He nodded in agreement, then they sealed their love and their special day with a kiss that convinced him all over again that they belonged together forever.

  July

  10 p.m.

  Three years later

  Matt Montgomery cursed as he stared out the window at the pouring rain. He’d lived here for three years and there were still things he didn’t understand about this goddamn state. Like swamps everywhere, hungry gators, and a community who spoke a version of French that sounded nothing like the language he’d learned in high school. As if that wasn’t head-scratching enough, now he had to contend with a summer rain that lasted for days and felt like a hot, sticky blanket.

  Why did he still live here? Right, because he liked the people and the Southern hospitality. He loved his job.

  And you keep hoping she’ll come home…

  With a curse, he turned away and paced the house he’d been renting since deciding not to return to Wyoming. He had no business thinking of Madison Archer. Or rather, Madison Archer-Pershing. It had been three years since Trees and Laila’s wedding, when he’d spent that absolutely mind-blowing weekend in a hotel suite, sharing champagne, cheese fries, laughs, and great sex with her. Now, she was very much married to some bigwig senator’s son. She’d moved out of the bayou and moved up to the world of wealth and influence—two things he could never give her.

  That realization was the big turd on top of a giant shit sundae.

  His phone buzzed and he pulled it from his pocket, praying it was work. He could use a little adrenaline and action to take his mind off Madison and spice up his night.

  Instead, it was a text message from Casey, his latest friend-with-benefits. As usual, she didn’t beat around the bush.

  Rain turns me on. Let’s fuck.

  Normally, he would. In fact, since news of Madison’s engagement to Senator Winston Pershing’s grandson, Todd, had splashed across newscasts and social media, Matt hadn’t turned many offers down. A hookup at a bar here and a sexy neighbor sleepover there? Why not? A blind date? A flight attendant? A random hookup at a grocery store? Check, check, and check. Hell, even a former client, a gym pal’s little sister, and an ex’s best friend. He’d totally been game. When he’d met Casey at a community food festival and they’d gotten to talking about mutual acquaintances, she’d pointed out he’d already fucked two of her friends. They’d apparently left with smiles, and she wanted some of that for herself. At the time, it had seemed perfect.

  Two weeks later, he wasn’t interested anymore.

  Why not? Dude, she isn’t coming back. Move the fuck on.

  Good advice, especially since he was pretty sure he’d soon be hearing about Madison having kids with that stuffy blue blood. God, he was a stupid ass, because the thought of her in bed with the entitled prick made Matt homicidal. He really should get laid.

  He just didn’t want to, not by Casey. Not by anyone else he could think of.

  Just Madison.

  How the fuck had she ruined him in forty-eight hours?

  Matt sighed, grabbed a beer, downed half of it, then headed back to the window. She was out there, somewhere. Probably at some pompous, ten-thousand-dollar-a-plate fundraiser, rubbing elbows with people who would look down on him for making a living by his gun.

  Fuck them. And fuck her. Whether he wanted to or not, he was going to fuck Casey tonight.

  Retrieving his phone, he started to tap out a response when he suddenly heard a tap at his window that startled the hell out of him. He reared back, then saw a face on the other side of the glass. Ball cap, sunglasses, baggy T-shirt plastered to a slight frame. No distinguishing features or tattoos. At first glance, it looked like a teenage boy. But the face had a softness… Smooth, fair skin, gracefully arched brows, and a delicately sloped jaw.

  Why the fuck would the kid be out in the pouring rain after ten o’clock at night? Hell, why would he avoid the covered porch, rather than knock on the front door?

  The kid wouldn’t…unless there was trouble.

  Matt unlocked the window and raised it a fraction, aware of his gun a mere split second from his grasp.

  “Yeah?”

  “Matt?”

  That voice. Not a boy at all. Definitely a woman.

  One he knew.

  No, that was impossible. It couldn’t be… But a second glance had him rethinking his assessment.

  Holy shit.

  His heart slammed against his chest. “Madison?”

  She gave him a shaky nod, then looked behind her as if she expected the bogeyman to jump her. “Yes. I’m sorry to barge in—”

  “You’re not.” If she was here, if she was hiding in his bushes and disguising herself as she approached his house late at night in the rain, there was something terribly wrong. “What’s going on?”

  “I-I need help, and I didn’t know anyone else I could trust.” She swallowed, and he saw the abject terror on her face. “My husband is trying to kill me.”

  Ready to continue your Wicked & Devoted journey? Get the lowdown on all the pent-up sizzle when Matt and Madison reunite after three long years!

  WICKED AS SECRETS

  Matt and Madison, Part One

  Wicked & Devoted, Book 7

  By Shayla Black

  (will be available in eBook, print, and audio)

  Coming April 11, 2023!

  Order it HERE.

  Want to know first about new releases, excerpts, covers, and freebies? Join my VIP newsletter!

  Interested in signed Shayla Black print books, cool bookish merch, or early access to Shayla’s latest eBooks? Visit the Shayla Store.

  Thank you for reading Wicked and Forever! If you enjoyed this book, please review and/or recommend it to your reader friends. That means the world to me!

  WICKED AS SECRETS

  Matt and Madison, Part One

  Wicked & Devoted, Book 7

  By Shayla Black

  (will be available in eBook, print, and audio)

  * * *

  Coming April 11, 2023!

  * * *

  Click here to purchase!

  * * *

  The exciting continuation of the Wicked & Devoted series, Wicked as Secrets (Matt and Madison, part one), available April 11, 2023.

  If you missed the beginning of the suspenseful, addictive Wicked & Devoted series, catch up with the sexiest bad boy meets good girl story, Wicked as Sin!

  * * *

  WICKED AS SIN

  One-Mile & Brea, Part One

  Wicked & Devoted, Book 1

  By Shayla Black

  NOW AVAILABLE!

  (eBook, Print, and audio)

  Click here to purchase!

  * * *

  She begged him to rescue his enemy from death. In exchange, he demanded her body…

  Pierce “One-Mile” Walker has always kept his heart under wraps and his head behind his sniper’s scope. Nothing about buttoned-up Brea Bell should appeal to him. But after a single glance at the pretty preacher’s daughter, he doesn’t care that his past is less than shiny, that he gets paid to end lives…or that she’s his teammate’s woman. He'll do whatever it takes to steal her heart.

  Brea has always been a dutiful daughter and a good girl…until she meets the dangerous warrior. He’s everything she shouldn’t want, especially after her best friend introduces her to his fellow operative as his girlfriend—to protect her from Pierce. But he’s a forbidden temptation she’s finding impossible to resist.

  Then fate strikes, forcing Brea to beg Pierce to help solve a crisis. But his skills come at a price. When her innocent flirtations run headlong into his obsession, they cross the line into a passion so fiery she can’t say no. Soon, his past rears its head and a vendetta calls his name in a mission gone horribly wrong. Will he survive to fight his way back to the woman who claimed his soul?

  EXCERPT

  Sunday, January 11

  Sunset, Louisiana

  * * *

  Finally, he had her cornered. He intended to tear down every last damn obstacle between him and Brea Bell.

  Right now.

  For months, she’d succumbed to fears, buried her head in the sand, even lied. He’d tried to be understanding and patient. He’d made mistakes, but damn it, he’d put her first, given her space, been the good guy.

  Fuck that. Now that he’d fought his way here, she would see the real him.

  One-Mile Walker slammed the door of his Jeep and turned all his focus on the modest white cottage with its vintage blue door. As he marched up the long concrete driveway, his heart pounded. He had a nasty idea how Brea’s father would respond when he explained why he’d come. The man would slam the door in his face; no maybe about that. After all, he was the bad boy from a broken home who had defiled Reverend Bell’s perfect daughter with unholy glee.

  But One-Mile refused to let Brea go again. He’d make her father listen…somehow. Since punching the guy in the face was out of the question, he’d have to quell his brute-force instinct to fight dirty and instead employ polish, tact, and charm—all the qualities he possessed zero of.

  Fuck. This was going to be a shit show.

  Still, One-Mile refused to give up. He’d known uphill battles his whole life. What was one more?

  Through the house’s front window, he spotted the soft doe eyes that had haunted him since last summer. Though Brea was talking to an elderly couple, the moment she saw him approach her porch, her pretty eyes went wide with shock.

  Determination gripped One-Mile and squeezed his chest. By damned, she was going to listen, too.

  He wasn’t leaving without making her his.

  As he mounted the first step toward her door, his cell phone rang. He would have ignored it if it hadn’t been for two critical facts: His job often entailed saving the world as the people knew it, and this particular chime he only heard when one of the men he respected most in this fucked-up world needed him during the grimmest of emergencies.

  Of all the lousy timing…

  He yanked the device from his pocket. “Walker here. Colonel?”

  “Yeah.”

  Colonel Caleb Edgington was a retired, highly decorated military officer and a tough son of a bitch. One thing he wasn’t prone to was drama, so that single foreboding syllable told One-Mile that whatever had prompted this call was dire.

  He didn’t bother with small talk, even though it had been months since they’d spoken, and he wondered how the man was enjoying both his fifties and his new wife, but they’d catch up later. Now, they had no time to waste.

  “What can I do for you?” Since he owed Caleb a million times over, whatever the man needed, One-Mile would make happen.

  Caleb’s sons might be his bosses these days…but as far as One-Mile was concerned, the jury was still out on that trio. Speaking of which, why wasn’t Caleb calling those badasses?

  One-Mile could only think of one answer. It was hardly comforting.

  “Or should I just ask who I need to kill?”

  A soft, feminine gasp sent his gaze jerking up to Brea, who now stood in the doorway, her rosy bow of a mouth gaping open in a perfect little O. She’d heard that. Goddamn it to hell. Yeah, she knew perfectly well what he was. But he’d managed to shock her repeatedly over the last six months.

  “I’m not sure yet.” Caleb sounded cautious in his ear. “I’m going to text you an address. Can you meet me there in fifteen minutes?”

  For months, he’d been anticipating this exact moment with Brea. “Any chance it can wait an hour?”

  “No. Every moment is critical.”

  Since Caleb would never say such things lightly, One-Mile didn’t see that he had an option. “On my way.”

  He ended the call and pocketed the phone as he climbed onto the porch and gave Brea his full attention. He had so little time with her, but he’d damn sure get his point across before he went.

  She stepped outside and shut the door behind her, swallowing nervously as she cast a furtive glance over her shoulder, through the big picture window. Was she hoping her father didn’t see them?

  “Pierce.” Her whisper sounded closer to a hiss. “What are you doing here?”

  He hated when anyone else used his given name, but Brea could call him whatever the hell she wanted as long as she let him in her life.

  He peered down at her, considering how to answer. He’d had grand plans to lay his cards out on the table and do whatever he had to—talk, coax, hustle, schmooze—until she and her father came around to his way of thinking. Now he only had time to cut to the chase. “You know what I want, pretty girl. I’m here for you. And when I come back, I won’t take no for an answer.”

  Click here to purchase!

  Don’t forget to grab the gripping conclusion of this unforgettable couple…

  * * *

  WICKED EVER AFTER

  One-Mile and Brea, Part Two

  Wicked & Devoted, Book 2

  By Shayla Black

  NOW AVAILABLE!

  (eBook, Print, and audio)

  Click here to purchase!

  * * *

  The good girl is keeping a secret? He’ll seduce it out of her until she begs to be his.

  Wicked & Devoted World

  Thank you for joining me in the Wicked & Devoted world. If you didn’t know, this cast of characters started in my Wicked Lovers world, continued into my Devoted Lovers series, and have collided here. During Trees and Laila’s journey, you’ve read about some other characters and you might be wondering if I’ve told their story. Or if I will tell their story in the future. Below is a guide in case you’d like to read more from this cast, listed in order of release:

  * * *

  WICKED LOVERS

  Wicked Ties

  Jack Cole and Morgan O’Malley

  She didn’t know what she wanted until he made her beg for it…

  * * *

  Decadent

  Deke Trenton (and Kimber Edgington)

  The boss’ innocent daughter. A forbidden favor he can’t refuse…

  * * *

  Delicious

  Luc Traverson (and Alyssa Devereaux)

  He can’t control his desire…and that’s just the way she wants it.

  * * *

  Surrender to Me

  Hunter Edgington (and Katalina Muñoz)

  A secret fantasy. An uncontrollable obsession. A forever love?

  * * *

  Belong to Me

  Logan Edgington (and Tara Jacobs)

  He’s got everything under control until he falls for his first love…again.

  * * *

  Wicked All the Way

  Caleb Edgington (and Carlotta Muñoz Buckley)

  Could their second chance be their first real love?

  * * *

  Mine to Hold

  Tyler Murphy (and Delaney Catalano)

  His best friend’s ex. A night he can’t forget. A secret that could destroy them both.

  Ours to Love

  Javier and Xander Santiago (and London McLane)

  Two estranged brothers. A virgin with a past. A danger that could destroy them all.

  Theirs to Cherish

  Mitchell Thorpe and Sean Mackenzie (and Callie Ward)

  A woman on the run falls for two enemies who both refuse to let her go…

  * * *

  His to Take

  Joaquin Muñoz (and Bailey Benson)

  Giving in to her dark stranger might be the most delicious danger of all…

  * * *

  Falling in Deeper

  Stone Sutter (and Lily “Sweet Pea” Taylor)

  Will her terrifying past threaten their passionate future?

  * * *

  DEVOTED LOVERS

  Devoted to Pleasure

  Cutter Bryant (and Shealyn West)

  A bodyguard should never fall for his client…but she’s too tempting to refuse.

  * * *

  Devoted to Love

  Josiah Grant (and Magnolia West)

  He was sent to guard her body…but he’s determined to steal her heart.

  * * *

  WICKED & DEVOTED

  Wicked as Sin/Wicked Ever After – Pierce “One-Mile” Walker (and Brea Bell)

  He’s dangerous. She’s off-limits. After one taste, nothing will stop him from making her his.

  Wicked as Lies/Wicked and True – Chase “Zyron” Garrett (and Tessa Lawrence)

  * * *

  Wicked as Seduction/Wicked and Forever – Forest “Trees” Scott (and Laila Torres)

  He’ll protect her…even if he has to take her captive to save her.

  As the Wicked & Devoted world continues to collide and explode, you’ll see more titles with other characters you know and love. Now that Montilla has been defeated, stay tuned for the kick-off of a new adventure with Matt, as well as books about Kane, Trevor, Ghost, and others!