Mastered By The Mavericks (2 page)

“Certain things in life are absolutes: birth, death, taxes, and the fact that any
book by Angel Payne will rock my world. The chemistry between these three will blow
up your e-reader, but it’ll be worth every sweaty steamy moment!”

—
Sizzling Hot Books

“This series just keeps getting better and better. It pulls you in, and you will never
want to let go. These characters will haunt your dreams, steal your heart, and give
you hope. Nothing will prepare you for the depth of emotions you will experience in
this series. The lessons you will learn, the inspiration you will feel, the undeniable
steam factor you will experience, is just the tip of the iceberg. Be prepared to be
blown away by the complexity of the characters, the angst of the story lines, and
the scorching factor of the love scenes. Angel Payne has gifted us with yet another
gem of a love story.”

—
Shayna Renee’s Spicy Reads

“Lava-hawt…this is the first menage of Ms. Payne’s I’ve read and it is very good.
The sexual heat is delicious. The characters…stand out with their quirky characteristics;
their banter is both fun and sexual—lovely to read. The chemistry between these three
is apparent and so good. Ms. Payne does an excellent job of mixing in a bit of Hawaiian
culture and bringing the Garden Isle to life.”

—
The Romance Reviews

“Full of humor, action yummy sex…perhaps my favorite in the series. Gave me a whole
roller coaster of emotions.”

—
Riverina Romantics

HOT FOR HIS HOSTAGE

The W.I.L.D. Boys of Special Forces, Book 6

“Anyone who likes a good action novel, mystery and/or romance will find the story
interesting and well-written. The love story is touching, realistic, heart-warming
and very hot. With just the right amount of conflict between the main characters,
the story builds tension without overdoing angst.”

—
My Book Addiction Reviews

“So many OMG moments! This book does not disappoint!”

—
Twinsie Talk Reviews

“The heat factor is sizzling and blends well with a storyline filled with adventure.”

—
The Romance Reviews

“The details in the story really make a reader feel like they are part of the action.”

—
Illustrious Illusions

A WILDER KIND OF LOVE

The W.I.L.D. Boys of Special Forces, Book 7

“5 smoldering, seductive stars.
Oh My Gahhh
. Even though this is book 7 in the Wild Boys series, it is my first book by Angel
Payne, and I see what I’ve been missing! Aside from the excellent writing, excellent
editing, ease of reading and all around fabulous story…the characters have me frantic.
Dan is such a complex character…and Tess, wow, how she desired him from afar, being
nothing more than co-workers, and then coming to bat for him after his “accident”
and helping him recuperate in the hospital. This is a tale of desire, a body’s need
for Dominance/submission, and how not following your soul’s desire for honesty could
mush up a great thing.”

—
Rachel Bound by Books

“Ms. Payne has really outdone herself with this couple. They were perfect for each
other and brought out the best in each other. Their sexual chemistry was off the charts.
Since Ms. Payne’s writing just keeps getting better and better, I know that there
will be some amazing books for me to read.”

—
Sizzling Hot Books

“A beautiful story about a disfigured person who is beautiful in the inside and a
woman who knows what she wants and willing to do anything to get it. They both complete
each other. Their story was definitely worth reading.”

—
Books Eater Blog

“If you are looking for a hot read and a walk on the darker side of the BDSM world
is OK with you, definitely check out
A WILDer Kind of Love
. The familiar faces from the previous books in the series are present in varying
degrees, but this story can absolutely be read as a standalone.”

—
Oh, My Growing TBR Blog

“5 Stars! A lot of heat…Tess was a real surprise to me. Her strength and drive to
change her life are what brings Dan out of his dark world and into the light with
her.”

—
Smut & Bonbons

“OMG, what a book! I have waited for Dan Colton’s story. This author pours her heart
and soul into her books. You can just feel it.”

—
Kimmie Sue’s Book Reviews

‡

T
ime had dictated
a lot of Brynn Monet’s life. Watching it, abiding by it, dancing to it…and praying
to it for better things to come.

This was one of the prayer moments.

Lots
of prayer.

No one confirmed that point better than Shay Bommer, the husband of Brynn’s best friend
Zoe, as he drove a fist into the living room wall of the Las Vegas suburban home he
shared with Zoe.

But Zoe wasn’t here right now.

The emptiness was symbolized to sickening perfection by the crater left behind as
Shay stepped back, snarling at everyone in the room like a cornered animal. It took
a while. It was a full house tonight with eight other people in the room, five of
them legitimately qualifying as humanized Mack trucks. The men had dropped everything
to fly here for the guy who’d once served side-by-side with them as part of the First
Special Forces Group. Brynna stood nervously in an opposite corner with El Browning
and Ryder Monroe, the friends she couldn’t be without right now.

Shay pulled his fist back, leaving a gaping cavity behind. The hole joined the other
two he’d already made. Brynn doubted anyone would blink if he destroyed the whole
wall.

Or maybe that was wishful thinking on her own behalf.

Taking out a wall felt like a damn great idea right now.

Even better idea? Obliterating the bastards who’d kidnapped Zoe six hours ago.

“Shay.” The word, hammered with command, was issued by the pirate hunk who stalked
forward. Though Rebel Stafford didn’t have an eye patch or a peg leg, the comparison
fit in every other way. Those shoulder-length waves of jet-black hair. Those eyes,
shot with Caribbean blue specks. That accent, laced with earthy Creole. Those tattoos
covering both arms—or so she assumed. The form-fitting T-shirt he wore over his camouflage
pants prevented final confirmation—not that her mind’s eye hadn’t already re-outfitted
him in breeches, riding boots, a tricorn, and nothing else.

No time for the rest of that vision. Brynn would have been thankful for it too, if
the reason was anything other than this.

Dear God. Why Zoe? Anyone but Zoe
.

Except that no one but Zoe made sense.

A truth that ravaged every inch of Shay Bommer’s face.

“What?” The man spun and glared at Rebel. “
What
? Have you come bearing any useful information about where the
fuck
my eight-months-pregnant wife is, Reb? If you haven’t, then get the hell out of my
sight.”

A pulse ticked in Rebel’s stubbled jaw. If she blinked she would’ve missed it, so
formidable was the man’s self-control. “Can’t do that, man, and you know why.”

“Fuck off.”

“Not happening. You know I need to run through the details with you again.”

Shay slumped against the wall. Brynn’s heart broke for him. In this case, “the details”
only meant one thing: the horrific sequence of events between his wife’s bathroom
break during their dinner date, and the moment she’d screamed before being shoved
into the back of a black van at the restaurant’s back door. Shay had sprung to his
feet, bursting into the alley in time to notice only two things about the van before
it sped away. One, it had no plates of any kind. Two, the driver maneuvered the bulky
thing like a seasoned pro.

“Damn it.” Shay exposed locked teeth. “I’ve told you everything I know!”

“I know.” Rebel squared his shoulders. “But I need you to sit down, take a shitload
of deep breaths then tell me again. I need everything you can possibly remember.”

Shay dropped his head. Dragged both hands through his thick chestnut hair, choking
back a broken breath. “I…can’t.”

“Yes, you can. We need more to go on. Something.
Anything
.”

By “we,” Rebel included the guy right behind him, whom he was rarely seen without.
Rhett Lange, call-sign Double-Oh, served as their battalion’s tech and covert identity
specialist on all missions—the fancy way of saying that on the team’s most dangerous
missions, his dependability was key. Nobody knew that more clearly than Rebel, who
as the “blow-shit-up guy”, needed rock-solid intel at every turn of an op.

Brynn jerked her head, forcing the tangent away. Why the hell did she know all of
that? Even worse, that it gave her the same adrenalin kick as her
Teen Scene
centerfolds wall from high school? Even right now. Especially right now.

Focus, Monet. Focus on what
you
can do to help. Zo wasn’t just your dance captain for three years. She was your rock
through all the shitty times—and the days that were worse than that. You have to be
there for her now. You have do to something.

Another silent but desperate plea. She was going not-so-slowly insane, sitting here
in helpless dread and disbelief—

A feeling she was no stranger to.

Good afternoon, Brynna. I’m Officer Feld and this is Officer Smythe, Vegas PD. Sorry
to pull you out of rehearsal, but I’m afraid we have some bad news. It’s about your
sister, Enya…

She was saved from the memory in the nick of time—by the man who stepped up and pulled
her back to safety—mentally, at least. Rhett Lange’s effect on her body wasn’t so
simple. The man matched his friend for sheer physical potency—with one difference.
He wasn’t a pirate. No other comparison worked for Rhett but
Viking.
Though no wild hair tumbled to his shoulders, the red tips of his short blonde spikes
lent the Icelandic flair. His eyes, the color of North Sea depths, were bracketed
by rugged creases that deepened as he focused on Shay.

“Reb’s straight up on this, Bommer. I can’t do a thing with what you’ve given me.
Think
. You’ve been trained to do this. Close your eyes. Focus. Can you at least tell me
which way the van turned at the end of the alley?”

Shay slid down the wall,
thunk
ed to his backside, and buried his head in his hands. “You mean as I watched them
drive away with my helpless, screaming wife?”

The room fell silent—until a small sob stabbed the air to Brynn’s left. She reached
over, locking hands with El and Ryder again. The woman who’d danced with her as many
years as Zoe, along with the male model who’d become the D’Artagnan to their Three
Musketeers, joined their desperate grips to hers. The connection was comforting, but
didn’t fill the void left by Zoe’s absence. Nobody knew her as deeply as Zoe. Enya
didn’t count. Not anymore.

Stay strong. You have to stay strong. Zo would do the same for you.

She managed to keep from trembling—until a three a.m. breeze snuck in through the
patio, threaded with enough of a March chill to thwart her effort. El began to shake,
too. Ry yanked them both against his chiseled chest…again, a huddle missing a key
player.

“Zoe.” El’s sob was broken with grief. “Oh my God…Zoe.”

Her cry yanked Rhett’s head around. As he took in their miserable clump, a grimace
stabbed his soldier’s veneer. “Fucking bollocks.” The desperation in his voice, underlined
by the accent clipped by both London and New York, reached into Brynn’s heart. “We
have to figure this fucker out.”

Rebel stalked back across the room. “Damn it, Bommer. I get that this is hell for
you—”

Shay surged up, a bestial sound bursting out. “You get it? Is that so? Then enlighten
me, Moonstormer.” The call-sign might as well have been hot oil on his tongue. “Tell
me what the hell you
get.
You go through a different submissive each month. You flog ’em and fuck ’em, with
aftercare barely over before you’re eyeing the next skirt in line. Forgive me, asshole,
if I have trouble believing how you
get
this.”

Under other circumstances, the accusation would’ve earned Shay a black eye from Rebel,
followed by the other guys in the room. Every one of them had dropped everything to
be here for their buddy in his blackest moment. Rebel and Rhett had flown from Seattle
with Garrett Hawkins and Zeke Hayes, where the four of them still served in Special
Forces out of Joint Base Lewis McChord. Another former battalion-mate, Kellan Rush,
had arrived an hour ago from Hawaii—an odd sight, since Tait Bommer wasn’t with him.
Shay’s older brother was also Kell’s best friend, damn near surgically attached to
the man except for when he’d been hauled off for training in the middle of the ocean.
Also taking part in that training were the battalion’s captain, John Franzen, and
language specialist Ethan Archer. While awaiting clearance for leave from the training,
Franzen and Archer had joined Tait in calling every hour to check on Shay. The coincidence
was very likely a blessing in disguise. Shay was already crumbling at the seams. Tait’s
presence would likely make that worse.