War Wounded (The War Trilogy #2.5)
Read War Wounded (The War Trilogy #2.5) Online
Authors: Andria Large
WAR Wounded
By Andria Large
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales or persons, living or dead is purely coincidental.
War Wounded
Copyright © 2015 by Andria Large.
All rights reserved. The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced, scanned, distributed, or used in any manner whatsoever, via the Internet, electronic, or print, without the express written permission of the authors, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
For more information,
or information regarding subsidiary rights, please contact the author:
http://www.AuthorAndriaLarge.com
Edited by: Megan Hershenson
Cover Design by: Andria Large
First Edition, 2015
Please note: Andria Large acknowledges the copyrighted items named in the novel,
War Wounded
. The author does not own the right to the products, songs, or brands that are mentioned in this story.
The Beck Brothers Series:
Henry
Sebastian
Quinn
Christian
Renegade Series:
Sweet Renegade
Wild Renegade
Irresistible Renegade (Coming Soon)
War Trilogy:
At War
War Torn
War Wounded (2.5)
At Peace (Coming Soon)
A Taboo Love Series:
Hey There, Delilah…
Unmasking Charlotte
Crossing The Line
Standalones:
Hammer & Nails
After being cheated on
twice,
why would I ever put myself through that crap again? Marriage obviously isn’t in the cards for me. Actually, my trust in women and love has pretty much been obliterated. And if I’m being completely honest, I really want nothing to do with it ever again. Relationships? Possibly. Monogamy? Maybe. Love and marriage? Uh, hell no! If you could see me, you’d know I’m giving you the middle finger right now.
Then this little spitfire, who has plagued my dreams, waltzes back into my professional life. She hires me to investigate her dirtbag fiancé, whom she fears is cheating on her. When my findings are revealed, I offer her support and friendship...because I’m a nice guy like that.
Is it possible that she is the one who can heal my wounded heart? Or is the damage too deep?
*Warning: For mature audiences only. Contains some sensitive situations and graphic sex scenes. Please remember that this is a work of fiction and comes from my own imagination.
***Please Note: This book may be read as a stand-alone, but will be better read within the series so that you could understand and appreciate the characters’ back stories. Also, Duke’s story is happening in the midst of Dennis and Tucker’s story, so when the third book in the trilogy is released, Duke will not have been with Arianna yet. NOT A CLIFFHANGER!
To all the men and women who serve our country in the military. It takes a special person to do what you do everyday. You are truly extraordinary and I thank you for keeping our country free.
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) can occur after you have been through a traumatic event. A traumatic event is something terrible and scary that you see, hear about, or that happens to you, like:
•
Combat exposure
•
Child sexual or physical abuse
•
Terrorist attack
•
Sexual or physical assault
•
Serious accidents, like a car wreck
•
Natural disasters, like a fire, tornado, hurricane, flood, or earthquake
During a traumatic event, you think that your life or others’ lives are in danger. You may feel afraid or feel that you have no control over what is happening around you. Most people have some stress-related reactions after a traumatic event; but, not everyone gets PTSD. If your reactions don’t go away over time and they disrupt your life, you may have PTSD.
If you think you may have PTSD, please talk to your doctor or someone who can help. This is a serious condition that can be treated.
http://www.ptsd.va.gov//files/15/20/20/f152020/public/PTSD-overview/basics/what-is-ptsd.asp
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255
Table of Contents
~ Arianna ~
I blink in shock at the words my cousin/best friend/maid of honor, Jade, just said to me.
I think Kyle is cheating on you.
The bomb she just dropped on me leaves me breathless. When she asked me to meet her for lunch, I figured it was to come up with plans for my bachelorette party. I was not expecting
this.
“Wha…what? Why would you say that?” I stutter in disbelief.
Jade pulls out her phone and thumbs through it, looking for something as she starts to explain. “You know the other night when I told you how Justin and I went out to that new club?” she asks.
I nod stupidly. Justin is Jade’s boyfriend of three years. Jade then turns her phone around to show me a picture.
“Well, this is what I saw. I swear it was Kyle and he was getting all touchy feely with that chick there,” she says.
I take the phone and squint at the dark grainy picture. There were two people in the picture, a guy and a girl, and they were dancing really close.
Really close
. I guess that guy looks like Kyle…
“Kyle said he had to do a double shift at the hospital that night, so that can’t be him,” I tell her, shaking my head in denial.
“Could it be possible that he was lying to you?” Jade frowns.
“Why would he lie to me? We’re getting married in three weeks. He loves me, he wouldn’t cheat on me,” I reply with absolute certainty.
“Ari, I know this is hard to hear and crazy to think about so close to your wedding, but you should at least look into this. Check his phone or something. You don’t want to marry someone you can’t trust,” Jade says sadly.
Jade has never steered me wrong and I don’t think she would start now. I take a deep breath and try to push back my initial defensive reaction. I scroll through the couple of pictures that Jade snuck and really take a good look at them. The guy does look a lot like Kyle. But the pictures are so dark and grainy that I can’t be certain.
I sigh and hand Jade back her phone. “I’ll look into it.”
“Thank you, Ari.”
My heart starts to race. What would I do if I find evidence of him cheating? Would he actually cheat on me? No, I really don’t think so. He loves me and tells me so every day.
Kyle and I have been together for a little over a year now. Everything moved really fast. Kyle proposed after only two months together. We fell in love almost instantly. And now, our wedding date is coming up quickly. Only three weeks left. I was honestly over the moon excited about it until this very moment.
Jade’s hand covering mine interrupts my thoughts. When I look at her, she frowns and says, “I’m sorry. I really hope I’m wrong.”
I nod. So do I.
~ Duke ~
Being back at work feels great. And it’s kind of like an exciting new adventure now that I’ve moved to New York. Since I’m a freelance private investigator, my client list hasn’t changed much. I work with a lot of insurance companies that are trying to catch people committing insurance fraud. So all they have to do is give me cases in New York instead of Baltimore. No biggie. And the other kinds of clients, like the people trying to catch a cheating spouse or significant other, well, they can find me online through the ad I put in the Yellow Pages. Plus, I have my own website, so if you Google “private investigator” and “New York City,” it should come up.
The only problem with my job is that it can get pretty boring. Most of the time, I’m just sitting around waiting for idiots to make their move, then I follow, take pictures, and write down a time line of the events. Pretty simple and the pay is good.
My first job back is actually an insurance fraud case. Mr. Ow-my-back-hurts is doing a bang up job with those pull-ups right now. At least I’m getting a work out while watching this dumbass. He’s been at the gym almost every day this week, when in reality, if he’s as injured as he’s claiming to be, he should be flat on his back in bed. What makes this even easier is that the guy works out at the same gym I belong to.
I’m running on the treadmill at a steady but brutal pace. I’ve got a lot of aggravation in my life right now that I need to burn off. Running helps. I’m soaked in sweat, the wife beater that I’m wearing is completely drenched and so is the top of my gym shorts. I look like I’ve pissed my pants. Whatever, it can’t be helped.
“Holy shit, Tavish?” a familiar voice says from somewhere close by.
I glance around until I find the owner of the voice. It’s Keith Bennett, my former Marine buddy. He’s standing off to the right of the machine I’m on. I’m on an end, so it’s not too hard for him to stand next to me. I grin and slow down my machine to a light jog. I grab my towel and wipe down my face.
“Hey man! How’s it going?” I ask him.
Keith looks to be in really good shape still. His dark hair is cropped short and close to his head. I was right when I said that he and his sister really look nothing alike. Keith’s an okay looking guy, while his sister, Arianna, is straight up stunning. I notice that another guy is standing next to him. He’s a decent looking guy with light brown hair and brown eyes. He’s somewhat tall, not taller than me, though. And he’s got a decent build on him. You can tell that he works out.
“Not much. It’s been a while. I thought you lived down in Baltimore?”
“Just moved up here. I met your sister not too long ago…sweet girl.” I smirk.
Keith rolls his eyes at me knowing that “sweet girl” is code for I’d most definitely bang her. “Speaking of Arianna, this is her fiancé, Kyle Leonhart.”
I give Kyle a nod. Lucky bastard. “Hey.”
Kyle jerks his chin in my direction. “Hey.”
I stop the treadmill and lean on the arm of it. “Yeah, have fun with that marriage shit,” I scoff.
Kyle smiles. “You talking from experience?”
“Been married twice, been divorced twice.”
“Shit, sorry.” Kyle frowns.
“Eh, not your fault.” I shrug. “I tend not to stick around when I’m being cheated on. So, I think I’m done with the whole marriage thing.”
Something flickers in Kyle’s eyes at my words for a quick second. I don’t know what that was about so I just brush it off.
“Alright, man, we’ll let you get back to your workout. We gotta head out anyway,” Keith says.
I hop down off the treadmill and give Keith a handshake and a shoulder bump. “Good seeing you again, Bennett. Maybe we can hang out now that I’m living here.”
“Oh yeah, definitely man. Let me get your number,” Keith replies and pulls out his phone.
I give him my number, shake Kyle’s hand, and they leave. I check in on my client to see that he’s now doing bench presses. Nice. Good job, buddy. I wish I could go and thank him for being a stupid shit because without men and women like him, I wouldn’t have a job.
~ Arianna ~
“I’m so glad we’re finally able to have dinner together this week.” I smile over my shoulder at Kyle.
He’s sitting at our kitchen table waiting for dinner to finish cooking. He smiles without looking up from his phone, where he’s been texting with someone.
“Me, too, babe,” he murmurs.
“Who are you talking to?” I ask casually, but in the back of my mind, I’m wondering if it’s another woman.
Kyle glances at me and shrugs nonchalantly. “Just one of the guys from work. He's telling me about a crazy patient that he had earlier.”
“Oh.”
He texts one more thing before he closes the screen down and sets the phone on the table, face down. I look at his phone then at him. He gives me a sweet smile.
“So, how was work today? It’s been such a busy week at the hospital that I’ve barely had time to talk to you,” Kyle says.
Kyle is an ER doctor, so he’s crazy busy most of the time when he’s at work.
“I know! I don’t know how you have the energy to work all of those extra hours, I’d be exhausted,” I reply, turning back around to pay attention to what I’m cooking, which is ground beef for tacos.
“Yeah, well, I do get to catch a nap here and there between rushes, but I’m pretty beat after such a full week.”
“Maybe after dinner we can just watch a movie and snuggle on the couch?”
“Sounds good, babe,” Kyle says. “So tell me, how is the cupcake business coming along?”
I opened up my own cupcake shop about three months ago and it’s really starting to take off. I’m in a great location, so that really helps. I’m actually starting to get regular customers. It’s so exciting!
“It’s good! I’m getting more and more customers every day.”
“That’s awesome. I’m so proud of you.”
I toss a grin over my shoulder at him and he sends me a wink. “Thanks,” I chirp. “I’m proud of me, too.”
We stuff our faces with tacos then go to lounge on the couch and watch
The Avengers
. Fifteen minutes into the movie, Kyle is back to texting on his phone. So much so that he’s barely watching the movie.
“Who is it?” I ask.
“Hmm?” he replies as if he didn’t really hear me.
“Who are you texting now?” I repeat.
His eyes flick to mine for a second before returning to his phone. “Nobody, just one of the guys from work.”
“Is it that important that you can’t even watch a movie with me?” I huff.
“No. No, it’s not,” he mutters and sends one last message before putting his phone in his pocket.
I frown. Something is going on. He’s very conscious of his phone screen. He always has it angled away from where I can see it. And he always keeps it in his pocket or somewhere close by. Damn Jade, she just had to go and put a bug in my ear about him cheating. Now it’s all I can think about, and everything he does is suspicious to me. I don’t know what to do; there is no way I’m getting ahold of his phone. And if I do, I’m pretty sure he has a passcode on it, and I don’t know what it is. Goddammit!
The next day, I call Jade and explain to her my situation.
“Hire a private investigator,” Jade says.
“What?”
“Ya know, someone who will follow him around, check his phone records, take pictures of his nefarious activities,” Jade muses.
“Seriously? You think I should hire a PI to follow him around to find out if he’s cheating?” I scoff incredulously.
“You’re running low on time. You don’t want to marry him if he’s a cheater, right?”
My heart hurts at the thought that he actually might be cheating on me. “I haven’t really thought about it. I love Kyle. I want to marry him.”
“Ari, it’s your decision, but you really shouldn’t marry someone who can’t keep his dick in his pants. What if he brings back a disease or gets another chick pregnant?”
“What if he’s not cheating? What if he’s got some big surprise thing that he’s doing for the wedding?”
“That’s highly doubtful. Sweetie, I know this is hard, but it’s definitely something you need to think about.”
I sigh in resignation. She’s right. “Fine, I’ll see if I can find a private investigator.”
“Okay, call me if you need help,” Jade says.
“Okay, bye.”
Kyle is back at the hospital and business is slow right now, so I use my phone to do a search on PIs in the area. A few pop up, but one name catches my eye. Duke Tavish. Is that the same Duke who is friends with Tucker? Duke isn’t a real common name so I’m guessing that it is.
Seeing the name makes me remember the first time I met Duke a couple of months ago. Good lord was he gorgeous - in a rugged, bad ass, kind of way. His dark brown hair was styled in a military cut with the sides shaved, fading up into slightly longer hair on top. His square jaw was scruffy when I met him. His eyes were hazel and all too knowing. There’s no way that he couldn’t tell that I found him attractive. I mean, it was really hard not to be attracted to him. Especially with his shirtless torso on full display and all those bulging, cut muscles bunching and tensing under his skin whenever he moved. Kyle is in decent shape, and I find his body attractive, but holy shit, not like Duke. Duke has the kind of body that you only see in movies and on TV. Tucker is like that, too. Oh how I loved running my hands all over him when we were together. But that ship has sailed. And it’s for the best.
I check out Duke’s website and see that he does specialize in “infidelity.” I guess if I trust anyone to find out the truth, it will be him. I’m sure Tucker can vouch for him, also. I dial the number listed on the website and bring the phone to my ear. Butterflies flutter in my stomach as I wait for Duke’s deep voice to answer the phone.