Excerpt

She’d had a strong personality then—it had been necessary.

The Isabel Ward in front of him looked like she’d spit conflict in the eye and tell it to kiss her ass.

Travis was damn glad he was sitting, even gladder he was in no shape to be on his feet, and even gladder than that that he was almost positive he was too drained to even feel aroused, given the circumstances.

“Fine,” she muttered, more to herself than him. “We’ll cut it off.”

Travis had been listening to the rhythm and cadence of her husky voice—but not exactly hearing her words. The cut-it-off comment had him jerking upright, which immediately sent pain crashing through him. He bit back on the curses only out of the instinct borne of years of training.

Showing a weakness could lead to getting killed. Apathetic as he was about life in general most days, he owed his family better than to get his ass murdered on the other side of the globe doing God only knows what, so he generally did try to avoid it.

But he couldn’t hide the sweat that broke out of his forehead, or the way his head started spinning.

Isabel had turned away as she muttered to herself and now she was facing him again, her mouth in a hard, flat line. Light reflected off the scissors she held in her hand.

Bracing one hand on the couch, he eyed the scissors, then slanted a look up at her. She didn’t look like she’d gone and developed some bloodthirsty edge of the years.

“What are you talking about cutting off?” he asked warily.

Her brows rose, a puzzled look on her face. Then, slowly, a smile curved her lips, humor dancing in her eyes. “Oh, honey. That ship has sailed. Those days are long, long past.”

She started forward.

He didn’t relax as he darted another look at the scissors. “What ship are we talking about? And you haven’t answered me.”

“Your shirt,” she said tartly. “You’re bleeding.”

“I can deal with it.” It finally dawned on him that she’d come over to help him. He couldn’t quite believe it, not from her. Not after what he’d done.

from Twisted – Travis Barnes’ story, the long-awaited finale to the Barnes Brothers Series.

Just so ya know… I’ll be self-publishing this. I have absolutely no idea on release date, etc, but I’m hoping this year. It’s moving fast.