Demand Read online

  Readers everywhere are in love with the new series by Lisa Renee Jones

  THE CARELESS WHISPERS SERIES

  “Denial is a stunning mix of mystery and eroticism that had me immediately wanting the second book to come out!”

  —Ramblings from a Chaotic Mind

  “Denial has everything you are looking for in a romance suspenseful read, with mystery, danger, action, romance, and of course twists along the way!”

  —Jacqueline’s Reads

  “Lisa Renee Jones is fantastic at drawing the reader in from the first page.”

  —OwlAlwaysBeReading

  THE SECRET LIFE OF AMY BENSEN SERIES

  “Intoxicating, intense, and deeply seductive.”

  —RT Book Reviews (Top Pick) on Escaping Reality

  “Suspenseful and packed with questions.”

  —Fiction Vixen

  “The slaps to the face, the sucker punches, and the too-good-to-be-true moments will have you audibly gasping and wondering if you’re going to get your HEA and still be in one piece.”

  —The Book Vamps

  “Suspense, suspense, suspense . . . all over the place and within every page.”

  —Cristina Loves Writing

  “It has everything anyone could want. Mystery, intrigue, suspense, enough heat to melt an iceberg, and characters with depth. Do yourself a favor and start this one now!”

  —The Book Hookers

  “A great story that’s wrought with tension and fear of kidnapping and murder.”

  —Diary of an Eager Reader

  “An amazing story line with twists and turns; a roller coaster of highs and lows; and at no point could you sit back and relax. Lisa Renee Jones has stepped forward and claimed her place in the new adult category, and Infinite Possibilities will leave you breathless and wondering where it will all end.”

  —The Reading Café

  “Lisa Renee Jones will have you gripping the edge of your seat and biting your nails, and will leave you with a book hangover.”

  —Lisa’s Book Reviews

  Praise for the “passionate, all-consuming” (PopSugar)

  INSIDE OUT SERIES

  “If you haven’t started this series yet, run to grab the first book and dive in! This easy-reading series is compelling—sucking the reader into a dark and seductively dangerous world of art, BDSM, and murder.”

  —Fresh Fiction

  “Lots of dark, suspenseful twists.”

  —USA Today (A Must-Read Romance)

  “Great characters, angsty and real, that draw me in to their worlds, and storylines that hook me every single time.”

  —Smut Book Junkie Book Reviews

  “Darkly intense and deeply erotic. . . .”

  —RT Book Reviews

  “Intimately erotic . . . Jones did not hold back on the steam factor.”

  —Under the Covers Book Blog

  “A series that will completely captivate you—heart, mind, and soul.”

  —Romancing the Book

  “Powerfully written. . . . A tumultuous journey.”

  —Guilty Pleasures Book Reviews

  “A crazy, emotional roller-coaster ride. . . .”

  —Fiction Vixen

  “Brilliantly beautiful in its complexity. . . . This book had my heart racing.”

  —Scandalicious Book Reviews

  “Breathtaking in its suspense and intrigue.”

  —Heroes and Heartbreakers

  “Leaves you begging for more!”

  —Tough Critic Book Reviews

  “Dark and edgy erotica that hit all my buttons just right.”

  —Romantic Book Affairs

  “If you haven’t read Lisa Renee Jones’s Inside Out series then you are seriously missing out on something fierce! It’s a great blend of sexy, suspense, and kink.”

  —Talk Supe

  “These stories just keep getting better and better. . . . Every single one of them leaves you wanting more!”

  —Ramblings From This Chick

  Thank you for downloading this Gallery Books eBook.

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  Dear Readers:

  I’m so excited to share part two of Ella’s story with you! Demand starts the moment after Denial ends, so you will want to be sure you’ve read Denial in advance. If you haven’t read it, DON’T READ ON, because I’m about to deliver major spoilers as I recap for readers who have read Denial. . . .

  In Denial, Ella wakes up in a hospital with amnesia to find a gorgeous man by her side. He claims to have rescued her from an alleyway where he found her passed out. Kayden Wilkens is that man, and he goes on to tell her she’s being hunted by a dangerous mobster, and he vows to protect her. And considering Kayden turns out to be the powerful leader of a major branch of The Underground, a group of sophisticated Treasure Hunters, he has the resources to make good on that promise. Together, Kayden and Ella seek answers as to her identity and begin a passionate, intense affair that leads to an emotional bond and, ultimately, to trust.

  In the last chapters of Denial, Ella still has amnesia, but her memories are returning. One of her recovered memories is of a butterfly necklace with a note inside. She tells Kayden about this necklace, and he claims to have no knowledge of it at all. However, in the final chapter, Ella finds a photograph of that necklace in his office. Right after making this discovery, Enzo, one of Kayden’s Hunters, ends up at the castle, bleeding to death, having been shot while trying to recover a piece of art from the leader of a drug cartel. Ella helps stabilize him while waiting for Nathan, the doctor for Kayden’s branch of The Underground, to arrive to tend to Enzo’s injury.

  We end the book with Ella and Kayden in the shower, both fully dressed and washing off Enzo’s blood. It is in this moment that all the danger and unknowns finally take a toll on Ella, leaving her shaken and afraid that Kayden isn’t what he seems. The idea of his betrayal is too much to bear, and she pulls a gun on him, demanding the truth about who she is and how he came to rescue her. So Demand begins as we return to that shower. . . .

  characters

  Ella Ferguson (25)—Heroine in the series. Woke alone in Italy, saved by our hero, Kayden Wilkens. Best friend to Sara McMillan from the Inside Out series.

  Kayden Wilkens (32)—Our hero in the series. Leader of the Italian branch of The Underground (a treasure-hunting operation). Saves Ella and brings her to live in his castle while she recovers.

  Niccolo—Very dangerous Italian mobster. Ella has some sense of unease and knowledge of this man that she can’t quite grasp.

  Matteo—Works for Kayden and The Underground as a hacker. He helps create Ella’s new identity as Rae Eleana Ward, and continues to try to find out who Ella is.

  Adriel Santaro—Both lives and works for Kayden running a high-end collectibles store from the castle. Kayden fired him from The Underground after Adriel’s father was killed on a hunt.

  Giada Santaro—Adriel’s sister. Also works in the collectibles store. Has a very hard time coping with her mother and father’s deaths. Blames Kayden and The Underground for her father’s untimely murder.

  Marabella—Kayden’s housekeeper, lives on the premises. Very close to Kayden, Adriel, and Giada. Is considered a mother figure to them all.

  Detective Gallo—Kayden’s greatest adversary. Very intent on making trouble for Kayden, and on finding out who Ella really is.

  Chief Donati—The chief of police; Detective Gallo’s boss. Friendly with Kayden, yet hiding secrets of his own.

  Sasha—A Hunter.
Her family is made up of Hunters and Hawks that used to run the French branch of The Underground, before Kayden took over for them. She befriends Ella and has quite the personality.

  Blake Walker—A transplant from both the Tall, Dark and Deadly series (you can read his and Kara’s story in Beneath the Secrets) and the Inside Out series. Chris Merit (Inside Out) hired Blake to help him and Sara find Ella after she ran off to elope with David and disappeared. At the end of the Inside Out series, Blake was still searching for her.

  Enzo—One of The Underground’s newest and youngest members. Sent on a dangerous mission and goes missing, only to be brought back with life-threatening injuries.

  Elizabeth—Kayden’s deceased fiancée. She was murdered in the castle five years ago.

  Nathan—Physician for The Underground who helps Ella as she recovers from her severe concussion. While very charismatic, he is also incredibly tough and implacable.

  David—Ella’s ex-fiancé (mentioned in the Inside Out series). He swept Ella off to Paris to elope. Very vivid and shocking memories return to Ella of her time with David. A lot of arguing and anguish. At the end of Denial Ella still cannot remember all that transpired between her and David, but she does know she didn’t love him.

  Kevin—Kayden’s adoptive father. He was the original owner of the castle and previous leader of the Italian branch of The Underground. After he was murdered along with Elizabeth five years ago, Kayden took over his post in The Underground and ownership of the castle. Best friend to Kayden’s father.

  Tyler—A resource of Kayden’s. Helps sketch both the necklace and David from Ella’s memory. Former FBI, whom The Underground has always had a connection to.

  one

  I sit inside the shower, the water’s spray washing blood from my jeans and T-shirt and splattering Kayden, who kneels in front of me. And while my hand trembles with the weight of the Glock I point at him, the lies I’m certain he’s told me shred my heart. “I want the truth,” I demand.

  “Give me the gun, Ella,” he orders softly, his voice a tight band of control I want to break, his piercing blue eyes unreadable, the absence of a real answer painfully telling.

  “Make me trust you and I will.”

  “You already trust me, and with good reason. I would die for you.”

  “Because I’m important to you,” I say, and I don’t even try to keep the accusation from my voice. “The question is why.”

  “Ella,” he breathes out. “Don’t do this.”

  “Do you know who I am? Not this ‘Rae Eleana Ward’ person you turned me into. Do you know who I was before I was attacked in that alleyway?”

  “No, I do not.”

  “Yet I just told you about that butterfly necklace, and you already have a photo of it in your office.”

  “Put the gun down, Ella.”

  “That’s not an answer. That’s a dodge and weave, and you never dodge and weave with me. And I hate what that means.”

  “You’re jumping to conclusions.”

  “Were you after the necklace when you found me in that alleyway? Were you always after it?”

  “Damn it, Ella. Give me the gun.”

  “No. I will not give you the gun. Answer the damn questions.”

  His hands flatten on his jean-clad knees. “Listen to me, sweetheart. This is not about a dodge and weave. It’s about this being the wrong time to do this.”

  “Is there ever a good time to have a gun held on you?”

  He stares at me, his eyes unreadable, but then I’m not sure they ever were readable. “I haven’t lied to you, Ella,” he says. “Not one lie.”

  “You just omitted facts.”

  His answer is to move before I can, leaning under the spray of water and closing his hand over mine and the gun. I have a split second to decide whether to pull the trigger or let him take my weapon . . . but I can’t hurt him—even if he might hurt me. I relax my grip and stand up, shoving open the door and exiting the shower.

  “I let you have the gun,” I hiss, whirling on him, the puddle at my feet instant, the chill in my bones getting colder with every word I want him to say. “I could have shot you before you took it.”

  “But you didn’t,” he says, setting the gun on the counter, drops of water clinging to his naked chest while it literally pours off of me. “Because you care about me, just like I do you. Before I go attend to business, we need to cut through your anger.”

  “Anger isn’t what this is.”

  “Then tell me. What is it?”

  “Apparently business.”

  “You are not business,” he says, taking a step toward me.

  “Stop,” I warn, backing into the counter, my hands grabbing it behind me, but he doesn’t listen. He closes in on me, his big, overwhelmingly hard body caging mine, the heat of that connection a drug threatening to consume me. “Maybe I should have shot you,” I hiss in frustration, my hands moving to grip his unmovable shoulders, stupid tingling sensations shooting up my arms.

  “You don’t mean that,” he says. “And I know you know that there are times I have to put business front and center.”

  “Am I one of those times?”

  “I’m not using you, Ella. Nothing could be further from the truth. You are in my bed. You are in my life. And you are in parts of me I didn’t think anyone could find again.”

  It’s so much of what I want to hear, and yet not enough. “Then tell me that you didn’t know about the necklace before I told you about it.”

  “I swear to you, I didn’t know you knew about the necklace.”

  “So you knew about it.”

  “Yes,” he confirms. “I knew.”

  “And yet you didn’t tell me that when I brought it up.”

  “Like you said. You’d just told me. I hadn’t had time to try and put together the puzzle.”

  “The puzzle is me. Me, Kayden. And I’m not supposed to be in the dark about me.” I shove against him, growling with how ineffective I am. “Damn it, stop trapping me and bullying me! Let me go—then you go.”

  “I already told you,” he says, holding me easily, his hands tightening at my waist, “I’m not letting you go. You matter too much to me. We matter to me.”

  More words that I want to hear, which scares me. Am I blind with this man? Am I falling in love, and into stupidity? “I have so many reasons to kick and scream and push you away right now.”

  “You do,” he agrees. “You probably should, but please don’t.” In contrast to that plea, he releases me, his hands coming down on the counter on either side of me, boxing me in. “And not tonight. Not with Enzo fighting for his life.”

  It is a plea; raw and real, that no one can fake, and the anger I’ve denied but feel evaporates and my hands go to his arms. “I don’t want to leave. I just want to know the truth you haven’t told me, whatever it is. We’ll figure out where to go from there.”

  “There are many truths I want to tell you, and others I do not—starting with the truth about tonight.”

  Dread fills me. “What about tonight?”

  “I killed Raul’s brother after he shot Enzo. And that will not come without consequence.”

  “Isn’t Raul the kingpin of the cartel?”

  “Yes.”

  “Oh God.” My hands go to his chest, his heart thundering under my palms. “Do they know it was you or The Underground?”

  “If they don’t, they’re too damn resourceful not to find out.”

  “What does that mean? What are we going to do now?”

  “We? Is there a ‘we,’ Ella?”

  “Kayden!” Adriel shouts from down the hall. “Where the hell are you?”

  “Fuck,” Kayden murmurs, straightening and cupping my face. “I have to go. He would have waited downstairs if this wasn’t important.” He kisses me fast, hard, and it’s over far too soon. He releases me and turns away, and in a blink he’s gone.

  In about two seconds, I’ve decided I can’t stay in this tower and wonder if we’r
e about to be attacked. I grab the gun from the counter and shove it into my dripping-wet purse, then snatch up a towel before dashing out of the bathroom and through the spare bedroom. Exiting into the chilly long hallway, I see no sign of Kayden or Adriel. I run to the center stairs and lean over the railing. “Kayden! Is everything okay?”

  Silence replies, confirming I’ve taken too long to catch him. I start down the stairs, only to see splattered blood and water all over the place. Freezing for a moment, in my mind’s eye, I am back in the foyer of the castle, and Enzo is lying in the center of the floor, blood pouring from his body. Suddenly, I need out of these clothes, and I hurry back up the stairs, cutting left toward the room I share with Kayden, and . . . oh wow.

  I am dizzy, and I grab the wall, holding on. Abruptly, I am transported back to my old family home, kneeling next to my father as he bleeds to death, begging him to wake up, demanding that he wake up, and . . . God. Wake up! Get up! The scent of the fresh-baked cookies we’d been eating before the attack brushes my nostrils, turning my stomach. Wake up! I shake him—and then everything goes black.

  Dizziness overtakes me again, and I try to focus, finally blinking in light, and then my surroundings, and . . . oh God. I’m not in the hallway anymore. I am standing in the closet of our bedroom, and I am not sure how I got here. My hand goes to my head and I breathe in and out, trying to remember the walk here, scared when I can’t. “What just happened? What the hell just happened?”

  Trying the blinking thing again, since it worked once, I lower and lift my lashes, but I still have no clue how I got here. My only comfort is that I am still here—not somewhere else. I tell myself this is a residual effect from my healing concussion, but my attack in the alleyway was more than a week ago now. And a blackout when I’m this far into healing can’t be a good sign. But neither is Kayden’s rapid departure, on the tail end of telling me he’s killed the kingpin’s brother.

  I towel off my hair, strip off my wet, bloody clothes, and quickly dress in black jeans and a black T-shirt, hating that I make those choices because of possible exposure to more blood. But that is the reality, and exactly why I shove my feet into black Keds and pull on a black hoodie. Walking into the bathroom, I grab the hair dryer and put it to use on my hair, my purse, and even my phone. As I do so, I wonder what it would be like if my dyed-brown hair were red again. What would it be like if I knew the truth of how I got here? What would it mean if Kayden and I had answers, not questions, between us?