Besieged: The Race Series, #3

By Joan De La Haye

Prepare for a thrilling continuation of Joanna's journey, where danger lurks at every corner, and trust becomes a luxury she can't afford.

Having survived the treacherous wilderness of Siberia, Joanna is thrust into a new battle, fighting on multiple fronts. Shadows threaten her from within the safety of her Patron's inner sanctum, while relentless attacks orchestrated by enemies seeking her demise keep her on constant alert. Her resilience is put to the ultimate test.

In "Besieged," Joanna grapples with the looming spectre of war and the ever-present threat of assassination. As the stakes escalate, she must navigate a treacherous landscape of deceit and betrayal, where allies may become adversaries and enemies may hide in plain sight. With danger closing in from all sides, Joanna must summon her wit, strength, and resourcefulness to protect not only herself but also those she holds dear.

In this fight to the death, where rules no longer apply, Joanna confronts the darkest corners of her own psyche. The line between friend and foe blurs, forcing her to make gut-wrenching choices that could alter the course of her life forever. Failure is not an option, and she must dig deep to find the resilience and determination needed to survive.

"Besieged" is a relentless rollercoaster of suspense and adrenaline, a must-read for fans of gripping thrillers and dystopian sagas. Joan De La Haye weaves a tale of unyielding tension, intricate plotting, and unexpected twists that will keep readers on the edge of their seats until the final page.

Can Joanna outmanoeuvre her enemies and save herself and those closest to her? Will she maintain her composure and keep her head in a battle with no rules? Join Joanna on her harrowing journey in "Besieged," where survival is not guaranteed, and the price of victory may exceed her wildest imagination.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Joan De La Haye
• Release date: Jan 8, 2018
• ISBN: 9781386789772

Joan De La Haye

Joan De La Haye writes horror, dark fantasy and some very twisted thrillers. She invariably wakes up in the middle of the night because she's figured out yet another freaky way to mess with her already screwed-up characters. You can stalk Joan on her website: www.joandelahaye.com

Book preview

Besieged

The Race: Book 3

By

Joan De La Haye

This is a work of fiction. All characters and events portrayed in this book are fictional, and any resemblance to real people or incidents is purely coincidental.

Copyright © 2018 by Joan De La Haye

All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise).

www.joandelahaye.com

Cover art by Tallulah Lucy

1st Edition January 2018

Also by Joan De La Haye

Stand-Alone Books

Requiem in E Sharp

Fury

Oasis

Burning

The Diabolical Series

Shadows

The Veil

The Oubliette

The Eternally Cursed Chronicles

Bound by Betrayal

Short Story Collections

Sliced and Diced

Sliced and Diced 2

Sliced and Diced 3

The Race Series

The Race

Training Days

Retribution

Consequence

The Patron

Table of Contents

Title Page

Also by Joan De La Haye

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

Be a Freaky Darling

Retribution

Acknowledgements

About the Author

Shadows

Requiem in E Sharp

Fury

Oasis

Burning

Sliced and Diced

Sliced and Diced 2

Sliced and Diced 3

Bound by Betrayal

1

S

unil hit the floor with a satisfying thump. After weeks of being pummelled, I’d finally put him on his back. You’d never have said I’d had a liver transplant a month ago. My scars from the incident in Siberia were completely healed. Well, the physical ones were, but the mental and emotional ones … not so much.

Von Zimmer had hired a therapist to help me deal with my new life and my role as a Runner. Thus far, I’d managed to avoid seeing the shrink, much to his disappointment. I’ve never been good at talking about or facing my feelings. I’m the bottle-things-up-till-they-explode sort of person. For me, the best therapy was throwing Sunil around the training room or kicking the punching bag until it broke. Watching that thing burst after you’ve kicked it hard enough is really satisfying. I kept imagining it was either Elena or Snezhana. I really enjoyed picturing myself kicking them till their guts were on the outside, and their heads were completely smashed in so there would be no chance for their doctors to reanimate them. It was the closest thing to revenge I’d been able to get.

I’d been cooped up in the castle for too long, and cabin fever was taking hold. Don’t even get me started on my feelings of ineptitude. If I couldn’t beat the crap out of Sunil properly, how was I going to take my revenge on Elena and Snezhana? How was I going to kill them?

I know the old cliché saying about revenge being a dish best served cold, but patience has never been my thing. I wanted hot bloody vengeance. I wanted out of the confines of the fortress. The sooner I took them out, the sooner I could get back to my own life—if there was even anything of my old life left to get back to.

Conflicting emotions ran through me on a daily basis. One moment I wanted to run back home, back to my dirty little flat in Johannesburg. The next, all I wanted to do was rip the heads off the people who’d started this, or curl up in a ball and cry my fucking eyes out or shag anything that moved. Then there were my decidedly complicated feelings towards my Patron. I wanted to help him fight his war. I also knew that if I helped him and if we could somehow beat Victoria and Kuznetsov, then maybe I could get on with my life. Maybe I could go home. Maybe I wouldn’t have to run any more races. Did I really want to leave the cushy life in the castle? Did I really never want to see Sunil and everyone I’d grown fond of?

Then there was all that gold. To get it I’d have to run in the Races, and fuck alone knew when the next Race would be.

What can I say? I was a fucking confused mess.

Don’t judge me.

Sunil got back onto his feet. His body was covered in sweat, whereas I was barely breathing hard. Those improvements Doctor Mannheim made to my physiology really did have their perks. I was starting to enjoy being faster and stronger than any normal human being, and given the perils of my life as Von Zimmer’s Runner, healing faster came in handy. Too bad my mental state wasn’t as fabulous as my physical one.

It was also pretty awesome seeing Sunil perspire for the first time ever. It made me feel like I was actually getting somewhere. That I was finally able to kick his perfectly formed arse. If I could keep it up, maybe I’d be allowed out of the confines of the fortress and could have my satisfaction.

We should take a break, he said.

Bugger! I was just starting to enjoy myself when he called the timeout. The only thing that stopped my head from exploding was getting physical with Sunil in our training sessions.

You should have a chat with the doctor about making improvements. You’re starting to have a hard time keeping up, I said, grinning.

I’ll think about it, he said but didn’t smile. He sounded tired.

You okay? I asked, not really expecting him to answer honestly. I wasn’t entirely sure if I wanted to hear how he was doing, I couldn’t deal with his issues as well as my own.

Okay. I’m a selfish bitch. So fucking what?

Just tired, he said with a yawn.

"Can I