Blog Tour: The Wildflower by J.L. Beck

 

They say the truth will set you free, but ours didn't do that. It locked us inside the cage and tossed away the key.

The Wildflower, an all-new secret society, dark romance, and the second book in the Oakmount Elite series from USA Today bestselling author J.L. Beck is now available!

Drew Marshall is the epitome of a walking nightmare. 

Deranged. Psychotic. Immoral. 

After breaking my heart and publicly humiliating me, I vow to forget his existence. 

He has other plans, though, and vows to make certain I don’t. 

The only one I can turn to for help is a man I thought to be my enemy. 

Drew’s best friend Sebastian who claims to be my brother. He promises me security and protection. But no one can protect me from Drew. 

The faster I run, the more he chases. 

The harder I struggle, the tighter his grip becomes. 

My enemy. My stalker. My villain. 

It’s wrong, but I can’t stop myself from craving his rough touch, filthy words, and the dark promise of pleasure he gives me. 

They say the truth will set you free, but ours didn't do that. It locked us inside the cage and tossed away the key.

Start reading today!

FREE in Kindle Unlimited

Amazon Worldwide: http://tinyurl.com/4uuzdwb7

Add The Wildflower to Goodreads: http://tinyurl.com/5x6yt43e   

Start the Oakmount Elite Series today!

The Wallflower, FREE in KU: https://amzn.to/4aYp6aq 

The Prey, coming July 12th: https://amzn.to/3W0jzfj 

Keep reading for a look inside The Wildflower!

Now that football season is over, we start the initiation process for the new recruits. Those who will take over in the coming years as Lee, Seb, and I graduate. It’s slim pickings at this point, but someone’s bound to have the balls to take over.

      I stop next to Sebastian on the starting line, but like I anticipated, he doesn't even spare me a glance. Not until I snatch the bottle of top-shelf vodka from his grasp. Physically, he’s here, but mentally, I know he’s off in some faraway land, probably plotting my demise.

      His eyes shoot to mine and narrow. "Fuck off," he says, low and menacing.

      It's not even in the same tone he used to tell me to fuck off in. This tone promises a fight if I push him. And if I’m being honest, I've had just enough alcohol to fucking push him.

      In fact, a fight is exactly what I need, because anything would be better than this painful reminder of what I did to Bel, of how I hurt her.

“Where is she?" I question confidently. There’s no point in beating around the push. He knows that I want her, that I’m dying to see even a glimpse of her sunshine blond hair.

      He snatches the vodka back, holding it in one hand, his other shoved into his black dress pants. As always, he's dressed like he's about to hit the stock market floor. If I had to guess, I’d say Sebastian really wants to punch me in the face, and maybe that’s why he has his hand buried deep in his pocket. To stop himself from giving in to the impulse.

      "Perhaps you’re deaf. I said fuck. Off."

      I step closer, my breath fogging the night air. "Not deaf, buddy, just not listening to your bullshit. She hasn't returned to school for nearly a month. Her academics are important to her. When is she coming back?”

     There's a crash as one of the recruits stumbles out of the house naked, racing toward the starting line. He zooms right past us. Finally, someone who is just as ready to get out of here as I am.

      I focus my attention back on Seb. "Anyway, as we were discussing, you were just about to tell me when Bel planned to return to school?”

      His green eyes narrow to slits. "First, why the fuck would I ever tell you? Second, why do you care so much? If my memory stands correct, you made it painfully clear that she is nothing to you. What, now that she's not trailer trash, you think you can have her back? She’s not a fucking toy that you can pass around to your friends.”

      A hot wash of rage whips through me. "We both know I didn’t mean anything I said that day. All I was doing was protecting her from my father. You know how he is, and he's got it in his head to make her pay for sullying our name. I wasn’t trying to hurt her. I’m aware that I did, but that wasn’t my objective."

      I can see the tightening of his jaw, the way the muscle jumps in the dim moonlight. He doesn’t respond and instead takes a swig of the liquor.

      "Hm...joke’s on him. She's fucking higher class than he is now. Karma is a real bitch, isn't she? Was this your daddy’s and your plan? He tell you to kiss and make up, so you can marry Bel instead? Everyone knows he lives off your mom's inheritance, and that he had nothing when he started out."

      I clench my hands into tight fists. "I'm not talking about him right now. I want to know when Bel will be back at school."

      "That’s Ms. Arturo to you, dickhead."

      I let out a slow breath so I don't punch him in the fucking jaw. He’s on my last fucking nerve, and I really don’t want to destroy his face. "No, she's my wallflower, and you fucking know it. I'm not going anywhere, and I’m not giving her up.”

“He smirks. "Hmm...I think you already gave her up. As for when she comes back to school… Let's just say she's waiting for her stitches to heal. The stitches that she had to get after you pushed her and caused her to hit her head. Remember that?"

      My stomach cramps. I close my eyes against the image of her falling, of the blood dripping onto the floor. The horror in her eyes, the pain and fear. I did that to her, and I’ll never truly forgive myself. I’ll spend every day making it up to her if she gives me the chance.”

For more information about J.L. Beck and her books, visit her website: 

https://www.beckromancebooks.com