Severed Ties

Severed Ties TAINTED LOVE BOOK ONE MONTANA FYRE Contents Acknowledgments Trigger Warning Prologue 1. Clara 2. Tommy 3. Clara 4. Tommy 5. Clara 6. Tommy 7. Clara 8. Tommy 9. Clara 10. Tommy 11. Clara 12. Tommy 13. Clara 14. Tommy 15. Clara 16. Tommy 17. Clara 18. Tommy 19. Clara 20. Tommy 21. Clara 22. Tommy 23. Clara 24. Tommy 25. Clara 26. Tommy 27. Clara 28. Tommy 29. Clara 30. Tommy 31. Clara 32. Tommy 33. Clara 34. Tommy 35. Clara 36. Tommy 37. Clara 38. Tommy 39. Clara 40. Tommy 41. Clara 42. Tommy 43. Clara 44. Tommy 45. Clara 46. Tommy 47. Clara 48. Tommy 49. Clara 50. Tommy 51. Clara 52. Tommy 53. Clara 54. Tommy 55. Clara 56. Tommy 57. Clara 58. Tommy 59. Clara 60. Tommy 61. Clara 62. Tommy 63. Clara 64. Tommy 65. Clara 66. Tommy 67. Clara 68. Tommy 69. Clara 70. Tommy 71. Clara Epilogue Thank You Also by Montana Fyre Copyright © 2023 by Montana Fyre. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means without the prior written permission of the author. All inquiries should be made to the author. The moral rights of the author have been asserted. Any references to historical events, real people, or real places are used fictitiously. Names, characters, places and events are products of the author’s imagination, and any resemblances to actual events or places or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental. ISBN (Ebook) : 978-0-6454851-9-6 First edition, 2023. Front cover design by Silver Grace Book design by Montana Fyre. Edited by My Brother’s Editor. www.montanafyre.com Created with Vellum Acknowledgments From the very first time Tommy appeared on the page in When it Raynes, I knew he needed his own book. I mean, who doesn’t love a tortured sociopath? But then came the challenge of finding him his soul mate. A character just as broken and alone as he was. I never really intended for it to be Clara, but as soon as they locked eyes in Dead of Wynter, I knew they were it for one another. Writing this book was a labor of love. There were times when it flowed, when the words came so easily the words bled onto the page, and other times when each word felt like pulling teeth. But it came together and I love their story. Thank you to my wonderful husband who supports me, loves me, and puts up with my crazy ass. You’re some kind of wonderful and I’m grateful to have you by my side through this crazy journey. I would also like to thank Book Chat, y’all know who you are. Every time I ask if I’m going too far, you tell me I’m not going far enough, and that’s the kind of support all dark romance authors need. Thank you to my incredible editor who takes such good care of my book babies. You’re a star, Ellie. Thank you to every single reader who has ever picked up one of my books. To those who take the time to reach out to talk about the characters you’ve fallen in love with, and to everyone who has been along this journey with me. Forever grateful for you. To my friends and family who have always believed in me, thank you for your constant love and support. I couldn’t do this without you. And to the Montana of the past, thanks for believing in us enough to put yourself out there. Without you, there’s no way we’d be publishing our ninth book in 3 years. To Book Chat, because every time I ask if I’ve gone too far, you tell me to go further. Scars remind us of where we’ve been - they don’t have to dictate where we are going JOE MANTEGNA Trigger Warning This book contains dark themes that some readers may find distressing, including, but not limited to: Violence Elements of BDSM Stalking Knife Play Blood Play Kidnapping (Not by Hero) Dub Con Non Con Mention of Human Trafficking Degradation Reader’s discretion should be applied. Prologue TOMMY It never should have gone this far. I never meant it to. But the moment I laid eyes on her, everything changed, and obsession bloomed. It’s not like the others. Those were passing interests at best next to her. She set something on fire inside me, and I’ve been powerless against it since that very first day. Maybe it would be different if she hadn’t been so afraid. That’s what hooked me, her fear. Because fear is more addictive than any drug on the market. I crave it. I need it. And as soon as Clara showed me her fear, I was addicted. She walks down the snow-covered street, her high leather boots sinking into the fresh powder as she holds her coat around her tightly. She’s been walking to and from work this week, something that has my protective instincts on high alert, but I have no right to tell her what she should and shouldn’t be doing, especially seeing as she has no idea the devil is lurking in the shadows. Nor does she know he’s tracked every move she’s made for the last eight months. It started innocently enough. I was just checking up on her to make sure she was okay after Angelo Russo and his asshole cousins hurt her. I thought perhaps she would be shaken, and for some reason, I needed to check on her. And then, the next day, I was pulled to check on her again, and then the day after that, the same thing until I found myself breaking into her apartment while she slept and installing surveillance equipment so I would always know if she was okay. A few days after that, I broke in again to install trackers on her phone and in every pair of shoes she owned. I wish I could say that stroke of