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Prologue

Phoenix

The blast of a 38-caliber revolver sends ing deep into the flesh of my knees

My hands grip the gritty ground, as if ers bleed Who knows, at this point, maybe it does

Even witharound ive up and lose what control I have left Tears stream downto form in my throat It hurts It hurts like hell

That’s when I hear it A bloodcurdling screa that is roaring through my ears as I expected

It’s the screary, hysterical woman

The only thing I can decipher is, “Call 911 So call 911 There’s blood everywhere”

I can hear bodies shuffling nearby, soet away, but I can only process one thought He’s gone Please don’t let hione

With force, I a ue

I try to focus, but my vision is too blurred to make any sense of who has control of my body and at this point, I’m not so sure it even matters

“This is your fault,” the deep voice growls as I spit blood onto his filthy boots Narrowing his eyes, he wraps my hair securely around his hand and yanks htens aroundto pay for this if it’s the last thing I do, you stupid bitch”

He lets go of round sointo the back ofit even harder to see through the tears I desperately look for the man that hasn’t only crushed then stolen ain, but has also replaced a part of o lost

Realizing thathalf-alive, but mostly dead “Go ahead,” I whisper “See if you can hurt me any, but I look hi Not after losing the biggest part of ret” I shift so that I’ at the deep scars that cover his face Theyyou when I had the chance”

Chapter One

Phoenix

7 weeks earlier

Stretching, I roll over, to rub my hand over the empty sheet next to me My hand stops and my body freezes, as I feel, not the silkiness of my new sheet, but the flesh of a rock hard chest I runit down the smooth, warm flesh of defined abs, until my hand rests on a penis Not only is it a penis, but it’s a hard, naked one

Cursing to ainst the back of the headboard I tug on aze over to the naked o ith confusion and my stomach fills up with butterflies

Kades sprawled out on es of his definedthe silver of my clean bed