves. Which will be too soon as the sun’s already setting.
Billionaire’s Quarry: A Billionaire, Bad Boy, Romance (An Alpha Billionaire Romance Boxed Set) Page 119