Diamonds, page 23
For the first time since I met him two weeks ago, Maddox utters three words. The most terrifying three words I’ve ever heard from him. They hit me like three tiny arrows to my heart.
“I don’t know.”
The room has a window. It’s covered by a piece of plywood, and bars are fixed to it.
I return to the door. Pound at it until my fists are bloody.
But no one’s coming.
Because we’re exactly where Rouge wants us to be.
The King and Queen of Diamonds have been played.
And now they’ll wait, at the bottom of the deck, until the next hand is dealt.
Thank you for reading Diamonds! I hope you loved continuing the story of Maddox and Alissa. You’ll see more of them as the romance, intrigue, and mystery continues in Clubs!
One-Click CLUBS now!
If you loved Diamonds, you’ll love Savage Sin! Enter the dark and thrilling world of the Bellamy Brothers. One-Click Savage Sin today!
Missing Bridgerton? You’ll love the sensual world of the Sex and the Season Series. One-click Lily and the Duke now!
Ready to get in your feels? She’s lost in the dark. He’s the storm that might lead her home. “Literally perfection.” One-click My Heart Still Beats now!
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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
A few years ago, my cover artist, the brilliant Amanda Shepard of Shepard Originals, had a premade cover art sale. I fell in love with a set of four covers based on the suits in a deck of playing cards. Without having a clue what to do with them, I bought them and asked her to brand them as Aces Underground. I figured I’d come up with a dark romance series that featured an underground club sometime in the future.
Cut to the end of last year, when I was talking to my editor (and son!) Eric. I showed him the covers and wanted to brainstorm some ideas for a series called Aces Underground. Within a second, he suggested a series based on Alice in Wonderland. Lewis Carroll’s classics Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass are in the public domain, and fairy tale retellings are all the rage, so it was a no-brainer!
Eric came up with a premise for the series, and I started writing.
Enter Spades, Diamonds, Clubs, and Hearts!
This series is different from anything I’ve written. It’s dark and mysterious, yes, but it’s also somewhat fantastical. It’s been so much fun, and I know you’re going to love Clubs and Hearts just as much!
Thank you especially to Eric McConnell, my editor, and Amanda Shepard, my cover artist. Without the two of you, Aces Underground would never have taken shape. Thank you to Catherine Goode, my eagle-eyed proofreader, and thank you to Richard Steele and Laura Sanders for lending their spectacular voices to Maddox and Alissa.
Thank you to my reader group, Hardt & Soul, and to my Ream community, Black Rose Underground, for your endless support.
Thanks also to my family and friends, and most of all, thank you, my readers. Because of all of you, I get to do what I love most in the world!
Now…
What is next for Maddox and Alissa…and who will rescue them?
Find out in Clubs!
ALSO BY HELEN HARDT
Bellamy Brothers
Savage Sin
Sweet Sin
Seductive Sin
Vengeful Vice
Volatile Vice
Victorious Vice
Cryptic Curse
Chaotic Curse
Captivating Curse
Aces Underground
Spades
Diamonds
Clubs
Hearts
Follow Me Series
Follow Me Darkly
Follow Me Under
Follow Me Always
Darkly
Under
Always
My Heart Still Beats
Black Rose Series
Blush
Bloom
Blossom
Wolfes of Manhattan
Rebel
Recluse
Runaway
Rake
Reckoning
Escape
Moonstone
Raven
Garnet
Buck
Opal
Phoenix
Amethyst
How to Marry a Billionaire
Enticing You
Captivating You
Seducing You
Claiming You
Sex and the Season
Lily and the Duke
Rose in Bloom
Lady Alexandra’s Lover
Sophie’s Voice
The Perils of Patricia
Steel Legends
I am Sin
I am Salvation
Steel Brothers Saga
Craving
Obsession
Possession
Melt
Burn
Surrender
Shattered
Twisted
Unraveled
Breathless
Ravenous
Insatiable
Fate
Legacy
Descent
Awakened
Cherished
Freed
Spark
Flame
Blaze
Smolder
Flare
Scorch
Chance
Fortune
Destiny
Melody
Harmony
Encore
Blood Bond Saga
Unchained
Unhinged
Undaunted
Unmasked
Undefeated
Temptation Saga
Tempting Dusty
Teasing Annie
Taking Catie
Taming Angelina
Treasuring Amber
Trusting Sydney
Tantalizing Maria
The Billion Heirs (with Vanessa Vale)
Scarred
Flawed
Broken
Non-Fiction
got style?
Cooking with Hardt & Soul
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
#1 New York Times, #1 USA Today, and #1 Wall Street Journal bestselling author Helen Hardt’s passion for the written word began with the books her mother read to her at bedtime. She wrote her first story at age six and hasn’t stopped since. In addition to being an award-winning author of romantic fiction, she’s a mother, an attorney, a black belt in Taekwondo, a grammar geek, an appreciator of fine red wine, and a lover of Ben and Jerry’s ice cream. She writes from her home in Colorado, where she lives with her family. Helen loves to hear from readers.
Website: https://www.helenhardt.com/
Newsletter: https://www.helenhardt.com/newsletter-sign-up
HELEN HARDT, Diamonds
