Tapping out
Page 25
January 3rd
Belles,
I haven’t mentioned it in a while but while being here I have been seeing a chiropractor. The pain is gone. When I walk out of here, I will never touch another drug again. Not even Tylenol. I’m never taking that chance, again.
Love,
Marco
78
January 4th
Belles,
My parents are flying in to pick me up from rehab in two days. I’m going to go home, take a shower, put on some fresh clothes and then I am coming to find you. We are going to figure this out. I promise you that.
Love,
Marco
79
January 5th
Belles,
Today is the last day I will be writing you a letter. It feels like I’ve been having a one-sided relationship with you, one that you know nothing about! It’s been a crazy ninety days but I’m getting out tomorrow and I’m coming for you, Belles. It may take a few weeks for me to get settled before I come for you, but mark my words baby, I am coming and once I have you in my arms, I am never letting you or our daughter go.
Love,
Marco
Thank you so much for reading this advance review copy of Tapping out! If you found any errors, I would love to know about them. Please email me at AuthorNikkiAsh@gmail.com.
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Excerpt from Clinched: A Fighting Love novel
Coming this spring 2018
Prologue
Tristan
Present day…
“Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birthday dear Lexi! Happy Birthday to you!” Lexi smiles wide, her big blue eyes looking around at all our family and friends who are here, joining us to celebrate her fifth birthday. When the singing stops, she looks to me and I give her a nod.
“Go ahead, Lex! Blow out the candles and make a wish.”
She nods back then closes her eyes hard, her cute little nose scrunching up. Then she leans forward, and with all her might, my little girl blows the candles out, everyone cheering and clapping and snapping photos. She opens her eyes and jumps off the chair, running toward me.
“Wanna know my wish?” She is so excited that I don’t have the heart to tell her what parents always tell their kids. If you tell anyone it won’t come true.
Bending down so I’m level with her, I pull my daughter into my arms and say, “Absolutely.” She cups her hands to cover her mouth. Then she brings them to my ear and whispers, “I wished to buy all the paint in the world and color the bestest picture ever.” She says it in such a serious tone, I know she means business.
I’m not sure where it came from, but my daughter, Alexandria Scott, has the creativity gene running through her veins. She lives and breathes art in every way possible. From crayons and markers to chalk and paint, she could spend her entire day simply creating.
“Well, how about we open up your presents after we have cake? There just might be a present or two over there making your wish come true.” Lexi jumps up and down then runs over to my mom who is passing out pieces of cake to everyone.
“Damn, Tristan. Remember the day that little girl was born?” Mason plops his ass into a chair, cake in hand, and goes to take a bite, ignoring the fact that he has a huge fight coming up in a few months.
“Bro, you can’t be eating that shit while you’re training.” I snag the plate of cake out of his hands and sit down next to him, successfully taking a huge bite of his cake. “And of course, I remember when my daughter was born. How could I forget? It was the best day of my life.”
“Hey, she might be your daughter, but she’s my goddaughter, and that counts twice as much because it’s from God. You just screwed shewhoshallnotbenamed. That’s not Godly. As a matter of fact, that’s the opposite of Godly. Plus, I pretty much named her.”
“You did not name her.” I shake my head, ignoring his comment regarding Lexi’s surrogate, and take another bite of the delicious cake.
“Did to,” Mason argues.
“Did not.” Don’t ask me why I’m even arguing with this guy. He’s a twenty-nine-year-old toddler and I always fall for his shit.
“Did to.”
I watch my daughter, with her face covered in cake and frosting, talk and laugh with her best friend, Micaela. They may live four hours from each other and be nine months apart but since the day they met during our Christmas vacation to Breckenridge, they have become best friends, always begging to see each other.
My gaze goes to Bella, Micaela’s mom, and one of my oldest and closest friends. She gives me a small smile as she sits on her husband’s lap, a little over five months pregnant with their second child. There was a time when I would have bet my life, Bella and I would have ended up together, raising her daughter as a family, but life has a way of working things out the way they should be. In the end, Bella ended up marrying Micaela’s father and our longtime friend, Marco, and I was blessed with Lexi. The day Micaela was born, I thought my world had come crashing down. Only, I didn’t realize at the time, God had a different plan for me. Lexi was meant to come into my life and I can’t imagine my life without her.
Add to your Goodreads today: Clinched
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Other books By Nikki Ash
All books can be read as stand-alones
The Fighting Series
Fighting for a Second Chance
Fighting with Faith
Fighting for Your Touch
Fighting for Your Love
Fighting ‘round the Christmas Tree: A Fighting Series Novella
Fighting Love novels
Tapping Out
Clinched (Coming Spring 2018)
Takedown (Coming Summer 2018)
Mob Romance
Bordello
Sports Romance
The Pickup (Coming in 2018)
About the Author
Nikki Ash resides in South Florida where she is a teacher and mom by day and a writer by night. When she’s not writing, you can find her with a book in her hand. Form the Boxcar Children to Wuthering Heights to the latest Single Parent Romance, she has lived and breathed every type of book.
Reading is like breathing in, writing is like breathing out. –Pam Allyn
While reading and writing are her passions, her two children are her entire world. You can probably find them at a Disney Park before you would find them at home on the weekends.
Contact Nikki Ash
Facebook * Twitter * Instagram * Amazon
Nikki Ash’s Fight Club
Subscribe to Nikki’s newsletter: Subscribe here
Acknowledgments
They say it takes a village to raise a family, well it also takes a village to write a book. I would like to first thank my readers, and especially those in my reader group (Nikki Ash’s Fight Club). I never imagined writing a second book in the Fighting series let alone writing four plus a Christmas novella. It’s because of you guys why these books keep going. It’s because of your love for my fighting world. Thank you to all the bloggers and authors who share and support my work. It means EVERYTHING to me. To me kids who get just as excited about my books as I do. I love you! I want to thank Krysten, Lisa, Andrea, Shawn, and Ashley, I couldn’t do this without you guys. You guys are truly invaluable. Juliana, thank you for swooping in and saving the day. Okay… I think that’s it. Until next time. ;)
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