aDonat make me wait when I call you out,a he warned.
Hannah didnat. When he called her out, she came out to an amazing cheer from the crowd, and they sat closely together, singing the duet that had made them both bigger stars together than they had ever been separately. As they finished, Hannah stood up and took a small bow. Grasping Garettas hand she pulled him in for a kiss. This was exactly what shead been missing when shead met him. She hadnat known it then, but she knew it now, and she would never give it up for anything that anyone promised hera"there was no monetary value they could put on the price of love.
The End
Book #3 in the Rockina Country Series
(Will also include an exclusive Rockina Country Novella!!) Coming early 2015
Prologue.
Hannah looked out over the German crowd; ninety thousand strong, as Black Friday performed their set for the summer festival. She was so thankful she had taken this time off. If she hadnat, she wouldnat be here for this, and she knew that she wouldnat want to miss it. Garrett held the huge crowd in the palm of his hand. Every time he asked them to do something, they did it without hesitating. She had never seen this many people before in her life. These rock festivals were much larger than the country festivals that she attended.
aAmazing, isnat it?a She glanced up at Sh.e.l.l, nodding. aIt is. I canat believe all these people have been out in this intense heat all day.a From where she stood, Garrett was in the shadow of the setting sun, and his silhouette was beautiful against it. Pulling her phone out, she snapped a few pictures, uploading one of them to her Instagram account. So far, everyone that had told her the fans would love to get glimpses into their private life was right. Any picture she uploaded of the two of them got more likes than the last one. Pictures of just him were probably the most popular, but she didnat let that affect her one way or another. Since taking her break in November, she had been careful to keep the posts at a regular interval. Call her crazy, but it was important for her to keep them informed. She didnat want to lose the fans that meant so much to her, no matter what she ended up deciding about her career. The past six months had been amazing, and she knew that she would never give them up for anything.
aAre you nervous?a Sh.e.l.l asked, a soft smile on her face.
aKind of. I mean we didnat expect for this to happen so soon. We thought it would take longer,a she told her friend, putting her hand on her stomach that, even though still flat, held a little bit of extra weight.
aThe two of you are magnetic together, Iam pretty sure that as soon as he looked at you when you went off birth control, it was like boom, pregnant.a Hannah laughed. aKind of.a She turned her attention back to the concert, watching Garrett.
He was now the father of her child. Conceived in early April, they were expecting the birth in January. It still wasnat ideal. While she would be off, he would still be touring, but by the time she had to go back to work, the baby would be six months old and hopefully on some type of schedule.
aStop thinking ahead. I can see the panic on your face,a Sh.e.l.l told her. aWeall deal with it, no matter what it is.a She knew that Sh.e.l.l spoke the truth. Her attorney had found a clause in some of the legal language that would allow her to terminate a portion of her contract if she so wanted to. It would allow her to take off as much time as she wanted, up to two years, after the birth of a child. Hannah still wasnat sure what she wanted to do, but she figured that by the time all of that rolled around, she would know. Her CD was still selling well, the lyric videos released on social media were well over the millions of views, and the record company was happy that she was still active. Right now, they were all happy. She hoped it would continue to be that way. Just that morning, she had let the record company know she was pregnant, and they seemed okay with it. She was relieved they hadnat asked her to get an abortion; she had heard of that before, even had a few friends in the music industry that had done it at the suggestion of a record company. It would ruin their image and their career, they had been told. For her and Garrett, this was planned, a symbol of the love that they shared for one anothera"only they hadnat expected it so quickly. She smiled as she thought back to the morning shead woken up feeling sick, wondering if the one time theyad tried, it had taken. He had been so freaked out when she went to take the pregnancy test, and then head gone white when shead come out of the bathroom holding it, not needing the five minutes it was supposed to take.
aI canat believe Iam here right now.a Hannah gestured out to the crowd and then looked back at her husband. He wore a T-shirt with the armholes cut outa"white in deference to the hot day. Sweat caused the material to stick to his body. The longer hair style he now sported caused his hair to curl up at the ends, and she hoped with everything she had at that moment they had a son that looked like him. She would love for their child to have the curly hair he got once it got long enough. He looked over at her and she could feel his gaze, even though she couldnat see his eyes behind the sungla.s.ses.
aMy wife is here today,a he was saying to the crowd. aIad like to invite her out here, if itas okay with you?a There was a huge uproar from them, clapping and whistling.
They hadnat talked about this. She knew that he wanted to make the announcement today, but she hadnat been aware that he wanted her to go out and be with him.
aCamon, babe.a He crooked his finger at her.
She was immediately glad she had taken the time to put her hair in a braid. The black shorts she wore werenat too short, and the tank-top she wore was billowy enough that no one could make out the fact that she had gained a few pounds. She pushed her sungla.s.ses over her eyes and walked out onto the stage. It was breathtaking to see that many people in one spot, and it felt like it took forever until she reached where he stood. He held his hand out to her.
aSo everybody, this is my gorgeous wife, Harmony.a He toyed with the braid that rested over her shoulder.
Not sure what to do, she waved out to the crowd.
aSay hi.a He held the mic up to her mouth.
aHi,a she giggled, nerves getting the better of her.
The crowd was so loud she was afraid they would knock her down with their response.
aThey love you almost as much as I do.a He stood behind her and grabbed her around the waist.
He dropped the mic to his side and moved his mouth to her ear. aDo you wanna tell them?a aWe can if you want. Everyone who needs to know already does.a He dropped a kiss on her nose, and the crowd went wild. aThe reason I brought her out here is because we wanted to share something with all of you.a Hannah held on tightly to his hand that spanned her stomach. If he hadnat been holding her up, she was afraid she would have slid down in the face of all these people. The crowd continued to yell as he waited; they grew louder and louder until he put the mic back up his mouth.
aOkay, okay. You wanna know, Iall tell you. Sometime in the New Year, there will be a little Reaper or Harmony running around. Sheas pregnant.a The roar of the crowd was so loud and the enthusiasm so much that they both physically took a step back. At some point a akiss hera chant started, and Garrett smiled at her, pulling her to him. aNow that the catas out of the bag, we donat have to worry about keeping secrets anymore.a aWe sure donat.a She wrapped her arms around his neck, squealing when he bent to pick her up and put her legs around his waist.
This time the picture that went around the world was the one of them lip-locked in front of ninety-thousand fans in hundred-degree weather. It would be the most popular picture of the two of them for months.
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Acknowledgments.
This has been the most amazing journey of my life, and I wouldnat have gotten here if it werenat for the many people that have already been listed in the front of this book.
The people that come together to make up the Indie Publishing Industry are some of the best around, and Iam one of the luckiest people ever to get to work with them.
There are too many people to name, but know that all of you that have ever spoken with me, left me a message, sent me an email (whether it be good or bad), or just supported me by liking my page on FacebookaI truly and greatly appreciate it!
Also by Laramie Briscoe.
Meant To Be.
Heaven Hill Series #1.
Prologue.
Denise Cunningham pulled back the curtains covering the window pane in her front door with shaky hands. The knock that had sounded moments before wasnat the gentle knock of a friend over for a visit. Staring back at her through the gla.s.s, she saw two Warren County Sheriffas deputies holding papers. Dread rolled up in her throat as her stomach began to churn. She let the blinds fall and took two deep breaths before she unlocked the door and faced the men standing on the other side. As she stepped out, the brightness of the sun a.s.saulted her eyes, the warmth of the summer day made it even more difficult to breathe past the lump in her throat.
aDenise Cunningham?a The taller of the two asked.
Not trusting her voice, she could only nod her head in acknowledgement of who she was.
With cold efficiency, he handed her the papers in his hands. aDenise Cunningham, Iam serving you with papers from Kentucky Housing.a He produced a pen and requested her signature.
In minutes it was over. The scene she had dreaded most over the last few months had come to fruition. Unless she could come up with six months back mortgage, she would lose her home. She stood frozen in shock as the officers walked away from the door and headed back to their patrol car. It almost made her laugh a" the fact that they felt she, a single mother, was dangerous enough to warrant two deputies. As they pulled away, she realized her neighbors watched. Shame and embarra.s.sment caused her face to burn as she slammed her door shut.
Tears came now, along with shakes that wracked her body. aG.o.d, please help me,a she whispered as she opened the packet of paperwork they had left with her. aWhat am I going to do?a Through the tears, she read the legal papers in her trembling hands. The amount due was more than she had seen in years. Especially now that her hours had recently been cut. She was officially screwed.
The shrill ringing of her cell phone broke into her freakout. A number she had never seen before displayed on the screen, and she wondered if she should answer it. Along with the money she owed on her home, she owed thousands to credit card companies. They had also begun to hound her. Should she take the chance and answer it or let the voicemail pick it up? As she debated, her finger hit the accept b.u.t.ton of its own accord.
ah.e.l.lo?a aDenise, this is Roni,a the voice on the other end greeted.
Roni was in fact Sharon Walker, another employee at the big box store where Denise had found a temporary job. Theyad only spoken a time or two, and Denise hadnat actually been sure the other woman would ever call her. To say this was a surprise was an understatement. But at this point, anything that took her mind off of what had just happened was welcome.
aHey, Roni.a aDid I catch you at a bad time? It took you a while to answer. Iam gonna ask you for a favor, so if you canat do it, just let me know,a she forged ahead in a rush.
A bad time? Was it couth to tell a mere acquaintance that your home was about to be foreclosed on?
Clearing her throat Denise said, aNot at all. What can I help you with?a Accepting a favor for someone would possibly get her out of the house, the house that soon would no longer be hers. The walls were closing in, and she needed something to do. She needed something to work out halfway good for once instead of all the gloom and doom.
aCan you cover my shift for me tonight? Iave got a little bit of an emergency with my brother, and Iam gonna need a few hours.a Denise bit her lip. She had heard rumblings about Ronias brother. Word around town had it that he was part of a major outlaw biker gang called the Heaven Hill Motorcycle Club. Whatever Roni would be doing to help her brother would probably be illegal. Would that make Denise an accomplice?
aWould it make you a what?a Roni asked as Denise stood frozen with the phone to her ear.
s.h.i.t. Shead said that out loud. aNevermind. Iall cover for you. What time do I have to be there?a Anything would be better than sitting here, worrying about things she had no control over.
Roni rattled off a time that would only allow her minutes to get dressed, head out the door, and make it there just in time to clock in. Quickly they hung up. Depression threatening to take over, Denise shoved the packet of paperwork under the pillow of her couch. With any luck neither of her children would see it. Their lives had been in as much upheaval as hers. They didnat need to see this too a" she felt like a failure as their mother.
Pulling out of her Plum Springs subdivision, Denise made her way to Louisville road which took her to the interstate. The interstate would take her less time than going through town. She made sure to take in her surroundings. Unless a miracle happened or she hit the lottery, her days living in this neighborhood were numbered. A red light stopped her right before she hit the interstate. To the left, blue lights could be seen swirling on top of police cars. Men were being handcuffed and put in back seats two at a time. It wasnat unusual to see arrests right next to the interstate, but this time she noticed an influx of motorcycles. The gas station on Duntov Way, situated between a fast food restaurant and a liquor store, usually didnat see a lot of motorcycles. The exception being Harley Weekend at the local dragstrip. With keen eyes, she got a good look at the patches that adorned the backs of the leather vests, or cuts as they called them, the men wore.
af.u.c.k,a she breathed, recognizing the patch on most of the men. The Heaven Hill insignia inside a skull. The bottom rocker on the cut indicated this was the Bowling Green Chapter.
It was the Heaven Hill Motorcycle Club, and, if she wasnat mistaken, she had just seen Ronias brother get put in the back of a sheriffas patrol car. Probably by the same officers that had just served her. If there was one thing she knew, it was that all h.e.l.l was about to break loose in small-town Kentucky.
Heaven Hill Series.
Meant To Be.
Out of Darkness Losing Control.
Worth The Battle Dirty Little Secret.
Rockina Country Series.
Only The Beginning One Day at a Time.
The Price of Love.