EXCERPT
There
hadn’t been a single moment in the past eight years when I’d awoken and wished
I could forget.
Every
morning had been a struggle to remember.
Every
night a battle between needing to know and needing to forget.
I’d
tried to trick my mind into remembering, but either I was too stubborn or too
afraid, because it never worked. And . . . as the days turned from hell to
heaven and Arthur fell back in love with me, I didn’t really mind that a chunk
of my life was missing.
I
had him back. Larger than life and even more perfect than any recollection
could do justice.
I
was content with that.
But
living in the silver haze of amnesia, with no past or present, came with its
own burdens and trials. It meant I couldn’t find my true self, but it also
granted unusual freedom. Freedom because I couldn’t find my true self. I had
the latitude to be stronger, braver—all because
I
had no notion of who I’d been or what I was risking by choosing
certain
paths.
I’d
be lying if I said I didn’t like that indulgent laxity . . . that power.
It’d
granted me silent strength to chase Arthur even when he seemed unchasable. And
it’d helped me find the truth that I’d been missing all these years.
But
now, pinned to a table with men gawking at my half-naked form, I wished I could
disappear into the void where my mind had vacationed for so long.
I
wished I could delete whatever was about to happen.
I
struggled against the fingers around my wrists, unable to look up at the men
holding me down. My cheek squashed against the table; my toes ached as I dug
into the tiled floor, trying to stop myself from sliding and becoming
completely helpless.
Rubix
stood behind me. The heat of his thighs against my T‑shirt and the
roughness of his fingers sent my heart spiraling.
Please, don’t
let this happen.
Rubix
was many things, but a rapist? Would he stoop that low?
The
unequivocal answer reverberated through my head.
Yes.
Especially
if such a thing would hurt the one person he hated above all. Arthur would
never be able to forgive himself if I was violated so terribly.
It will kill
him.
My
heart shattered into kaleidoscopic pieces at the thought of destroying Arthur
in such a way. Me? I could brave it. I could heal. But him? He’d never be able
to look at me again without suffering such awful guilt.
“Why do you hate your son so much?” I whispered,
fearing his answer.
Rubix chuckled. “You never guessed?”
Never guessed? “No.” How would I ever guess something so wrong?
“He was supposed to be like me. Instead, he was like
her.”
“What?” My forehead furrowed. “Like her . . . your
wife?”
“Yes,” he snarled. “So fucking soft. She was always
so meek—riddled with indecision and then later with disease. Arthur was
supposed to make me proud—but all he did was make me a laughing stock.”
“All because he preferred to use his brain over his
fists? Because he chose to go to school instead of smoking crack with the rest
of the lowlife prospects?”
Rubix tucked my hair behind my ears. “No, pretty
Buttercup, because he chose your family over his own.”
My stomach ruptured. “He didn’t choose us over you.
You gave him no choice. Arthur wanted to be good rather than follow morals he didn’t
believe in. That doesn’t make him soft. That makes him strong.”
Stronger than
you’ll ever be
Excerpted from SIN & SUFFER by Pepper Winters.
Copyright © 2016 by Pepper
Winters. Used with permission of Grand Central Publishing.
All rights reserved.
REVIEW
Pepper Winters is my “go to author”, you know, that author that you don’t even need to read the back of book before buying, that author you’d die to meet, but know you’d be too embarrassed to tell her how much you love her writing… oh, and that author that kind of makes you feel like a stalker… yep that’s my Pepper. Sin & Suffer is book two in the Pure Corruption Series, and after we were left with the massive cliff hanger in Ruin and Rule… I was totally pumped up for Sin & Suffer and more of Kill & Cleo.
Pepper pulls you into her stories with an intensity that puts her in a league of her own. The ups and downs and twists and turn have you on the edge of your seat and the complexity of characters will keep you completely enthralled the entire book. I think my favorite part of this book was the dual POV’s and memories from Kill and Cleo’s childhood. It gives you glimpses of the true Arthur Killian and makes you a believer in true love and how it really never dies.
This is another “must read” from Pepper Winters. And if you’re like me, and not really into MC books, this book is no ordinary MC book, trust me, it’s worth the read.
4.5 stars
Reviewed by Tonya Nichols of Eye Candy Bookstore
About Pepper Winters
Pepper Winters is a New York Times and USA Todayinternational bestseller. She loves dark romance, star-crossed lovers, as well as the forbidden and taboo. She strives to write a story that makes readers crave what they shouldn't, and delivers complex plots and unforgettable characters that keep readers talking long after the last page is turned.
On a personal note she loves to travel, has an addiction to creme brulee, and is married to an incredible Canadian who puts up with her endless work hours and accompanies her on signings. She's also a firm believer that the impossible can become possible.
About SIN & SUFFER
"Some say the past is in the past. That vengeance will hurt both innocent and guilty. I never believed those lies. Once my lust for revenge is sated, I'll say goodbye to hatred. I'll find a new beginning."
She came from a past Arthur "Kill" Killian never forgot. She made him sin and made him suffer. She tugged him from the shadows and showed him he wasn't as dead as he thought. And with her resurrection came betrayal, deceit, and war.
But then they took her. Stole her. Imprisoned her.
Now Kill's carefully laid plans for vengeance are complete. He craves action, retribution-the blood of his enemies. War has begun. War is all they'll know until they've paid their penance. He will get her back-and rewrite their destiny . . .
