Bound Guardian Angel (66 page)

“Wrong answer.” Micah surged forward, fisted
the collar of Ronan’s shirt, hoisted him away from the door, and
pressed the Sig’s muzzle against the underside of his chin.

Contempt fumed from Ronan’s gaze. “Go ahead.
Kill me. Then you’ll never know the truth.”

“Oh yeah? And what truth is that? That your
pecker is the size of a thumb drive?” Micah tried to burrow inside
Ronan’s head but saw nothing but black. A vast, empty darkness like
what he’d come up against with Digon and that odd fucker, Rule. The
black hole felt more like a vacuum of sight and sound than a wall.
Ronan wasn’t blocking Micah. Micah simply couldn’t see inside his
mind.

Ronan sneered then let out a mocking
chuckle. “You still haven’t figured it out, have you?”

Micah’s hold cranked more tightly on Ronan’s
shirt. “You’re really starting to piss me off, you little prick.
Maybe I should just kill you now and count my losses.” He applied
pressure to the trigger.

“Go ahead then. What’s stopping you?”
Ronan’s breath hissed through his teeth. “Kill me.”

Micah had never seen such intense resentment
and animosity in someone’s eyes, not to mention indifference for
one’s own life.

“Do it! Kill me!” Ronan’s jaw clenched as
his breath came in tight, urgent bursts. “Your own
family
!
Your own
brother
!”

Micah’s finger abruptly released the
trigger. What the fuck? Was he serious?

“You’re lying.”

“Am I?” The skin around Ronan’s eyes
pinched. “Then why can’t you see inside my thoughts? You can’t, can
you? I know you can’t. You know why? Because I’m your blood.” He
barked out a derisive laugh. “Big bad Micah Black.” Sarcasm snapped
over every syllable. “Mighty Micah, right? You, who can
do no
wrong
. You can’t see my thoughts because you’re my godforsaken
flesh and blood.” He spat in Micah’s face. “Lucky fucking me.”

Micah let go of Ronan’s shirt and wiped the
spittle from his cheek then glared back at him. “No.” The single
syllable burned his throat like betrayal. “I’m the last. There are
no others in my line.”

But Ronan’s declaration was enough to give
him pause. Could it be true? The family resemblance was there. The
black hair. The angular jaw. The lean, powerful build. Could he
be . . .? No. Ronan couldn’t be Micah’s brother.
That would mean . . .

Doubt sliced through his confidence. Maybe
he had been wrong about his parents’ deaths.

Ronan’s mocking laughter rankled Micah’s
last nerve, and, in a rush of aggression, he swept forward and
clocked him hard across the chin, tossing Ronan sideways.

“I don’t believe you!”

Ronan recovered quickly and spun back around
to face him, clutching his wounded shoulder. “Then kill me. What’s
stopping you?” His eyebrows dug a malicious trench over his eyes,
casting a shadow over the bitterness burning from his blue-grey
irises. “If you don’t believe me, then kill me and end this.”

Micah lifted the Sig, lined up the sight
with Ronan’s forehead, applied pressure to the
trigger . . .

And froze.

He couldn’t do it.

If there was even a chance Ronan was of his
blood, he couldn’t kill him.

He had to know the truth.

“How . . .?” He uttered the
question more to himself than to Ronan. “How could this even be
possible?” No scenario he came up with provided an answer.

Ronan let out a disgusted exhale. “All these
years I’ve had to listen to stories about
Micah
”—he did his
best to straighten his shoulders, given his injury—“the
greatest
warrior
in the king’s guard. The
prodigal son
! He who
could
do no wrong
!” Ronan spat at his feet again then
uttered a brittle laugh. “Why can’t you be more like Micah?” he
said mockingly, as if quoting someone. “Do you know how many times
I heard that growing up? Do you? I half expected you to be a god
when I came face to face with you, given all the buildup. But
you’re not a god. You’re nothing special. You’re—”

“That’s enough, Ronan!” A shadow moved to
Micah’s right.

He whipped toward the movement, training his
gun on the backlit silhouette that entered the room. A cold pit
opened inside his stomach. He knew that shape. He knew that voice.
He knew the energy coming off that male’s body.

Micah’s voice quivered with forced denial
when he spoke. “Who are you?” But he already knew. With the
certainty of the setting sun, he knew.

The tall male flicked on the light
switch.

Micah blinked against the instant brightness
then gasped as he laid eyes on a face he hadn’t seen in over nine
hundred years. Hair as black as coal. Eyes the color of midnight.
It was like seeing a ghost. He staggered backward until the backs
of his legs hit the couch, and he dropped onto it, unable to tear
his gaze away.

This couldn’t be happening. That male
couldn’t be his . . .

“Father?”

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Bound Guardian Angel Reader Group
Guide

1. During Sam and Cordray’s first conversation, Sam
calls Trace a gentle soul. Why do you think she said that about
him? Would you agree? What have you seen of Trace in this and
previous books that causes you to think the way you do?

2. A lot was made of fear as being “the great
motivator” in this book. Sam even says that fear makes a
treacherous ally. What do you think she meant by that? Where and
how did you see fear influencing the characters’ decisions. Are
there situations in your own life where you’ve allowed fear to
dictate your decisions? What ways do you think someone can overcome
their fear?

3. Trace, Cordray, Micah, and Sam are all alike in
many ways. Sometimes, these similarities allow them to understand
one another and find common ground, such as how Sam did with
Cordray when they first meet. At other times, these similarities
create friction and prevent the characters from getting along, such
as between Micah and Cordray. Sam even says she thinks she likes
them both so much because they are so alike and that they don’t
like each other because no one likes seeing their faults reflected
back to them from others. What do you think she meant by that? What
types of similarities do you think draw people to one another? What
types push people apart? In the case of Sam, Micah, Trace, and
Cordray, what characteristics and traits create bonds between 1)
Sam & Micah, 2) Sam & Trace, 3) Micah & Trace, 4) Trace
& Cordray, and 5) Sam & Cordray. What similar
characteristics and traits create discord between 1) Micah &
Cordray, and 2) Trace & Cordray?

4. Trace mentions he lives in a small trailer. Why do
you think he hasn’t shown his home to Micah and Sam? What about
living in a trailer suits his personality? What about it doesn’t
suit his personality? Now that he’s mated, what do you think will
become of his trailer? Why did he even live there in the first
place?

5. Speaking of Trace’s home, Cordray tells Sam at the
end of chapter five that Trace’s home is there, in the home she
shares with Micah. What do you think she meant by that? What does
home mean to you?

6. What do you make of Micah and Trace’s
relationship? Micah tells Trace he will never fuck him, and yet he
gave him an orgasm. He kissed him. He behaved toward Trace as
though they were lovers. And yet he took his physical needs to Sam
rather than expended them with Trace. Do you think this will be
enough for them both, especially now that Trace has mated Cordray?
How do you think their D/s relationship will affect their
relationships with Sam and Cordray? How do you think Sam and
Cordray will react to Micah and Trace’s ongoing need to spend time
together in Micah’s dungeon? What would you like to see happen for
these four as their relationships with one another grow and
evolve?

7. There are a lot of “awakenings” in this book.
Cordray awakens from her past. Brak awakens from his imprisonment.
Trace awakens from his guilt. Even Micah awakens as he learns that
he’s not the last of his bloodline. Can you draw parallels from the
characters to the real world? How do we close our eyes to the magic
and wonders of the world around us? What do you think causes us to
“fall asleep” to life and not see its wonders? Going back to the
question about fear, how do we let our fears keep us from
experiencing life?

8. Brak was imprisoned for almost 200 years and
missed out on so much. Now he’s beginning to understand just how
much. What would you miss the most if you weren’t able to live
freely, anymore? If you were immortal, how would you feel after
being freed a hundred years later? How do you think the world will
have changed? Would you be scared of what faced you or excited
about the possibilities?

9. When Trace and Cordray finally consummate their
relationship, Cordray acknowledges that Trace has brought her back
to life. She says, “With Trace, she was alive.” Beyond the loss of
her sense of touch, in what ways was she dead before? Do you think
we rely too much on others for our lives to be complete? Do you
think we put too much weight on others’ influence on our lives? Can
such influence be healthy as well as crippling? Why or why not?

10. Cordray has a tattoo of a dragon holding a rose
on her torso. Trace immediately understands the symbolism of the
rose: Beauty and perfection come with the threat of pain. How do
you equate this idea to Cordray? How do you think we embody this
idea in the real world?

Books by Donya Lynne

All the King's Men Series (in
reading order)

Rise of the Fallen

Heart of the Warrior

Micah's Calling

Rebel Obsession

Return of the Assassin

All the King's Men - The Beginning

Bound Guardian Angel

BLACK - Coming Soon

Strong Karma Trilogy (in reading
order)

Good Karma

Coming Back to You

Full Circle

Hope Falls Series

Finding Lacey Moon

Stand-Alone M/M Titles

Winter’s Fire

Collections and
Anthologies

All the King’s Men Vol. 1 (books 1-3)

All the King’s Men Vol. 2 (books 4-6)

Strong Karma Trilogy Boxed Set

About the
Author

Donya Lynne is the bestselling author of the award
winning All the King's Men Series and a member of Romance Writers
of America. Making her home in a wooded suburb north of
Indianapolis with her husband, Donya has lived in Indiana most of
her life and knew at a young age that she was destined to be a
writer. She started writing poetry in grade school and won her
first short story contest in fourth grade. In junior high, she
began writing romantic stories for her friends, and by her
sophomore year, she’d been dubbed Most Likely to Become a Romance
Novelist. In 2012, she made that dream come true by publishing her
first two novels and a novella. Her work has earned her two IPPYs
(one gold, one silver) and two ELit Awards (one gold, one silver)
as well as numerous accolades. When she’s not writing, she can be
found cheering on the Indianapolis Colts or doing her cats’
bidding.

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