A Broken Fate

By Cat Mann

Coping with the traumatic experiences Ava endured with the Kakos is more challenging than she ever imagined it to be. She finds herself struggling to remember the details of her time kept away with Damien Kakos and when the memories assault her mind, she is plagued with crippling fear. There is something in the back of Ava’s thoughts screaming at her, telling her that the fight with the devil’s brood has not yet ended.
Newly married, Ava and Ari deal with issues involving trust, honesty and faith in one another and as they plot their course for a new life together, they discover that their individual wants and needs don’t exactly match. Ari’s promises to Ava begin to break. Some of the Alexander’s family secrets are revealed and Ava realizes that she needs to keep her friends close, and her enemies even closer.
A Broken Fate, the second novel in The Beautiful Fate Series, dives further into Ava and Ari’s nail-bitter of a story and adds even more suspense, mystery, romance and thrills. This series is impossible for any reader to resist.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Cat Mann
• Release date: Aug 23, 2013
• ISBN: 9781301938865

Cat Mann

Cat Mann is an Illinois author who writes teen and adult romance. She is happily married to a genius of a man and together they are raising two beautiful daughters.With her dog at her side, Cat obsessives over French music, witty films and lengthy novels.Cat’s books have been listed on numerous Amazon bestseller lists, including the Amazon Top 100, Literature & Fiction Fantasy Based Novels, as well as being a top contender in Mythology & Fairy Tales.To find out more about Cat’s projects and get dates on upcoming releases, find her on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/authorcat.mann and follow her blog, http://authorcatmannblog.blogspot.com/.

Book preview

Pattern

My toes were cold. I pulled at the covers, my hand frantically searching the other side of the bed for comfort of some sort and my fingers dancing rapidly along the edge of the mattress. I found myself to be alone and the disappointment in this discovery was quickly replaced by absolute fear. My heart pounded rapidly in my chest and my pulse thumped deafeningly behind my ears. Screaming out, I jumped awake from a night terror, causing my ear buds to rip forcefully from my ears. My cell phone made its daily, overly dramatic plunge from my tossed blankets onto my bedroom floor where it landed with a ceremonial thunk. I had a most terrifying dream, one that ended with the death of my mother in a car crash. Running from my bedroom, I searched for her with hot tears streaming down my cheeks, panting breaths and sweaty palms. My feet pounded to a halt in the living room where I found her sitting, reading a book.

Mom, I shrieked, startling her.

Ava, what’s the matter? She looked up over her tattered copy of Tolstoy’s The Devil, her forehead creased in a deep v with alarm and concern.

In a panic, I yelled, Mom, please! Tell me you won’t go to the fundraiser with Dr. Spruce tonight! You can’t go! I had a dream and it was so real. Please, you cannot get in that car tonight or you will die. Promise me you won’t go!

She pulled my shaking body onto her lap. Shushing me, quieting me down with soothing words.

Ok, Ava, I promise I won’t go.

An unsteady breath of air streamed from my pursed lips, collapsing my puffed cheeks. She held me tight in her Mom-warm arms. Breathing in her sweet scent, I ran my fingers through her soft hair.

Mom, I love you so much. Please don’t ever leave me, I begged.

I won’t leave you today, she promised, then brushed the wayward wisps of hair off my face. Tell me more about your dream.

Ok, I explained to her in detail what I saw in my sleep.

In your dream, did Spruce die, too?

Yes!

For a moment, the corners of her mouth turned up in a smile. Her eyes were triumphant, then she blinked and the blink swept her emotions away.

What other dreams do you have?

Umm... I felt unsure; never had I been encouraged to talk of my nightmares.

It’s okay, Ava. Tell me. I want to know. Her voice was sweet, convincing.

I walk in strange halls. People cry for me to come into their rooms. They ask me to let them die.

Do you?

No … I don’t know. My head hurts, Mom. I can’t think.

We spent the day together at home and time passed in a haze. I had a pounding headache and I was very tired. Every time I closed my eyes, I was blinded by white light. In my sleep, I could feel hands touching me, caressing my hands, arms and face but when I tried to focus, no one was there. Unfamiliar voices filled my ears; people were begging me to wake up, to open my eyes. I tried to scream but each time I opened my mouth, I woke up again and I felt woozy and confused.

Each time I awoke, I searched frantically for my mom to be sure she had kept her promise. Each time I found her in the same place, in the living room with her book in her lap.

Promise me, I begged of her over and over. Promise you’ll stay with me. She promised and then questioned me again. She asked me questions about my life that I could not answer. Questions about love.

What is it like?

What’s what like?

Love, Baby. What’s it like for you to be in love?

I wouldn’t know.

I could feel heat on my face from my blush. Looking down, I stared at my knotted fingers in my lap.

My mom tapped gently on my temple.

You may not know in here, but you know in here, and she moved her finger from my temple to my chest, over my heart.

I looked back up at my mom. Tears stung the back of my eyes my throat was tight with emotion.

My heart feels heavy. I am longing for something, but I don’t know what or who it is.

Oh, honey. My mother rocked me back and forth, hushing my sobs away.

Adrian told me this would happen. I am so sorry. I tried to hide us, keep us safe. I failed us both.

I wanted to ask my mom who Adrian was, and what he told her, but I drifted back asleep before the words could form. My nightmare and the blinding headaches lasted for three days and would not leave me. Each morning, I searched the bed for something, some kind of solace or warmth. And when I found nothing there, my heart crumbled and I would wake in a panic.

I stayed at my mother’s side every waking moment, unwilling to let her out of my sight. She asked me more questions that I did not have the answers to and I asked her questions that she would not answer. We reminisced about happy times we had spent together. Often I found myself in her arms just weeping, begging her to stay with me. On the fourth day of my nightmare, she made me no promises. She repeated the odd notion that I was in love and was needed elsewhere.

Ava, I have been selfish keeping you here with me. Tears filled her warm brown eyes. You are not mine to keep anymore and it is time I give you back. Holding me tight, she rocked me like a small child.

What are you talking about? I demanded, sitting up in panic. I’m not leaving you; stop talking like this! My confusion caused my head to throb and pound in my ears.

She stroked my hair and then held my face in her hands. She stared into my eyes and turned very serious. Dropping her hands away from my face, my mother took my left hand in hers, turned my hand over and was overcome with emotion. Resting the back of my hand in her palm, she pointed to my wrist with fervor. I looked down at my bare skin; nothing was there. Tapping the inside of my wrist, she said softly but with determination, You aren’t safe. You aren’t done. Be careful who you trust, Ava.

What?

It’s coming … it is time for you to wake up.

I am awake. Stop it! You are scaring me! I screamed and choked on my sobs.

Ava, Baby, I love you so much, but you have to listen to me. Ari is waiting for you, Ava. You have to wake up.

"Who?"

Kissing me one last time my mom whispered a goodbye and then she was gone.

Chapter 2

Memories

My eyes flew open to bright, blinding lights; the sounds of beeping machines rang out all around me. Shooting up in a panic, I let out a hoarse, painful scream. Tubes jutted out from all over my body and I pulled them out as fast as my bandaged hands would allow. A pair of very strong hands gripped me around my wrists, quickly stopping me.

Ava, a man’s voice said cautiously. Ava, stop. Stop what you are doing and calm down. Pulling my body away, I tried to yank my arms free from his grip but it was no use; this person was much stronger than I was.

Look at me, Ava, please. Look at my face. I looked up at the face of the man who held my wrists in his hands.

Who are you, where is my mom, where am I?

Ava, it’s me. Look at me. Don’t you know who I am?

No, I pulled back hard again in another attempt to escape his grip.

Could you please call my mother and let her know I am here?

The man in front of me dropped my arms and rubbed the scruff on his face.

Ava Baby, he whispered.

Don’t call me that, I snapped and watched as the hurt flowed onto his face. He was too close to me. I stared at him with cold, harsh, unkind eyes until goose bumps ran up the back of his neck and his arms. His jaw dropped and he took a cautious step back.

Closing my eyes, I searched my brain for my mom’s phone number but I could not think clearly. I tried to remember my address and came up with nothing. Taking in my surroundings, I could tell I was in a hospital, but I didn’t understand why I was there.

Where am I? Is this the University of Chicago Medical Center? Because my mom is Dr. Baio, she works here. Go get her, I demanded.

The guy in my hospital room took a deep, slow breath and gently and calmly said, Ava, you are at White Memorial Medical Center, in Los Angeles, California. He swallowed hard and added, Your mother died a year ago. I am your husband, Ari. Please remember.

"No! She isn’t. And no, you aren’t! What the hell is going on here? I hollered with a hoarse and scratchy voice. What the hell have you done to me?"

Ava, please believe me. I would never lie to you.

I don’t know who you are, but you need to leave now, I was unwilling to listen to him any further.

With an open jaw, he ran his fingers through his messy hair. I’ll get your doctor. He mumbled as he turned and left the room.

Taking in a deep breath, I looked about the room. I was in a hospital bed. My arms and hands were wrapped up in bandages and gauze, my side, my head and my neck all ached with pain. Bleeps from annoying monitors sounded in my ears and liquid from an IV dripped in a steady beat. A green, fake-leather looking chair had been pulled out and made into a bed. It was adorned with a pillow and blanket, as though someone had been there for a while. A large, square window on the opposite side of the bed, across the room from me, looked out into a big hospital waiting room. In the waiting room stood many people who were crying and hugging the man I had just kicked out.

A moment later, a doctor in a white coat with a stethoscope draped across his neck entered my room. He cleared his throat, Hello Mrs. Alexander, my name is Dr. Phillips. It is so good to see you awake. How are you feeling?

No, I said with a panic, you have the wrong person. I am Ava Baio. B-A-I-O!

Ok, Ava, he began again. Without warning, he shined a very bright light straight into my eyes.

Asshole!

You have been involved in a very tragic course of events. Your head was hit extremely hard and your body has suffered some breaks, burns and some cuts. I feel confident that you’ll recover fully, but right now, your mind is trying to protect itself. Over the course of time, you will begin to recall the very unpleasant ordeal that you have endured. More than likely, these memories will be quite frightening.

Where is my mother? I asked again.

The Alexanders are your family. He gestured at the group of people in the waiting room. Your mother is no longer living.

His words were spoken quietly and with authority, but they sent me into a panic. These people, whoever they were, clearly had me confused with someone else and I needed to get out of the room right away. My sore hands began to pull at the tubes again, as I screamed at the doctor that I had just seen her; we had been together just a moment ago. I demanded that he go and find my mother at once. The people in the waiting room all stared, open mouthed, through the window at me and I felt a strong urge to give each and every one of them the finger.

A nurse rushed in with a huge needle attached to a syringe full of cloudy liquid and I freaked out even more.

Don’t touch me! Stay away from me!

I backed up on my bed, pushing my body as far away from the nurse as possible. Stopped by the headboard and feeling like a scared and cornered animal, I froze as the nurse ignored my pleas and kept walking toward me.

The man who had been in my room when I first blinked into awareness rushed back into the room and stopped by my side.

No, he demanded, Stop what you're doing right now. She’s awake now; don’t give her anything she doesn’t want.

Mr. Alexander, Dr. Phillips said, If she cannot calm down, we are left with no other choice. She will just cause more harm to herself.

The first man looked at the doctor with a cold glare. He didn’t look like the type of person who was used to being told no.

I said no and I meant it.

He turned and looked at me, May I please talk with you alone for a minute?

My head bobbed up and down in short rapid nods. I would talk if he kept the nurse and her needle away from me.

Dr. Phillips was irritated but gave a swift nod and left the room along with the nurse. Call if you need anything, she said with a too eager smile before shutting the door behind her. I don’t know why, but the coy, inviting smile she sent him made me want to rip out her throat. I gazed at her with an icy death stare. The guy with the scruffy face saw my expression and the corners of his lips turned up in a little grin. Butterflies awakened and stretched their wings in the deep pit of my stomach.

Crossing the hospital room to the waiting room window, he pulled down the shade, giving me the privacy I so desperately wanted. I watched him cautiously as he returned and then sat on my hospital bed. He sat close to me, much closer than people usually dared, and he seemed fine – not the least bit uncomfortable. Most people, upon getting so close to me, caused my body to instantly pull back, but with this guy I felt the opposite and was drawn to him. Kind of as though I were a magnet and he the fridge.

He looked me in the eyes. Ava, I am going to touch you. Is that alright?

I stared at him for a long hard moment, unsure. Finally, I blinked and nodded yes ever so slightly. He took my left arm, turned it over in his hands, and started to un-do the bandages. His caress was gentle and made me feel warm.

This is the only way I know how to do what I want to do, so stop me if you can’t take the pain anymore.

Ok.

"Your name is Ava Zae Alexander, you are eighteen and we live together on the Southern California coast line. We are Greek … I will explain who you are later."

Looking me in the eyes, questioning me with his gaze, he waited to see if it was okay to proceed. I bobbed another small yes. He continued, We met at school and I fell completely in love with you. You were my whole world from the moment I first laid eyes on you. He smiled at me, as if remembering something I could not and then continued.

"You had terrible nightmares nearly every night and those nightmares were an avenue for me and I let them draw me to your room. I wanted so much to get to know you better …

Your favorite color is gray and you play the piano better than anyone has ever played any piano … ever. You speak perfect French, and your cheeks turn pink whenever we kiss. My family loves to make a game out of how many times we can get you to blush when we’re all together. Rory always wins. You like college basketball and for some godforsaken reason, you like the Cubs. Somehow, Ava, after months of trying, I finally got you to love me back."

The gauze on my left hand began to thin as he wound the bandages up in his hands. Ava, you left. Remember? You went to London. It was the longest six months of our lives. When you came home, you agreed to marry me.

With bandages from my left hand now gone, he took my hand and placed my sore palm in his, showing me a huge diamond ring.

We had the most remarkable wedding.

Looking down at the ring, then back at the man claiming it was a symbol of our love, I tried to remove it. None of what he was saying made any sense to me.

No, he said firmly, keep that ring on that finger. I don’t tell you to do anything, Ava, but I am begging you, do not ever take off that ring.

Tears swelled up in his large kind eyes and I put my hand back down in my lap. He flipped my hand around and held it in his palm showing me my blood-and-blister-covered flesh.

I know this news may scare you, he said as he continued to remove the bandages from the rest of my arm, "but you have been hunted and you have killed people, five to be exact. But the important part is that you are not a monster. You are a resourceful, competent and incredible young woman who has been forced into unbelievably challenging situations."

He showed me my now bare wrist. On it were five tattooed tally marks, and a sixth less precisely formed slash mark that had become a jagged and angry red scar.

Quickly, the words of my mother filled my ears, You aren’t safe. You aren’t done. Be careful who you trust. I swallowed my panic down and closed my eyes. The mattress shifted and squeaked and I felt him move even closer to me and my eyes shot back open. Giving me an intensely sweet look, as though promising me he meant no harm, he slowly put his arms around my neck and began to untie my hospital gown. He moved my hair across my left shoulder allowing it to cascade down my side.

Are you still okay, Ava?

Yes.

He blinked down at me and gave me a very small smile. He softly pulled the hospital gown sleeve on my right arm down from my shoulder and off my arm, revealing my bare skin and a certain intimacy that gave me pause, but he didn’t move away.

Ava, there were people in your life who are no longer with you. But they will always remain in your heart.

He showed me my bare arm. On it was a flock of beautiful birds taking flight, up towards the sky. Gaping at my own strange skin, my heart pounded. He pointed to the first and said, This is your father. Next he caressed the second bird in flight and said, This is your mother and here is Perry. With a soft and delicate touch, he finally motioned to the last, and this is Mia.

Mia? I whimpered.

I am so sorry, he said as he wiped tears from my cheeks.

Ava, you may not remember me, but our love is unlike any other. I made a promise to you that I would never leave your side, never make you cry and never stop loving you. I intend to keep those promises. Forever.

He stood up, crossed over to the window and pulled up the shade to reveal the group of people, all of whom were crying. Then he came back to my side.

That is your family, Ava. We all love you.

I looked out at them, blinked at them, gazed at their sad faces, I knew no one.

I’m sorry, but I don’t know you. I think you should leave. All of you.

He closed his eyes, put his fists in his hair and pulled while he let out an angry noise of frustration. A tear slipped from his eye and ran down his cheek. I noticed a little wrinkle on his forehead that seemed so out of place for such a beautiful person. His jaw was square and firm and his nose was perfectly straight. The color of cream, his skin was so clear, so pretty. I could not deal with the pain I was causing this person by not being the person he thought I was. Slowly, my eyes traced their way down his face, towards his very soft-looking pink lips. I stopped abruptly at a rosy colored scar just below the bottom one.

A sudden flash of heat overcame me and my mind filled with images of the two of us in a moment of passion, our limbs tangled together, my fingernails ripping the flesh on his back. My teeth on that lip; I could taste his mouth on my tongue. My cheeks burned red hot, and my stomach did flip after flip. I slowly moved my hand up to him and placed my finger on his small scar, willing myself to remember more. His eyes shot open at my touch. A small smile crept across his lips and hope twinkled in his eyes. I climbed onto my knees so I could get even closer and my mind showed me picture after picture of the two of us together …

Our first kiss, private moments spent tucked away in bed, texts with x’s and o’s, lying on a beach, swinging gently on a hammock, laughing, kissing, crying, our wedding day, and our wedding night …

My mind allowed me to see all of him and I knew that I loved this man more than I loved anything in the world. I threw my arms around Ari and pressed my lips to his. Knotting my hands up in the back of his shirt, I breathed him in. His scent was a drug and I was an addict. Parting my lips, I kissed him as fully as I could, wanting to never stop. Cheers rang out from the hallway and distracted me, but Ari pulled me in tighter, refusing to break our embrace.

Oh, God, Ava, he trembled, don’t ever do this to me again. Ari let go of what remaining strength he had and cried into my hair.

Chapter 3

Remember

Ari pulled down the shade of the window that peered into the waiting room. With dark circles under his eyes and clothes that were uncharacteristically unkempt, Ari looked exhausted.

His hair flopped down onto his forehead. His shoulders were tight with tension.

You look tired, my voice was meek and quiet.

Ari let out a long breath between his pursed lips.

I am, he said, and his eyes closed when he spoke. In that moment, my strong man looked like a scared boy.

Ari, will you do something for me?

His eyes fluttered back open and he looked at me longingly.

Anything.

Promise?

Of course. He came to my side, worry radiating off him in waves. His eyes bounced around my body, searching for a way to help me.

I moved over in my little hospital bed.

Hold me.

His shoulders loosened slightly and he smiled a bit.

I can’t, Baby. I don’t want to hurt you. He gently rubbed his thumb across my cheek leaving a path of warm tingling skin.

Please.

His eyes were so dark and heavy. I could tell he was struggling to stay awake.

Please.

Giving in to my request, Ari slipped off his shoes, he crawled into my bed and curled his body softy around mine, cradling my head to his chest. He ran his fingers gently around the outline of my lips, the crease of my eyelids and the seashell contours my ears.

What happened to me?

The movement of his fingers paused.

Ava, I don’t think... he hesitated and shifted a tad, causing the hospital bed to squeak. I mean, I don’t know how to tell you just yet. Let’s talk about it in the morning.

Ok, I said dropping the subject.

Ari fell asleep moments later. I relaxed to the gentle thump of his heartbeat, and the soothing sound of his soft breathing. His chest moved ever so slightly with the rhythm of his breaths.

I wanted to touch him, run my fingers through his unruly hair and across his soft lips but my hand throbbed. I hurt all over; my head pounded and my side ached with every inhale and exhale. Snuggling my face close to his warm chest, I fell asleep.

When I awoke the next day, I was still wrapped up in Ari. He was awake and he looked and smelled clean. His hair, no longer drooping down over his eyes, was back to the messy state that I remembered – sticking up everywhere. He had changed into clean jeans and a tee-shirt. He was propped up on one elbow, staring off into the distance while he ran his fingers through my hair. His face was still worried, though, and he still had that little wrinkle in his forehead. I lifted my hand and smoothed his creased brow out with the backs of my fingers. Smiling down on me, he took my hand, kissed it and put it back at my side.

Good afternoon, Mrs. Alexander. Sleep well?

You left?

Ari shook his head no.

I didn’t leave. I used your shower. His head tilted in the direction of the en suite bathroom.

My parents brought up some clothes for me while you were still asleep this morning. They sat with you for about five minutes. I hope that was okay.

I nodded. I did not remember his parents.

I need to let Dr. Phillips know you’re awake.

Anxiety took hold of me and I stiffened – I didn’t want Ari leaving me; I was so scared.

Ari kissed my forehead, picked up a phone near the bed and called the nurse’s station. I let out a shaky breath and he looked down at me, concern on his face.

Moments later, the doctor arrived with a too-eager-to-help smile. He looked me over in a general way and then said he thought I could have more visitors once I had eaten. He checked my eyes with his flashlight again, took blood pressure, checked my pulse and went over a long list of my injuries.

With five broken ribs and three cracked ones, rope burns around my neck, a deep wound on my wrist and burns on my left hand; it was needless to say that I had somehow been severely tortured. There were two hairline fractures on my skull but no readily discernible damage to my brain. I had been in a coma due to brain edema. Once the swelling reduced, they had been able to remove me from the ventilator that had been keeping me alive. My head injury seemed less severe than had initially been thought – though Dr. Phillips warned me that I wasn't out of the woods yet … head injuries have a life and progress of their own and only time would tell if more evidence of injury would materialize.

He stated again that I had been involved in an exceedingly invasive series of events and added that my failure to remember my past was an effort on the part of my mind to protect itself. He said that I would most certainly have to deal with some post-traumatic stress in the months that followed and that regaining all of my memories could be time consuming and difficult.

What happened to me? I pressed the doctor for information. I couldn’t help it. I had to know why I felt as scared – no, as terrified, as I did. He looked from me over to Ari. Ari nodded at him and Dr. Phillips patted him on the shoulder and left.

Ava, Ari took in a breath, you were kidnapped the day after our wedding. You were held captive in a small house out in the hills; you were actually just a few miles away from home the whole time. We found you almost a week later. I don’t know what happened to you while you were gone except that you had been grievously hurt. You are the only one who can tell us what happened.

Who kidnapped me? Who would do something like this?

Ari frowned. His name was Damien Kakos. You knew him as 'No. 6,' though. You needed to dehumanize the Kakos clan as much as you could. He had five brothers.

I scrunched my face up and shook my head trying to remember. I looked at the five black tally marks on my left wrist.

What happened before that?

Do you remember your dreams?

I stared at him, blinked and then tried to look away. I do not talk about my dreams with anyone.

I know about them, Ava. The scissors. The people and their screaming. You’ve told me about them before. You are Greek. You are more than Greek … you are the sole descendent of Atropos, one of the three Fates. The Kakos brothers knew who you are and they wanted to destroy you. But you beat them. You won. I don’t really know how… you never shared that information with me. I only know that you killed them, Ava. The first two kidnapped my sister and you went after them. One was shot to death on their boat and the other died with the lanyard around his neck. I don’t really know about the rest – only what the news reported. No. 3 was pretty gruesome, No. 4 not so much. No. 5's death was … intense. There are some things that you would not tell even me. I’m sorry I can’t be more help.

There are more … these men, are there more of them?

No… you are done.

Scrunching my nose in thought, I remembered, once again, the words my mother had spoken to me. I was not safe, I was not done. Ari was wrong.

As the day led on, I was able to remember odd details of my life and I worked at piecing them together. I remembered scenes from London, and as soon as I remembered London, I thought of August.

I remember someone, I said. My words brought a smile to Ari’s face.

That’s great, Ava! Who?

August! Where is he?

Ari’s smile faltered a bit and he laughed.

Oh, August is going to love this. He’s at our house right now, but he’ll be up here a bit later to see you.

Ok. I felt eager to see him and to know that everything I remembered was real.

The nurse (I already decided I hated her), popped in and checked my fluids. She then turned to Ari and flashed him another toothy smile.

We’re going to need a DNA sample from you.

It can wait, he responded coldly.

Well, no, I am afraid it can’t. It won’t take but a few minutes; the lab is just down the hall.

Well, yes, it can and it will wait, until someone else is here and able to sit with her.

The nurse’s cheeks turned red and she looked down at her hands.

Yes, sir, I will bring Mrs. Alexander some lunch. When you both feel more comfortable, I can take you down there.

I know where the lab is, Ari snapped, and we’ll order her lunch from here. The nurse nodded then left.

What was that about?

Ari closed his eyes and shook his head.

It’s nothing, Ava. They found traces of rohypnol in your system and they found DNA in your body that was not from you. They’re just ruling some things out … that’s all.

Oh. I looked down in my lap.

Hey Baby, it’s going to be okay. He put his hand on my chin and kissed me softly on the lips. We are going to get through all of this together.

Mm hmm.

Hungry?

Mm hmm.

Ari picked up the phone by the bed and ordered my lunch.

I ate a peanut-butter-and-banana sandwich on whole wheat bread and then worked a bit on a cup of tomato soup. Ari’s mom and dad came in to see me after lunch. They were still not quite in my brain’s focus. I could not quite place them, but they did seem familiar. My attention was caught by the sound of Ari’s mom crying and I tilted my head to the side to look at her curiously.

I saw you, I said to her. I saw you on the beach. You were holding a candle and the sky was full of lights. They all three looked at me as if

Reviews for A Broken Fate

[sszkutak_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Cat Mann is a wonderful author - both this book and the first in the series were whirlwinds of emotion for me - I was all over the place and loved every second of it all. I read the first book for a blog tour a while ago and read it all in one night. I almost immediately bought the second book in the series with all intention of reading it immediately - then life happened and then more TBR books happened and it fell off the radar for a bit - THEN the author contacted me about Book 3...So, with so much enthusiasm I picked up my iPad and stated reading A Broken Fate. I read about a third of it in one evening and then put it down for a while due to crazy work schedules (and cleaning my house etc). I was so happy to get back to it with a Read-a-thon and cannot wait for book 3. In this installment, Ava has been dealing with her abduction, the fear, the memories coming back, the injuries - but also keeping a lot of pain and emotion and secrets from her family. She has to find a way to adjust and allow those around her to help her. This aspect of the story was understandable but so frustrating at times. Ava had been through a lot and needed more help but wouldn't allow anyone to help her - I understand that, but arg frustrating. The we get to the good stuff, a journal and a code and possible suspects of another Kakos... the story gets amped up and there were so many instances that I was cringing and gasping and thinking I had figured it out (sometimes I was right, other times - not so much). It was a wonderful roller coaster of a book and I LOVED it.This is a New Adult book, so there was sex and there was a lot of violence recapped in this book from the last - so it is not intended for a younger audience.

[emily1s · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A Broken Fate picks up right where A Beautiful Fate left me-sucking in a breath with my eyes wide in surprise.Everything from the first book is back, and better than ever.Mrs. Mann’s characters are lively and vibrant. A group I wouldn’t mind spending a day with. Although, I did find myself rolling my eyes at Ava more than once.Once again, she is a tad off her rocker. She is a whole lotta paranoid, but given the circumstances, she has a right to it. Except for the way she treats Aggie.Aggie is such a sweetheart (for the most part), and I love her character (anyone who loves Pinterest is a friend of mine). Ava completely disrespects her in every sense of the word. She is ungrateful of the fact that Ari’s family took her in and accepted her as is. She is thankful to be out of his parents’ house. Honey, they took you in when you needed them the most. Show a little gratitude please, dear. But, I let her off the hook because she is being hunted and I’m sure that can’t be easy on the nerves. She is still pretty kick ass, too. However, I feel that she is too self-reliant on Ari.Ari. Swear to God, this man melts my heart. Ari is protective and gentle. He is such a darling and oh so sexy. Now that he and Ava are married, they are taking things much faster. He is still a gentleman, but he is definitely a little feistier. There is a certain part in this book where he says to Ava, “Let me hear it”, and those 4 words strung together are the sexiest things I’ve ever read in any book. Max is the perfect addition to their already sweet little family. He broke my heart and I loved his part in the mythological element of this book.“Oh, my God!” I said for the second time that morning.Rory put his hand up to stop me.“Please, Ava, don’t remind me,” he laughed.^that is why I fucking love Rory. I’m not sure anything more needs to be said.Julia, August. They’re back and sassy as ever. The perfect interlude when things get too crazy."I can't wait to be your grandma, Ava." -Margaux. This had me choking up and love that this will be a big part of the next book!The twists in this book floored me and I can honestly say that I did not see most of it coming. I love that this one ended on a lighter note and didn’t cause me trauma, unlike A Beautiful Fate.I cried, I laughed, I cringed through every one of Ava’s flashbacks. It took me longer to get through this one because I have been on a Supernatural binge for the last month, but once I snuggled up to it, I blocked out everything else. I love the way this story flows so easily, and I can’t wait to see how things turn out for the Alexanders.