Book excerpt – Ties That Bind (#3 Switchblade Romance)

I was today years old when I realised I hadn’t ever really shared an excerpt of any of my books with you all. I know. Rude, right? So here’s a chapter from Ties That Bind, #3 Switchblade Romance, and the last book of the trilogy. Each book is an HEA or HFN and should be read in numerical order. The whole series is on Kindle Unlimited right now.

If you decide to pick it up, please leave a review! I will love you forever. (You think I’m joking. I’m not…)

TW: Cocaine usage

Excerpt

Richard had been driven back down from Connecticut as soon as the news broke. Within a minute of entering his office, Roy burst into the room, saying everyone was waiting for him in the Boardroom.

“It’s a pity we didn’t have this level of urgency when the crash happened,” Richard barked. “Give me five minutes, for fuck’s sake.” 

He went into his bathroom and locked the door, then rapidly chopped out his last two lines of coke, hoping Vinny had left a new batch in the usual place. What he had in front of him was enough to get him through the difficult meeting ahead, but only just, and he felt control slipping through his fingers like fine sand.

He rolled up a one hundred dollar bill into a tight tube, avoiding his reflection in the mirror. He knew he looked cadaverous. He had lost weight, due to his appetite being suppressed by the Class A substance, and his skin was white and pasty. Underneath his shirt, the place where he had gouged his flesh on the journey back seeped and burned. 

He leaned down and effortlessly snorted one line of powder, then the other. He had become a goddamned expert. Not one speck around his nostrils and nothing on his clothes. 

He slumped on the couch in his office, waiting for the substance to kick in. It seemed to take longer each time. 

It’s controlling you. That sibilant whisper bugged him but he knew it was a lie. He could give up any time he wanted. All he wanted was to get through that shitshow of a year and then he’d clean up. He’d kiss goodbye to the coke, the booze, the nicotine, and become that boring-ass, tofu-eating, clean-living bastard everyone wanted him to be because they had no idea what it was like, doing his job, having people rely on him, the decisions he had to make, day in, day out, while his mobster days hung like a dusty fucking chandelier in an abandoned mansion of crumbling memories. Don’t speak of them, don’t think of them, pretend they never existed, he never existed, that mean-ass motherfucker everyone feared and wanted to fuck at the same time…

The thoughts raced through his head, darkening his mood, but then he felt it, that lifting of spirits, his confidence returning. He would show those fuckers in the Boardroom who was in control, who was the boss, the CEO, the motherfucking el capo.

Five minutes later he strode into the Boardroom. The directors were all there, waiting for him, Roy looking at his watch. 

“That was a long five minutes.” 

Richard glanced at the clock on the wall. Somehow, he had lost half an hour. Shrugging it off, he glared back at his team.

“Tell me something useful.” 

Roy leaned back in his chair. “I guess the old saying of things happening in threes is right. First with…”

“What the fuck did you say?” Richard stood at the head of the table, watching Roy’s arrogant smile.

“I said…”

“I fucking heard what you said. How much am I paying you, Roy?”

Everyone shifted in their seats, looking uncomfortable. Roy’s smile slipped. “I don’t think…”

Richard’s fist crashed onto the table. “I pay you to think! I pay you to find solutions, limit damage, handle crises. I don’t pay you to come up with shit like, ‘things happen in threes!’” He paced the room. “Next you’ll be telling me all this shit is happening because Mars is in fucking retrograde. No! You give me something we can work with or walk out that fucking door and don’t come back.”

Roy’s mouth had set in a firm line. “All right, the problem is you, Richard. All these issues have been caused by you.”

Richard stopped pacing. “Excuse me?”

No one else seemed inclined to speak. It was just him and Roy, staring each other down like bull elephants about to fight over territory. 

“How you treated that woman was plain wrong,” Roy said flatly. “You need to apologize to her or step down. That’s the opinion you pay me for.”

In the deafening silence that followed, Neil cleared his throat. “No one is actually suggesting… what we’re saying is an apology is the right way to handle this.”

Richard dragged his attention away from Roy. “No. Fucking. Apology. That woman was in the wrong.” 

“It’s trending under the hashtag #wolfenbosslosesshit,” Roy supplied helpfully.

Richard resumed pacing, jabbing a finger at Roy. “You think this is funny? It’s a goddamned insult! She was out of line. Do you know what she did? She isn’t selling a property to me because of my sexuality. That’s bigotry and you damned well know it!”

“Even so, a formal apology is the only way you can walk away from his with any kind of dignity,” Roy countered. 

“It doesn’t matter it was out of context. It’s what people are seeing,” Neil reasoned. 

“And we really don’t need that kind of negative publicity right now,” Roy added pompously.

Richard spun on his heel to face him. “I realize that, you sanctimonious little shit.”

“Jesus, Richard,” Neil muttered. “Let’s keep things civil in here, okay? We’re on your side but we do have to think about Wolfen’s reputation going forward.” 

“And you think I don’t know that?” Richard flared. “This is nothing to do with Wolfen. This was a private matter. She’s the one at fault. She should be apologizing to me!”

“Nevertheless…”

“Nevertheless, nothing! I will not apologize to that woman after she displayed blatant homophobia. If you don’t understand that, you’re part of the problem.” 

“We’re trying to support you!” Neil had finally lost his composure.

“So support me! In the meantime, I’m going home. No apology. Not ever.” He wrenched open the door and strode out.

Blurb 

“When it comes to Richard, you don’t have a hope in hell of controlling him. You’d be wise to remember that.”

Richard Mason

Addiction and anger issues are causing the ex-mafioso CEO sleepless nights. Self-control is on a knife-edge, not helped by the return of his sultry ex, Pagan. Only being dominated helps ease his troubled mind.

Tino Santini-Mason

Richard’s beautiful, cross-dressing husband is slowly falling in love – with Pagan’s man. He believes he has a polyamorous solution for both couples to fulfil their desires, IF he can keep Richard under control.

Pagan Sandhurst

She’s back! This curvy domestic goddess is determined to have it all. Loyal to her family, yet her friendship with Tino brings mischief, mayhem and sexual hijinks.

Marcus Sandhurst

Outwardly a stern doctor, Marcus secretly craves Richard’s brutal punishments. His love for Pagan and Tino can only end in one mighty crash which will affect them all.

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