Impossible Choice
by Sybil
Bartel
(Unchecked
#2)
Published
by: Carina Press
Publication
date: August 31st 2015
Genres: Contemporary, New
Adult, Romance
Synopsis
Book
two of Unchecked
After
her parents were murdered, Layna Blair spent three years on the run—until
Marine Sergeant Blaze Johnson stepped in and saved her. With him, Layna knew
safety for the first time…but two weeks after shipping out for another tour in
Afghanistan, Blaze comes home early.
When
Layna sees the jagged wounds covering his body, every truth she thought she
knew is destroyed. Blaze is distant and angry and though her heart is
shattered, Layna desperately tries to keep their relationship together in the
face of another tragedy. When the tenuous bonds holding them together are
ripped apart by a revenge-hungry maniac, Layna must trust her survival instinct
and bury her past for good.
But
the enemy is two steps ahead, and before she can take action, Layna’s hand is forced
by his deadly demands—save herself or save the man who risked his life for her
freedom. Blaze saved her once. This time it’s her turn to protect him.
Excerpt
Trembling,
I found a dress towards the back of the closet and yanked it out. Long, white,
slinky, it had spaghetti straps and a large red flower silk screened on the
bottom right. I couldn’t even remember what I’d bought it for. Didn’t matter. I
slipped it over my head and ignored the way it hung too loosely around my hips.
I stepped into high heeled sandals and searched through my mother’s jewelry for
a pair of pearl and diamond earrings. I pinned my hair up in a loose twist and
looked in the mirror.
A
panicked young woman I didn’t recognize stared back. Eyes too big for her face,
honeyed skin too pale, her mouth wouldn’t smile. An ugly scar marred her thin
left upper arm and the bones below her neck showed just enough to not be sexy.
Make-up.
I needed make-up. Scrambling for what little supplies I had, I lined my eyes in
black, swiped on mascara and dusted color over my cheeks. Some nude lip gloss
and it was as good as it was going to get. I’d never accumulated the amount of
make-up my mother had. She never left the house without being a hundred percent
flawless, her hair, her make-up, her clothes. A pang of grief gripped my chest
and I fought back tears.
I
would not cry. My mother rarely taught me things, she lived by example, but one
of the things she did teach me was to keep putting one foot in front of the
other. Keep moving, keep smiling. It was her arsenal. Never let them see you
sweat, she used to say.
I
went back to closet, found a small purse to match my shoes and when I took my
wallet from my other bag, it slipped from my hand and landed face open.
I
reached down and fate mocked me.
Layna
Blair smiled at me from the clear plastic slot where you kept a driver’s
license but Jennifer Dellis had slipped out from her hiding place behind it.
Hands
shaking, I pulled out the two driver’s licenses. Layna Blair. Jennifer Dellis.
“You
look stunning.”
I
jumped and Blaze kissed my neck. “You ready?” His strong arms wrapped around me
from behind.
I
bit down on my trebling lip and looked over my shoulder at the man who’d saved
Layna Blair.
He
went perfectly still.
“I
don’t know who I am.” I whispered.
Purchase
AUTHOR BIO
I
grew up in Northern California with my head in a book and my feet in the sand.
I dreamt of becoming a painter but the heady scent of libraries with their
shelves full of books drew me into the world of storytelling. I love the
New Adult genre, but any story about a love so desperately wrong and impossibly
beautiful makes me swoon.
I
now live in Southern Florida and while I don’t get to read as much as I like, I
still bury my toes in the sand. If I’m not writing or fighting to contain the
banana plantation in my backyard, you can find me spending time with my
handsomely tattooed husband, my brilliantly practical son and a mischievous
miniature boxer…
But
Seriously?
Here
are ten things you probably really want to know about me.
I
grew up a faculty brat. I can swear like a sailor. I love men in uniform. I
hate being told what to do. I can do your taxes (but don’t ask). The Bird
Market in Hong Kong freaks me out. My favorite word is desperate…or dirty,
or both—I can’t decide. I have a thing for muscle cars. But never reply on me
for driving directions, ever. And I have a new book boyfriend every
week—don’t tell my husband.
Author Links
Giveaway
Blitz-wide
giveaway (INTL)
$50 Amazon GC
Hosted by
