Eluded (29 page)

For hours, we lay naked in the
each other's arms, listening to the sound of our own breath and
heartbeats. When the sun set, Abbot rolled over on his side and
faced me, then ran his fingers through my hair.

"Hear my soul speak: the very
instant that I saw you, did my heart fly to your service. And here
I am with you, Lauren. Never doubt raw emotions," he said. "I
didn't."

"I'm happy you didn't."

He interlocked his fingers with
mine and moved close to my face, kissing my cheeks, my lips, my
forehead, and my neck. Then he pulled away with a smile and said
without hesitation, "There is nothing more beautiful than getting
lost in the
right now
with you. You're safe now,
Lauren. You're safe with me."

ABBOT

Epilogue

I
wanted, no needed her to
fear me, to be so disgusted with who I really was that she was
terrified, but as I opened myself in front of her and gave her
every ounce of me, the good and bad, I knew that it wouldn't
happen. There were no more secrets.

I was a killer. I was a leader.
But I was a brother and friend as well.

Lauren was supposed to be a woman
that I broke down into little pieces then put back together. She
was supposed to disappear from my life, and not fucking change
me
. Sophie wasn't supposed to be alive, either. My future
had drastically changed.

With Lauren, I wasn’t supposed to
care. I was never supposed to give a fuck about her. But I knew the
moment that she climbed into that taxi that I couldn't live without
her.

After she read the note that I
wrote, I would have to go to her. I would never leave her side. I
couldn't stand not letting her know what and how I felt. It was a
risk I was willing to take. Maybe, after it all, nothing would come
of us, but regardless, she had to know that she wasn't just a
nothing. That if I quit being so stubborn, she would be my
everything.

As we confessed our feelings to
one another, I knew at that moment, she did exactly what I intended
to do to her. Lauren broke me down and built me back the way she
wanted, and as long as she'd have me, I'd be hers.
Forever.

THE END

Eluded Playlist

Below is a playlist of songs that I listened
to while writing Eluded.

SPOTIFY PLAYLIST

ADELE – TAKE IT ALL

ADELE – SOMEONE LIKE
YOU

THE GATSBIERS – KILL AND RUN (A
TRIBUTE TO SIA)

LANA DEL RAY – CRUEL
WORLD

LANA DEL RAY – SAD GIRL

NATALIA KILLS – DEVIL'S DON’T
FLY

…
AND MANY MORE

More by Lyra

Weak for Him (Weakness
#1)

Finnley Felton sells sex.
Jennifer Downs is a virgin. With the help of lady luck, the two
meet. Jennifer is made an offer: sell her virginity to the highest
bidder and transform into one of Finnley's girls. But she finds
herself weak for him, and doesn't fully realize what she's agreed
to until it's too late. Will she rise to the challenge and play by
the rules in a land where money is king and love is prohibited? Or
will she lose herself and values in the attempt?

Weak Without Him (Weakness
#2)

Jennifer Downs treads in
dangerous waters. Finnley Felton is unaware. With the help of Lady
Luck, they will make it through. Or will they?

Texas is nothing compared
to Vegas but among the bright lights and busy streets, Jennifer
discovers who she is. Her life has changed, and for better or
worse, she continues to live like tomorrow will never come.
Although love is beautiful and kind, it comes with consequences.
But Jennifer finds herself fighting. Fighting for her rights, for
love, for Finnley, and for her life.

Hearts may be broken.
Lives will change. But the ultimate question remains: can love win
all?

No Longer Weak (Weakness
#3)
Fall 2014

Jennifer Downs and Finnley
Felton are drawn to one another like opposite ends of magnets. Many
things have changed since Jennifer moved from Texas to Vegas.
Secrets from her past are uncovered and they leave her feeling like
everything she knew was a lie. Jennifer desperately seeks the
truth, while trying to plan her future. Safety is key, but how can
one be truly safe while being hunted?

Finnley Felton is
fearless. He never thought another woman could change his world,
but now that Jennifer has, nothing but death itself could take her
from him. While the monsters of the underground seek retribution,
Jesse continues on her deadly path of destruction.

Bridges will be mended.
Secrets will be revealed, and for better or worse, lives will
ultimately change forever.

Single (Black Book Novella
Series)
Fall 2014

It's not a secret that I
intimidate people by being an independent woman. I don't take shit
from men or women, but I have my weaknesses. Those being:
chocolate, coffee, and sex. When a man uses a woman, his behavior
is widely accepted but when I do it, I'm called a whore. I see it
as being someone who knows what and how to get what she
wants.

I don't do pillow talk. I
don't want a relationship. I'm a man eater in a dog eat dog
world.

Love Lyra?

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About the Author

Lyra Parish loves to write,
travel, and sing obnoxiously loud at the top of her lungs in the
shower. Sweet love stories (along with the dirty ones) make her
gush.

She is a firm believer that a
person can never have too many cats, cups of coffee, or read too
many happily ever afters. When she isn't busy writing, she can be
found sipping various beverages from her non-alcoholic drink
buffet, pimp slapping excel spreadsheets, or riding her
bike.

Lyra currently resides in Texas
with her glass blowing, guitar playing hubby and black
cat.

For more information or to
contact, please visit:

lyraparish.com

Acknowledgements

The stage freight
associated with publishing doesn’t go away no matter how many times
I do it. Writing is one of those professions that leave the creator
alone in his or her own world for hours and weeks. While it might
be a lonely job, I have several people that have kept me company,
kept me sane, and kept me pushing forward. These same people
encouraged me when I was discouraged, made me smile when I didn't
feel like it, and pulled me away when I was too far in. I am in a
perpetual state of “did I forget something?” I’m sure I will forget
someone. It’s inevitable, so please forgive me in
advance.

To Will: Thank you. Thank
you for allowing me to do what I do when I know it takes precious
moments away from us. No matter what time I shut the laptop, you’re
always there waiting for me, and it’s comforting to know that among
everyone, one person truly cares about my dreams and aspirations.
There are people in the world who don’t believe love exists because
they’ve never felt such strong emotions toward another person.
Because of you, I know that love is as real as the stars in the
night sky, as deep as the ocean, and as strong as the wind in West
Texas. 


Rachel Brookes. Friendship
is such a beautiful thing. I can’t imagine being in this rocking
community of authors without you. You’re my go-to gal and I am so
grateful to know that no matter what happens, we are in this
together. Thank you for the laughs, the late night chats, the
reality check, encouragement, and amazing comments that helped me
sooo much when I was trying to finish up Eluded. It wouldn’t be the
same with you. I wouldn’t be the same with you. Thank you.
<3


Nadine Colling: We’ve been
chatting for so long that I feel like we’ve been friends forever.
Thank you so much for everything. I appreciate your continued
support, your amazing friendship, and your honest opinion.
Sometimes it’s hard to find “real” people out there. You are a rock
star and I am so grateful to be able to call you my friend. You
helped bring Eluded to the next level with your insight and I am
forever indebted to you! #sanfran2015baby


Tara aka Colourful
Wordwench: You’ve told me crazy things are going to happen from the
beginning. You’ve always believed in my words even when I didn’t.
You rock lady! I LOVE YOU!

Michelle Louise: Thank you
for helping me keep my sexy British men in check and for always
being so encouraging. Sometimes I feel like you’re the only one who
is excited with your awesome pics, strong pimp hand, and for your
help and support. You’re so lovely! Thank you! 


Street team
members: You are my #1’s! Thank you so much ladies! I freaking love
you!

To every blogger out
there: Thank you so much for helping spread the word about my
novels, for constantly tagging me in posts, giveaways, sharing
teasers, posting on your blog, and being so encouraging. It doesn't
go without notice! Thank you!

To my readers: I always
feel like I say the same thing in the acknowledgments, but I can’t
seem to say thank you enough. Thank you for taking a chance on my
writing again. I am so thankful for your messages, emails, reviews,
and for the time that you spent on reading my words. Stories are
personal works of art and each time I press publish, I feel like
I’m sharing little private snippets of myself, and while it’s a
scary feeling, you’re on the sideline with smiles on your faces.
It’s a humbling feeling, and your support means the world to me. My
words cannot fully describe how grateful I am. Thank you, thank
you, thank you, thank you!