Brandon (Anderson Billionaires #3) - Melody Anne Page 0,105
had known this was coming. He’d been waiting to see how long it would take.
Maybe it was boredom, or maybe it was a need for adventure. But whatever it was, he could’ve circumvented this entire scene—but what was the fun in that?
“You have a lot of explaining to do,” Damien said.
“You’re the one who walked away several years ago, saying you wanted nothing to do with this family,” Joseph pointed out.
Damien took several long breaths as he tried to tamp down the rage that was shining in his eyes. Joseph hadn’t seen that look in a family member’s eyes in a long time. But Damien had been put through the wringer time and time again. His heart broke for his nephew.
“I guess because I decided to walk away, I didn’t deserve to know imposters had come along, making up some fictional story,” Damien said.
“What makes you think you know what the story is?” Joseph said.
He had to admit he’d been hurt when Damien had walked away—very hurt. But now he was feeling bad that he hadn’t reached out to him when he’d discovered what had happened. It had taken Joseph two years to get to the bottom of it, which meant he’d been sitting on the information for over a year now.
Joseph was never afraid of facing anything. But he was horrified at the monstrous acts his uncle had committed. That man had been a plague most of his life, and even in death he was still hurting people.
Damien finally moved forward. He didn’t sit, but at least he stepped inside the room instead of standing there at the doorway, where he could disappear again in the blink of an eye.
“I deserve to know what’s happening,” Damien said.
“Then have a seat. This is going to take a while . . .”
AUTHOR’S NOTE
I can’t believe another book is finished. It seems like just yesterday that I was finishing my first book, but it’s been over ten years, and now I’m losing track of how many titles I’ve completed. What a blessing it is to write books for a living. It’s more than a job—it’s a passion. I love what I do. I’m so immersed in my fantasy world that when real life doesn’t go the way I’d write it, I’m always shocked. Being an author is the greatest experience I’ve ever had.
This is book three in a new branch of Andersons, and I don’t think I’ll ever let this family go. I love them! I love the relationships within this fictional family so much that they feel real to me. Whenever I put them through some tough situations, there’s a part of me that feels guilty about it. The gleeful-author part of me rubs my hands together and wonders how much torture I can put them through. I talk to friends and family about these characters as if they’re real. It’s pretty great to live in a fantasy world 90 percent of the time and have no one looking at me as if I’m insane. They nod their heads and agree. I was talking to my bestie about doing something awful to one of my characters, and she called me a monster. I love it! I love that these characters become as real to those who follow them as they are to me. I love that I dream about them and continually think of what I can do that will be different and entertaining.
As is the case with all of my books, I don’t do it alone. I have help from my family and friends and from my amazing editors. I never worry about how bad a first draft is, because I know I’m going to jump on the phone with my editors, and we’ll get it all worked out. I think if an author attempts to write a book alone, that story will be the same over and over again. We desperately need the help of others to mix things up and to bring a different perspective to a story. I do spend a lot of time alone writing, but I love to be surrounded by book-loving people while editing and storyboarding. Every single person has a story inside that needs to be told. It’s up to us as authors to care enough to listen. Thank you to all of you who share with me, inspire me, and make me a better writer. I truly couldn’t do it without you. My stories belong to all of you because without you, I’m just another person with a story that needs to be told but would never make it to the end.
Melody Anne is the New York Times bestselling author of the popular series Billionaire Bachelors, Surrender, Baby for the Billionaire, Unexpected Heroes, Billionaire Aviators, and Becoming Elena. Anne loves to write about strong, powerful businessmen and the corporate world, and this allows her to do what makes her happiest—living in a fantasy world 95 percent of the time. To date, Anne has sold more than seven million books and has been an Amazon Top 100 bestselling author for three years in a row.
When not writing, Anne spends time with family, friends, and her many pets. A country girl at heart, she loves her small town and is heavily involved in her strong local community. For updates and news, follow her blog at www.authormelodyanne.blogspot.com, subscribe to her newsletter at www.melodyanne.com, check out her official Facebook page at www.facebook.com/melodyanneauthor, and follow her on Twitter @authmelodyanne.