Darkness
is the only thing I see. Ever since the day my life changed. The day
that everything and everyone I held close to me ceased to exist. The
day I lost it all and the demons of my past consumed my every waking
moment.
I
tried to keep others at arm’s length. Tried not to let my darkness
taint them. Ruin them. Harm them. And whether I want to admit it or
not, as much as I wish I could keep them locked out, they refuse to
leave. Refuse to let me suffer alone.
If
I hadn’t been so focused on keeping those demons from flying free,
I wouldn’t have missed how one perfect angel was able to sneak her
way under my skin—refusing to let go. Making me want things I don’t
deserve.
She
consumes me. Her beauty knows no end. The love she promises tempts me
every time she’s near. But that pure heart that makes her MY Emmy
is the one thing I’m convinced I’ll destroy if I ever let her
close.
I’m
a broken man. A broken man with too much darkness in his soul to ever
let her light shine upon me. But even that doesn’t stop me from
craving her with every single breath in my body.
**This
is the final book in the Corps Security series. This book is not
suitable for younger readers. There is strong language, adult
situations, and some violence.*
Nikki, to start us out, I just have to say...I miss Coop!
And as the song says, we've come to the end of the road for the Corp Security series by Harper Sloan.
Me too! But, as he would say, "Chin up, Buttercup" I did enjoy our glimpses of him, as bittersweet as they were.
*sniff* But they weren't enough. I wanted a whole book of him.
I know, I wanted a whole book too! But, let's get to Locke and Emmy. We could go on and on about Cooper... 
Sigh. Ok. So Locke...he's definitely been an enigma throughout the series. We've gotten little glimpses of him over the course of the last 4 books and it was time to finally get to know the moody, silent man. I liked what I knew about him prior to this book, and that didn't really change in this book. But we got to know him more. And his past was not pretty. My heart just broke for him. And when he should have been admired for his service to his country, his family looked down on him for it. I wanted to drop kick them down to the pits of hell!
I concur 100%! I've been curious about Maddox Locke since page one (well, technically since he was introduced) of Axel. I liked how with each new book, Harper Sloan gave us just a few more glimpses of who he was. When we finally learned of his past and what awful events shaped him into the man he is, my heart broke for him. I, too, wanted to do some drop kicking. And maybe even some water boarding. And some other not so pretty evil things to his family. 
(uh Lindsay... I think you're rubbing off on me...)
(uh Lindsay... I think you're rubbing off on me...)
OMG! Water boarding! That's totally going on the Irritable Acts list! Congtats Harper Sloan! You've inspired a level of irritation!
LOL. Maybe we spend too much time together if you're becoming as blood thirsty as me... 
But speaking of being blood thirsty and wanting to do some damage to people...I wanted to go all Dexter on Emmy's family and her dad's douchey minion. The author requested no spoilers, and we'll abide by that, but lets just say that they deserved some water boarding while having their nails pulled out as someone goes all Dexter on them!
Omg yes! Both Emmy and Maddox had some serious craptastic families! Definitely worthy of water boarding and the Dexter treatment! But I think them both coming from such a crappy upbringing also helped them to find each other. Well, once Maddox pulled his very fine head out of his ass 
And Coop. Can't forget Coop's role in helping pull Emmy out of her familial situation. I loved those parts. And you never really saw in the past books the connection that Coop and Emmy had and I wish we had seen more of that.
I agree. It was interesting to see how Coop played such a big role in Emmy's life. I hadn't realized they were as close as they were. But at the same time, it was more bittersweet to see her memories of him.
I agree. Should we get into the part we hate most for reviews...what didn't work for us?
*sigh* yes I suppose it's time for the part we dislike in reviews...
I think my biggest issue was Emmy. She seemed different from the woman we had met and spent time with in all the other books. She went from sweet, shy and quiet to almost an alpha female who barely resembled the woman we had met. She wasn't awful, just not the same. Does that make sense?
It does. I agree. I am all for a strong female lead, Girl Power But I don't care for a change up in personalities from one book to another. It's confusing and I don't think it stays true to the character. I liked the strong Emmy, but the quiet and shy Emmy worked great too. Like you said while we were reading, a heroine who is quiet can also be strong for her man.
But I don't care for a change up in personalities from one book to another. It's confusing and I don't think it stays true to the character. I liked the strong Emmy, but the quiet and shy Emmy worked great too. Like you said while we were reading, a heroine who is quiet can also be strong for her man.
Exactly. I had no problem with her being strong, but there are different types of strong. She could have remained the sweet, shy and quiet person she was while being strong. She didn't have to turn into an alpha woman that tried to overpower her guy on the page.
I agree. But I did like how she fought for him even when he wasn't able to fight for himself.
True. That was nice. But see, during those times, she was strong for her man without being overpowering, and it totally worked.
She was. So, what's our final rating?
Prologue—Maddox
Just
gone.
It
took me three days to find her—thanks to the tracking device I had
placed on her car—down in some small Podunk town in south Florida.
Even if she had been trying to hide, she’d done a shit job of it.
One search for her parents would have brought me right to her.
It
took me longer to actually get eyes on her than it had to find her.
She was holed up in some cheap-ass hotel for three weeks. She called
in her meals and never left the room. And unfortunately, I had to
leave and rush home when things out of my control needed attention
and I again had to pull Asher’s head out of his ass. Now I’m
back and I’m not leaving until I get my hands on her.
She
doesn’t want to be found. I know that, but damn if I’m going to
let her run off and get away for good. I’ve pushed and pushed her
away. Every bone in my body has screamed at me to take what she’s
been offering for years. I’ve seen her, I know what she wants, but
I won’t let my demons hurt her. Not my Emmy.
Since
day one, she’s been the greatest temptation, but I refused to take
everything innocent that is Emmy and let my blackness take her.
Because that’s what will happen. It will wrap around her soul and
slowly choke the life out of her. Just like every other person I’ve
allowed in.
I’ll
taint her. I’ll ruin her. And in the end, it will destroy her.
One
smile from her made me fall. So I pushed her away. I told her that
she would never be what I need—that I would never want her. God,
if she only knew. I crave her and everything she keeps trying to
hand me. I crave her and everything she could give me. My very
being calls out to her, and I work daily to refuse it.
So I
pushed.
Until
she ran.
But
that ends right now.
Looking
up at the gaudy neon lights thrown on the top of this hellhole, I
know that was my first mistake.
SYN.
A
motherfucking strip club.
This
is not a place where my angel belongs. Just the thought of her
inside this club makes my skin crawl. I can feel my anger becoming a
force of its own as the blackness in my soul threatens to burst
through. It’s burning inside my veins and demanding blood. My
nostrils flare, making my breaths come in loud pants. My fist
clenches—demanding something to pound into, something to destroy.
My skin feels tight. Every vein in my body is pulsing with each wild
beat of my heart.
I’m
going to explode.
The
bouncer doesn’t even give me a second thought. He gives me a brief
glance as I pay the twenty bucks to gain my access into the hellish
place. I immediately rip my sunglasses off, taking in every inch of
the room. Black walls with dim lighting, stereotypical red carpeting
and leather booths lining the room. They have the name right with
the smell of this place—sex and sin with a mixture of smoke and
sweat. There are three stages set up around the room, the center one
being the largest and two smaller ones to the left and right, with a
bar against the back wall and one on the top floor.
The
whole top-floor bar area is set up on a glass floor, giving these
douchebags around the room the perfect view between the barely
dressed servers’ legs. Taking my eyes off the top floor, where the
bartenders are clearly working the glass floor to their advantage, I
scan the room again, squinting my eyes to see through the dim
lighting and heavy smoke.
That’s
when I spot her.
“What.
The. Fuck,” I snarl under my breath.
The
anger I felt earlier burning through my body starts to boil. It’s
almost as if my body becomes a force of its own. The monsters inside
me wanting free.
There
she stands, not even five feet away, looking exhausted, wearing next
to nothing. Her skirt—if that’s what you want to call it—is
more like a napkin someone cut in half. From the way she
stands—slightly to the side—I can just make out the perfect
roundness of her ass peeking out the bottom of the hem. Her pert
tits are pushed together and held in a tight bikini top, the fabric
so thin that I can see the outline of her nipples clear as day.
My
eyes take in every inch of her exposed skin and I want to roar with
rage.
No one
should see her like this. No one but me. And even though I don’t
have the right to feel this way about her, there isn’t a damn thing
that can stop me now.
She
hasn’t seen me yet, so I stalk over to where she’s standing. She
turns right when I’m about to reach out for her and her eyes go
wide, shock and alarm clear in her beautiful, honey-brown eyes.
“Wha—”
“What
the fuck are you doing, Em?” I bite out.
She
shrinks back at my tone before she catches herself and goes stiff. I
can tell instantly that I’m not going to like anything she has to
say.
“Excuse
me?”
“You
heard me, Emmy. What in the hell are you doing in this place?”
She
tilts her head slightly, taking me in. Her eyes leave mine and roam
the room before she gives a stiff nod. When she turns her focus back
to me, I go stock-still at her words.
“I’m
exactly where I should be, Maddox. I’m home.” Her tone is
submissive, and that fury inside me goes from a boiling fire to ice
cold.
With
that, she turns and stalks off towards the bar. And I see that not
only is her ass hanging out, but so are her hot-pink boy shorts.
“Dude.
She’s a fine piece of ass, right?” The man she was just talking
to speaks in awe.
“Shut
your fucking mouth,” I growl, feeling that rage return like a
switch has been flipped.
“Ah,
you’re new here. Just sit back, my friend, and get ready for the
show.” He laughs, takes a deep pull from his beer, and turns his
attention back to the main stage, where the current entertainment is
doing her best to swallow the fucking pole with her pussy. She’s
working so hard for it that she might as well be fucking the damn
thing.
I’m
no stranger to strip clubs. Back when the guys were all single, we
would hit some local ones around California. No better way to let
off some steam from the shit that is constantly swirling around in my
head than to sit in a room full of naked woman. Where the music
pounds into your body, the drinks are always flowing, and the pussy
is in abundance.
One
thing’s for sure: This isn’t a place for Emmy. Hell no.
Without
taking my eyes from Emmy, I drop my body into the nearest booth.
She’s in a heated argument with the bartender and an older man who
looks about as run-down as this fucking town. She throws her hands
in the air, her head moving wildly, and if I had to guess, her
stunning eyes are burning bright. She points over to me a few times,
and all the older man does is shake his head, obviously not giving
her what she wants. I just scowl at them from the booth, waiting for
her to walk her ass back over here so I can explain to her that it’s
time to go.
“Hey
there, handsome,” a raspy voice says to my right. “Looking for
some fun tonight? I bet a big man like you would be up for something
wild.”
“No.”
I don’t even look at her. My eyes never leave Emmy—who is now
looking at me. A mix of ire and hurt is written all over her face.
Even with the shit lighting in this place, I can see it…and I hate
it.
Fucking
hurt? Is she serious right now? Pissed I can understand. She
didn’t want to be found and I found her.
“I
won’t bite, baby. That is unless you want me to.” Her hands
snake around my neck and down my chest.
Turning
my attention away from Emmy, I look at the bleach-blonde hair,
weathered skin, and fake tan of this bitch in front of me. I’ll
give her credit—she tries to hide it with more than enough makeup
for about ten women, but this piece of work in front of me has to be
pushing fifty.
“I
said no, woman. What part of that didn’t you understand? And for
the last time, do not touch me.” I reach up and pull her hand off
my stomach before she can go any further.
Moving
my eyes back to where I last saw Emmy has me coming up empty. What
the hell? I scan the room but she is still nowhere to be found.
“Ah,
sweet cheeks. I know what you want. Good luck with that one. Rose
doesn’t play around, and honey, why would you want her when you can
have me? After all, I taught her everything she knows.” She leans
down and, before I can guess her intent, licks my neck, clearly
taking my distraction at her words to her advantage.
I turn
swiftly and move into her space, making sure she doesn’t mix this
shit up in her head to think that I would somehow ever want her ass.
“Do.
Not. Touch. Me. You got that, sweet cheeks?”
She
looks me in the eyes for a few beats before throwing her head back
and laughing. The sound of it hits my ears like nails on a
chalkboard.
“Your
loss.”
When
she walks off, I start my scan of the room again. No Emmy in sight.
I run my hand over my buzzed scalp before settling in for the wait.
Thirty
minutes later and I still haven’t found her. The crowd is getting
restless. The chicks taking turns on the stage now haven’t been
impressive and they undoubtedly want more. The pole humper has moved
on to one of the smaller stages. The last act on the main stage was
slightly better, but all she did was basically finger-fuck herself on
the stage before fumbling to get to her feet on her ridiculous heels.
Jesus
Christ.
I
wait, determined not to leave until I have her with me. Another
thirty minutes and two more rotations on the stages have my
frustration levels going up even higher. How the hell did she just
disappear? I know she didn’t leave. The tracking device on her
car, which is sitting right next to my truck in the parking lot,
hasn’t alerted me of any movement. I’ll be damned if she takes
off on me again.
After
signaling over another server, I order a beer and check my phone
again to make sure the tracker isn’t malfunctioning. I’m just
putting my phone in my pocket when a deep voice cuts over the music.
“Gentleman
of Syn. It’s the moment you’ve been waiting for. The one your
dicks have been begging for all fucking night. The Princess of Syn
herself. The one and only, Rose!”
The
Princess of Syn? What an idiot. I laugh to myself, placing my
beer to my lips for a long pull. The music starts and the first few
notes of Lollipop by Framing Hanley fill the air. Got to give this
chick props—at least she picked a good song.
The
house lights go down, plunging the room into darkness, before a
spotlight hits the main stage. The smoke clinging to the air gives
the stage an eerie glow. I take my eyes off the action and attempt
scan the darkness of the room again for Emmy. Movement by the back
corner catches my attention at the same time that the crowd goes
electric. Idiots start throwing their money left and right, calling
to this Princess of Syn to take them.
What
morons.
I
focus on the corner again and see the blonde from earlier smiling her
wicked smile at me before pointing to the stage. Turning back to the
stage, I watch as a woman, who I assume is this so-called princess,
spins effortlessly on the pole, her movements all but blurring her
body from the men wishing she were spinning on their dicks. It
doesn’t take me long to see why the bitch from earlier is telling
me to look.
With
one quick spin, her hands are placed at the center and her legs are
spread wide and parallel to the pole, showing off her barely there
G-sting, I see my Emmy. It takes a second for the shock to wear off,
and in that second, she gracefully drops from her spin with a guarded
smile to the men crowding the stage. Lifting her small hands from
her side, she drags them up her flat stomach to take her tits in hand
and jiggles them.
Fucking
jiggles them.
I
can’t control my body at this point. I’m focused on one
thing—the best way to get her off that stage and out of this place.
She
reaches up and, in a move that is obviously practiced, removes her
top, throwing it in to the crowd. There she dances with her body on
display, caressing her naked tits until her nipples pebble. Turning
her back to the room, she bends at the waist and starts to slowly
pull her G-sting down her long, toned legs.
This
is when the reality of this situation hits me. I’ll fucking kill
all of these motherfuckers in the room.
Then
she drops to her knees before getting on all fours and crawling
towards the end of the stage.
Hell.
No.
I’m
on my feet in seconds, stalking through the crowd, pushing any man
who stands in the way of my woman and me. I don’t even lift my
arms from my side. I just barrel through the bodies with one goal in
mind.
She
doesn’t see me coming since she’s back on her feet and walking to
the pole again. With a leap that would make my high school track
coach proud, I’m on the stage, and a second later, I have a naked
Emmy thrown over my shoulders before I jump off the stage. The sharp
pain up my leg does nothing to extinguish my determination.
I can
see the bouncers coming, and with one hand on her slick ass, I reach
out and punch the first one in the face, taking great pleasure
watching him instantly buckle to the floor. The other one comes at
me from the side, but he doesn’t get far before I pick up the chair
to my left one-handed and crack it against his fucking head.
Emmy
is struggling with such vigor that I’m forced to put her down. She
looks up, ready to spit fire at me, before snapping her mouth shut
when she sees the expression on my face. I have no doubt that I look
just as feral as I feel.
“Don’t
you open that sweet fucking mouth, Emersyn. I swear to Christ, now
is not the time to fucking piss me off any further.”
I rip
my shirt off and roughly pull it over her head. She struggles and
puts up a fight, momentarily distracting me from the third bouncer
coming at full throttle. His fist takes me by surprise, but not for
long. Grabbing her wrist so she doesn’t get away, I turn to the
motherfucker stupid enough to get in my way.
“You
shouldn’t have done that,” I seethe.
He
goes to punch me again, but I duck and pop up before he realizes he
failed. Bringing my head forward, I head-butt him right between the
eyes and almost smile when he falls instantly.
I’m
stopped at the door by the last bartender she was speaking with
earlier. He goes to make a move but pulls up when he sees the look
in my eyes. I’ll fucking kill and I’m sure it’s written clear
as day on my face.
“Do
it. I dare you.” My tone leaves no room for argument. I’m
leaving with her and there isn’t a person on this Earth who can
stop me.
Additional
books in the Corps Security Series
and
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Beck
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Uncaged (bk 3.5)
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Cooper (bk 4) ONLY $0.99
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Harper
lives in small town Georgia just a short drive from her hometown of
Peachtree City. She (and her 3 daughters) enjoy ruling the house they
dubbed 'Estrogen Ocean', much to her husbands chagrin. Harper has a
borderline unhealthy obsession with books; you can almost ALWAYS find
her with her eReader attached. She enjoys bad reality TV and cheesy
romantic flicks. Her favorite kind of hero--the super alpha kind!
Harper
started using writing as a way to unwind when the house went to sleep
at night; and with a house full of crazy it was the perfect way to
just relax. It didn't take long before a head full of very demanding
alphas would stop at nothing to have their story told.
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