The Broken-Hearted Girl

By Garnell Wallace

 

Rue
After meeting Levi Carrington, he pissed me off so badly, I punched him in the face. We were five.

The next time I saw him, we were seventeen, and he saved me from three racist vultures in his all-white neighborhood who thought a young black girl was easy prey.

He promised that he would always protect me. He didn't.

Twenty years later, I'm still traumatized by how our relationship ended with the loss of our baby.

Levi says he still loves me, and he wants me back.

Well, tough luck, Cookie.

I'll never let any man get that close to my heart. One time was more than enough. Levi will have to get over his feelings because the only thing I'm in love with is my multi-million dollar career. Money has never hurt me.

Levi
I was a little prick when Rue Roberts and I met. What can I say, I was five, repeating the racist words I heard in my family. By seventeen, I'd formed my own beliefs, and I believed Rue and I were made for each other.

Neither of our families wanted us together, but mine was the one that destroyed us.

Twenty years later, a medical scare reminded me what's important in life and Rue was high on my list.

But she's so broken. How can I get her to trust our love again when the first time literally almost killed her?
I had to find a way because I was determined to make her mine again.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Midnight Books
• Release date: Sep 20, 2023
• ISBN: 9798223317012

Garnell Wallace

Growing up, I didn’t dream about being a writer, mainly because I didn’t know I could become one. I fell in love with books to the point where they became my friends, going everywhere with me like a trusted side-kick. So I still find it amazing that I can actually write books which hopefully will become treasured companions to other readers. I love writing sexy paranormal romances and I hope my stories will provide readers with a wonderful escape into a fascinating world with characters they will care about.

Book preview

One

Levi

Two

Rue

Three

Rue

Four

Levi

Five

Rue

Six

Levi

Seven

Rue

Eight

Levi

Nine

Levi

Ten

Rue

Eleven

Rue

Twelve

Rue

Thirteen

Rue

Fourteen

Levi

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One

Levi

Ismelled her fear . I couldn’t smell whatever cheap perfume she’d doused in that morning from the doorway of my lavish office, but I could smell her fear. She was so young and afraid of everything that I sometimes felt sorry for her. I imagined that her legs trembled as much as her voice as she stood just inside the door and announced, Your mother is here to see you.

She took a step back when I scowled. What instructions did Mrs. Davis leave with you regarding unwanted visitors? I asked in a deadly calm tone. My scowl was enough for now.

Her young brows furrowed. She said your father and brother were not allowed in the building, and if they were to show up, I’m to immediately call security. I...I didn’t think your not welcome policy would include your mother.

I was certain Mrs. Davis’ exact words were that none of my family were welcomed anywhere near me. However, this sweet innocent child with her first job in the big city had no idea how anyone could not want to see their mother, especially when she barely cleared five feet and was as prim and proper as a fifties housewife.

Miss Colby... Before I could deliver my scathing command that would’ve sent my temporary assistant scurrying from my office, the said little woman walked through the door. Her blue eyes dared me to kick her out even though her voice was petal-soft.

Hello, Levi, I need a moment of your time.

I considered my options. She had passed security, who had allowed her into the building because everyone except me seemed incapable of saying no to Ava Carrington. If I ordered her removed, I’d have to deal with the disgust the good church girl from Idaho would hurl in my direction every time she looked at me. How long would Mrs. Davis be on maternity leave again? Fuck! She hadn’t even given birth yet, and she would be out for three months.

I sighed. It would be a long fucking three months. She’d slotted her grand-niece in her place instead of hiring someone hard enough to not be on the verge of a heart attack every time she was in my presence. I’d promised Mrs. Davis that I wouldn’t be a total dick to her niece, and the last thing I wanted to do was upset the best assistant in the world. Without Mrs. Davis, I would be barely human at this point. This woman who’d spewed me out would never have gotten this close to me if she were here because that woman knew how to do her damn job.

If Ava, and no, she was nothing more to me, didn’t see me now, she would keep hounding. We both had pigheadedness in spades. It was best to get it over with, and besides, she seemed very emotional, which was rare for her. Something was wrong.

I turned my steely glare to Miss Colby. Leave us.

She couldn’t close the door fast enough.

I turned that glare to Ava. You have fifteen minutes. Start talking.

She wasted too much of her fifteen minutes getting to the chair in front of my desk. Her white shoes barely touched the floor and she sat clutching her little white purse with the green flower clasp that perfectly matched her green skirt suit. Her hair was in a bun. Her hair was always in a bun. I’d seen it down once when I was five and her older son, Liam, had crashed the vintage Cadillac. The police had woken us up, and the hair and the tears had almost made her seem human. I hadn’t made that mistake twice.

She wasted more time taking a monogrammed napkin out of her purse and dabbing at her eyes. Then she twisted the napkin between her fingers while I impassively watched her. Then I looked at my watch and that seemed to loosen her tongue.

Your father is not doing well. His doctors don’t believe he has more than a month left.

I showed no reaction.

She cleared her throat. He would like to see you before he dies.

No reaction.

He wants you to take over his businesses.

No reaction, not even a twitch.

Her blue eyes filled with tears and pain. Would you deny him his dying wish?

Your fifteen minutes are up. You may leave.

She let out a sob and hung her head. Levi, forgive me. It’s been so many years. Can’t we please put the past behind us? This family needs you.

I stood. I’d towered over her by the time I was ten and hadn’t stopped growing until I reached six-five. I could’ve easily picked her up and thrown her outside but I didn’t trust my hands on her. If I grabbed her, she might’ve ended up flying out of the ten-story window. I kept my calm, placed my hands on the desk, and said, Get. Out.

Her lips trembled, and then she slid from the chair and walked to the door where she turned and glared at me. He is still your father, Levi Carrington, and I am still your mother. I’m begging for your forgiveness. Please, help your father die in peace. I hope you come to your senses before it’s too late. She turned and walked out of my office.

I sat, picked up the phone, and dialed my lawyer’s number. We need to expedite our takeover of Carrington Corp., I said as soon as Nathan answered.

We’re still in the due diligence process, Nathan reminded me.

I don’t care if the companies are worth five hundred dollars between them. I want to buy them while Richard Carrington has enough brain cells left to know that I took everything he worked for away from him. Understood?

He sighed. You should never make business personal, Levi.

This is not about business. This, my dear friend, is very personal. I expect those contracts on my desk by the end of the week. I hung up and stared out of the expansive windows across from my desk. Nathan had no idea just how deeply personal this was.

Two

Rue

Her faded beauty hadn’t dimmed so much that she couldn’t capture my heart. I stared at her peeling façade and broken windows and saw what she could be instead of what years of neglect had turned her into.

Whoever owns you doesn’t deserve you, I muttered as I stared up at the three-story nineteen-century building so close to downtown Atlanta. I’d fallen in love with her years earlier, and I was now in the position to bring her back to life.

I