Love & Revelations: A Love & Ruin Novella (The Love & Ruin Series Book 6)

by J. A. Owenby

  “Girl, snug only works if I’m getting some action, but thanks for the encouragement,” I said, giggling.

  “Rule number one," Hendrix said firmly, "no hookups on the bus. The guys aren't allowed to do it and neither are you, Mac."

  I scrunched my nose at my brother.

  “Someone needs to loosen up,” I jokingly chided.

  “I don’t think you want the bus smelling like a sex fest, and I seriously doubt you want to hear John and Cade getting busy. If they had a consistent significant other it would be different.”

  “Eww. Okay, I get it,” I said and raised my hands in surrender. “Bestie, I need a favor tonight.” I bit my lip while she and Hendrix both arched an eyebrow at me. I placed my elbows on the marble countertop and leaned on it, inhaling sharply.

  “I need to ditch Hercules, my bodyguard, for the evening.”

  “Hercules?” Gemma barked out a laugh.

  “Yeah, it’s my nickname for Calvin.”

  “What? Why? Mac, you can’t leave without your bodyguard. I mean, I know Brandon is in custody, but his dad is still running loose. And we have no idea if or when he might retaliate. You know none of us are allowed to go anywhere without security.” Gemma placed her half-eaten apple down, concern flickering across her features.

  “I don’t like it,” Hendrix said, frowning.

  “You two need to knock it off already. You’ve not even bothered to hear me out,” I huffed.

  Gemma sighed and glanced at Hendrix. “Sorry.” Her voice softened. “Don’t get me wrong, I know you’re strong, Mac. I just worry you’re bottling up all your emotions and it’s going to backfire. After—after everything with Brandon and his dad, I just need to know you’re working through it and taking the security detail seriously.”

  “Dillon Montgomery can rot in hell along with his son. I’m fine. I realize the FBI is only just now closing in on the Dark Circle Society, but I’ll be glad when they blow it all to pieces.” My stomach had tightened the moment Brandon’s name left Gemma’s lips. “I mean, any sick fuck that orchestrates rape and trafficking of underaged girls …” Not to mention what they’d done to Gemma when she was a teenager. I shook my head, unable to articulate what horror I’d like to personally inflict on them if I had the chance.

  “I wish it were that easy,” Hendrix said. “The FBI has been onto the Society for years, but the organization is large and widespread, which complicates matters. And those sleazy bastards are always one step ahead of the feds. They can't just go for the little guys one by one or it'll tip off the ringleaders and blow the entire op. And now, with Dillon having slipped through their fingers ... It sucks, but we have to stay quiet about it. It also means we’re constantly aware of our surroundings. We have no idea if Dillon might show up or send one of his buffoons.”

  “I get it, but here’s the deal. It’s not that I want to go anywhere alone, but I can’t let Franklin find out.”

  “Find out what?” Hendrix asked, curiosity flashing across his expression.

  “Who I’m meeting tonight. In order to get away with it, I need Gemma and Pierce with me instead of my bodyguard who blabs everything to Dad. You’d think for such a hunky badass he’d not be such a fucking pussy and report every single thing I do to Dad. But it’s my luck.”

  Gemma frowned. “He does? Like you have no privacy, Mac? That’s so not cool.” Her nose wrinkled in disdain.

  “Can’t disagree with you there.” Hendrix strolled over and slipped his arm around Gemma’s waist. These two had met at the university library over a year ago and were now joined at the hip. It was love at first sight for my brother, but Gemma had a shit ton of demons to overcome and their road to a happily-ever-after was rocky. I was happy for them, but sometimes seeing them together made my heart ache. So far, my luck with guys hadn’t turned out too well.

  “Where are we going?” Gemma asked, her eyes sparkling.

  I leaned in closer to them, bridging most of the gap between us. “I’m meeting Asher,” I whispered.

  “What? Are you two working things out? I’ve not even had a chance to talk to you about him or Jeremiah yet. I’m sorry. I’m a bad friend.” Gemma wrapped her arm around me for another hug.

  Asher Weston and I dated our junior and senior years in high school. We were so into each other, no one and nothing else existed. He was my first everything, and I thought he was my forever.

  But I'd been young and naïve. And while I was well aware that life could turn upside down in the blink of an eye, I never thought anything would come between Asher and me. Until I found out I was pregnant.

  Asher's father suddenly decided I wasn't good enough for his son, and without even consulting us, used his money and power to silence the situation. I may not have been ready to be a teenage mom, but it still gutted me when Asher remained silent and did nothing while Mr. Weston arranged and paid for my abortion.

  Hendrix, not Asher, had been the one who stayed with me during it all.

  Shortly after my abortion, I lost Asher too. He didn't have a big enough pair of balls to stand up to his father. Money or not, I refused to be controlled or manipulated by anyone.

  Regardless, when I learned Asher was engaged to a more suitable girl, i.e. a rich one, I was devastated. And that was when I'd tried to move on with a great guy I met during my stay with Gemma in her hometown in Louisiana. Unfortunately, I failed miserably with Jeremiah by not realizing he was merely my rebound fling and not my new forever.

  My attention returned to the present moment with Gemma and Hendrix. They had no idea how happy I was to have them here. Fighting through the darkness on my own had been daunting, to say the least.

  “No, we’ve not been talking, but he mentioned he’d learned the deets the press hadn’t released concerning my kidnapping and Brandon. Apparently he overheard his father talking on the phone about it even though the judge has a gag order in place. Anyway, he wants to meet me. He basically begged, and well, what can I say? I caved, but if you’re with me I won’t jump him and be tempted to have crazy sex in the park, and if Pierce drives us, then Calvin can’t blab to Dad where I was.”

  My attention bounced between Gemma and Hendrix to see if they’d support my plan or not. If I were honest with myself, I wanted to talk to Asher before we left tomorrow. A part of me needed to hear him out. Maybe I was still seeking closure, so I could truly move on. My heart seemed stuck on him.

  “I’m in,” Gemma said, grinning mischievously.

  “I’ll keep Franklin busy when you two are gone,” Hendrix replied.

  “Omigosh! Thank you. You have no idea what it’s been like with a constant tattletale protecting me. Thank God he’s not going on tour with us.”

  “Yeah, Franklin felt like Pierce was enough since Cade and John will also be with us most of the time,” Hendrix added.

  “It’s not like we won’t be moving around, anyway. I mean, if Brandon’s dad is coming after us ...” My words trailed off while a ginormous knot fisted in my stomach.

  “Yeah, I know. Mac, I realize Gemma tried to prepare you, but privacy is a rare commodity these days on the bus,” Hendrix said.

  I grinned. I’d seen the bus when Hendrix had first bought it, and I figured it would be a hunk of junk metal, but not even close. It sported leather couches and recliners along with dark wood floors. The kitchen even had stainless steel appliances. And although Hendrix and Gemma had a bedroom, the walls were thin, and the space was smaller than a jail cell.

  “How’s the self-defense training going with Pierce, Gemma?” I asked, redirecting the conversation. Pierce was Hendrix and Gemma’s bodyguard who accompanied them on tour.

  “She can kick my ass, now.” Hendrix beamed proudly at Gemma and placed a kiss on her cheek.

  “I wouldn’t go that far, but I have come a long way. My confidence is up after working with Pierce. There’s a comfort in knowing I can protect myself.”

  “And me,” I blurted. “I mean, you took Brandon down with a single stilet
to.”

  “Mac,” Gemma said softly. “I’d do it again, too. You’re not just my bestie. We’re family. The only one I have.” Her eyes misted slightly, and I clenched my jaw in order to fend off my own tears.

  Gemma grew up in a small Louisiana town and was an only child. She'd lost her entire family within the last six months. I never got the chance to meet her mom, but I knew they were super close.

  I did get the chance to know Ada Lynn, Gemma's substitute grandma. She was a major badass! In fact, she helped Hendrix beat down Gemma's piece of crap dad and send him to jail.

  Gemma's dad was involved with the Dark Circle Society that started this entire mess we were currently dealing with. What he subjected his own daughter to was nothing short of despicable. That bastard was now rotting in hell. I spent a few months with Gemma and Ada Lynn in Louisiana, and when we returned to Spokane, we brought Ada Lynn to come live with us in Franklin's house. Sadly, she passed away six weeks ago from a heart attack. But she'd be the first to say we shouldn't be sad because she'd had a good life. I loved her like crazy and we all missed her so much.

  Gemma had a lot of Ada Lynn in her personality, too. She was the strongest person I knew. I had no doubt she was haunted by nightmares and depression, but you'd never know it. She stayed focused on all the good things in her life. Maybe someday I'd get there.

  “Do you want me to go, too?” Hendrix asked. “Asher really hurt you, Mac. After all of these months, what could he possibly need to say to you?”

  My chest ached with Hendrix’s protective words.

  “I think I need some girl time, honestly,” I said. “If it’s okay with you? Gemma’s been gone for almost four weeks, and we have a lot to catch up on before we’re surrounded by a bunch of dudes and no privacy.”

  Hendrix grinned. “Yeah, I’d take advantage of the time, too. The guys are great, but as Gemma will tell you, we can get a bit rowdy. Even Pierce joined in a few times.”

  “Seriously? You all finally cracked his shell to find a human inside of the cyborg?” I laughed.

  “Right?” Gemma chimed in. “He’s still serious and, as always, damned good at his job, but he’s so ... What’s the word I’m looking for?” She tapped her chin with her finger.

  “Stoic? Stuffy? Stodgy?” I offered, giggling.

  Our laughter filled the kitchen, and for the first time since that shitty night with Brandon, I experienced a small thread of happiness.

  But it wasn’t quite strong enough.

  “I need to get ready for tonight, so I’ll see you in a little while.”

  “Do you want company?” Gemma asked.

  “Nah, it’s okay. I need a few minutes to clear my head before I see Asher.” I didn't miss the quirk of her eyebrow. I gave her and Hendrix a smile and walked out of the kitchen.

  I closed my bedroom door behind me and turned the lock as a familiar longing for a Xanax crept over me. Ever since my therapist had prescribed them along with some Adderall, it had been easy to pop whatever I needed and add some alcohol on top of it for good measure. With Gemma around, I’d have to go light on the booze tonight until I returned home. I didn’t want her nosing around in my business. At least about this.

  Rummaging through my nightstand, I grabbed the prescription bottle along with the pint of vodka. I twisted off the lid, popped an orange tablet in my mouth, and washed it down with some liquid courage.

  I sank onto the side of my unmade bed and a combination of guilt and anger washed over me as I closed my eyes, waiting anxiously for the much-needed relief. Chewing on a hangnail, I inhaled sharply and willed the flashbacks of Brandon Montgomery away. Fuck Brandon for living rent free inside my head. Fuck my therapist for giving me the prescriptions in the first place. Fuck the guilt. I took another pull on the bottle of vodka, then neatly tucked everything away.

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  Want to learn more about the hot and mysterious Pierce before he married Sutton? Don’t miss Love & Corruption! It’s full of suspense and a second chance romance. You’ll love the bonus scene too ... Click here!

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  Love & Revelations

  J.A. OWENBY

  Copyright © 2019 by J.A. Owenby

  All rights reserved. In accordance with the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, the scanning, uploading, and electronic sharing of any part of this book without permission of the publisher constitutes unlawful piracy and theft of the author’s intellectual property. If you would like to use material from the book (other than for review purposes), prior written permission must be obtained by contacting J.A. Owenby. Thank you for your support of the author’s rights.

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Edited by: Edited by: Deb Markanton

  Cover Art by: Iheartcoverdesigns

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  Other Books By J.A. Owenby

  Romance

  The Love & Ruin Series

  Love & Ruin

  Love & Deception

  Love & Redemption

  Love & Consequences, a standalone novel

  Love & Corruption, a standalone novel

  Love & Seduction, a standalone novel Coming Soon!

  Romantic Thriller Series

  The Let Me Love You Series

  The Essence of You

  Let Me Love You, Book 2 Coming Soon!

  Standalone Novels

  Where I’ll Find You

  Coming of Age

  The Torn Series

  Fading into Her, a prequel novella

  Torn

  Captured

  Freed

  About the Author

  J.A. Owenby lives in the beautiful Pacific Northwest with her husband and cat.

  She also runs her own business as a professional resume writer and interview coach—she helps people find jobs they love.

  J.A. is an avid reader of thrillers, romance, new adult, and young adult novels. She loves music, movies, and good wine. And call her crazy, but she loves the rainy Pacific Northwest; she gets her best story ideas while listening to the rain pattering against the windows in front of the fireplace.

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