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Synopsis

ONLY BOUNDLESS LOVE CAN SILENCE THE WHISPERS OF THE PAST . . .

A broken woman.
A damaged man.
A free spirit intent on saving them both.

Elysia ‘Sia’ Willis lives a solitary life. The only person in it is her big brother, Ky, vice-president of the infamous Hades Hangmen. She loves him, but she has absolutely no love for the outlaw MC he belongs to.
Raised in secret by her mother, Sia grew up separated from her brother and distant father. No one knew she even existed.

After the tragic murder of her mother, Sia spiraled into a rebellion against the rules of the Hangmen. A rebellion with dire consequences that now, years later, she still can’t escape.

As she lives once again in secret, happy on her own at her secluded ranch, a devil from her past comes calling. A devil who wants to possess her once again and take her from the simple life she never wants to lose.
And he will stop at nothing to collect what he believes is his: her.

Valan ‘Hush’ Durand and Aubin ‘Cowboy’ Breaux have finally found a home in the mother chapter of the Hangmen. The notoriously private Cajun twosome have, for now, put aside what chased them from their beloved Louisiana. But as threats toward the club build, Hush and Cowboy are given a task—protect Elysia Willis at all costs. Cowboy welcomes the job of watching over the blond-haired, blue-eyed beauty.
Hush fights against it.
Scarred by events from his past and a secret that plagues his everyday life, Hush refuses to let anyone else get close. Only Cowboy knows the real him. Until a certain sister of the club’s VP begins to slowly knock down his defenses, shattering the heavily built walls that guard his damaged soul . . . with his best friend leading the charge.

As lost and open hearts begin to meld, taking each other from indescribable pain to the never-before felt relief of peace, the newly-mended threesome must first endure one more rocky path.
Only then will they finally shake free of the shackles of their pasts.
Only then will they shed the bonds that have for too long held their happiness captive.
And there is only one way to survive that path . . . together.

Dark Contemporary MFM Romance. Contains scenes of violence and sexual situations. Over 18’s only.

 

 

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Review

4 stars

Book #6 in the Hades Hangmen series brings us the story of biker duo Cowboy and Hush, and their pairing with Sia (sister of club VP, Ky). It’s a surprising and unconventional love story, but at the same time for these three it feels so right, and Tillie Cole does a wonderful job of bringing together three very different people who need each other to find the peace, happiness and love that they thought was forever out of their reach.

“Love doesn’t see color. Only pure hearts.”

Cowboy and Hush have been friends since they were teenagers, they have been through hell together and have come out the other side, but where Cowboy has emerged as the funny, fun-loving jokester, Hush is quiet and reserved and rarely engages with others. They found something that had been missing for them when they found the Hangmen, and after leaving the Louisiana chapter under less-than-ideal circumstances, they have joined the mother chapter and have found home for the first time. Closer than brothers, they share everything – including women – but their past and the true nature of their friendship has not been revealed until now.

Sia was raised in the club, but at the same time she was kept at arms length. But that didn’t stop her from learning to hate the MC and all that they stood for. She escaped the life at her earliest opportunity only to run into serious trouble which left her physically and emotionally scarred. She has since returned to Texas and lives a peaceful and isolated life on a ranch not far from the compound, where she is able to see her brother and his family, but avoid the life that she still wants nothing to do with. But when Ky learns that Sia is in danger, he insists that she remain under the protection of the club, and it’s Cowboy and Hush that are given the job of watching out for her.

There’s been a flirtation between Sia, Cowboy and Hush since they first met. And while Cowboy is openly flirtatious, Hush remains the quiet and intense one who watches everything. But there is something about them that puts Sia at ease for the first time in a long time, and with the three of them suddenly together 24/7, a unique attraction begins to blossom.

I hadn’t thought about men in a romantic way for years. The quickening of my pulse and the racing of my heart told me that’d all changed.
It was Cowboy. His smiles. His kind heart.
And it was Hush. The mysterious closed-off man that I yearned to unlock.

“She’s broken, Val. Real fucking broken.” Hush’s eyes closed and my fucking chest tightened. “Damaged like you too, brother. You could help each other. She’s all alone. She fucking needs someone.”
Hush opened his eyes, gaze determined. “Then be that someone for her.”
I knew the pain it caused the stubborn fucker to say that shit to me. So I just tore off the Band-Aid. “We could be those someones for her.”</>

The relationship develops easily and naturally. It’s a different dynamic, and there are unique issues for them to overcome, but these three live their own lives, and the way they fall together is beautifully done.

He liked her.
I liked her.
She liked us both.
We lived a fucking strange life, but with Sia, I was sure there was at least a chance we could be something more.

We all know that Tillie Cole can write a sexy love scene, and these are definitely hot! But the focus is absolutely on the emotion, and the connection between the three of them is beautifully explored.

As I lay there, kissing both these men that’d so captured my soul, I realized that a heart is infinite. Love can expand and expand. My heart could hold as much as I was willing to let in.

Within these walls, there was no shit talk from anyone about how we loved. No judgement or censure.
This world was ours. Our very own bit of heaven, here on earth.

But when demons from the past – both real and emotional – come roaring back into their lives, it threatens everything that they found together, and will put the three of them to the test in ways that have the potential to break them completely. It’s intense, violent and confronting, but I wouldn’t expect anything less from this series, creating pivotal moments which lead to significant character and story development.

But having said that, this book has a different feel to it than others in the series. Firstly, it seems shorter than the earlier books, with the romance and the action moving at a much faster pace, and I didn’t feel that level of intensity that I am used to. That’s not to say it didn’t have feels, because it absolutely did, but it didn’t make me cry, and with less build up, it didn’t have the depth of the other books in the series – which for me were all about the angst, the emotion, the shock factor and the intensity.

But it’s a gorgeous story about friendship, love, healing and acceptance, and about finding happiness in the most unlikely of places and circumstances, and that was beautifully expressed.

I wasn’t sure what the future held for us, but as I held two hands in mine, hands that were scarred, bruised, yet filled with so much light, I knew it was going to be our kind of perfect.
Because it would be lived…together.

The rest of the Hangmen all make an appearance, though they are not as present as they have been in previous books, but as always, I would suggest reading these books in order and not as a standalone.

Cowboy, Hush and Sia’s story was a great addition to the series, and with the action and danger increasing, I’m excited for what is to come next.

4 stars.

An Advanced Review Copy was generously provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.

 

Hades Hangmen Series

 

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Excerpt

I glanced over at Hush sitting beside me in the truck, staring out of the window. I tightened my grip on the wheel and shook my head. I’d known the fucker for years, and I still couldn’t believe how he refused to let anyone in but me. Since Ky had told us we were assigned to watch his baby sister, Hush had closed in on himself, as always. Fucking locked himself inside the head that was a damn fortress to breach. And I knew why, but the stubborn asshole was too proud to admit the truth.

I sighed, turning up the radio. But it took about two seconds for me to get bored. I was a loudmouth, I knew it, and the fucking deathly silence from my best friend was killing me. “You get the stuff I left out for you this morning?” I asked. I knew he had. I watched him pack it, just to be sure. I just wanted to fucking talk. Wanted my friend back to the way he was.

Hush’s shoulders tensed, but then he muttered, “Yeah.”

I sighed in defeat, laying my head back on the headrest. We were about five miles out from where Sia lived: a little ranch, in the middle of fucking nowhere. It reminded me of my childhood home. More rustic and less refined, but a ranch was a ranch.

“At least there’s a gas station close in case I need hard liquor during all this, hey, mon frère?”

Hush grunted, but he kept his head away from me. My fucking chest squeezed when I thought of his face this morning. My brother was dog tired. And I knew that shit wasn’t good for him. His face looked paler than normal, and his blue eyes were dull as fuck.

Set off a shit-ton of warning bells inside my head. He was thinking too much.

It was Sia.

All of this, the moping, the silence, was because of the beautiful bitch driving alone in the truck up ahead. Fuck, I could barely think of her without wanting to
wrap my hand in her long hair and pull her to my fucking mouth. Tasting her tongue, her tits pressed up against my chest. I looked at Hush from the side of my eye and knew the brother did too. Since we’d met her at Ky’s wedding, I knew on the spot I liked the bitch. Her damn sassy mouth, the confidence that oozed from her every move.

Her ass wasn’t too bad either.

My lip flicked up in amusement as I thought back to yesterday and the VP’s little “talk” he had with me and Hush . . .

“Shut the fucking door behind you.” Ky stood at the front of church, arms folded. Styx stood on his right, his face like thunder too. Hush was tense as he trailed behind. He shut the door. I slumped down to my seat and threw my hands up behind my head. I made myself real fucking comfortable.

Hush pulled his chair out. I smirked at his ramrod back as he stared at Ky, waiting for our VP to speak.

I brought my lazy gaze back to Ky and had to fight back a grin at how his eyes narrowed on me. “VP,” I said. “You wanted to talk to us?”

“Damn fucking right I did.” Ky leaned his hands on the tabletop, palms flat

“Neither of you are gonna go near Sia except to protect her.” Ky got straight to the point. I felt Hush grow more tense. I didn’t lower my hands from my head. I’d known this was coming.  “You watch her ranch. Take shifts in looking out for any trouble. Not an hour goes by when one of you ain’t looking for that cunt, Garcia. Got it?”

“Got it,” I confirmed, just before Hush said, “Yeah.”

Ky’s eyes locked on me. “She is my fucking sister. Not one of you two assholes touches her in any way, got it?” He quickly sobered, and then said, “She’s been
through enough shit at the hands of a man. I ain’t gonna tell you the fucking minute details, but she was fucking ruined by that bastard. Ain’t even had a date since. She’s better on her own.”  The cocky smirk I was wearing fell away at that bit of intel. Ky leaned further forward until he was almost at my face. “I will fucking kill anyone who hurts her again. And that ain’t a threat.”  His eyebrows drew together. “And it sure as shit ain’t gonna be any of my club brothers.  Especially the two sweet-talking Cajuns that have slut pussy creaming over their fucking accents on the daily.”

“Okay, VP,” I said in my thickest Cajun French. Just to see if I could turn Ky’s red face up a few shades more. I saw the guy’s hands roll into fists, but before he could start throwing them my way, Hush put his hand on my arm to tell me to shut the fuck up.

“Ain’t gotta worry about that, mon frère,” he said. “We ain’t going after your sister. We get it. She’s off-limits.”

Ky glared at us. As did Styx. Before Ky left church, he pointed in my face. “You better be listening to your best friend out there, Cowboy. You don’t wanna face me
again if I hear you’ve been sniffing around my sister.”

I laughed to myself as I thought of the VP’s veins throbbing in his neck, as if he could read my thoughts about his sister on my face. Hush turned around, his brows pulled down. It was a permanent damn feature these days.

“Turn that frown upside down, mon frère,” I instructed and pushed my fingers against his lined forehead.

Hush batted my hand away. “What the fuck are you laughing at?”

“Ky.  Yesterday. His fucking tirade. The gris-gris he tried to put on our asses.”

Hush shook his head, exasperated. “We got it good here at the club. Don’t go fucking it up for a piece of pussy.”

I choked on a laugh. “A piece of pussy?” I winked. “Think I’ll tell Sia you said that when we pull up. Sure she wants to hear it.” Hush’s nostrils flared, and his hand went to his thigh and squeezed. It was how he calmed himself down. How I did if I saw it happening before he realized he was losing his shit. Especially in public.

I quickly lost my smile, and I blew out a long breath. “That’s it though, hey Val? She ain’t just any pussy, is she?”

Hush turned to look out of the window again. “She is, Aub. That’s what you can’t seem to get through your fucking thick skull.” He shook his head. “You just won’t let it fucking drop. All the winks and raised eyebrows, the damn tapping of your motherfucking Stetson anytime she’s mentioned or speaks to us. I told you before, and I’ll tell you again: I ain’t interested. Just end your fucking games.” His shoulders tensed. “You want her that bad? Fuck her. You want my written permission or some shit?”

“Fuck you, Hush.” I was a pretty laid-back guy, but him speaking like that raised my forever-dormant rage from a one to a good solid three out of ten. “You want me flying solo on this one, mon frère? It can be arranged.” He sat there, seething. I just let him.  Fucking prick was as stubborn as an ox. First thing I ever noticed about him at sixteen years old.

 

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Tillie Cole

Tillie Cole hails from a small town in the North-East of England. She grew up on a farm with her English mother, Scottish father and older sister and a multitude of rescue animals. As soon as she could, Tillie left her rural roots for the bright lights of the big city.

After graduating from Newcastle University with a BA Hons in Religious Studies, Tillie followed her Professional Rugby player husband around the world for a decade, becoming a teacher in between and thoroughly enjoyed teaching High School students Social Studies before putting pen to paper, and finishing her first novel.

Tillie has now settled in Austin, Texas, where she is finally able to sit down and write, throwing herself into fantasy worlds and the fabulous minds of her characters.

Tillie is both an independent and traditionally published author, and writes many genres including: Contemporary Romance, Dark Romance, Young Adult and New Adult novels.

When she is not writing, Tillie enjoys nothing more than curling up on her couch watching movies, drinking far too much coffee, while convincing herself that she really doesn’t need that extra square of chocolate.

 

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