Title: Battler

Author: C.L. Masonite

Genre: NA/Contemp Romance

Release Date: July 20, 2016 Cover Design: Kari Ayasha - Cover to Cover Designs 

For years I have been cast away—afar, out of reach, out of sight, out of mind. But now I’m back. I’ve been brought back into the fold, and I don’t know why. But I’ll find out, no matter the cost. I’ll also break free from the shark infested waters littered with those that seek to restrain me, to keep me in line—my ex, my father, my mother, my sister. And as for the Wolfe twin brothers, I’ll take them on. And I’ll take them out too. Drasko Wolfe thinks that he’ll make me his—but I am all mine. If he thinks I am going to be just another conquest, and do things at his behest then he may do so at his own coroner’s inquest. I am not just fighting for my survival, I am fighting for my little brother’s protection, and that makes me doubly motivated and doubly dangerous. I—Riletta Kasonite will best them all and come out on top. I will bow those who seek to hurt me to my will until they renounce their lies—until they come clean and their secrets are exposed. Until I get what I want. WARNING: Contains countless confrontations, not to mention mature, young adult/ adult situations too.

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***

Something was wrong. I jerked awake. I looked up at the sky and noted it was the early hours of the morning. I tossed the covers aside and got up to press my head next to the door. I could just make out faint tortured whimpers. A foreboding deep sense of eeriness crept over me. That couldn’t be from Drasko, could it? I pushed the door open, wincing at the creak and quietly walked through the hall, the noises getting louder with each step.

I bit down hard on my lip, the pain grounding me as it shook away the last tendrils of sleep to ensure that my eyes and ears were not deceiving me. Drasko was half-awake and half-asleep, the sheet was barely wrapped around his body as his hips and arms roiled and flayed away from an unknown hell. His body was glistening with sweat and the sounds coming from his mouth were unbearable, like a wounded animal.

I placed a calming hand to his chest. Like the effect of a gunshot entering him his body rippled and fell back. His cries stopped and everything was deathly silent. I even held my breath, was he awake or sleeping?

His eyes shot wide open, his ice blue pupils enlarged. His hands reached out and grabbed my waist pulling me on top of him then in a blurrily fast jujitsu like movement, he moved his hips and switched my superior position to being underneath him. His two arms came up next to my shoulders, caging me in.

My hand was still pressed to his chest despite the rearrangement. I could feel his heart beating abnormally fast. No words were spoken as we looked into each other’s eyes, waiting for him to catch his breath and for his pulse to return to normal.

He was completely unguarded, like I had never seen him before. His eyes were sheened over as if he was still caught in the past. I wanted to draw him out.

I pressed my other hand to his stubbly cheek feeling it rasp tenderly against my skin. He instinctively hung his face down into it, releasing a sigh as if I was helping to relieve him of his burden.

“Are you okay?”

“I’m never okay,” he uttered croakily.

I leaned up despite his stand off tense posture and wrapped my arms and legs around him. I could feel his weak limbs ready to fail on him. To prevent himself from crushing me, he reversed our positions. I could see that in that moment, I held all the power. But I wouldn’t abuse him like obviously others had before.

All of me was pressed against all of him. He didn’t hug me back, but he didn’t push me off either. I began to loosen my grip once his heavy breathing had abated and the shadows had faded from his eyes.

“Don’t leave—stay.” Those three words tore me apart. No one had ever stayed for me, there was no way that I was leaving him. I nodded my head. “I’m here.”

***

Writing isn’t a job – it’s not a way of life - it’s a dream! I’ve lived thousands of moments and I’ve been to thousands of places crafted by the soul crushing and soul mending words of thousands of authors. (Metaphorically raises glass of gin and tonic) Here’s to hoping I’ve created one thousandth of a moment of life for you …

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