You Can't Change the Past
(Phoenix Rising #3)
When an assassin plans the revenge killing of the Phoenix at a major
business convention, his people must stop her. They too become targets,
as she sets her sights on slaying them as part of her vengeance. With
the assistance of a policewoman, Ginna Smith, and a crew of Vance's
street kids, they set out to find and eliminate the assassin before she
can do the same to them.
Much to everyone's surprise, Vance recruits Ginna for his team. She accepts and soon begins to see exactly what Vance is like. She is distressed by his vicious side yet still begins to care for him. When Vance meets her son, they bond, leading to a more personal interaction with Ginna. When someone begins to stalk Vance, he must do his best to keep Ginna safe before she too is targeted by his nemesis.
CONTENT ADVISORIES: This title contains both MM and MF scenes. It has a HFN ending.
Excerpt:
Much to everyone's surprise, Vance recruits Ginna for his team. She accepts and soon begins to see exactly what Vance is like. She is distressed by his vicious side yet still begins to care for him. When Vance meets her son, they bond, leading to a more personal interaction with Ginna. When someone begins to stalk Vance, he must do his best to keep Ginna safe before she too is targeted by his nemesis.
CONTENT ADVISORIES: This title contains both MM and MF scenes. It has a HFN ending.
* * * *
Excerpt:
Part
One
A Shattered Life
Chapter
One
1990
"Vance
Montgomery, get your ass in here right this minute," the voice roared.
Vance
cringed, wishing he had the guts to just run. But his mother would find him, or
if not she'd send her present boyfriend looking. And that would make things
worse. Straightening his shirt, tucking it into his tattered shorts, he made
his way across the browned grass and up the dirt path leading to the battered
trailer that served as their most recent home.
He
hesitated, trying to gauge from the tone of her shout whether he should face
her down or be servile. As the trailer door swung open he stood as tall as his
five foot five inch frame would allow.
"Yes,
Mother," he said deferentially, hiding the fear he felt as she stood there
holding an almost empty bottle of beer in one hand, her hair ratty and scraggly
around her thin face.
"Where
the hell have you been? School let out over an hour ago."
"I
stayed after to do my homework." He scuffed the worn toe of one tennis
shoe in the dirt.
"Boy,
don't lie to me. You were off with those damned Power's kids getting into
trouble."
Shaking
his head he lifted his eyes to look at her. "I wasn't, I swear."
Which was the truth as far as it went. He'd been with two other boys from his
class trying to talk Mr Smith at the grocery store into giving them jobs for
the summer. The man said he'd think about it.
Grabbing
the doorframe with one hand to steady herself she took a long pull on her beer,
tossing the empty bottle in the vicinity of the open trash barrel a few feet
away. Then she grabbed his arm before he could back away, dragging him into the
trailer.
"You
know how I deal with liars, Vance?"
"Yes,
Mother." His voice trembled and he took a deep breath before saying again,
"I wasn't lying."
Her
hand flew out, landing hard on the side of his face. "Give me your belt."
"Mother,
please…"
Her
grip tightened painfully on his arm. "It's the belt or the chain."
He
fumbled with one hand to get his belt off. His mother snatched it from him,
spinning him around, forcing him face first onto the sofa. He closed his eyes,
praying the beating would be brief.
No comments:
Post a Comment