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<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
She was my nightmare. Every time I closed my eyes, I watched her fall into that inferno. Over and over, I failed to save her.<\/span><\/p>\n I hadn\u2019t been able to reach her, and the guilt only burned hotter over time. Four years later, I was the unreachable one.<\/span><\/p>\n Heroes aren\u2019t always saints. Sometimes, we\u2019re nothing more than jaded sinners driven by sleepless nights and hearts full of darkness.<\/span><\/p>\n And then I met her. She was a dreamer who managed to soothe my scars and heal my wounds.<\/span><\/p>\n But, as the flames closed in around us, I feared I wasn\u2019t the right man to save her. That is until I realized she was the one woman I\u2019d burn the world down to protect.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Find\u00a0Singe\u00a0<\/em>on GOODREADS<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n 4.5 \u201cYou\u2019re real<\/em>\u201d stars<\/b><\/p>\n The first book in the Guardian Protection<\/em><\/a> series, and once again Aly Martinez has taken me on an incredible journey that had me captivated from start to finish. This book is everything that I love about this author\u2019s writing – funny, with lots of laugh-out-loud moments, but also dramatic, heartfelt and stunningly romantic, with the different elements balanced perfectly to create a wonderfully enthralling story with amazing characters, some great twists, a whole lot of feels. I absolutely loved it!<\/p>\n Like I said, this book has some twists in it so don\u2019t go looking for too much information. It\u2019s best to dive in and experience it, and trust in Aly to make it amazing.<\/p>\n Jude Levitt left Chicago after one tragic night shattered his whole world. After four years in LA, Jude is back in his home town and has just started working at Guardian Protection (run by none other than Leo James!). His job isn\u2019t what he was expecting, and being back in town has reawoken the nightmares that he has tried so hard to move on from. But then he meets Rhion.<\/p>\n Rhion (rhymes with cryin\u2019) Park is a part of the Guardian Protection family. She lives in the building where the highly-regarded security firm\u2019s offices are, and has become a part of the group – considered a little sister by most of the guys. She has a quiet life and keeps to herself for the most part, but from the moment she sees Jude, it seems as if her whole world stops.<\/p>\n The connection between Jude and Rhion is evident from the very start. The attraction is sizzling, and though Jude is in no way looking for romantic entanglements and does his best to stay away from Rhion, he can\u2019t resist her. And one drunken evening that Jude can\u2019t even remember, is about to change everything.<\/p>\n My frustration grew. \u201cWhat. Happened.\u201d I love these characters! Rhion is hilarious and delightfully quirky. She has a huge heart and cares deeply for those that are in her life. She has a traumatic past, has lost people close to her and lives with nastiness in her life, but she is strong and confident despite everything that she is dealing with. I love her tenacity and sass \u2013 especially when it comes to Jude \u2013 and the way she is willing to fight for what she wants. She is amazing, and I have a total girl-crush on her.<\/p>\n And Jude is 100% alpha. He\u2019s possessive, protective and controlling in a way that\u2019s hot, rather than dominant, but he\u2019s gentle when he needs to be (*melt*) and of course he\u2019s sexy as all hell. His past has left parts of him broken, but though he initially pushes Rhion away, he has the sense to recognise what\u2019s they are both feeling, and I love that he has the strength to trust his heart and give into what is so clearly building between them.<\/p>\n Rational thought had died in that stairwell. The moment I\u2019d lost sight of her out the door, I knew I\u2019d follow her. The second I\u2019d seen Johnson standing there, I had known I\u2019d fight for her. And the moment she\u2019d smiled up at me, I had known I\u2019d run a mile though broken glass to keep it aimed at me. OMG, I love this relationship! I love everything about it! The chemistry is intense, but more than that, Jude and Rhion share a deep connection that neither of them can ignore. It takes them a bit to get on the same page, but once they get there, they are so great together \u2013 they laugh and tease, the emotion between them builds beautifully and of course the sexy time is seriously steamy. The pacing is perfect, and Jude\u2019s alphaness has a gentleside that absolutely melted me. They are wonderfully matched, and have a fantastic dynamic, and the emotion is beautiful.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re real,\u201d she breathed before biting her lip, a single tear rolling from her eyes. But as much as they open their hearts to each other, they are both holding on to secrets which they fear could shatter everything that they are building together. Will their growing feelings be enough to finally banish the demons of their past? And can they survive the looming threat that continues to close in?<\/p>\n I loved this book! Jude and Rhion\u2019s stores are dramatically heartbreaking, and I love how Aly gave us the stories of their pasts in such a way that we felt so much for them, but it didn\u2019t overwhelm the story. Their pasts are an important part of who they are, and I loved the way that they were revealed, but the book is about who they are now, and them coming to terms with the past and finding the courage to move on. And the way that happened was absolute perfection!<\/p>\n These are two fantastically complex characters individually, but together they are able to create something truly special. Fun, sexy, emotional, dramatic, yet functional, I was completely swept up in their romance, and I loved every moment of it.<\/p>\n \u201cWe can be beautifully flawed together.\u201d<\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n And I loved the side characters! The boys of Guardian Protection, and Rhion\u2019s best friend, Brianna, add a lot to the story. I loved getting to know them all, and the dynamic between the boys was so much fun. There are some future stories set up, and others hinted at and I can\u2019t wait for the continuation of this series!!<\/p>\n Aly Martinez proves again why she\u2019s an auto-read author for me. She\u2019s done a wonderful job with this book, and I loved it.<\/p>\n \u201cAre you real?\u201d 4.5 stars.<\/p>\n Advanced Review Copy generously provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.<\/i><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Singe (#1) <\/strong>(Jude) Thrive (#2) <\/strong>(Lark) Falter (#3) <\/strong>(Braydon) Consume (#4)<\/strong> Guardian (#5)<\/strong> <\/p>\n Chapter One<\/b><\/p>\n Jude<\/b><\/p>\n \u201cTomorrow, it\u2019s on me,\u201d I said, standing up off the barstool.<\/i><\/p>\n Behind the bar, Carmen waggled her eyebrows, seductively calling out, \u201cFunny, I could be on you tonight if you stayed awhile longer.\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n I laughed at her innuendo and tossed her a wink. \u201cI gotta get home, babe. Seven a.m. comes way too early.\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n \u201cWell, offer\u2019s on the table,\u201d she purred.<\/i><\/p>\n It always was with her. And, if I wasn\u2019t careful, I\u2019d eventually take her up on it.<\/i><\/p>\n Not that sleeping with Carmen wouldn\u2019t have been good. But, when you find a cheap bar only five minutes from your house, you don\u2019t fuck that up by dipping your cock into the bartender.<\/i><\/p>\n \u201cLater, Carmen,\u201d I called, pushing the door open and heading to my car.<\/i><\/p>\n I wasn\u2019t out of the parking lot before I heard, \u201cOfficer Levitt? We\u2019ve got an alarm going off in Park Hill. You mind taking a look on your way home?\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n Banging my head back against the headrest, I groaned to myself. Park Hill was about as \u201con my way home\u201d as swinging past California on the way to Maine.<\/i><\/p>\n Switching my radio to my other hand, I complained, \u201cI\u2019m off the clock, Jocelyn.\u201d I had been for several hours, even if I hadn\u2019t made it home yet.<\/i><\/p>\n She laughed. \u201cI\u2019m sorry, but you\u2019re the only one remotely close. I had to send two cars out to the Laslows\u2019 to break up another argument between Cam and his old man.\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n \u201cThey at it again?\u201d I asked.<\/i><\/p>\n \u201cApparently, Cam told Lindsey he didn\u2019t want the baby. Lindsey told his dad. Old Man Laslow lost his mind.\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n I chuckled, putting my blinker on and then doing a U-turn in the middle of the empty road. \u201cChrist. I bet he did. I know the man\u2019s seventy-five, but I sure as hell wouldn\u2019t want to go toe-to-toe with him.\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m with you on that. So\u2026you gonna head out to Park Hill?\u201d she asked in a sugary-sweet tone.<\/i><\/p>\n I grumbled deep in my chest. \u201cYou\u2019re gonna owe me some of that banana bread for this. I missed it the other day when you brought it up to the station.\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t owe you anything.\u201d She giggled. \u201cHowever, as a personal thank-you from the state of Illinois, Park County, and the owners of Park Hill, I\u2019ll bring you in a loaf on Friday. Deal?\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n \u201cDeal. I\u2019m en route now.\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n \u201cStay safe, and radio in with your report.\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n \u201cYes, ma\u2019am,\u201d I replied, knowing exactly how much thirty-year-old Jocelyn loved being called ma\u2019am by a twenty-five-year-old man.<\/i><\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t you\u2014\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n \u201cGotta go.\u201d I turned the volume down to mute her, grinning to myself as I flipped my lights and siren on.<\/i><\/p>\n I\u2019d been a cop for two years. And, in that time, I\u2019d been out to the privately owned Park Hill estate at least a dozen times. It wasn\u2019t unusual for the alarm on the mansion to get triggered. It never amounted to anything. The expansive estate was on the very edge of the county, and trouble didn\u2019t usually travel that far out. More often than not, a bird at a window or a bumbling new member of the grounds crew would accidentally trip the alarm. Truth was, no one actually lived in Park Hill. The owners visited sporadically. But, for the majority of the time, it remained empty.<\/i><\/p>\n Some minutes later, I cut my siren as I pulled up to the entrance. The cold air assaulted me as I stepped out of my patrol car with my flashlight in hand and aimed at the keypad on the massive security gate that blocked the driveway off. That damn thing alone had to have cost more than I\u2019d make in a lifetime. Forget about the house inside.<\/i><\/p>\n The smell of wood burning in a fireplace wafted through the night air. I guessed someone was home for a visit.<\/i><\/p>\n I typed in the emergency code on the gate panel and then climbed back in my car and made my way down the tree-lined driveway. I\u2019d spent the day on patrol, and, with the exception of some minor vandalism across town, it had been a slow one.<\/i><\/p>\n Though, in the blink of an eye, that would change.<\/i><\/p>\n Along with my entire life.<\/i><\/p>\n \u201cOh fuck,\u201d I breathed as the main house came into view on the top of the hill.<\/i><\/p>\n After throwing my car in park, I jumped on the radio at my shoulder. I could barely get the words out as I slung my door open and took off at a dead sprint.<\/i><\/p>\n \u201cThis is Officer Levitt! I need fire support at Park Hill immediately!\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n And then I froze as a wave of adrenaline crashed into me like a tsunami.<\/i><\/p>\n An inferno roared in the night sky, but it was the small silhouette of a woman perched outside a third-floor window, smoke pouring out all around her, that knocked the breath out of me. My heart stopped, but my feet continued to pound against the pavement.<\/i><\/p>\n Jocelyn\u2019s voice caught me. \u201cWhat\u2019s going on?\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n \u201cI need medical too!\u201d I barked as I got closer. \u201cThe whole damn place is in flames and there\u2019s a woman trapped!\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n The woman\u2019s long, black hair blew out behind her like a battered flag whipping in a storm. I couldn\u2019t make out her face or her skin color or even guess at her age for the black soot covering her, but her fear was unmistakable.<\/i><\/p>\n And unforgettable.<\/i><\/p>\n \u201cHang on!\u201d I yelled up to her.<\/i><\/p>\n \u201cOh my God!\u201d she screamed before it turned into a fit of coughing. \u201cHelp me!\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n \u201cHang on! Don\u2019t let go!\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n Frantically, I searched the perimeter for a way in, but it wasn\u2019t only her house that was on fire. Flames were encompassing her. The yard and all the surrounding flowerbeds. Top to bottom. The first and second floors were completely engulfed, and if the sound of shattering windows was any indication, it was quickly making its way up to the third floor\u2014to her.<\/i><\/p>\n \u201cNo! Don\u2019t leave me!\u201d she screamed, panic thick in her garbled voice, as I started around the side of the house.<\/i><\/p>\n A wall of heat stopped me in my tracks. Throwing an arm up, I did my best to block my face while scanning the building for any possible entry\u2014or, in her case, exit.<\/i><\/p>\n But there wasn\u2019t a surface of that house that wasn\u2019t ablaze.<\/i><\/p>\n Except the roof.<\/i><\/p>\n Son of a bitch.<\/i><\/p>\n I spoke into the radio. \u201cI need an ETA on fire.\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n Jocelyn replied, \u201cThey\u2019re on their way. Five minutes out.\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n I didn\u2019t have one minute, much less five.<\/i><\/p>\n Fuck.<\/i><\/p>\n My pulse quickened, sending blood thundering in my ears. I was a cop. I\u2019d trained for chaos. I should have been able to come up with a solution for a situation like this, but they didn\u2019t teach you how to conquer the impossible at the Academy.<\/i><\/p>\n And, as I took inventory of the flames dancing beneath her, I knew that was exactly what I was up against.<\/i><\/p>\n My gut wrenched as I helplessly sped back around the house. She appeared almost childlike, hovering barefoot on that narrow brick ledge, but her long-sleeve top and her loose-fitting pants clung to the body of a woman.<\/i><\/p>\n Jesus Christ! Where was that fucking fire truck?<\/i><\/p>\n \u201cIs anyone else in the house?\u201d I yelled up to her.<\/i><\/p>\n Not that I could have helped them, either. Short of running into a burning building, on what would surely be a suicide mission, there was not one thing I could do. And didn\u2019t that little reality feel like a wrecking ball to the chest.<\/i><\/p>\n \u201cNo!\u201d she cried, a loud sob lodging in her throat. It turned into more coughing, her body shaking violently with every heave.<\/i><\/p>\n I fisted my hands at my sides as my anxiety spiraled higher.<\/i><\/p>\n \u201cPlease. Do something!\u201d she begged.<\/i><\/p>\n I ground my teeth together and once again glanced around as if a water hose and a ladder were going to suddenly appear out of nowhere. \u201cHang tight, okay? Fire trucks are on their way.\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n \u201cI can\u2019t hold on much longer!\u201d she cried.<\/i><\/p>\n \u201cYes, you can,\u201d I demanded.<\/i><\/p>\n \u201cI\u2026I think I need to jump,\u201d she coughed out.<\/i><\/p>\n I assessed the massive fire below her. I\u2019d never be able to reach her before it swallowed her. But there was no way I\u2019d be able to stand by and watch her burn.<\/i><\/p>\n No. If she jumped off that ledge, she was going to get us both killed. <\/i><\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t you dare,\u201d I barked. \u201cDon\u2019t even think about it. Two minutes. They\u2019ll be here.\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n \u201cI\u2026I can\u2019t.\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n \u201cTwo minutes,\u201d I repeated. \u201cHold\u2014\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n Suddenly, a window to her left exploded, shooting glass and flames in all directions.<\/i><\/p>\n I covered my face as she screamed in a paralyzing mixture of fear and agony. It cut me so deep that I knew I\u2019d bear the scars for the rest of my life, and that had nothing to do with the glass and everything to do with the heavy weight of my failure already lingering in the smoke-filled air.<\/i><\/p>\n When I opened my eyes again, I caught a glimpse of orange flickering in the window behind her. Panic built in my chest.<\/i><\/p>\n \u201cYou need to move!\u201d I yelled.<\/i><\/p>\n She shook her head and continued to cough and cry.<\/i><\/p>\n But it wasn\u2019t an option. I couldn\u2019t help her. Though I damn sure refused to watch her die.<\/i><\/p>\n \u201cPlease. Just listen to me.\u201d I swallowed hard. \u201cYou can\u2019t stay there.\u201d I looked to the roof.<\/i><\/p>\n Sending her higher seemed wrong and went against everything I\u2019d learned in my limited fire training. But fuck, my options were having her jump into a conflagration or scale up the side of a building in hopes of buying us the precious minutes needed for the fire department to arrive.<\/i><\/p>\n Drawing in a smoke-filled breath, I made a decision that would haunt me for the rest of my life. \u201cYou need to climb up to the roof.\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n \u201cI can\u2019t!\u201d she shrieked.<\/i><\/p>\n My stomach twisted, but I gentled my voice. \u201cLook, I know you\u2019re scared. But I\u2019m right here. I\u2019ll help guide you up, but, sweetheart, it\u2019s bearing down on you. You gotta move, and I mean now.\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n She choked on a mouthful of smoke as she attempted to look over her shoulder.<\/i><\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re going to be fine. I swear to you,\u201d I lied. \u201cBut you have to move.\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m not going to make it!\u201d She had to have yelled it in order for me to hear her, but I felt her defeat slither over my skin like a whispered goodbye.<\/i><\/p>\n I took a long step forward, too focused on her to feel the heat singeing my skin. \u201cYes, you are!\u201d I declared. \u201cMove your ass up to the roof and we\u2019ll both be out of here in time for breakfast.\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n Her gaze landed on mine, tears forging paths down her soot-covered cheeks, her disbelief obvious even from yards away. \u201cAre you sure?\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n It was a ridiculous question. It wasn\u2019t like I could make any guarantees. It was fire, for God\u2019s sake. But that didn\u2019t stop me from covering my heart with my palm and vowing, \u201cI swear on my life you\u2019re going to make it through this.\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n Her hesitation was evident, but with one last sob, she inched her small body farther out onto the narrow ledge, reaching the tips of her shaking fingers out for the windowsill above her.<\/i><\/p>\n \u201cGood girl,\u201d I praised, a fraction of relief washing over me.<\/i><\/p>\n And then I sucked in a sharp breath as one of her shaking legs slipped out from under her.<\/i><\/p>\n \u201cNo!\u201d I yelled.<\/i><\/p>\n On instinct, I rushed toward the flames, my arms stretched out in the air as though I could catch her.<\/i><\/p>\n A scalding heat blistered my face and forced me to stop, but the real pain was in my chest. I watched in horror for what felt like a lifetime as she fought to right herself, her dainty arms flailing like a wounded butterfly frantically trying to catch the wind.<\/i><\/p>\n But there was none to be found.<\/i><\/p>\n My heart lurched into my throat, and my breath seized in my lungs.<\/i><\/p>\n And then a deep, guttural sound tore through me, shredding me from the inside out, as I watched her fall.<\/i><\/p>\n I woke up in a cold sweat. It wasn\u2019t exactly something new. I\u2019d been dreaming of Butterfly for over four years. She always flew directly into the flames, screaming as I stood helpless to save her.<\/p>\n Swinging my legs over the side of the bed, I cradled my head in my hands and tried to pretend I was okay. That wasn\u2019t exactly something new, either. I could still feel the heat on the back of my neck. My lungs were still thick with smoke. The pressure in my chest never left me.<\/p>\n The distance while I was living in LA had helped. But, in the week since I\u2019d been back in Illinois, I\u2019d woken up every morning at that blazing house. I didn\u2019t even have to be asleep for the memories to assault me.<\/p>\n I should have gone back to sleep. It was my first day at my new job, and the last thing I needed was to show up haggard and sleep-deprived. But, as I\u2019d learned over the years, another fiery butterfly awaited me on the other side of REM. No way I was volunteering for that.<\/p>\n I pushed myself off the bed and tugged a T-shirt on, preparing to head down to the hotel gym with hopes that I could outrun the mental fog that had been hovering over me since I\u2019d returned. There was a reason I\u2019d thrown all of my shit in my car and driven as far as I could all those years ago.<\/p>\n Yet, somehow, I\u2019d come full circle.<\/p>\n But I\u2019d come back a different man.<\/p>\n At least that\u2019s what I\u2019d told myself as the deafening roar of doubt had overwhelmed me the moment I\u2019d driven across the state line.<\/p>\n Regardless, it had been time to go home.<\/p>\n I\u2019d been gone too long.<\/p>\n Or, as I\u2019d decided as I\u2019d passed the exit to Park County, not nearly long enough.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n WEBSITE<\/a>\u00a0|<\/b>\u00a0FACEBOOK<\/b><\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0<\/b>TWITTER<\/b><\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0<\/b>GOODREADS<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" SINGE is the first book in an ALL NEW smokin-hot standalone series by Aly Martinez\u00a0 NOW AVAILABLE! Amazon US |\u00a0Amazon UK |\u00a0 Nook\u00a0 |\u00a0 Kobo Blurb She was my nightmare. Every time I closed my […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":16775,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","yasr_overall_rating":4.5,"yasr_post_is_review":"","yasr_auto_insert_disabled":"","yasr_review_type":"Product","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[88,52,49,9,29],"tags":[194,59,576,48],"class_list":["post-17652","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-badasses","category-drama","category-feeeeeeels","category-romance","category-steamy","tag-aly-martinez","tag-arc","tag-guardian-protection","tag-review"],"yasr_visitor_votes":{"stars_attributes":{"read_only":false,"span_bottom":false},"number_of_votes":0,"sum_votes":0},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/Singe-cover.jpg?fit=150%2C234&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p7gaNL-4AI","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17652","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=17652"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17652\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/16775"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=17652"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=17652"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=17652"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}\r\n <\/div><\/div><\/b><\/p>\n
\nBlurb<\/b><\/h4>\n
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<\/p>\n
\nReview<\/b><\/h4>\n
\nHer eyes popped open as she exclaimed, \u201cNothing.\u201d
\n\u2026 Pinching the bridge of my nose, I said, \u201cRhion, sweetheart, I\u2019m going to be blunt here. I know what it feels like to have you riding me. I\u2019m gonna say that\u2019s a hellova lot more than nothing.\u201d<\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n
\nLong story short: I was fucked.<\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n
\nI smiled and then cleared the tear from her cheek with my thumb, whispering. \u201cI\u2019ve always been real, Butterfly. Even when I didn\u2019t want to be.\u201d<\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/span>Spoiler<\/div>\u201cWe live in two totally different worlds, Rhion.\u201d
\n\u201cMaybe. But, in yours, you\u2019re living in the dungeons of what you could have done differently \u2026 In my world, you saved me, you\u2019re falling in love with me, and I\u2019m refusing to let go.<\/em>\u201d<\/div><\/div><\/blockquote>\n
\nA slow smile pulled at his lips as he replied, \u201cI am. And so are you, my beautiful Butterfly.\u201d <\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\nThe Guardian Protection series<\/strong><\/h4>\n
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\u00a0\u00a0![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/thrive.jpg?resize=80%2C122&ssl=1\")
\u00a0![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Falter.jpg?resize=80%2C122&ssl=1\")
\u00a0![\"Cover](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/Cover-Coming-Soon-80.jpg?resize=80%2C122&ssl=1\")
\u00a0 <\/h4>\n
\nReview
\n<\/a>Buy:\u00a0 Amazon<\/a>\u00a0 |\u00a0 Paperback<\/a><\/p>\n
\nReview<\/a>
\nBuy:\u00a0 Amazon\u00a0<\/a> |\u00a0 Paperback<\/a><\/p>\n
\nTo be released 24 April<\/p>\n
\nComing soon<\/p>\n
\nComing soon<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\nExcerpt<\/strong><\/h4>\n
\nAbout\u00a0the Author<\/strong><\/h4>\n
![\"ali](\"http:\/\/i2.wp.com\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/ali-martinez.jpg?resize=200%2C150\")
Born and raised in Savannah, Georgia, Aly Martinez is a stay-at-home mom to four crazy kids under the age of five- including a set of twins. Currently living in South Carolina, she passes what little free time she has reading anything and everything she can get her hands on, preferably with a glass of wine at her side.<\/span><\/p>\nFor more amazing reads by this author, check out our Aly Martinez Author Spotlight<\/a>.<\/strong><\/h4>\n