*BLOG TOUR* "Carter Reed" by Tijan

 

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Emma decided to skip the gym and went home early. It was the last easy decision she made because she found her roommate being raped by the boyfriend. She had two choices. Call the cops and be killed by his family’s mafia connections or kill him first and hope to survive. There was no choice to her. She killed the bastard first and went to the one person who could protect her. Carter Reed. He’s a weapon for the rivaling mafia family, but he’s also Emma’s secret. Not only was he best friends with her brother, but she’s the reason he became that weapon in the first place.

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BUY LINKS

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AUTHOR BIO

Tijan started writing later in life, after she had already graduated college with a different direction in mind and a different degree under her belt. Hitting the brakes on that path, she taught herself how to write a good book and began posting at sites such as Fictionpress, along with Wattpad. After receiving such encouraging messages from readers, she self-published Fallen Crest High and has continued throughout the year. She continues to keep writing NA books!

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TEASERS

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EXCERPT #1

"Tell me what happened." His plea was so soft.

I broke. This wasn't the stranger anymore. This was Carter, the boy I had grown up with. I flung my arms around him and pulled him down. Instead of fighting, I clung to him now.

He wrapped his arms around me and rolled to his side. He patted my back and tucked his head into the crook of my neck and shoulder. I felt his lips brush there as he repeated, "You have to tell me. I won't hurt you. I will protect you."

A shudder went through my body. At last. Those were the words I was desperate for. He moved his hands, one sliding down to my hip and the other cradling the back of my head, he pressed into me. The last of my reserve fled then. A gasp escaped me and I pressed against him. I needed him.

"Emma."

Shame flooded me. He knew. What kind of person was I? Fighting, running away, and then starting to tremble in his arms?

His hand started to caress my hip. His fingers slid underneath my shirt and moved under my pants' waistband. He held me there, his hand splayed out. I tried to resist, but I wanted to wind my legs around him. I wanted to pull him on top of me and feel his hand between my legs. But I didn't do anything. I lay there, still, as my heart pounded inside of me. He could feel the beat against him. The thumping drowned everything else out.

He pressed a soft kiss to my forehead and raised himself up again. He looked down at me. 

The plea in his eyes was still there. As he brushed some of my hair from my forehead, he asked, "Do you not trust me?"

I nodded. "I'm scared of you."

A small grin appeared at the corners of his mouth. "You are?"

"I don't know who you are anymore." I couldn't believe I was admitting any of that, but I needed to trust someone. I had to if I was going to survive what I had done. Feeling a little bit brave, I touched his chest. My hand spread out like his was on my back. His heart was steady. I murmured, "I know who you are. I know you're the Cold Killer. I know what you did for AJ." A tear slipped from the corner of my eye. It fell unheeded. "I always wanted to thank you for that."

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EXCERPT #2

When we got there, he let go, but I took his hand again and led him into the bathroom. His face had been battered from the beatings. There was dried blood over him, in his hair as well, and he stood there watching as I inspected every wound. He winced as I probed his ribs, so instead of having him lift his shirt over, I took a firm hold at the top and ripped it. It fell to the floor. My eyes took it all in. His chest and ribs had taken the brunt of the kicks, at least the ones I saw. The tips of my fingers softly grazed over him, and he hissed from the pain.

My eyes caught his. I saw the pain and took a deep breath. Strength surged inside of me. He needed mine so I pointed to the counter and murmured, "Sit." My voice came out hoarse, and I bit down on my lip. Pain sliced me when he made a motion to vomit. When he didn't, I let out the breath I'd been holding and warmed some washcloths.

Pressing it to the cut on his nose, the washcloth immediately turned red from the blood. He hissed some more when I continued to his swollen cheek, then his swollen eye.

"You should see a doctor."

He nodded, closing his one eye. Slowly, he leaned forward and rested his forehead on my shoulder. His lips moved against my skin as he answered, "I had to see you first."

My hand lifted to cradle the back of his head. I drew another deep breath in and rested my head against his. My eyes closed. I felt his pain and I hated it. He shouldn't have been hurting, but I knew he put himself in that situation for a reason. So many questions flew in my head, but I refrained from asking. My fingers began to massage the back of his head, delicately at first and they grew stronger when he didn't grimace or flinch away. Instead, his hand moved to the small of my back and he pressed me tighter against him. As I kept massaging, he grew more and more tired. His weight leaned on top of me until all of it was there. He had fallen asleep. I was holding him up and I stood there. I continued holding him. I would've stood there for hours, standing for him but a small movement caught my eye and I looked up.

Amanda had a hand to her mouth. She watched from the doorway. As she did, a lone tear slipped down. Then she mouthed, "He's asleep?"

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PLAYLIST

Imagine Dragons: Radioactive

 AFI, song: Prelude

AWOLNATION: Sail

Alicia Keys: Girl on Fire

Audiomachine: the whole albums: Epica and Helios

Avicii: Wake Me Up

 Butterfly Boucher: Bitter Song

Carrie Underwood: Blown Away, Two Black Cadillacs

The Civil Wars: Oh, Mama

Fall Out Boy: the entire album of Save Rock and Roll

Florence and the Machine: Breath of Life, What the Water Gave Me, Seven Devils, Leave My Body

 Gossip: Listen Up, Yr Mangled Heart
OneRepublic: Counting Stars

Otis Taylor: Nasty Letter

The Pretty Reckless: Just Tonight, You, and Burn

 The Script: Hall of Fame

Skylar Grey: Back From the Dead

The entire soundtrack from The Hunger Games

Charlie Mars: How I Roll

Turin Brakes: Dark On Fire

Susan Boyle: Hallelujah

Sun Kil Moon: Heron Blue, Carry Me Ohio
Sara Jackson-Holman: Freight Train

Hem

Princess One Point Five: With Light There Is Hope

Mumford and Sons: Broken Crown
Macklemore and Ryan Lewis: Ten Thousand Hours

Almost anything from Mr. SuicideSheep on Youtube and Chillstep mixes!

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AUTHOR LINKS

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