Empire by Rachel van Dyken

Author:Rachel van Dyken
Language: eng
Format: azw3
Tags: Romance, General, Suspense, Fiction, General Fiction
ISBN: 9781942246930
Publisher: Blue Tulip Publishing
Published: 2016-05-20T07:00:27.056570+00:00

Lovers and madmen have such seething brains. –A Midsummer Night’s Dream

Valentina

I STAYED IN my room like a complete coward all night. Thank God I had a stash of licorice and protein bars in one of my bags from work.

The piece of red licorice hung out of my mouth as I tore open the next letter. So far, they hadn’t given me any clues as to who was actually sending the things.

My money was on Frank.

Until I saw Frank and he seemed more… distant and cold, not the type to send letters from the grave.

Not at all.

There were only three letters left.

Panicked, I went back through to make sure I’d counted right.

Three?

Could that be right?

So what? I’d been given seven?

Frowning, I pulled the sheet of paper out. It looked like it had coffee spilled on it, but it smelled like the Victoria Secret coconut vanilla lotion I wore.

Over and over again the cycle continued, the prince, or the beast, struggled with his demons. His past calling to him while his future was laid out perfectly. But beasts, they are trained to fight against what feels wrong. Emotions can be so fickle, can’t they? Patience. Be patient. I imagine you’ve received your dress, the shoes, something old, something new, something blue. I also imagine that he saw the shoes. So just in case you don’t still have them, you’ll receive another package tomorrow. Don’t open it until ten minutes before you walk down the aisle. Wear everything and give him the other half of the package with his name on it. And remember, it isn’t how you start, but how you finish.

All my love,

R

More and more the letters made no sense and bordered on creepy, as if the individual knew me personally or was at least watching me and writing the letters in real time.

Was it one of the guys?

Or their wives?

Ugh, my head hurt.

I guess it didn’t really matter who it was, because it changed nothing, right? It changed absolutely nothing.

Something loud clanged from downstairs followed a few seconds later by another loud clanging. Panicked, since it wouldn’t stop, I tore out of my room and ran down the stairs.

Yelling and clanging got louder, and when I entered the kitchen I nearly fell over backward.

Sergio and Tex were arm wrestling.

“One way or another bastard, I will beat you!” Tex roared.

“More shots!” Chase yelled slamming a shot glass onto the table and then turning around offering whiskey straight out of the bottle. Phoenix held his stomach as he leaned against the counter cursing Chase to hell, while Nixon looked completely sober.

And yet, he was drinking like it was water.

“Ahhhhh!” Tex yelled using all his strength to slam Sergio’s hand to the left, while Sergio leaped to his feet. “Cheating!”

“You never said I couldn’t stand!”

Tex stood.

Sergio stayed standing.

“It’s amazing how they won’t give up.” Nixon shook his head. “Guys, call it a draw.”

“Shut the hell up!” they said in unison still trying.

“Well, one’s going to have a stroke.” Chase seemed overjoyed at the idea.

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