All Antonio did was hurt her.
All he did was give her hell.
He took away everything good in her world.
Everything that ever mattered.
Jenny is used to putting on a brave facade, letting the outside world see her as wild and free. She is loyal and loves with her whole heart, loving others so much that she is willing to sacrifice herself in the process.
Jules was only supposed to be a diversion for Jenny. Fun times with no strings attached. She didn't intend to fall for Jules, a member of The Devil’s Crusader’s Motorcycle Club. But fall for him is exactly what she did.
Antonio has been wreaking havoc on her life since Jenny was sixteen years old. Now she is forced to marry Antonio to keep her loved ones safe, destroying the man she loves in the process and driving him away.
Riding back into town after years away, Jules discovers the woman he once loved no longer exists, and it’s up to him to see if he can bring her back.
NOTE TO READER: This book contains strong sexual scenes and violence against women. Jenny curses so if you can't stand the "f" bomb then avoid this one. This is book 3, however, each book in the series can be read as a stand alone.
“I hate you,” I said wiping a tear from my eye.
“And I you,” he said coldly.
“Then why?”
“That’s not your concern. The only thing you should know is that tonight you will stay at my place where I can keep an eye on you and make sure no one sees your face. When I tell you, we will announce our engagement.”
“My family will know that I don't love you. They'll be able to read me. I'm a shitty liar,” I tell him.
“Then, I suggest you work on your poker face.”
I didn’t say anything back to him. What could I say? I didn’t believe that I was in any position to argue. He made it clear. I was going to marry him and he would spare Jules his life. There were too many lives at stake for me to put my love life first. I wanted too, but I loved my family.
We pulled onto a familiar street in Little Italy. Because of the mountainous Pennsylvanian landscape, many of the homes were built to accommodate the land. We pulled up to Antonio’s house and he clicked his garage opener. His garage was actually what would be the first level of his home and then once inside the garage you took a set of stairs to get into the home, which sat on top of the garage.
I followed him and found myself standing inside a beautiful, but drab modern kitchen. Everything was new and stainless steel, even his countertops which screamed industrial. I could see how a man would like this, however, to me, it lacked any character. It felt sterile and yet, exactly what I would expect from Antonio.
“There’s the bathroom. Clean yourself up,” he said motioning towards a closed door. “I’ll be in my den.”
I splashed water on my face, then sat down on the closed toilet seat. How could I have let things come to this? Would everyone be better off if I was dead? They would be a lot safer. No, I knew that wasn't the answer, but I felt desperate and hopeless. I needed to shut down the Jenny who lived her life carelessly. I would do what Antonio wanted. I would marry him and be his wife. I would hate it, but I would no longer put anyone I loved in jeopardy. I would be stronger and endure what I needed too.
I stood up and looked in the mirror one last time before exiting the bathroom. I placed my fingertips against the glass and touched my reflection where my face was still pink from his slap. “Goodbye,” I whispered to myself, and then left the woman I was for twenty-five years behind.
Abby McCarthy is reader and a lover of words. She is a blogger turned author and released her first novel in May 2014. She is a mother of three, a wife and a dog person. She has always written, sometimes poetry, sometimes just to vent about failed relationships, however in parenthood she has found her voice to help keep her sanity. Words have flowed from her, to review and with the support of amazing friends in the Indie community she has decided to pursue her dream of writing! She loves to write and read romance, because isn't that something we all yearn for? Whether it be flowers and hand holding or just the right tug on your hair. Isn't that what life is about? The human connection?
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