Shattered Heart (The Hart Series) (53 page)

~~~~~

“Mr. Salerno will see
you now.”

I follow the butler
down the long hallway before stopping inside a suite decorated in gaudy gold
fixtures.  Red drapes surround the ceiling to floor windows, allowing very
little light to enter the room.

“Mr. Salerno, Mr. James
is here to see you.”  The butler gestures to the chair next to the bed.

It has been a while
since I have seen the elder Mr. Salerno.  I’d heard stories of his ailing
frame, but I didn’t realize how sick he was.  I knew he left the day to day
operations to Arianna for a reason, but I never imagined he was this ill.

I sit, watching as he
feebly tries to pull himself up to rest against the large pillows.  I’ve met
Mr. Salerno a handful of times.  Mostly during the parties Arianna forced me
attend.  She got off on fucking in public, especially events she attended with
her husband.  I didn’t care then, but so much has changed in me.  I almost feel
the need to apologize to this man for taking what was his.  Almost.

“What can I do for you,
Mr. James?”  His voice cracks.

“We need to talk about
your wife.”

“What?  Is she riding
you too rough?  Literally.”  He scoffs before coughing into the handkerchief
he’s clutching.

I force myself to stay
calm.  Is he really saying what I think he is?  “You knew?”

“You’d be surprised
what I know.”  I wonder if he knows what a fuck up his wife is, and how her
whole day is consumed with messing with people’s lives?  But then again, if he
knows about me and Arianna, then he’s more lucid than I think.  Which is
definitely a plus.

“She’s trying to hurt
my family.”

“I didn’t know you had
family.”

“Why would you?”

“I looked into you when
I found out you were fucking my wife.”

“And?”

“I found nothing, which
explained why you were letting her manipulate you.”  Sometimes I try to
convince myself that I was manipulating her, but I get the point.

“Elyssa Hart.  You know
her?”

He nods.  “She’s my God
daughter.”

“Well, she’s my life. 
I can’t have Arianna fucking around with my family.”

“And what do you
propose I do?”

“Well, let me start by
telling you a little story…”

C
oming
S
oon

The Final Installment of
The
Hart Series
…

DESTINED HEART

Late 2014

Co-Author
Stephanie Nash is originally from Post Falls, Idaho and is thankful for the
peaceful surroundings which gave her stability and sense of direction. 
Currently residing in North Las Vegas, Stephanie has gotten to experience a
life outside of the beautiful Northwest and was given the opportunity to live a
life far beyond her expectations.  After spending five years as an
undergraduate, ending up at UNLV, she decided to take a chance at love and
passion and quickly became immersed with her true passions: Writing, Reading
and her loving boyfriend of ten years.

Co-Author
Ann Stewart currently lives in Las Vegas with her husband and children. 
Originally from California, Ann relocated to Las Vegas at a young age and has
grown to love the valley since.  You can usually find her at work, at school,
or hiding somewhere completely immersed in a book.  It’s the love of stories
that has driven her towards her passion of writing and it’s her dream to share
those stories with the world.

You can reach us at
[email protected]

Or visit us
www.Facebook.com/AStewart.SNash.Authors
or on Twitter @
AStewartSNash

S
tephanie
N
ash

I
have to start out by thanking my wonderful and extremely patient boyfriend,
Les, who has never wavered in his support and love.  Always pushing me to find
what my passion is, Les enabled me to search inside myself and create something
that I can honestly be proud of because he is proud of me. 

To
all of my parents, here and beyond, you hold a special place in my heart and I
wouldn’t be the person I am today, without you.  To my brother and his family,
even though we aren’t together often, you are a source of inspiration and
love.  To my brother-in-law and his family, I appreciate your strength and
unwavering support.  To my sister-in-law and her family, although time and
miles keeps us apart, you all are just a part of me as my friends and family
here.

This
year we have seen love come out of heartache and tragedy.  Without the support
from my friends and family (you know who you are), I wouldn’t be where I am
today.  Words can never express how much you mean to me.

And
to the fans…Without you, there would be no us.  Thank you.

A
nn
S
tewart

First and foremost I'd like to thank my husband.  What's
there to say that hasn't been already?  You're the glue that keeps our
family together, especially when I get so busy that I forget what day of the
week it is.  I don't know what I'd do without your love and support. 
Thank you for taking this journey with me and loving me unconditionally.

To my children...I love you to the moon and back.  I hope
one day you'll have the opportunity to pursue your dreams.  There are no
obstacles too big and no mountain too high to get in the way of my fearless
threesome.

To my brother...you may be a pain in the you know what, but I
still love you.  Thank for supporting me in everything I do.  I love
you more than Sloth loves Chunk.

Mom, I wish you were here to share in these exciting
times.  No matter the distance, I still love you and appreciate everything
you've done for me.

Daddy, you may be far, but you're always near in my heart. 
I miss you every day.  Love you!

Last but not least, I would like to thank the fans.  Thank
you for taking this crazy ride with us.  The support from Chosen Heart was
completely unexpected and I can't tell you how much you have pushed us. 
It's because of you that our dreams have come true.

S
tephanie &
A
nn

We
would also like to acknowledge and thank Anna, Blanca, Fani and Rocio, for
taking the time to read, take notes, and give us constructive feedback on our
second installment to The Hart Series.  We appreciate you!

Along
those same lines, we wouldn’t be where we are today without the unwavering
support from some of the best Bloggers/Readers. 

Tracey
and Karen from K and T Book Reviews, No words can express the amount of support
you have given us and even though we have never met, you hold a special place
in our lives.  Thank you.

Jenny
and Gitte from Totally Booked Blog, thank you for taking a chance on Chosen
Heart and letting us into your world. 

Soraya,
Imani and the women from SLiTsReads we appreciate everything you’ve done for us
by getting the word out on our first book.  We hope you enjoy Shattered Heart
just as much as you did Chosen Heart.