Amy Patrick - Crimson Bond

I never thought Id see her again. Never dared to hope. But against all odds, Abigails back. Unfortunately shes as sweet as ever and even more beautiful.

And Im in serious trouble.

Ive learned to hate her in the time shes been away, but the blazing attraction between us is still there. And now, having her close enough to touchclose enough to tasteIm in a literal battle for my life.

Because my Bloodbound oath still holds, and the punishment for breaking it is still death.

The last thing I want is alone time with her, but thats exactly what I get when the queen sends me on a mission, and the only way to keep Abbi alive is to take her with me.

In this third book of the Crimson Accord series, the rift between humans and vampires widens, the menace of the Crimson Court intensifies, and the temptation for Reece and Abigail grows to a fever pitch.

Will they give in to it? Or will the dangerous secrets that stand between them destroy their chance of love and any hope of living in peace?

The Hidden Saga

Hidden Deep (FREE download)

Hidden Heart

Hidden Hope

The Sway (FREE when you join my list!)

Hidden Darkness (Dark Court, 1)

Hidden Danger (Dark Court, 2)

Hidden Desire (Dark Court, 3)

Hidden Game (Ancient Court, 1)

Hidden Magic (Ancient Court, 2)

Hidden Hero (Ancient Court, 3)

Hidden Heir

Reece

Running through the hills above the Bastion, I navigated trees and rocky terrain and a few patches of snow left over from the last storm.

It was my nightly routinerain, shine, or sleet. I wasnt doing it for the mountaintop view, so the weather was of no consequence.

Rather than admiring the natural beauty of Northwestern Virginia, I kept my eyes down and focused on the burn in my leg muscles, the cold air moving in and out of my lungs, pushing my body as hard as possible.

Not only was it good training, it was the only way I could manage to quiet my mind and keep from thinking.

Id been going for two hours at a punishing pace before I paused to catch my breath and look up. There was a full moon.

A bittersweet pang echoed through my chest in the empty space where I used to have a heart. Technically, I supposed it was still there, but it never beat anymore.

Not since Abbi left.

Id been so sure it had meant something monumental, meeting her that night with the mysterious crimson moon coloring the sky.

Practically floating to my car after shed left with her friends, I was already anticipating seeing her again and getting to know her better. I was almost back to the athletic dorm on the HACC campus when it hit meI should have gotten her address or at least the name of her village. Amish villages were a dime a dozen around there in rural Pennsylvania.

Instead, Id left it up to destiny. What a dope.

It was late, but Id pulled off at an exit and turned the car around. Abbi and her friends were traveling by horse-drawn buggy. They couldnt have gotten that far. I planned to intercept them on the highway and get her contact informationno doubt under the glare of her little wannabe boyfriend.

Backtracking toward the party, I kept my eyes peeled for lamplight or the orange reflective triangle stickers that marked the traditional Amish vehicles. The two-lane highway was straight and emptyextraordinarily dark, too.

After a few miles, my lids began to sag. Id gotten up early, worked out hard, then stayed at the party far too late. Worth it.

And it would certainly be worth this midnight drive when I secured Abbis addressand her promise to see me againsoon.

Blinking hard and rolling down my windows to let in the cool night air, I focused on staying awake and finding the buggy. I was nearly back to the Miller farm now.

Maybe Id passed them without noticing? Those Amish buggies were hard to see at night. Hopefully hers hadnt turned off on a side road already.

Damn, this road is dark.

I leaned over the steering wheel, searching the blackness. A vision of Abbis pretty face filled my mind. The fullness and natural berry color of her lips. Her shy green eyes that held an alluring spark of strength and strong will.

And then the beautiful picture had been shredded by noise and sickening motion and flames. Id awakened to find myself hanging upside down by my seatbelt, the windows and windshield of my Dodge Charger Hellcat obliterated, and the ominous smell of hot motor oil mixed with the scent of blood.

That was the totality of my memories until I woke up again in my parents backyard. What happened after that Id rather not remember. I wasnt sure how Id even made it the next few months until Id been captured and brought to the Bastion.

That was when life had begun again. Because of Abbi and her unshakable conviction that I was worth saving. Shed been wrong, but God love her for believing it.

Of course in the end, shed realized the truth, and shed left. Now we had our own separate liveshers as an activist for the Vampire-Human Coalition, promoting peace, and mine as a member of the Bloodbound, preparing for war.

I started back down the mountain toward the Bastion where I would join my brothers and the recruits whod been assigned to me for our nightly drills. They were the only family I had left, and I was grateful for them. But I didnt feel the way they all seemed to about the job.

They talked about the adrenaline rush of using their enhanced strength and skills, the pulse-pounding excitement of the hunt. My pulse never poundednot anymore. In fact, the only times Id really felt alive since turning were the times Id spent alone with Abbi.

Those days were long gone. Id likely never see her againunless we happened to bump into each other when I went out to LA on my mission. There was an annoying flutter in my chest at the thought of it.

It had been several days since Id proposed the idea to Imogen, but she still hadnt given me the go ahead to start my journey to the West Coast and the Vampire-Human Coalition headquarters.

When I neared the entrance to the caverns, I spotted two young females running toward it. Were they just playing around or were they in some sort of trouble?

My Bloodbound training kicked in, and I scanned the surrounding area, searching for someone chasing them or any other potential threat. They seemed to be alone.

And then I realized who they were. All the air left my lungs. It was Heather and Kelly, Abbis friends whod left for California with her. What were they doing here?