Shattered Bonds: Book Seven of Wicked Play Read online

  Shattered Bonds: Book Seven of Wicked Play

  By Lynda Aicher

  Will the doors of The Den close forever?

  When the lives and friendships of The Den owners are thrown into chaos, Noah Bakker steps in to deal with the fallout. He hasn’t had a sub or participated in a Scene since tragedy changed his life four years ago. But as an investor in the exclusive BDSM club, he can’t walk away from the lifestyle completely. As he works to keep the club running, he finds himself drawn to Liv Delcour, the seemingly naive sister of one of the other owners.

  Liv didn’t know about the naughty things her friends were up to behind closed doors, but when their secrets become headline news, she’s more curious than shocked. As she works with Noah to keep the media at bay, she finds that his dominant strength is more than a little arousing. Soon they’re exploring their mutual desires in the most wicked ways.

  Liv isn’t sure if she can completely submit to Noah the way she thinks he wants her to—and Noah isn’t sure he can withstand the pain of falling in love…

  New to the Den? Start at the beginning with Bonds of Trust.

  106,000 words

  Dear Reader,

  September might herald the end of summer fun and the vacation season, but the one thing you and I both know, as avid readers, is that we can always escape the daily grind thanks to books! This month, Carina Press is placing extra emphasis on the mystery genre, with the last week of September dedicated to not only our entire backlist of mysteries, but also four brand-new frontlist releases in four different subgenres of mystery.

  Within the mystery program, we welcome debut author Ricardo Sanchez with his novel Elvis Sightings. In this unique mystery that absolutely delighted our team from the first moment we read it, Floyd is a private detective who lives his life the way he thinks Elvis would have wanted him to—fast and hard in a sequined jumpsuit—and if he can avoid the billy clubs of government agents, a Viking reenactment and the amorous attention of the bearded lady sheriff, he just might prove, once and for all, that Elvis is still alive.

  Rosie Claverton brings us the second book in The Amy Lane Mysteries (a series that has some of my favorite Carina Press covers!). Welsh amateur sleuths Amy and Jason return in Code Runner, with Jason framed for the murder of a gang runner. When his prison transport is broken open, Jason is caught between the police, the gangs and the mastermind behind Jason’s downfall, while Amy races to prove his innocence.

  In Mistress of Lies, a historical mystery by Holly West, a young beggar girl claiming to be Isabel Wilde’s niece—previously unknown to her—shows up unexpectedly and reveals that Isabel’s brother Adam was murdered, compelling Isabel to take up an impossible task: discover the truth about her brother’s death, twelve years later.

  And joining these three in the mystery category, with a new release in her Patience Price Mystery series, Julie Anne Lindsey brings us Murder in Real Time. When a popular reality show host is murdered at the local bed-and-breakfast, Patience’s small town is overrun with grieving fans, paparazzi and a gunman who puts Patience in the crosshairs.

  If mystery isn’t your favorite genre, we have nine new releases in September in romance subgenres. Starting with contemporary romances, first up is Breaking His Rules by Alison Packard. If you love the friends to lovers trope as much as I do, you’ll love this story of two good friends pretending to be a couple at a coastal wedding, who find things get passionate when their true feelings rise to the surface.

  Rebound flings are supposed to have soft landings, but one sexy cop is about to fall hard in Christi Barth’s fun romantic caper Love on the Boardwalk. And in Emma Barry’s Private Politics, when a glamorous non-profit fundraiser becomes entangled in a political scandal, she turns to a savvy DC blogger for help clearing her name. As their hearts and ambitions collide, they find that everything in Washington comes with a price.

  If you like contemporary romance with an edge, reach for new adult romance Losing Streak by Kristine Wyllys. Rosemary Young was just another bartender until her boyfriend, Brandon Williams, lost a bet, leaving them with no choice but to sell their souls to the Lane’s crooked king.

  Author Stina Lindenblatt returns with Let Me Know, a contemporary romance with a new adult flavor. College freshman Amber Scott is propelled into the media spotlight when love letters she supposedly sent to her stalker surface prior to his upcoming trial.

  Switching gears to three books outside the contemporary romance genre, I’d like to turn your attention to Tyler Flynn’s newest male/male historical romance, Hunting the Spy. Nathan Kennett is hunting down a traitor who is selling the secrets of England’s defenses to the French rebels—could it be Sir Peter Ross, the man he loves?

  Don’t miss the final book in Jeffe Kennedy’s fantasy romance Covenant of Thorns trilogy. In Rogue’s Paradise, our scientist heroine discovers the origin of the fae and of her own nature, and whether she can make true love actually work. And it’s not too late to catch up with the first two books in this fantastic trilogy, Rogue’s Pawn and Rogue’s Possession.

  Eleri Stone’s Gun Shy has a wonderful Firefly-esque Western feel in a paranormal romance world. When criminal boss Gideon Moore sends men to steal the fort’s dwindling supply of Reaper cure for sale on the black market, Jane Fisher offers to guide Lieutenant Lyle Dalton through the shady side of Storm King Territory in an attempt to recover the serum.

  And last this month, we’re thrilled to present Shattered Bonds, the final book in Lynda Aicher’s Wicked Play erotic romance series. At the same time, we’re sad to see these characters go, as Lynda has captivated us with the emotional ups and downs of the relationships between this compelling cast of characters. Don’t miss this book, in which everything could change when the past comes back to destroy the members of The Den. Look for Game Play, the first book in Lynda’s new erotic romance trilogy, in spring 2015.

  Coming in October 2014, Dana Marie Bell returns us to the world of Maggie’s Grove, we welcome co-authors Eileen Griffin and Nikka Michaels and their incredible male/male romance duology, and R.L. Naquin is back with her urban fantasy Monster Haven series.

  Here’s wishing you a wonderful month of books you love, remember and recommend.

  Happy reading!

  ~Angela James

  Editorial Director, Carina Press

  Dedication

  To my friends, critique partners, beta readers, family, editor, publisher and readers—all of whom I’ve

  mentioned before. Thank you for staying with me through this series and cheering me on the whole way.

  A special shout-out and thanks go to Rhonda Helms, Angela James and the entire Carina Press team for your belief in my stories and the amazing support I’ve

  received from all of you. It’s been an incredible ride.

  Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen<
br />
  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Chapter Thirty

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  Epilogue

  Excerpt

  About the Author

  Copyright

  Chapter One

  “Goodbye.” Vivian Delcour leaned in and hugged her older sister. “Thanks again for everything, V.”

  Vanessa eased back, her long black hair shining beneath the overhead lights. “Stop thanking me already. You know I’d do anything for you, Liv.”

  Liv. The nickname that came from being V’s little sister. Little V had morphed into Liv before she was six and had stuck with her ever since. Not that she minded. Liv fit her better than Vivian, and being Vanessa’s little sister didn’t bother her. “Ditto.”

  She glanced around the private room off the main area of the restaurant at the twelve people she’d recently had the pleasure of meeting but felt like she’d known for years. They were friends of her sister’s who’d jumped in to assist with the end-of-summer carnival that had benefited the youth center Liv managed. That was two months ago, and she was still amazed at how much they’d done simply because her sister had asked.

  This evening out, attending the Glaciers’s game and this after-party, was her way of thanking them. “I don’t know why you’ve never introduced me to these friends before.”

  Her sister shrugged and glanced away, her gaze landing on her boyfriend, Holden Hauke, a professional hockey player for the Minnesota Glaciers and another relationship her sister had kept from her until recently. “I guess there’s never been a reason to.”

  “Well, they’re all great.” She leaned in, letting her hurt go. Secrets weren’t new with Vanessa, and she was honestly happy that her sister had finally let some people into her life. “I can’t believe you never told me you knew Cici Norton,” she whispered, subtly eyeing the beautiful, petite blonde with only a touch of awe. “Sports and TV stars? Who else do you know?”

  Vanessa leveled a pointed look at Liv. “Quinn and Marcus are keeping a low profile.”

  “I get that,” Liv reassured her. “I won’t say anything.”

  “I know. But it wasn’t my secret to give away.”

  She understood that and didn’t hold it against her sister either.

  “You sure you got a ride home?” Vanessa reached out to take Holden’s hand as he walked up to them. The stocky right winger had become like a brother to Liv when he’d spent so much time volunteering at the youth center over the summer.

  “Yeah.” She scanned the room, found Noah Bakker on the other side and nodded toward the tall, stoic man with dark hair that curled slightly around his shirt collar. “Noah’s been my gracious chauffeur tonight. He said he’d take me home.”

  “Let us know when you’re ready to look for a new car,” Holden said.

  Her old beater, Bessie, had died for good last week. V had been nagging her for years to let her buy Liv a new car, but there was some pride involved in rejecting the handout. She’d make do with the bus until she could find a decent replacement that fit her budget.

  “Take care,” she told Holden as she pulled him in for a hug. Sometimes it was easier to ignore a topic than respond to it. “And thanks for everything. The kids love following you.”

  “I’ll stop in soon.”

  The youth center kids were all rabid Glaciers’s fans after meeting most of the team at the carnival. She had her fingers crossed that the Glaciers’s organization came through on their promise to donate tickets so the kids could come to a game this season.

  “You guys taking off?” Marcus asked Holden and Vanessa as he walked up, Quinn at his side.

  “Yeah. I’ve got another game tomorrow,” Holden answered.

  “We’ll walk out with you.” He glanced down at Quinn and winked. Marcus towered over his girlfriend, a contrast as striking as his inky-black hair to her trademark pale, almost white mane. “Blake needs to eat.”

  Quinn rolled her stunning blue eyes. “More like I need to feed him. Soon.” She pressed a palm over a breast and flinched. Their son was twelve weeks old, and five hours away evidently pushed the feeding schedule.

  They said their last goodbyes, and Liv dutifully took her sister’s warning to stay away from Noah, as if she needed it. The man hadn’t shown an ounce of interest in her outside of polite courtesy since he’d started volunteering twice a week at the youth center back in July. His help with the older kids’ homework was a much-needed service, and she had no intention of screwing it up by making an unwanted pass at him.

  “Mind if I join you?” she asked the remaining three women who were seated at a table while the men huddled around a flat screen a few feet away, arguing over basketball stats.

  “Please.” Cali waved toward an empty chair. The blond woman was nicely dressed, and the pink sweater set that showed off the delicate silver choker she always wore didn’t seem out of place on her, even for a hockey game. “We were just discussing the benefits of becoming hockey fans.”

  Liv laughed and agreed with them as she took a seat.

  “So how’s the center doing?” Kendra asked. Of the three women, Kendra had been the most reserved and hardest to get to know. It was the patience she showed with the kids at the center that had won Liv over instantly, and she had no guilt tapping into Kendra’s background as a school counselor for advice.

  “Good. Things slow down quite a bit during the school year.”

  “Which is the opposite for me,” Kendra said with a light laugh. The engagement ring on her finger flashed in the light, and Liv glanced over at Deklan, the woman’s fiancé. The man gave off an intimidating air with his buzz cut and abrupt manner, but his expression softened every time he looked at Kendra.

  Allie leaned in. “You still have my cards, right?”

  “Yes.” Liv smiled her thanks. “And I’ve handed a few out.” She’d been touched when the sharp lawyer had provided business cards for Liv to share with families who could use pro bono legal help.

  “Hmm.” Allie flicked her curly hair back and crossed her arms over her chest with a frown. “No one’s contacted me yet.”

  “Most of the people in that area have a hard time trusting anything that’s free.”

  She pursed her lips before nodding. “Maybe I should come to the center and meet them. Show them my offer is sincere.”

  The generosity of these new friends continued to stun Liv, but she wasn’t about to pass up any offers for help when it came to the center. “That’d be great. We can talk next week to arrange a time when you’re free.”

  The small party wound down about an hour later. She put on a smile and kept her irritation from showing when she discovered V had taken care of the tab before she’d left. Knowing her sister, she would refuse any attempts to pay her back, just like Holden had refused payment for the game tickets.

  This was something she’d wanted to do for everyone, and it had been stripped away from her with their good intentions—not that any of the others knew. Midnight had passed a while ago and she was tired, so it was just as well that the evening was ending.

  “We had a great time,” Cali said as they all made their way to their cars. “Thanks for doing this.”

  “Are you kidding me?” Liv tucked her hands into her coat pockets to protect them from the chilly October air. “This is nothing compared to everything you guys have donated to the center. It’s the least I could do.”

  Allie leaned around Cali, a lock of hair blowing across her face. “We should definitely have a girl’s
night at the hockey game.”

  “Hey,” Tyler said, wedging himself between the women. “Aren’t two men enough for you?”

  Liv laughed along with everyone else. When she’d first learned that Allie, Seth and Tyler were a trio, they’d all tensed, like they’d expected a negative reaction. Her Woman’s Studies degree had wiped out any prejudices she might have had, including all things sexual. Besides, their happiness was obvious. In fact, all the couples appeared very committed to each other. Given her own family’s example of disastrous relationships, the envy for what they had only pricked her a bit.

  “More than enough,” Allie assured him, sealing her words with a smacking kiss.

  “This way, happy girls.” Jake directed the slightly drunk trio of women toward an oversized black SUV. “Thanks again, Liv.” He waved toward her and opened the car door, tugging his girlfriend, Cali, in for a kiss as she neared him.

  “We’ll take the back,” Allie said, shoving Cali ahead of her and pulling Kendra in behind.

  Liv shook her head, laughing again. “They’re good friends,” she said to Noah, ignoring the second nip of envy. She had a lot of social friends, but none she could claim as confidants. She glanced at Noah, who’d been silent at her side since they’d left the restaurant.

  “They are.”

  Seth waved before he swung into the driver’s seat of the SUV. She waited for Noah to say more but, like usual, he was conservative with his words.

  “‘Night, you two.”