The Syndicate (Timewaves Book 1) (57 page)

What were they talking about? Why wasn’t I allowed inside? How could that have possibly been the last time I’d see Charles? I wasn’t going to be able to say goodbye in private?

I touched my fingertips to my lips, still warm from Charles. My cheeks flushed at the thought of our kiss. I had to see him again. Screw Cyrus and his orders. I just needed a little more time to say a proper goodbye. Both Charles and I deserved that much.

An hour after closing behind me, the door to Charles’s room finally swung open again. A pale, drawn, and, if I didn’t know better, troubled Cyrus emerged. His hands shook slightly as he ran them over his face. Shoulders hunched, the confidence my boss always emanated had vanished. He seemed to have aged ten years in that one hour.

Forgetting my irritation, I hurried over to my boss.

“Cyrus? Cyrus, what’s wrong?”

“Oh, Stassi. You’re still here. Good. Very good.” He cleared his throat, attempting to compose himself. “We need to talk tomorrow. For now, you should go back to your bungalow. It’s very late.”

“But, Charles…. Please, Cyrus, just give me—”

“Charles will be here in the morning, Stassi. You can see him then,” my boss quietly interjected.

“Really?” I asked hopefully.

“In fact,” Cyrus continued, talking over me. “You can show him around the island. He’ll be your responsibility until he starts his training.”

“Training?”

“Yes, Charles DuPree is our newest runner.”

Dear Reader,

Thank you for reading The Syndicate! We genuinely hope you enjoyed the book.

As an indie author, reviews are incredibly important.  As we all know, reviews can make or break most anything now; I rarely buy anything without checking out what others have to say, especially when it comes to books. And the more reviews something has, the more likely it is that others will take a chance on it.

Because of this, I hope you’ll consider reviewing The Syndicate. Posting an honest—good or bad!—review on your blog, the retail site for your E-reader, and Goodreads allows authors like us to gain new readers and keep doing what we’re doing.

Read on!

XOXO, the Sophies

First and foremost, I want to thank my partner in crime, hetero-lifemate, and the best friend a girl could ask for. You’ve never given up on me, and I will never be able to thank you enough for that. I know it’s been really hard since I became sick, but you never stopped pushing me to make our collective dreams come true. And even though this one, silly idea of mine ended up taking us a full year to research and write, you never gave up on it. Thank you for being the kindest, most thoughtful, and most compassionate person who’s ever lived. Here’s to another ten years of laughing hysterically, painful singing, dance parties, traveling the world, finding adventures, and dominating life. I love you!

Thank you to our whole BEA crew!  We honestly could not have done it without all of you, and are so grateful that you guys came from all over the country to help us. It was great getting to hang out with all of you, and we hope we’ll be able to do it again soon, sans stress. SD retreat in the Caribbean??

As always, thank you to Barbara Gordon, who holds a very special place in our hearts. You’ve been with us since the beginning, and we will never be able to convey how grateful we are for your help, time, dedication, and support. Thank you for always being there for us, we appreciate you more than you’ll ever know. No matter where this journey takes us, we hope you’re up for the ride! And even if we never write another word or post another promo pic, I know our friendship will endure.

Thank you to Jaclyn Mara, who came up with the tagline for the cover of this book! But more than that, thank you for being so incredibly supportive of us. From making quote edits to acting as our blog liason, you dove into this craziness with both feet and an infectious enthusiasm. We are so glad we met you, and so grateful for your friendship.

Thank you to Victoria Schmitz, for the years of support you’ve given us. You were
such
a trooper in New York, and such a huge help to us. Thank you for being an invaluable member of our team!  We adore you, and hope we’ll be able to get together again soon.

Thank you to Patrick Gordon—for BEA, for all of your time, and for insisting that we keep the metal stand that now holds our dog leashes and keys. It was great to meet you, and we are really grateful for all the time you’ve spent helping us. I know your sister roped you in to all of this, but you’ve been so supportive and we really appreciate it!

To Justess- my kindred sleuthing spirit! Thank you for being so supportive of our writing, taking a chance on our books, and for telling others about them, too! I’m so glad I’ve gotten to know you, and hope you enjoy your surprise.

To Kelly Hillman, thank you for showing such a keen interest in this crazy journey we’re on, and for being so proud of us. Your enthusiasm spurs us on, and you remind us to stop every once in a while and appreciate how far we’ve come. I’m so happy that Bunny has officially made you my sister. We love you!

Thank you to our families and all of our parents, for teaching us to dream big and work hard. You guys taught us both that anything is possible, and we never would’ve been able to do all of this without you. Thank you for your unfailing support.

And finally, but mostly importantly, thank you to our readers. It never ceases to amaze us how you guys have embraced the wild stories in our heads. We wouldn’t be where we are without each and every one of you. Every time you read and review one of our books, tell a friend about them, or post on social media, you’re supporting our dreams. For that, we are eternally grateful.

"Sophie Davis" is the pseudonym for two best friends, roommates, and now writing partners. The pair met at Penn State's Dickinson School of Law in 2005 and instantly bonded over their love of great books and bad horror movies. After they graduated, when one longed for the ability to read minds so she wouldn't have to study for the bar exam, a Saga was born. When the Talented Saga went on to be an internationally bestselling series, the girls decided to throw caution to the wind and follow their shared life-long dream of being writers.

The duo currently lives in Washington, D.C. with a poodle and a rescued mutt. The pups are their faithful companions—with frequent social media appearances—as the girls navigate the world of Indie Publishing.

For more information on Sophie Davis, visit: www.sophiedavisbooks.com

To contact the girls directly, email them at: [email protected].

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