Cold to the bone, and feeling weaker than I ever had, I feebly tried to shove at his chest. My hands free now, but too numb to do any damage.
Out of the corner of my eyes, I noticed the knife he'd use to torture me was laying on the floor beside us. I tried to reach for it, but it was too far away and I was too broken to get my body to move. "Please," I croaked out, begging for mercy. "Don’t do this…"
"What did I tell you about begging, bitch?" the man sneered as he reached for the hem of my panties. "Turns me on."
Whimpering, I desperately tried to press my thighs together in a pathetic bid to protect myself.
It was no use though.
He was going to rape me.
And then he was going to kill me.
He dragged my panties down my legs and grinned darkly before saying, "This is going to hurt."
Tears streamed down my cheeks, mixing with the blood clotting on my face, as I thought about my father finding my body like this.
I clenched my eyes shut and braced myself for the pain I was sure would catapult through my body.
It never came.
I heard my tormenter roar out in pain.
Seconds later, the weight of his body was gone.
Light headed and petrified, I forced my eyes open and cried out in shock at the sight before me.
Hunter.
I had prayed for divine intervention and it had come in the form of my lover.
"You sick fuck," he snarled as he dragged my tormentor away from body and pounded his fists in his face. "You sick, mother fucking bastard!"
I watched in what felt like a dream-like state as Hunter pinned the man to the kitchen floor and beat his fists into his face over and over and over.
The sound of bones crunching filled my ears.
Blood sprayed from the man's face as he made a gurgled protest and tried to push him away
Hunter didn’t stop.
He continued to hit him until the man's head smacked loudly off the kitchen tiles.
He looked over to where I was huddling in the corner and I swear I had never seen fury like I did in his blue eyes.
Without a word, Hunter stood up, walked over to where the knife was laying, and picked it up. He walked back to where my tormentor was writhing in agony.
And then Hunter began to cut.
And the man began to scream.
He started with his face, slitting him from his temple to his jawline.
He didn’t stop there.
I watched in horror as Hunter roughly grabbed the man's exposed penis and lowered the knife.
Blood sprayed everywhere and I heaved, knowing full well that the screams that came from my tormentor's mouth would haunt me until my dying day.
I was screaming, too.
I couldn’t stop.
Hunter silenced his screams with one final slash to the throat, and watched with dark eyes as the life slowly bled out of him.
Only when my tormentor stopped twitching and gurgling did Hunter finally stand up.
Gasping for air, I mirrored his actions and scrambled to my feet, while gaping in absolute horror as Hunter stood over the lifeless body.
There was blood everywhere.
On me.
On him.
Everywhere.
Hunter dropped the knife on the floor and slowly turned to face me. His chest was heaving, his face and body drenched in another man's blood
I watched him watch me as my body trembled violently.
Wordlessly, he stepped over the lifeless man on the floor and grabbed a hand towel from the draining board. He approached me almost cautiously, like he wasn’t sure what I was going to do, and pressed the towel to my bleeding face.
None of the earlier violence was in his eyes now.
All I could see was love.
He never spoke a single word as he yanked his blood splattered hoodie off and gently slipped it over my head before feeding my hands through the too-long sleeves.
My body shook from head to toe as he dressed me; the tender show of affection too much for my heart to take.
"Oh god," I strangled out as a sob tore through me. "Oh god!"
My eyes flicked from his to the lifeless body on the ground.
"Oh god, Hunter," I choked out as fear threatened to overtake me. "What have we done?"
"Shh." His arms came around me, and it felt just like I remembered. I was cocooned in his embraced, cloaked in his love. "It's okay." He held me tight with one hand and stroked my hair with the other. "Everything is going to be okay."
"You killed him," I sobbed, clutching my chest. "You killed him for me."
"I love you," he whispered brokenly. "There isn’t anything I wouldn’t do for you."
"Wait – don’t leave me," I whispered in horror when he took a step back from me. He refused to meet my eyes as he ran a hand through his hair and choked out a pained sound. "Please." I was sobbing now. Crying real hard and ugly. "Please don’t go."
"I'm not going anywhere," he replied, voice torn and weary. "I just need to make a call."
"Who are you calling?" I demanded, chest heaving, as I stumbled after him.
"The cops, Hope," he whispered. "And an ambulance."
"The cops?" I balked and shook my head. "They'll arrest you."
"I know," he whispered.
This man was vicious.
He'd committed crimes.
He had blood on his hands.
What I'd just witnessed him do should have been enough to send me running.
I should let him make the call.
But I couldn’t.
"Hang it up," I strangled out. When he made no move to put his phone away, I staggered towards him and smacked his cell out of his hands. "Hang up the fucking phone, Hunter!"
"Hope," he whispered, voice pained. "I have to call them, sweetheart."
"No," I shot back fiercely. "No!"
"What do you want me to do here, Hope?" Raking a hand through his hair, he exhaled a heavy sigh. "There's a body in there, sweetheart, with my prints all over it." He shook his head again and said, "And you need to see a doctor. Your face..." His voice broke off and I watched him take several short breaths before adding, "Goddammit, Hope, that piece of shit raped–"
"He didn’t!" I strangled out, head spinning. "You stopped him, Hunter. You saved me!" I hissed, clutching his shirt in my hands. "That man was sent here to kill me! If it weren't for you, he would have. And you are not going back to prison for saving my life."
"What are you saying?" Hunter shot back, eyes wary and locked on my face.
Inhaling a calming breath, I looked up at his face and said, "I’m saying we get rid of the body."
Crazy as it seemed, tonight's events had shed a direct light on my future.
I knew who I was now and I had finally come to the conclusion that I would much rather live a broken life with Hunter than one without him.
Was I ready to walk away from my marriage for him?
I didn’t know the answer to that.
But I couldn't give Hunter up.
I needed to be with him, whatever the cost.
Regardless of what everyone thought, or what it cost my conscience and moral fiber.
I wasn’t giving him up.
That was all I knew for now.
To be continued…
Hope's story continues in
Altered,
A Carter Kids Novel,
Coming 2018.
Other Books by Chloe Walsh:
Standalone Novels:
Endgame – An Ocean Bay Standalone Novel
Seven Sleepless Nights (TBR)
The Faking It Trilogy:
Off Limits – Faking it #1
Off the Cards – Faking it #2
Off the Hook – Faking it #3
The Broken Series:
Break my Fall – Broken #1
Fall to Pieces – Broken #2
Fall on Me – Broken #3
Forever we Fall – Broken #4
The Carter Kids Series:
Treacherous – Carter Kids #1
Always – Carter Kids #1.5
Thorn – Carter Kids #2
Tame – Carter Kids #3
Torment – Carter Kids #4
Inevitable – Carter Kids #5
The DiMarco Dynasty:
DiMarco’s Secret Love Child: Part One
DiMarco’s Secret Love Child: Part Two
Blurred Lines:
Blurring Lines – Book #1
Never Let me Go – Book #2
The Broken Series and Carter Kids Series reading order:
1. Break my Fall
2. Fall to Pieces
3. Fall on Me
4. Forever we Fall
5. Treacherous
6. Always
7. Thorn
8. Tame
9. Torment
10. Inevitable
The Blurred Lines duo reading order:
1. Blurring Lines
2. Never Let me Go
The DiMarco Dynasty reading order:
1. DiMarco’s Secret Love Child: Part One
2. DiMarco’s Secret Love Child: Part Two
The Faking It trilogy reading order:
1. Off Limits
2. Off the Cards
3. Off the Hook
Acknowledgments
This book wouldn’t exist without the unconditional support and encouragement from my editor Aleesha Davis. The support and patience you showed me during the writing process of Inevitable is probably to only reason I managed to get this book out. I appreciate everything you do for me so damn much, and I love the friendship our business relationship has developed into over the years. Thank you for always being there for me. I love you loads!
My Clovers! Without you guys, I wouldn't be where I am today. I love you guys so much and I adore our little bubble in this crazy world. I consider each and every one of you my friends and extended family.
My family, friends and everyone else that supported me along the way. I guess there's only so many times a person can say thank you, but here it goes; thank you.
Finally, I want to acknowledge and thank every single of you that took a gamble with Kyle and Lee, hopped aboard my crazy train, and stayed. I can't put into words how much I appreciate you guys. I hope you enjoy Inevitable.
Playlist for Hope:
Of Monsters and Men – I Of The Storm
James Vincent McMorrow – We Don't Eat
He is We – Skip To The Good Part
Noah Cyrus/Labrinth – Make Me (Cry)
Adele – Hiding my Heart Away
Fever Ray – Keep the Streets Empty for me
The Civil Wars – Poison & Wine
Switchfoot – On Fire
Miranda Lambert – Mama's Broken Heart
Ingrid Michaelson – Over You
Joan Armatrading – The Weakness in Me
Alex & Sierra – Little Do You Know
Swedish House Mafia – Don’t you Worry Child
Jack Johnson – Sitting, Waiting, Wishing
The Chainsmokers – Don’t Let Me Down
Cam – Burning House
Rachel Platten – Beating Me Up
Banks – Beggin for Thread
Lissie – Go Your Own Way
Little Mix – DNA
Kate Nash – Nicest Thing
Haley Reinhart – Can't Help Falling In Love
Counting Crows – Colorblind
Rachel Platten – Stand by You
Sia – Footprints
Taylor Swift – Haunted
Anne-Marie – Alarm
Nicki Minaj – Anaconda
Playlist for Hunter (Lucky)
Mourning Ritual – Bad Moon Rising
Hozier –Cherry Wine
Hurt – Somebody To Die For
Noah Gundersen – Day is Gone
Alexander Stewart – Make Me (Cry)
He is We – Kiss it Better
Hungry Eyes – Eric Carmen
Jaymes Young – I'll Be Good
Eric Arjes – Find my Way
Amy Winehouse – Will you Still Love Me Tomorrow
Sam Hunt – Make You Miss Me
Shawn Mendes – Treat You Better
The Script – Nothing
Semisonic – F.N.T
Maroon 5 – My Heart is Open
+44 – When Your Heart Stops Beating
Uncle Kracker – Smile
Hinder – Lips of An Angel
Switchfoot – Dare you to Move
Travis – Re-Offender
Aaron Krause – Only You
Bush – Glycerine
Every Avenue – Only Place I Call Home
Damien Rice – Accidental Babies
Hozier – Jackie and Wilson
The-Dream – Code Blue
Justin Timberlake – Mirrors
Blake Shelton – Sangria
Nine Inch Nails – Hurt
Playlist for Jordan
Kesha – Praying
Lady Gaga – Till it Happens to You
Sam Smith – Too Good at Goodbyes
Sheryl Crow – I Shall Believe
Nickelback – How you Remind me
Tom Odell – Heal
The Script – You Won't Feel A Thing
Bruno Mars – When I Was Your Man
Walking On Cars – Flying High, Falling Low
Hozier – Take me to Church
Otis Redding – Stand by Me
REM – Losing my Religion
Radiohead – Creep
Matchbox Twenty– Unwell
Sam Smith – Stay With Me
Ed Sheeran – Happier
Joel Adams – Please Don’t Go
Within Reason – We'll Have It All
Michael Schulte – You Said You'd Grow Old With Me
Black Veil Brides – Lost it All
Tim McGraw – Don’t Take the Girl
Jamie Lawson – I'm Gonna Love You
Staind – Outside
Paramore – The Only Exception
Gavin DeGraw – More Than Anyone
Boyce Avenue – Titanium
Imagine Dragons – Demons
REM – Everybody Hurts
About the Author
Chloe Walsh is a twenty-seven-year-old wife and mother of two from County Cork in the south of Ireland. The youngest of five children, reading and writing was her escape as a child.
In January 2014, at the ripe old age of twenty-four, she started to write about a cocky, self-assured man named Kyle Carter, and five weeks later, on Valentine’s Day 2014, she self-published her debut novel, Break my Fall, for a handful of friends who had called over for tea, read bits and pieces of Kyle, and wanted to read the story on their E-readers rather than printed sheets.
Shockingly – and no one was more surprised than her – the book was a huge success, reaching No.1 in the UK Bestsellers Lists. Chloe followed it up in April 2014 with the sequel, Fall to Pieces, vowing that this second book would be the final chapter for Kyle.
The demand for a third installment was overwhelming and a series was born! The final book became two: Fall on Me, the third book in the accidental Broken series, was released in August 2014, and Forever we Fall was released in October 2014.
Treacherous, the first book from her Carter Kids series was released in March 2015, followed by Always (Carter Kids #1.5) in June 2015.
DiMarco’s Secret Love Child (Parts 1 & 2) were released in later March 2015.
Blurring Lines was released in May 2015, followed by Never Let Me Go, in December 2015.
Thorn, her eleventh book, was released in February 2016, on the two-year anniversary of her publishing career. Tame followed in September of 2016.
Torment, released in December 2016, followed by Off Limits, in January 2017. In February 2017, on the three-year anniversary of her writing career, Chloe released Off the Cards, followed by Off the Hook in April the same year.
An avid reader, Chloe enjoys lurking in a corner with her E-reader, and playing sports.
She has a deep love for paranormal romance and young adult fantasy and hopes to take the plunge into the genres in the not too distant future.
Table of Contents
Copyright
Table of Contents
Disclaimer:
Author's Note:
Dedication
Preface
Recap
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
Chapter 45
Chapter 46
Chapter 47
Chapter 48
Chapter 49
Chapter 50
Chapter 51
Chapter 52
Chapter 53
Chapter 54
Chapter 55
Chapter 56
Chapter 57
Chapter 58
Chapter 59
Chapter 60
Other Books by Chloe Walsh:
Acknowledgments
Playlist for Hope:
Playlist for Hunter (Lucky)
Playlist for Jordan
About the Author