Redefined (37 page)

“Calm down. We thought your mom meant that in the message she left. I guess we didn’t understand it to be so literal.”

“I don’t understand...”

“You don’t understand because you’re tired, weak. Come,” Austin said, urging Aden into the passage.

Draven nodded to the next passage, telling Aden that that was where we were. Once he knew for sure that we were going there, he went after Monroe and Madison.

Austin stepped back a few feet, urging us to go in. “Rest. I’ll be back in the morning.”

“You get me if you need me. You tell them that,” Draven ordered.

“I will - they will,” he promised.

Draven gripped my hand and pulled me through the passage. The sound of the ocean and the smell of salt in the air instantly gave me my breath. I let the tension in my shoulders release.

Once we reached the beach house and turned on a few lights, Draven reached for the rim of my shirt, wanting to know if he could see what was burning me.

“Let me see yours, too,” I said, stopping him.

He seemed frustrated that I was concerned about his wound, but he let go of my shirt anyway and lifted the rim of his as I lifted mine.

I lost the ability to breathe - to think at that moment: now branded on our stomachs were torches. I must have held the knife differently from Draven because his was upside down.

Draven pulled me to the couch. I curled myself up in a ball next to him. He let out a long, deep breath.

“When we started this day, this right here was the end I wanted. We’re doing something right,” Draven said in his trademark hypnotic tone.

“And what was lost for us to be here? I’m not a thousand percent sure my parents are okay. We still don’t have Grayson or Winston back. Monroe and Aden may be okay for now, but Madison isn’t.”

“And you gained Cashton. Count the wins, Charlie.”

“The win is that you are holding me without your guard up,” I said as I reached to caress the side of his face and my stare fell into the green I loved so much.

His arm tightened around me. “We got free matching tattoos, too,” he said in a teasing manner.

He moved his legs to the couch, stretching out beside me, making sure that neither of our burns were pressed against anything that would hurt them.

“I think...I think right now...we don’t need to think...we need our strength back.”

I lifted my eyes to meet his. “Agree.”

“You...agree?” he said as a sinful grin slowly spread across his face.

“I love you,” I said, failing to hold back my grin as I reached to let my lips touch his.

We both knew we had more problems than solutions, and that tomorrow would bring more challenges than we were more than likely ready to handle. But we also knew that in the end, we all find peace.

Peace was in his arms, in this moment.

Acknowledgments

I am still eternally grateful for every soul that encouraged me to write/ publish my debut novel Insight.... thank you once again.

I also want to thank my husband, Lem, for listening to my random thoughts and ideas as each of these stories came to life, he is not only the love of my life but the man who keeps me sane on this insane adventure. I want thank my children who inspire me to become more than I am today with a simple glance, and the echo of laughter and joy that surrounds me constantly.

I want to thank Jan Galloway for being the first Beta, for her valuable input and edits. Sabrina Poe Wells, and Michelle Stepp, and Steffini Walker for being best Beta an author could ask for. Kimi Farley for her outstanding copyedits.

Marek Purzycki has got to be the most patient, talented graphic artist I have every met, thank you for giving my series a face.

Most of all I want to thank every-single reader for sharing this adventure with me! I love you all and I am eternally grateful for your time and support :)!

Jamie Magee has always believed that each of us have a defining gift that sets us apart from the rest of the world, she has always envied those who have known from their first breath what their gift was. Not knowing hers, she began a career in the fast paced world of business. Raising a young family, and competing to rise higher in that field would drive some to the point of insanity, but she always found a moment of escape in a passing daydream. Her imagination would take her to places she’d never been, introduce her to people she’s never known. Insight, her debuting novel, is a result of that powerful imagination. Today, she is grateful that not knowing what defined her, led her on a path of discovery that would always be a part of her.

The fun Bio: I’m an obsessive daydreamer. Lover of loud alternative music. Addicted to Red Bull. I love to laugh until it hurts. Fall is my favorite season. Black is my favorite ‘shade.’ Strong believer in the saying: there is a reason for everything, therefore I search for ‘marked moments’ every moment of everyday...and I find them. Life is beautiful!

Jamie Magee has always believed that each of us have a defining gift that sets us apart from the rest of the world, she has always envied those who have known from their first breath what their gift was. Not knowing hers, she began a career in the fast paced world of business. Raising a young family, and competing to rise higher in that field would drive some to the point of insanity, but she always found a moment of escape in a passing daydream. Her imagination would take her to places she’d never been, introduce her to people she’s never known. Insight, her debuting novel, is a result of that powerful imagination. Today, she is grateful that not knowing what defined her, led her on a path of discovery that would always be a part of her.

The fun Bio: I’m an obsessive daydreamer. Lover of loud alternative music. Addicted to Red Bull. I love to laugh until it hurts. Fall is my favorite season. Black is my favorite ‘shade.’ Strong believer in the saying: there is a reason for everything, therefore I search for ‘marked moments’ every moment of everyday...and I find them. Life is beautiful!