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ALSO BY MELYNDA PRICE
Against the Cage Series
Win by Submission
The Redemption Series
Until Darkness Comes
Shades of Darkness
Courting Darkness
Braving the Darkness
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, organizations, places, events, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.
Text copyright © 2015 Melynda Price
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without express written permission of the publisher.
Published by Montlake Romance, Seattle
www.apub.com
Amazon, the Amazon logo, and Montlake Romance are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc., or its affiliates.
ISBN-13: 9781503945517
ISBN-10: 1503945510
Cover design by Jason Blackburn
CONTENTS
PROLOGUE
CHAPTER 1
CHAPTER 2
CHAPTER 3
CHAPTER 4
CHAPTER 5
CHAPTER 6
CHAPTER 7
CHAPTER 8
CHAPTER 9
CHAPTER 10
CHAPTER 11
CHAPTER 12
CHAPTER 13
CHAPTER 14
CHAPTER 15
CHAPTER 16
CHAPTER 17
CHAPTER 18
CHAPTER 19
CHAPTER 20
CHAPTER 21
CHAPTER 22
CHAPTER 23
CHAPTER 24
CHAPTER 25
CHAPTER 26
CHAPTER 27
CHAPTER 28
CHAPTER 29
CHAPTER 30
CHAPTER 31
CHAPTER 32
CHAPTER 33
CHAPTER 34
CHAPTER 35
CHAPTER 36
CHAPTER 37
CHAPTER 38
CHAPTER 39
CHAPTER 40
CHAPTER 41
CHAPTER 42
CHAPTER 43
CHAPTER 44
EPILOGUE
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
PROLOGUE
Did anyone follow you?” Axel Andrews demanded as he shut the stall door and slid the wobbly lock into place.
“No. I got here early, just like you asked me to. Mind telling me what this is all about? Haven’t heard a word from you in ten years, and now you’re calling me out of the blue like we’re cloak and dagger.”
“You’re better off if you don’t know the details. Let’s just say I’ve fucked up—pissed off the wrong people and I’m trying like hell to make things right before it’s too late.”
“Seein’ as how you and I are in the john talking through a wall, I’d say that ship has already sailed for you, my friend. What kind of trouble are you in?”
“The mob kind.”
“Shit . . .” Henry hissed, exhaling a sigh. “What about Rya
“No. And I want to keep it that way if I can help it.”
“Fair enough. What do you need me to do?”
“Hang on to this.” Axel passed a credit-card-sized envelope underneath the divider to his friend. “If something happens to me, I need you to make sure Rya
“It’s nothing you wouldn’t do for me. You’ve helped me out of more than one tight spot back in the day.”
A nostalgic chuckle rumbled in Axel’s chest as he thought back to the antics of his childhood friend and all the trouble they used to get into ru
“Take care of yourself.” Axel unlatched the flimsy lock, anxious to keep moving so as not to arouse suspicion. The hinges squeaked in protest as he opened the door.
“You too, man.”
Axel left the bar and headed down the street. Zipping his coat, he tucked his chin into the collar and shoved his hands into the pockets, burrowing in for the six-block walk back to his car. He’d made every attempt to lose his tail before entering the bar, but the man following him was a professional—too good to be seen—but Axel knew he was there . . .
His skin prickled with unease, the fine hairs at the nape of his neck rising. He quickened his steps, the brisk clip accelerating the tempo echoing off the vacant buildings as he ducked down an alley, taking a short-cut back to his car. A fresh coat of snow blanketed the streets—snow was still falling, but not fast enough to cover his tracks. The cold snap had come on fast and hard, driving many of the people who were usually out at this time of night to seek either the shelter of their homes or the transportation of cabs.
How had his life spun so out of control? The question haunted him almost as relentlessly as the man following him. He heard it before he saw it—the roar of the engine, followed by the blinding headlights as the car turned down the alley, its tires grappling for traction as they struggled to meet the demand of the accelerator.
Axel glanced behind him, adrenaline flooding his veins as he broke into a run for the intersection, dashing to the finish line in a life-or-death race. He had nowhere to go, trapped between two brick walls with space barely wide enough to fit the Escalade barreling down on him. It drew closer. He ran faster—legs feeling like they were stuck in quicksand as the vehicle sped toward him. The road ahead was near, yet so far. He swore he could feel the heat of the headlights burning the back of his neck. Oh, God! He wasn’t going to make it!
Bracing for impact, Axel squeezed his eyes closed, one thought resonating in his mind: I’m so sorry, Rya
CHAPTER
1
Ms. Andrews?”
“Yes?” Her grip tightened on the receiver at the sound of that all-too-familiar voice. Dread took up residence where her heart used to be, which now beat wildly in her throat.
“Twenty days, Ms. Andrews.”
“I’m well aware of how much time I have left,” she snapped. “And like I said before, you’ll get your damn money.”