Some threats come at you as friendly fire. Some threats take away everything. Family won’t let you go down without a fight. The Secret isn’t as secure as Derek’s team originally thought it was, and a person on the inside of Alexander-Knight is set on exposing him, breaking him, and taking away all he holds dear. Refusing to let anyone suffer for his crimes, Derek takes matters into his own hands. He’s exposed, he’s defenseless, but his friends are determined to save him. A STAND-ALONE, ONE TO HOLD NOVEL. Adult Contemporary Romance: Due to strong language and sexual content, this book is not intended for readers under the age of 18.    
 
Derek The muscle in my jaw clenches hard, but my voice stays calm. “Open the door, Melissa.” “No.” I step back ready to snap that chain with a swift kick, when she pushes it closed and the noise of that f**king deadbolt sounds again. “God dammit!” I shout as I shove my key back into the lock. I’m turning it open when I hear scraping noises on the other side. This time when I push against the wood, it doesn’t move at all. Resting my forehead against the door, I take another deep breath, fighting for control. “Please let me in.” “You promised!” She yells from the other side. “You looked in my eyes and promised.” “Baby, I didn’t know how serious this was.” “I won’t hear any more lies from you. Take your shit and leave. It’s over.” She’s crying now, and all semblance of control I had is gone. This is not happening. Stepping back, I hit the door with my shoulder as hard as I can. A low growl escapes my throat on impact. The door doesn’t budge. “Open the door,” I repeat. Again, she says, “No.” Stepping back, I kick it with the sole of my foot. The doorjamb shudders, but it doesn’t give. “Don’t make me call the police,” she shouts from the other side. That nearly sends me into a rage. My shoulders are rapidly rising and falling as I step back and survey this situation. The woman I love has thrown me out and is now threatening the cops on me. Am I having some kind of f**king bad dream? The only possible way I might get in the house comes to mind. “I want to see Dex.” She’s angry, yes, but if we can look at each other, talk it out… Maybe she needs to yell at me. I can listen, hear what she needs to say, and everything can go back to normal. “I’ll talk to my mom. We’ll work out a schedule for you to visit him.” My fist is pounding on the wood before I even realize what I’m doing. This is f**king idiotic, and I need to get on the other side of this f**king door and hold Melissa in my arms. “Stop it!” I can hear the break in her voice, and it rips me apart. “You’re scaring Dex.” Breathing hard, I rest my head against the wood again. Looking to the side, I can see the cracks that have formed around the doorjamb from my attempts to break it down. Sound filters through the spaces easily. The noise of my Melissa crying is just on the other side. I can’t take this. “Melissa.” This time I’m pleading with her. “Please open the door.” “No.” She says softly, between sniffles. My heart is twisting in my chest. “What do you want me to do, baby? Just tell me what to do.” “I want you to go away.” Her voice shakes as she says the words. “I can’t do that.” I’m breathing hard now. “I love you.” “Not enough to keep your promise.” “I love you more than enough.” Gripping the wooden frame, I fight my emotions. “Let me in.” “I’m done talking. Take your bags and go.” Noises on the other side sound like Dex whining. I hear her go to him and attempt to soothe him. Stepping back, I look at the windows and consider breaking one of them. For several long seconds, I visualize myself doing it. I look around the perimeter and see every place I can force my way inside, go in there and gather her in my arms, make her stop saying these things. But I don’t. It would scare Dex, it would anger Mel… It would only make things harder for me. Instead I do what she asks. Ice is in the pit of my stomach as I pick up my duffel and the largest suitcase and carry them to my car. Popping the trunk, I put them inside and go back for the remaining two.    
 
 
Tia Louise is the Amazon and International Bestselling author of the ONE TO HOLD series. From "Readers' Choice" nominations, to picking up USA Today "Happily Ever After" nods, to winning a 2014 "Lady Boner Award" (LOL!), nothing makes her happier than communicating with fans and weaving new tales into the Alexander-Knight world of stories. A former journalist, Louise lives in the center of the USA with her lovely family and one grumpy cat. There, she dreams up stories she hopes are engaging, hot, and sexy, and that cause readers rethink common public locations...  
  Sign up for Tia's Book News: http://eepurl.com/Lcmv1 Get Exclusive Sale and New Release text alerts straight to your device: Text "TiaLouise" to 77948* *Max 6 messages per month; HELP for help; STOP to cancel; Text and Data rates may apply. Privacy policy available, allnightreads@gmail.com.  
 

  
Some threats come at you as friendly fire. Some threats take away everything. Family won’t let you go down without a fight. The Secret isn’t as secure as Derek’s team originally thought it was, and a person on the inside of Alexander-Knight is set on exposing him, breaking him, and taking away all he holds dear. Refusing to let anyone suffer for his crimes, Derek takes matters into his own hands. He’s exposed, he’s defenseless, but his friends are determined to save him. A STAND-ALONE, ONE TO HOLD NOVEL. Adult Contemporary Romance: Due to strong language and sexual content, this book is not intended for readers under the age of 18.    
 
  Chapter 1: Secrets Melissa In the cool darkness of the semi-crowded bar, I study the glass in front of me and consider my journey, how many steps I’ve taken in the last two years, how far I’ve come. Memories of my old life fade like smoke in a glass. The shame that held me so tightly now dances at the edges of my mind like the whisper of a bad dream, a flicker of shadows that no longer make sense in my world. Young women in shiny slip dresses twist and laugh on the dance floor, but instead of resentment, my lips curl into a smile. My old self—cynical, bitter, defeated—is a memory I have to work hard to recall. These days I could dance all night with them, but I’d rather spend my energy engaged in other activities. The slim glass holds a pale amber liquid, and I can’t resist taking a sip. An involuntary wince pinches my eyes as I put it down. Seven and seven. Refreshing citrus dragged down by the heavy undertone of whiskey. So gross. Sliding my palms over my thighs, I realize my outfit isn’t much different from those of the girls on the dance floor. The deep red silk is fitted at my waist, and drapes loosely over my torso. My long dark hair is swept over one shoulder revealing a thin spaghetti strap. I lightly touch the delicate gold chain around my neck leading to the floating heart pendant that sits between my collarbones, and light glances off the thick gold cuff on my wrist. Unlike that night, I’m alone. My best friend Elaine is miles away with her new husband, most likely indulging in that blissful honeymoon period of early marriage. Make that, most certainly indulging. I know those two well. No, I came by myself to the bar in Princeton after finishing my business with a client in town. My infant son is in Wilmington, spending the weekend with his grandmother. Studying my hands, I admire the deep blue sapphire ring on my finger, but I have no wedding band. At thirty-two, I’m an unmarried mother of a beautiful little boy, and I wouldn’t change a thing… Yet. The tiny silver scar at my hairline reminds me of what a bad marriage looks like, and with my successful marketing business and the gorgeous cottage at the beach I own, I’m satisfied with my life. Calm, not desperate. I’ll take my next steps deliberately, with confidence. All these thoughts preoccupy my mind when I blink up and catch him watching me from across the square-shaped bar. Blue eyes, strikingly blue because of the way they stand out beneath his dark brow, coupled with collar-length thick dark hair. He’s massive, at least six-two, and elegantly dressed with a thick stainless watch on his wrist. I can spot his type a mile away—rich, powerful, accustomed to getting what he wants. I can’t deny the hum his gaze sets off under my skin. I know what he wants. Catching my lip in my teeth to stop my grin, I also know what I want, and it’s no coincidence I happened to look up at that exact moment to meet his stare. Still, I’ll make him work for it. He starts to move, his eyes never leaving mine. I don’t look away either. Thick cords of muscle ripple beneath the thin black sweater he wears as he glides past the oblivious patrons talking and laughing. Some are more animated than others, waving their arms and putting their drinks in peril. Yellow lights hidden in the recesses above the bar illuminate rows of liquor bottles in all colors and shapes. Glasses hanging upside down above also catch the flickering light. It’s a raucous atmosphere, but this man and I are in our own secret place of longing and desire. As he rounds the final corner, and I see him in full, my breath quickens. My eyes drift from his broad shoulders to his narrow waist, grey slacks and black shoes, then back up just as he reaches me. A close beard shadows his face, and the muscles low in my pelvis tighten at the thought of how it feels brushing the soft skin of my inner thighs…#SaveDerek #March26  
 
 
 Tia Louise is the Amazon and International Bestselling author of the ONE TO HOLD series. From "Readers' Choice" nominations, to picking up USA Today "Happily Ever After" nods, to winning a 2014 "Lady Boner Award" (LOL!), nothing makes her happier than communicating with fans and weaving new tales into the Alexander-Knight world of stories. A former journalist, Louise lives in the center of the USA with her lovely family and one grumpy cat. There, she dreams up stories she hopes are engaging, hot, and sexy, and that cause readers rethink common public locations...  
  Sign up for Tia's Book News: http://eepurl.com/Lcmv1 Get Exclusive Sale and New Release text alerts straight to your device: Text "TiaLouise" to 77948* *Max 6 messages per month; HELP for help; STOP to cancel; Text and Data rates may apply. Privacy policy available, allnightreads@gmail.com.