From New York Times Bestselling author Rachel Van Dyken, comes ENVY, a new novella in her Eagle Elite Series, brought to you by 1,001 Dark Nights! Be sure to grab your copy today!
From New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Rachel Van Dyken comes a new story in her Eagle Elite series…
Every family has rules, the mafia just has more….
Do not speak to the bosses unless spoken to.
Do not make eye contact unless you want to die.
And above all else, do not fall in love.
Renee Cassani’s future is set.
Her betrothal is set.
Her life, after nannying for the five families for the summer, is set
Somebody should have told Vic Colezan that.
He’s a man who doesn’t take no for an answer.
And he only wants one thing.
Her.
Somebody should have told Renee that her bodyguard needed as much discipline as the kids she was nannying.
Good thing Vic has a firm hand.
Do not speak to the bosses unless spoken to.
Do not make eye contact unless you want to die.
And above all else, do not fall in love.
Renee Cassani’s future is set.
Her betrothal is set.
Her life, after nannying for the five families for the summer, is set
Somebody should have told Vic Colezan that.
He’s a man who doesn’t take no for an answer.
And he only wants one thing.
Her.
Somebody should have told Renee that her bodyguard needed as much discipline as the kids she was nannying.
Good thing Vic has a firm hand.
Excerpt
“See?”
Renee spread her arms wide and gave a little shrug. The moonlight cast a glow
through the impressive kitchen window, giving her such an ethereal look I
stopped breathing for a second before schooling my features. “Nothing to worry
about, nobody here to kill me.”
I
didn’t relax my stance or lower my gun. “So you checked the crawl spaces?
Closets? Dark corners?” I took a step as she shook her head slowly. “Then
surely you checked the pantry, right? I mean it’s right behind you. Hell, there
could be someone with a gun trained on that pretty mop of hair right now and
you wouldn’t know until it was too late.” Her eyes widened like she hadn’t
thought of it. Of course she hadn’t. It wasn’t her job to think about the
monsters in the dark, just like it wasn’t her job to protect herself. That was
why she had me.
I
reached behind her and opened the pantry, pointing my gun inside before
shutting the door and facing her again. “It’s clear.”
Her
lower lip trembled. “I didn’t think of the pantry.”
“It’s
not your job to obsess over the pantry,” I whispered in a gruff voice. “It’s
your job to listen to me when I’m trying to do my best to keep you safe.”
She
looked away. “Can’t save everyone.”
“But
there’s absolutely nothing wrong with trying, Renee.”
I
said her name.
It
tasted sweet on my tongue.
The
moan that wanted to follow was barely suppressed by clenching my teeth
together.
“Are
you going to do a sweep of the house?” she asked quietly.
“Did
you want to join me?”
“Am
I safer with you or by myself in the kitchen?”
“With
me,” I lied. Physically she would always be safe from our enemies—but I knew
the truth in my soul. I was just as dangerous to her as a bullet. My being with
her would eventually kill her.
All
the wives knew it.
They
knew that eventually there would be blood.
And
if their husbands were gone—it was only a matter of time before it was theirs
that was spilled.
I’d
like to think that’s why we drank wine like water.
Because
when you constantly stare down your impending doom, you start wanting to
celebrate every extra minute you’ve been given.
“Let’s
go.” I nodded toward the hall. My footsteps whispered against the carpet.
Nothing seemed out of place—which was almost more suspicious. People were
messy. The hallways were lined with family pictures of Renee smiling with her
parents. A heaviness settled on my shoulders.
“She
can’t know,” Phoenix had said earlier that night. “At least not yet.”
I
knew she was close with her parents. I also knew that they were dishonest with
her. And she wondered why she was the one nannying the kids.
Why
she was constantly under the watchful eye of Nixon.
I
shook my head and kept walking with a stiff Renee next to me.
I
cleared each room, each closet, each corner, and twenty minutes later when I
felt it was safe enough for her to do more than breathe at my side, I lowered
my gun and put it back in its holster.
“All
good?” Renee stepped away. She rarely looked me in the eyes, but this time they
locked onto me for a good three seconds before she tucked her hair behind her
ear and walked farther and farther away.
I
almost reached out and grabbed her arm.
Almost
jerked her against my chest.
Almost
confessed it all.
The
lies they’d told.
The
secrets we kept.
All
to keep her safe.
All
to keep her in the dark.
To
keep her alive.
About Rachel Van Dyken
Rachel Van Dyken is the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling author of regency and contemporary romances. When she’s not writing you can find her drinking coffee at Starbucks and plotting her next book while watching The Bachelor. She keeps her home in Idaho with her Husband, adorable son, and two snoring boxers! She loves to hear from readers!
