The Runaway Viper (Viper #2) (23 page)

“We don’t have all night, Clara,” Daniel pushes her, trying to coerce her to an overall decision. “Opening time is in five minutes. The choice is yours.”

“Fine!” Clara exclaims miserably. “Get her out of my sight before I change my mind,” Clara declares defeat; turning her back and going to her own side of the desk. She reaches into a drawer, searches through it and pulls out a file. She comes back, brandishing it before it throwing it at Jace. “Now!”

“Count it done,” Jace agrees and doesn’t offer Clara chance to back down. “You come near Joely again, and I’ll make sure your little side business is blown so far out in the open, no corner of the world will hide you.”

As he finalizes his summation, my shoulders drop. The weight of my contract taken from me, and I’m left feeling incredibly weak. I feel Jace drop his jacket over my shoulders and then he scoops me up into his arms. As he turns with me cradled against him safely, I see my father standing just to the side holding my contract, looking at ease. My time here is finally over. That’s the deal. I’m finally free.

As I’m carried out, my freedom is short-lived, as my soul takes into account all that I’m being taken away from. I’m free, but so many aren’t. There’s no fairness in that. It’s harder to ignore when I see Brianna’s face as Jace turns to carry me up the narrow staircase. She looks so broken being left behind
again
. My heart aches, but there’s nothing I can do. My actions are empty right now, but this isn’t the end. Far from it.

I can’t carry on believing that Clara will be free to reign down whatever hellish reality she wishes.

This isn’t how it ends. It can’t be. Even if for now I can believe it is.

“You saved me,” I whisper to Jace, my first words spoken to him.

“What else did you expect? I couldn’t break my promise.”

“That’s right,” I murmur, nuzzling into him, “You couldn’t, but this is unfinished.”

Jace only answers with a low chuckle. It rumbles through him, full of more conviction than anything he could have said. We’re both on a level plane with one another, and we both understand one thing - This is just the beginning of it all.

The End

• Book Three of The Viper Series and snippet.
  
• Femme Fatale –
  The Pericolo Series – snippet - Coming late 2014
  

(
The third and final book in The Viper Series)

When a red-eyed, disheveled Joely arrives back on the doorstep of The Viper Rooms, what is The Boss to do?

Turn away a girl she once had high hopes for or give her another chance?

Having felt robbed of seeing Joely reach her full potential, Clara decides to test her once head Viper Girl, but when Joely gives Clara a chance to have what she’s wanted, The Boss is left with a tough decision.

“Clara,” I murmur, trying to find conviction in my own voice. “I want to be like you. I want to never feel love again.”

Will Clara Delvine give up the chance to have her own protégée?

And is the seduction of opportunity too much to be passed up or has she met her match?

After all, can The Boss trust her Runaway Viper?

Snippet

“Joely,” Clara punctuates the air, allowing her sharp tone to travel the short distance across the room. "Why are you really here?" Clara asks
, she remains unmoved from her desk. “I know you’re still in love with him, so why are you back?”

I clear my throat, ready to tango with the devil. "I want to prove that I am not a pushover. I allowed Jace to take advantage of me and promise me a life that was never going to happen. At least you offered me an agreement." I strive to keep myself from breaking. “What you gave me was a chance to harden myself to men. I forgot to take that lesson and got sucked in.” My remarks go unheeded. She goes to walk away and I grab her. I stand tall, keeping my eyes on her all the time. “Clara,” I murmur, trying to find conviction in my voice. “I want to be like you."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Clara asks, interested in my comment, but displeased by my grasp on her. She shakes me off before heading over to her desk and resuming a safe distance between us. I’ve peaked her intrigue and have sitting back, open to my comments. “You want to be like me, how so?”

"I want to be what every man wants without allowing my heart to rule me."

My statement ends with her lips curling up into a smile. She’s impressed with the finale of my life with Jace and I try to harden my exterior. I want to keep her like this, make her believe me, force her to want me.

“I want to be the woman that can walk through a room and every man has to stop and stare at and only have the power to wish he had me. I want to be something men would die for. I want to never trust my heart with a man.” I blink rapidly, it’s a nervous trait I guess, but I hope it doesn’t detract from my summation. “I want to be able to destroy a man if he even tries to make me love him. I want to hold the power.” I feel my mouth dry as my eyes water.
“Just like you do.”

Coming end of 2014

*-*-*-*

(
The first of a two part in The Pericolo Series)

They call me the Femme Fatale.

But only because they don’t know me.

My job - seduce men to the climatic point of falling in love with me and then deliver their death sentence.

I work for my father’s business. I’m his secret weapon. I’m the one that gets away with
murder
.

For years, I’ve given in to my father’s demands, lived the life of a mob princess, fell into this merciless realm where he presents me with a man and one goal – to kill.

When it’s to keep the Abbiati name from ruins, I’ll run with the wolves and protect it fiercely.

However, when he brings a new name to the table, I know my newest mission could well be the one that breaks me - Don’t feel, don’t deviate, kill Zane Maverick.

It should be simple, but how am I supposed to choose between the man who raised me to be this heartlessly strong female and the man I could only ever love to death?

***Warning: scenes of sex and graphic murder***

Snippet

We enter, and we’re barely in the room for more than two seconds, before my father begins to tell me who I’m required to get rid of next. “Zane Maverick,” he says, and I can see from the look in his eyes, he knew exactly how this one would get me.

My heart stops. If that was ever physically possible to happen once, it’s honestly happened for a fourth time and all because of this one man. First, was when we met – it was like destiny singing at me. It was telling me that he was soul mate, the one that be my saviour. The second time was when we first kissed – it was so innocent and honest, but it was the beginning of the end because the third time my heart stopped dead in my
chest, was when he broke my heart and walked away. The fourth time is right now, and I don’t see the rhythm being kicked back into sequence any time soon.

“Zane Maverick?” I ask and curse myself for my voice travelling out so fucking feebly.

I’m Italian royalty. I’m meant to be untouchable, unattainable and undefeatable. My name is meant to drive fear, I am driven by fear. I am its broken puppet, but we work together. It orchestrates everything I do, even the way my heart beats. Except, hearing the name of the man I still continue to strive to forget, I know I fear a name far more than my own –
Zane Maverick
. It plays with my mind, toys with my emotions, confuses the rationality between my head and heart and without me being in the same fucking room as him.

I shake my head, telling myself to get a grip, but it’s made harder as my father gives me a photograph of him. Immediately, I recognise the strong jaw and handsome face with the deep brown eyes that used to be watching me as I woke up. He’s barely changed in the eighteen months since he broke my heart and never looked back. “What has he done?”

“He’s crimes,” my father begins, taking the photo away from me. “He broke your heart so fiercely even you didn’t come to me at first.” He looks at me, his eyes hooded with disappointment at my lack of trust from years gone by. “That’s a sign of a dishonourable man if he can make my own family hold secrets. Especially my only daughter.” My father begins to smile at me. “Don’t look so worried, I’m not forcing you to do just your own vengeance, Bambina. He’s been digging into our family and I don’t like a threat. They’re a nuisance to me. If anyone can get them as good as gone, it’s you.” My father’s eyes begin to twinkle before me, becoming alive. “Plus, you have leverage.”

“So I’m the bait in this case?” I ask, trying to keep my tone from becoming savage with incredulity and heightened concern.

“Exactly.” My father doesn’t mince his words. “If he stills love you even remotely close to how he used to then, Princess, I see no problem with this being your easiest kill yet.”

Coming 2014

Mama Still

You are, and always have been, my biggest supporter. I wouldn’t have achieved half the things I have without your love and guidance. You put up with my crazy moments, my random dancing, my stupid comments and my bursts of flash ideas. You are, by far, one of the
people who has kept me going and has cheered me on regardless of what has been going on in our lives.

I love you and thank you for you everything you do for me.

Allana
and Victoria –
My Bunny Bitches!

I had to do it, because you are my bunny bitches!
(LOL) Without you two, I’d be beyond lost! You came into my life and have done nothing but support me, love me and encouraged me – with the good and bad *ahem* Nick Bateman? Without you, SATVR wouldn’t have made it out there and new people wouldn’t have fallen in love. Without you, I wouldn’t be able to spout new ideas and crazy plot twists and I’d have probably combusted from keeping it all pent up! Thank you for being you. I love you, ladies!

Nicola (Nicatola!)

My crazy equal.
Thank you for being you and filling my time with quirky comments, LOLcats, bad jokes and sharing my enthusiasm when imagination starts to bite! I honestly don’t have a clue what I would do without you and your insane personality! Thank you for all you do from being a best friend to sharing my sense humour and for loving penguins and faceplanting Ben&Jerry’s as much as I do!

Beth

I would take note of your multiple names, but I could be here a while! Thank you for being the level headed one when I’m going completely crazy! You are one of the best people in my life and I can’t help but thank my lucky stars for deciding to
pursue self-publishing because it meant I met you! Now let’s go to the zoo?

Charlotte W

I know I keep saying it, but how the hell did we work together for so long without knowing how well we get along?! I love that I have you board for all my whacky thought processes, wild moments and absolute random nonsense.

Not sure what I would do without you now, so lets not find out!

Amy

Thank you for showing me that fighting for something you love is worthwhile even when giving up seems like such a better idea. Thank you for still being by my side even when times get tough and for being able to be you with me.

Jenny

Thank you for being my last minute saviour! You, quite literally, saved this girls butt by stepping up and amazing me with your rapid speed editing!

The Viper Girls

You girls are amazing. Thank you for sharing your support, having input and understanding when I have to take a step away. Here is to some more fun, teasers, hot men and randomness!

To everyone else,
thank you for being a part of this journey. Thank you to Nikki, Eryn, Tracy, Jane, LM Mercer, Rachel, Sam, Natalie, Shera, Katie, and so many others. You have made my day on numerous accounts.

Kirsty-Anne Still is a twenty-three year old writer from Kent in the south east of England. Having found a love for writing in 2009, Kirsty dreamt of pursuing her writing. She allowed it to consume her life in the form of wild ideas scrawled onto post-it notes, scraps of papers, whichever surface is first available!

She spends her time with family, friends, working and dreaming about her next best novel idea! Always been a soft touch for romance,
Kirsty cannot withhold from having a strong romantic touch to her books, regardless of how dangerous the plot can become!

After being just another
Fanfiction writer, Kirsty found the self-belief to step out from writing someone else’s characters and writing her own. Even though A Fire That Burns was an adaptation from a Fanfiction she had written years before, The Viper Series was a trilogy that added to a long line of original work that is yet to be finished – blame it on the overactive imagination!

Writing is
a lifeline. She now loves creating a world that others can literally fall into and love as much as she does. She loves having the control to make a whole new world. It’s like a dependency, and an addictive one! As much as she complains, Kirsty does love the mini dialogues that go on in her head, the plotlines that attack her when she least expects them to, and the excitement that comes with a brand-spanking-new idea! The ones that jump to life at the most inappropriate times and drive her totally crazy!!

For now
, Kirsty splits her life between writing, dreaming, working, and volunteering with children.

To learn more about Kirsty, visit-

https://www.facebook.com/pages/
authorkirstyannestill

On
Goodreads-

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7059341.Kirsty_Anne_Still