Mended Gabrielle G. Contents Letter to the reader Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15 Chapter 16 Chapter 17 Chapter 18 Chapter 19 Chapter 20 Chapter 21 Chapter 22 Chapter 23 Chapter 24 Chapter 25 Chapter 26 Chapter 27 Chapter 28 Chapter 29 Chapter 30 Chapter 31 Chapter 32 Chapter 33 Chapter 34 Epilogue Epilogue The Salvation Society Acknowledgments Books by Gabrielle G. About the Author This book was inspired by the Salvation Series written by Corinne Michaels. It is an original work that is published through The Salvation Society. Copyright@2020 by Gabrielle G. Cover Design: Devoted Pages Design – www.devotedpages.com Editor: Darlene Palma & Athena D. Lexis - Sisters Get Lit(erary) Author Services Proofreading: Darlene Palma & Athena D. Lexis - Sisters Get Lit(erary) Author Services Dedication : To those who lost a loved one and are desperate to love again. Letter to the reader Dear Readers, When I started writing romance, I thought I would write RomCom. I’m pretty funny in real life, so I believed it would show in my writing. And then I read Beloved by Corinne Michaels, and I discovered I could make people cry… That was a revelation in my writing. It changed everything. So, when I saw Corinne’s world was open for submission, I was excited and fearful at the same time. Could I? Would I? What if? Then I sent my submission… And here we are. If you’ve read me before, you know what to expect: the unexpected. If you’ve read the Darling Devils series, this is the story of our Oliver. This little asshole was quiet for so long, but the day I received the acceptance email for the world, he talked to me. Let me tell you his voice is deep and swoony. But I was faced with my first problem… Ol had to be tied in. He was presented as a consultant in the first book of the rock star series and got beaten up by a singer in the second. So, of course, I made him a former SEAL. A lost one. A grieving one. One who consulted for the beloved characters of the Salvation World. Makes sense right? I still needed a heroine. Reading Corinne’s World, I always wondered what happened to Tessa, the fiancée of King, who died in mission with Quinn. That was my entry. They had both lost someone and would be perfect for each other. If Oliver was a friend of Mark and Jackson but had not talked to them for a while, Tessa was under Quinn’s protection, as a promise made to King. Two grieving souls. Two people who lost the love of their life. Two people from different worlds who would collide. You will meet Mark, Jackson, and Quinn from Corinne’s world and Lars, Naomi, Anna, and Dan from mine (Darling Devils.) And of course, Dex… Because what would one of my books be without Dex Crawford's appearance? Enjoy the ride, Hakuna Namaste, Gabrielle G. Chapter One OLIVER “Mark called,” my sister says, assessing me above the cup of coffee she’s drinking. I rinse the glass I’m washing and ignore her. “Oliver, did you hear me? Mark called.” I raise an eyebrow, “Dixon?” I ask while grabbing the towel on my shoulder and start the process of drying the glass until it squeaks. I haven’t talked to the guy for years but knowing what anniversary is coming up, I wouldn’t be surprised if he was calling to check up on me. “Do you know a lot of Marks?” No. I don’t. Even if her red bangs fall into her eyes, I can still see the worry in them. I liked it better when I was the one worrying about her. When she didn’t have her shit together, and she didn’t have time to pay so much attention to me. Of course, every year on the anniversary of the passing of my fiancée and unborn child, I’m a little needy, and she’s more attuned to me than herself, but this year she’s more concerned than usual. I guess me having a child with her assistant wasn’t the best move to prove I was all patched up together. Mainly because said assistant is in love with one of her husband’s bandmates. But my son is so cute and perfect, I don’t regret a thing. How could I? I look at him sleeping in his baby carrier at the end of the bar. Aito is beautifully innocent. A perfect soul. He looks a lot like his mother. I look at the clock on the wall, still trying to avoid Anna. The new nanny is late, and from what I’ve heard, she’s ugly. Not that it ever stopped me before. “Ol,” Anna demands my attention, “Mark called me,” she insists. He tried to call me several times in five years, but I never picked up. What is there to say? I left Virginia and didn’t keep in touch with my old SEAL buddies or anyone at Cole Security Forces. Not after the catastrophe. Not after falling apart. Not after lying to them about whose fault it was Elaine died. When it happened, I said it was an accident. I didn’t elaborate. I didn’t explain it. I was so in shock. One minute we were engaged, discovering we would become parents and the next I was alone, frantic, my girl dead before my eyes. I had seen shit during missions and lived a life of danger, but I was never prepared to see the love of my life die instantly on impact and while I couldn’t do anything. I couldn’t save her. And it wasn’t an accident. I’d killed her. I’d been the reckless one. I’d been the one at fault. I packed my life up in Virginia and left. I was done chasing phonies saying they were SEALs. I was done helping Mark and Jackson in their mission to uncover the truth about some of those guys who claimed to be who they weren’t. I was done being part of something that didn’t prepare me to see the love of my life die before my eyes. “Oliver!” “I heard you. Mark Dixon called. So what?” I snarl at my sister. “Elaine’s parents reached out, and they would like you to be there for the memorial they’re having for the five-year anniversary.” There it is. I
