Unbreakable Bonds Read online

  Table of Contents

  Legal Page

  Title Page

  Book Description

  Dedication

  Trademarks Acknowledgement

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  New Excerpt

  About the Authors

  Publisher Page

  A Totally Bound Publication

  Unbreakable Bonds

  ISBN # 978-1-78430-530-7

  ©Copyright Taige Crenshaw and Aliyah Burke 2015

  Cover Art by Posh Gosh ©Copyright April 2015

  Edited by Rebecca Douglas

  Totally Bound Publishing

  This is a work of fiction. All characters, places and events are from the author’s imagination and should not be confused with fact. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, events or places is purely coincidental.

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any material form, whether by printing, photocopying, scanning or otherwise without the written permission of the publisher, Totally Bound Publishing.

  Applications should be addressed in the first instance, in writing, to Totally Bound Publishing. Unauthorized or restricted acts in relation to this publication may result in civil proceedings and/or criminal prosecution.

  The author and illustrator have asserted their respective rights under the Copyright Designs and Patents Acts 1988 (as amended) to be identified as the author of this book and illustrator of the artwork.

  Published in 2015 by Totally Bound Publishing, Newland House, The Point, Weaver Road, Lincoln, LN6 3QN

  Totally Bound Publishing is a subsidiary of Totally Entwined Group Limited.

  Warning:

  This book contains sexually explicit content which is only suitable for mature readers. This story has a heat rating of Totally Sizzling and a Sexometer of 2.

  UNBREAKABLE BONDS

  Taige Crenshaw and Aliyah Burke

  When fantasy becomes reality, it brings to life one who has traveled through time, and a woman finds a man who sets her body ablaze with passion.

  Ta-Mara LeBreaux finds escape reading a love story of a couple who get together despite all odds. Yet she never expected to be caught in her own tale—the outcome of which will be up to the fickleness of destiny. A man appears in her life and all signs point to the fact that he is the same Levi from her book—a book she has read countless times. She must be crazy… However when the impossible becomes reality, Ta-Mara is faced with Levi who has come from between the pages to her world. He’s all her dreams come true. This man is all too real and sexy as hell. But is she living on borrowed time with Levi, who can’t possibly be hers?

  Levi Jefferson Davis Madison doesn’t know what brought him to this time or this particular woman. He is sure of one thing. Ta-Mara is the light that fills his soul. He won’t let anything or anyone stand between them. Yes this present time is so much different than he is used to but he won’t let that stop him. By opening first her home then her heart to a stranger, she shows him the depths of her character. Loving her is easy but being able to keep her by his side is his greatest challenge. Or is it…? There are some things that go beyond time and space. When love meets time, nothing can get in the ways of unbreakable bonds.

  Dedication

  To my mother, who has always been my number one fan. Because of you, I love to read and write. To my big sister and second mother who has always believed in me. To my co-writer, Aliyah as always it is a pleasure working with you and I thank you for doing this book with me. I loved working on it with you. ☺

  —Taige

  To my husband for your unending support. Thank you. To my readers, y’all rock! To Taige for another adventure, it’s been a blast. And last and never least: To the men and women of the Armed Forces who sacrifice so much for all of us, God Bless!

  —Aliyah

  Trademarks Acknowledgement

  The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of the following wordmarks mentioned in this work of fiction:

  Mariner: Ford Motor Company

  Keurig: Keurig Green Mountain

  Wranglers: VF Corporation

  LSU Tigers: LSU Tigers

  Timberland: Timberland LLC

  Survivor: Beyoncé Knowles, Anthony Dent, Matthew Knowles

  Like We Never Loved at All: John Rich, Scot Sax, Vicky McGehee

  Stay: Jennifer Nettles

  Food Network: Television Food Network G.P.

  Three Men and a Baby: Buena Vista Pictures

  Coke: The Coca Cola Company

  Victoria’s Secret: L Brands

  Sleeping Beauty: The Walt Disney Company

  Disney: The Walt Disney Company

  We Got Hood Love: Mary J. Blige, Bryan-Michael Cox, Kendrick Dean, Johnta Austin

  Chapter One

  The shot had torn through flesh and bone, making each movement—from breathing to continuing his forward motion—a painful chore. The man stumbled occasionally, yet pressed on. Baying dogs gained on him as his steps slowed. Sticky blood ran down his bare arm and mingled with the rain that cascaded around him. Wet branches reached out and ripped at his exposed upper body. Any and all air was ingested desperately as he ran farther into the forest.

  He couldn’t be caught. He didn’t want to die without knowing who had killed her. He had to find a way to survive.

  His Calliope.

  Her sweet brown face appeared before him—plump lips, a somewhat flat nose and eyes the color of a mug brimming full of rich hot chocolate.

  Calliope.

  Tears mixed with rain as he ran on. A gun barked seconds before he collapsed as a bullet ripped through the back of his thigh. His fingers dug into the fertile soil as he struggled to regain his footing.

  “There is nowhere for you to run, Levi. We will find you.” The deep, drawling voice rose above the storm, carrying through the trees.

  Blood loss, combined with pure exhaustion brought on by his days of being held and beaten, overwhelmed him. Levi Jefferson Davis Madison sank ungraciously back to the forest floor, knowing he wouldn’t be able to continue. “I’m so sorry, Calliope. I tried, my love. I tried.” The tortured words were full of sorrow and pain.

  Despite the cold his body had experienced for the past week, Levi felt a warmth flow over him like a feather blanket. A heat he hadn’t felt since before the day he’d lost his love.

  A whisper came through the dark to reach his ears. Levi, you are a man whose love is pure. In a world divided by color, you never faltered. Despite everything put to you, you stayed true to your heart and never turned your back on your soul mate. For that, I tell you this… Rest now. Fear not, for you shall be returned to the arms of your love. Trust your heart, for it will not lead you astray.

  Levi couldn’t explain it, but the words calmed his breaking heart. With a sigh that was more of a gurgle of blood, the man closed his eyes, ready to accept his death. He knew he would one day be reunited with the love who had died in his arms. The ones who had killed her were the same men who chased him.

  One day couldn’t come too soon.

  Lightning lit the sky as he turned tired eyes up and watched the night shadows become men whose fa
ces were full of hate. Two watched him, one with green and one with blue, as they told him they were the ones who’d killed the love of his life.

  The thunder rolled.

  * * * *

  Ta-Mara LeBreaux sniffled and smiled to herself behind the counter of the used bookstore she worked in, Roberta’s Reads. She closed the book and fondly ran her hand over the front cover.

  What better way to pass the stormy afternoon than by reading about real men and real love? This was one of her favorite books. A story of the Old South, where despite the laws, one man had stood up for his beliefs and openly admitted his love for a freed slave. And although they hadn’t been able to get married, he’d claimed he was married in the eyes of God to her.

  Levi Jefferson Davis Madison, raised in the Deep South, had fallen in love with a woman known as Calliope Jones.

  She sniffed again. How wonderful it would be to have a man like him—tall, handsome, dangerously alpha and yet totally in love with his woman, willing to stand up to the bigots and take whatever crap they dished out.

  “The only thing that sucks about this is that I don’t know if he dies or not.”

  Age had yellowed the pages and the final bit was missing. The only thing resembling a title was faded script on the front that read Unbreakable Bonds. She had asked her friend, Reginald ‘Reggie’ Carpenter—the store’s owner—about the book and had even gone to the library and checked online to see if she could figure out more about this mysterious story. Nothing came up. And she couldn’t find an author name anywhere on it either.

  Reginald had given her the book for helping him out in the store. She carried it with her always and reread it when she had any free time like now, on this dark stormy afternoon in Louisiana. Not many people were out, so after cleaning a bit, she had hunkered down and begun to read.

  The book wasn’t very thick, but the words resonated with the passion Levi and Calliope had for one another. “I wish I knew the ending of this.” Her imaginative mind had created lots of different endings for the story. Of course, she substituted herself in place of Calliope, but at least Levi found his love.

  A loud rumble of thunder echoed through the small brick building but it wasn’t until the lights flickered that she looked away from the object in her hands. The hum of the lights, which normally filled her with familiarity, seemed odd and unsettling. Almost like they were still trying to catch up from the power surge.

  “What I need is to turn on some more music,” she muttered to herself as she placed the book down on the now clean desk. “My imagination is beginning to make me think I’m crazy.”

  She headed down the middle of the store, her eyes traveling over the numerous shelves packed with books. This place made her feel at home. Rounding the final shelf, she turned toward the entrance of the back room.

  Numerous boxes of books were stored there—extra copies, books for donating to literacy programs and more. Nimbly avoiding them, Ta-Mara finally reached the CD player. She dragged a finger over the stack of CDs before she made her selection and pulled a disc free from its case. “John Legend is always good to listen to.”

  Content all was set, she headed out of the stockroom to return to the front of the store. Ta-Mara frowned as the smell of dirt and rain hit her nose. Okay, I get it. No more wild daydreams. She shook her head to rid herself of the crazy trip her mind was taking.

  Two steps then she stopped as the entire place went pitch black. Lightning flashed and in its eerie glow, Ta-Mara found herself face-to-face with a man—a man with blood and water streaking his face. A man who lurched toward her and reached out as if to grab her.

  An inhuman scream left her before she crumpled to the floor.

  * * * *

  Ta-Mara stirred. She moaned as she rubbed her head. Damn that hurts. The lights were still out in the store, so she got up slowly.

  “Hello?” she asked the dark.

  Was someone there? She would swear she had seen a man, but on the off chance he remained, did she really want him to know where in the store she was?

  Oh, get a grip, Ta-Mara. You imagined it. That’s all.

  There was a soft groan in the darkness. A whimper of fear slipped out as she realized she wasn’t alone in the store.

  “Hello? Is someone there?” She reached behind her to the shelf where they kept hardbacks and she grabbed a thick one. Ta-Mara gripped it before her and said with more bravado than she felt, “Answer me. I’m armed and…and I know karate.”

  Okay, I thought about taking karate. Now I wish I had.

  No answer. Not even another groan.

  Gritting her teeth, Ta-Mara positioned her body to head back to the storage area and the fuse box. “I can do this,” she whispered to herself. The situation would have been laughable if not for the pounding of her heart and her sweaty palms.

  Normally of solid character, panicking was so unlike her—and she didn’t like it. Moving carefully, Ta-Mara made her way through the blackness to where she knew the box was.

  Sliding her feet along the carpet to make sure she didn’t trip, Ta-Mara hesitated as she brought up a mental image of the back room. What, if anything, sat on the floor between her and the wall supporting the fuse box?

  Crack! Another lightning flash was followed immediately by more rumbling thunder.

  She was ready to jump out of her skin, as tight as her body was wound. Ta-Mara felt the hum of electricity before the lights actually came back on. They flickered a bit but with a final surge, a sigh escaped her as the glow of florescent bulbs flooded the back room.

  Closing her eyes in relief, Ta-Mara heard the sexy voice of John Legend fill the air and she turned around to see if anyone was behind her. Her hands remained curled around the heavy book and she was ready, just in case. She put the CD player on batteries so it wouldn’t skip again with the inclement weather.

  She checked each aisle and didn’t find a single person. Wearily, she headed back to the spot where she had retrieved her hardback weapon and returned it. There was no one in the store aside from herself as she walked to the front desk.

  Her book was gone.

  Brow furrowed, she mentally retraced her steps. “I’m positive I left it here.” She shook her head. “I’m losing it.”

  The clock chimed, telling her it was time to close up. Not like she’d had anyone pop in for a while. She locked the door and counted the money. Once the nightly deposit was prepared, Ta-Mara went to the back, intent on cleaning up and shelving some more books. She wasn’t in any rush to go out in this weather.

  The impressive vocals of John Legend stilled her wayward nerves as another rumble of thunder rolled overhead. Humming along, she entered the back room and headed to the far corner to work on some sci-fi books.

  A gasp exploded from her throat. A body cloaked in black lay on the floor. Water pooled around him and he wasn’t moving. He remained on his side.

  “Oh my God!” Ta-Mara scrambled over before kneeling beside him. She felt for a pulse, disturbing his cloak and revealing tanned skin. It was there. Faint, but there. “Are you okay?” She pulled away from the tingling that moved up her skin at first contact with his body.

  She reached for his shoulder, and shook him. Something warm met her skin despite the cold of his clothing. Her eyes narrowed as she drew back her hand and saw the red of his blood on her palm. Her stomach heaved. Blood was never a good thing with her.

  Still, Ta-Mara loathed leaving him. There was no phone in the back and her cell was also in the front room. She reached out to touch his dripping wet, black hair—so long it fell past the collar on his coat. Her fingers slid easily into its thickness.

  She brushed it away from his face as she took stock of the man lying silently beside her. His face was gaunt, but she would bet it was not a normal look for him. His size alone told her he was a man of immense strength. Not right now, however. Now, he appeared helpless.

  His eyes were closed, his long lashes curved against a dirt-smeared cheek. Lips were dry and cra
cked but his Cupid’s bow was attractive. There was a red line around his throat, as if someone had strangled him—or rather tried to hang him.

  Ta-Mara cocked her head. “Hey, I’m going to call for help. Hang in there.” One final stroke along his cheek then she pushed away and dashed up to the front desk. Yanking the receiver up, she swore as she got no dial tone. She dug through her purse until she grabbed her cell and flipped it open. “Damn it!” No service.

  She ran back to where her mysterious man lay, her cell phone in hand. He hadn’t moved, so Ta-Mara crouched back down beside him but refrained from touching him. “Hey, can you hear me?” She kept a partial eye on her cell, waiting for the moment it could be used.

  “Come on, Tall, Dark and Handsome. Answer me,” Ta-Mara commanded after a while.

  Was he dead? He didn’t think you could feel pain in death and he felt pain—burning pain that flowed through his body like nothing he’d felt before. He shifted slightly and clenched his jaw, trapping in the moan to ensure the men following didn’t hear him.

  His memory was fuzzy. What just happened? He had been running and fell, the voices had grown louder and he had felt hands on him. Then what?

  A rope. They had put a rope around his neck and strung him up in a tree. Fighting for his breath, the rope cutting into his skin… He remembered the sweet, satisfying breaths he’d taken once the branch cracked beneath his weight and dropped him unceremoniously on the muddy ground. The thunder had clapped loudly and shook everything.

  That was all he remembered. A gentle touch caressed his cheek.

  Am I dead? What he lay on wasn’t soft but it also wasn’t the muddy mess he had been in before. He figured he must be dead—shot twice and hanged, not very good odds of survival.