Page 27 of Ember

“Or your reward.” Tex angled his head and raised an eyebrow. “It’s really all in how you look at it.”

  Andi chewed her lower lip. “The good news is I’ve only been given six more months… so your torture won’t last that long.”

  That… My body roared with injustice. …was what I was afraid of.

  ELUDE

  Eagle Elite Book 6

  Elude: To evade, get away from. Throw off the scent. The process of slipping through someone’s fingers. Example: I never knew that in eluding death — I’d be faced with hers.

  PROLOGUE

  Sergio

  THE FLUORESCENT LIGHTS BURNED my eyes. I blinked them rapidly — thinking it would make the stinging go away, but it only made everything worse. The pain was indescribable, like someone had broken my body in half, repaired it, then repeated the process.

  “He’s not going to make it.” I recognized the voice. It was Nixon’s. Why the hell was Nixon there? Wasn’t he dead? No wait, that was me. I’d taken that bullet.

  Memories of the past few days flashed across my line of vision, causing a searing headache to build at my temples.

  The fight.

  The gunshots.

  The agreement.

  My wife.

  Tears burned the back of my eyes.

  Wife…

  “I’ll do it. I’m a match.” I gripped her hand firmly in mine.

  “You’ll die,” Tex whispered. “Your body… it’s too weak from everything else.”

  “We’re running out of time!” I screamed, my voice hoarse, eyes frantic. “Do it now!”

  “No.” She wrapped her frail arms around my neck. “No.”

  “Yes.” I pushed her away. “If I don’t — you could die. The doctor says it needs to be now, so operate.”

  Her eyes were sad.

  Both Tex and Phoenix looked down at the blue and white tile floor, faces pale. I knew what they were thinking. I’d already lost too much blood, my kidneys were barely working, and I wanted to give her part of my life.

  I knew going in I would most likely die.

  But I’d do everything within my power to save her.

  It’s odd, when you face death every day, when you elude it, when you finally come to terms with the fact that you won’t be on earth for forever — that’s when you think you’re at peace.

  I thought I was okay with dying.

  Until I’d met her.

  And then I was faced with someone else’s death every damn day — it’s harder. People don’t tell you that. It’s one thing to come to terms with your own mortality; it’s quite another to stare down death of the one you love, knowing there is nothing in this world that will stop it.

  My vision blurred again.

  “He’s flatlining,” a voice said in the distance.

  I tried to keep my eyes open. I saw white blond hair, big brown eyes, and that tender smile. I reached for it and held onto it, held onto the memory of her. The girl who’d changed my world from darkness to light.

  The girl I never wanted.

  But desperately needed.

  “Tell her I’ll love her...” I didn’t recognize my own gravelly voice. “…forever.”

  With a gasp, I felt my heart stutter to a stop.

  And welcomed the shade of night that overtook me.

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  RACHEL VAN DYKEN is the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling author of over thirty books. She is obsessed with all things Starbucks and makes her home in Idaho with her husband and two snoring boxers.

  CRUSHED

  by Lauren Layne

  Coming April 14, 2015

  LAUREN LAYNE’S latest novel about the healing power of redemption tells the story of a crush gone wickedly wrong, proving that what you want isn’t always what you need.

  Growing up in New York, Michael St. Claire never expected to spend his twenties wearing cowboy boots. But that was before he learned about his real father, a total stranger with a family in Cedar Grove, Texas. Once in the Lone Star State, Michael meets Kristin Bellamy, who is exquisitely refined and everything Michael always thought he wanted in a woman. The only problem is that Kristin is dating Michael’s new half brother, Devon.

  Kristin’s mouthy, curvy sister Chloe has always been in love with Devon Patterson. So when Michael offers to help Chloe break up Devon and Kristin, Chloe agrees to a deal that seems too good to be true. Before long, Chloe finally gets her man, only to make a startling discovery: She no longer wants the guy she had to fight for—she wants the one who stood by her side.

  After all he and Chloe have been through, Michael swears he’s damaged goods. Can Chloe convince him that love is worth the risk?

  IT'S BEEN SIX MONTHS since I fled Manhattan for Cedar Grove, Texas.

  Six months since I traded in Armani suits for Levis, Gucci loafers for cowboy boots, and a Fifth Ave penthouse for a small-ass basement studio.

  Six months since ditching Wall Street to be a country club lackey and occasional bartender.

  Six months since learning that my identity as Michael St. Claire was a lie. There is no St. Claire blood running through my veins. The Michael was still mine. The St. Claire, it turns out, was a facade. Bestowed upon me by a woman’s careless affair and a man’s pride.

  A man who was not my father.

  Six months since I betrayed my best friend.

  Six months since I walked away from her. No. Since she walked away from me.

  But more than that… more than any of that…

  It's been six months since I've bothered to care.

  About anything…

  Now Available for Pre-Order

  Amazon

  B&N

  iBooks

  OTHER TITLES BY RACHEL VAN DYKEN

  The Bet Series

  The Bet (Forever Romance)

  The Wager (Forever Romance)

  The Dare

  Eagle Elite

  Elite (Forever Romance)

  Elect (Forever Romance)

  Entice

  Elicit

  Enforce

  Ember

  Bang Bang

  Seaside Series

  Tear

  Pull

  Shatter

  Forever

  Fall

  Strung

  Eternal

  Wallflower Trilogy

  Waltzing with the Wallflower

  Beguiling Bridget

  Taming Wilde

  London Fairy Tales

  Upon a Midnight Dream

  Whispered Music

  The Wolf’s Pursuit

  When Ash Falls

  Renwick House

  The Ugly Duckling Debutante

  The Seduction of Sebastian St. James

  An Unlikely Alliance

  The Redemption of Lord Rawlings

  The Devil Duke Takes a Bride

  Ruin Series

  Ruin

  Toxic

  Fearless

  Shame

  Other Titles

  The Parting Gift

  Compromising Kessen

  Savage Winter

  Divine Uprising

  Every Girl Does It

  The Consequence of Loving Colton

  The Consequence of Revenge

  Table of Contents

  PROLOGUE

  CHAPTER ONE

  CHAPTER TWO

  CHAPTER THREE

  CHAPTER FOUR

  CHAPTER FIVE

  CHAPTER SIX

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  CHAPTER NINE

  CHAPTER TEN

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

  CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO


  CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

  CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

  CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

  CHAPTER THIRTY

  CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

  CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

  CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

  CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

  CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE

  CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX

  CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN

  CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT

  CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE

  CHAPTER FORTY

  CHAPTER FORTY-ONE

  CHAPTER FORTY-TWO

  CHAPTER FORTY-THREE

  CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR

  CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE

  CHAPTER FORTY-SIX

  CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN

  CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT

  CHAPTER FORTY-NINE

  CHAPTER FIFTY

  CHAPTER FIFTY-ONE

  CHAPTER FIFTY-TWO

  CHAPTER FIFTY-THREE

  CHAPTER FIFTY-FOUR

  CHAPTER FIFTY-FIVE

  CHAPTER FIFTY-SIX

  CHAPTER FIFTY-SEVEN

  EPILOGUE

  ELUDE

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  CRUSHED

  OTHER TITLES BY RACHEL VAN DYKEN

 


 

  Rachel van Dyken, Ember

  (Series: Eagle Elite # 5)

 

 


 

 
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