Compare and contrast Brad Steel and Theodore Mathias. Neither were model fathers, yet they both ended up saving their children in the end. Did they love their children? Did Mathias have any good qualities at all?
Do you believe Wendy truly loved Brad and Ryan? Was she capable of love? Discuss what might have led to her psychopathic illness. What might her parents have been like? How was she able to lead a life as a journalist? What might her psychiatric diagnosis be?
How did you feel about Talon’s adoption of Dale and Donny Robertson? Will this make Talon’s life more difficult? Why or why not?
Do you believe Theo loved Ruby? Was proud of her? Why or why not?
Discuss how Brad handled Wendy. What do you think his true feelings for her were?
Ryan applies the virtues of strength and wisdom to Jonah and Talon, respectively. Do you agree? What virtue would you apply to Ryan?
Discuss the antagonists of the saga. What role did each play? Theodore Mathias, Tom Simpson, Larry Wade, Wendy Madigan
Was Brad Steel an antagonist as well?
What might the future hold for all the Steels now? Will Marjorie find love? With whom?
Acknowledgments
The end has come! This was a difficult book to write, both intellectually and emotionally, as I had to tie up all the loose ends and bring ultimate happiness to the Steel family as they so deserved. I made myself cry more than once as I unraveled the remaining secrets. We said goodbye to some characters (and let’s face it—we won’t miss them) and hello to some new ones as Ruby and Ryan—and all the Steels—finally got their happily ever after. I’ll miss the Steels, but I’m excited about my next series, which is already taking shape in my head.
A very special thank you to my husband, Dean, a PADI-certified SCUBA diver, who helped me with Ryan and Talon’s diving scene. Thanks so much to my amazing editors, Celina Summers and Michele Hamner Moore. Your guidance and suggestions were, as always, invaluable. Thank you to my line editor, Scott Saunders, and my proofreaders, Jenny Rarden, Amy Grishman, and Chrissie Saunders. Thank you to all the great people at Waterhouse Press—Meredith, David, Kurt, Jon, Yvonne, Jeanne, Renee, Dave, and Robyn. Special thanks to Yvonne Ellis for the beautiful cover art for Unraveled and for the whole series.
Many thanks to my assistant, Amy Denim, for taking care of business so I can write. I couldn’t do it without you!
Thank you to the members of my street team, Hardt and Soul. HS members got the first look at Unraveled, and I appreciate all your support, reviews, and general good vibes. You all mean more to me than you can possibly know.
Thanks to my always supportive family and friends, and to my local writing groups, Colorado Romance Writers and Heart of Denver Romance Writers, for their love and support.
Most of all, thank you to the diehard Steel fans who have stuck with the saga through nine books. I hope you found the ending worth the wait!
About Helen Hardt
#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 contemporary and historical romance and erotica, 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.
For more information, please follow Helen Hardt at: www.helenhardt.com
A Special Thank You
Dear Reader,
Thank you for following the Steel Brothers saga to its conclusion in Unraveled. We hope you’ve enjoyed reading these stories as much as Helen has enjoyed sharing them.
Please look for new releases from Helen Hardt coming soon.
In the meantime, let us introduce you to Angel Payne’s Honor Bound series with book one, Saved, here in its entirety.
Happy reading!
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This book is an original publication of Angel Payne.
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This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental. The publisher does not assume any responsibility for third-party websites or their content.
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Nobody does it better…Thomas, you are my hero, always.
Chapter One
Heaven.
He had to have died at last, and somehow—God only knew how—ended up beyond the pearly gates.
Garrett Hawkins didn’t bother questioning the admission details beyond that. No sense in tempting Saint Peter, or whoever the fuck was standing watch today, into checking notes and realizing a mistake had been made. Wouldn’t do the guy any good. At this point, Garrett wasn’t past blowing the balls off anyone who told him he had to leave.
The deal was, heaven was nothing like the scene they’d taught him in summer Bible school. No sugar-spun clouds. No bad haircuts. Not a single angel with a half-tuned harp.
Heaven was silk sheets, his tongue on the inside of Sage Weston’s left thigh—and her sigh in response.
“Garrett! Damn it! Higher. Please…higher!”
He chuckled and sank a soft bite into her tawny flesh. “Is that any way to talk in heaven, sugar? Ssshhh. You’re gonna get us tossed out.”
He spoke the last of it as he crossed to her other thigh, making sure his mouth brushed over her glistening pussy in the process. Christ, how he wanted to stop there, and he thought about it as he watched new drops of arousal on her sweet pink folds, but there’d be time to return for all that sweet ambrosia and then some. In heaven, they finally had all the time they needed.
A shiver claimed the new skin that he began to suckle and lick. “Sergeant Hawkins, you’re making me insane!”
“I hope so.”
“Ohhhh! Bastard!”
“Mmmm. You taste like cream and honey.”
“Garrett!”
He sighed and laughed again. “So impatient. So greedy.” He trailed his lips toward her knee, inciting another protesting moan from the silk ribbons of her lips.
“Impatient? You’ve been teasing me like this forever!”
“And isn’t it fun?”
“I hate you.”
“No you don’t.”
“I’m leaving.”
“No you aren’t.”
He was about to taunt the inside of her ankle when she really did yank it away from him. He raised his head in question, only to have the back of it bonked by her other foot as she swung that over the edge of the bed as well. “Sage! Hey!”
“Don’t pull petulant on me, Garrett Hawkins. I invented it, and I do it way better than you.”
He almost smiled. She’d been a ball of sass and fire since they’d met at that dive bar in Tacoma, and he loved her a little more every time she rekindled the attitude. It also helped him choose the next words out of his mouth, issued as a deep and heated growl.
“You’re not going anywhere, Ms. Weston.”