Fallen: The Games Thriller Series, #0

By J.E. Taylor

Ty Ryan's downward spiral started the day his mother met Jacob Aris.

An unexpected romance between the emergency room nurse and the multi-billionaire plunges Ty into the wealthy world of entitlement, secrets and lies.

When tragedy strikes, leaving Ty and his siblings at the mercy of Jacob Aris, Ty is powerless to defend against the old man's rage. Each random beating chips away at Ty's sanity, leaving him vulnerable to his stepbrother's master manipulation.

• Language: English
• Publisher: JET-Fueled Fiction
• Release date: Apr 15, 2021
• ISBN: 9781386657736

J.E. Taylor

J.E. Taylor is a USA Today bestselling author, a publisher, an editor, a manuscript formatter, a mother, a wife, a business analyst, and a Supernatural fangirl, not necessarily in that order. She first sat down to seriously write in February of 2007 after her daughter asked: “Mom, if you could do anything, what would you do?” From that moment on, she hasn’t looked back. In addition to being co-owner of Novel Concept Publishing, Ms. Taylor also moonlights as a Senior Editor of Allegory E-zine, an online venue for Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror, and co-host of the popular YouTube talk show Spilling Ink. She lives in New Hampshire with her husband and during the summer months enjoys her weekends on the shore in southern Maine. Visit her at www.jetaylor75.com to check out her other titles. Sign up for her newsletter at https://app.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/y2z2x6 for early previews of her upcoming books, release announcements, and special opportunities for free swag!

Book preview

Fallen Chapter 1

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THE GUNSHOT FILLED THE small bank lobby, echoing off the marble pillars.

Lieutenant Thomas Patrick Ryan looked down at the red stain spreading on his chest, not understanding what had just occurred.

What the...? Before his eyes rose to his assailant, the world went black.

He died before his body hit the ground.

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TY RYAN SAT ON the couch where his mother instructed. Her bloodshot eyes and shaking hands left a chill, and he shivered, pulling his shirtsleeves tighter over his dimpled skin. He flicked his gaze to Anna, his older sister flanking him on the right and got a half shrug in response, but her pale features just hammered home his terror.

His younger brother bounced next to him, unable to sit still, even with their mother’s chiding.

When she sat on the coffee table in front of him and took Anna’s hand, he swallowed the fear and stared into her sorrow filled eyes. Her mouth opened and closed once before she closed her eyes and drew in a deep inhale.

Ty held his breath, waiting.

When the words tumbled from her mouth, Ty’s world spun. He blinked as his brain wrapped around what she just said and then he reacted, ripping his hand out of hers and darting away.

No! he yelled, denying what his mother had revealed. No, he whispered as he settled into his favorite hiding place under the kitchen table, wrapping his arms around his knees, lowering his forehead as tears blurred his vision. A painful sob built in his chest, and he didn’t recognize the sound as it wound from his lungs.

His father was never coming home again.

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THEY FOLLOWED THE HEARSE to the cemetery and memories overtook Ty. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes, getting a grip on the tumult inside him. When the car stopped, he opened his eyes to a full view of the cemetery plot.

The door swung open, and the smothering summer heat enveloped him. He stepped out of the car and fidgeted in the dark suit. He would have preferred shorts and a t-shirt, but his mother insisted on the monkey suit, clothes fit for a funeral.

The aroma of freshly rolled dirt filled the air and the gaping hole waited to swallow the casket. Pallbearers brought the casket, laying it on the brass-plated stand straddling the grave. Ty scanned the crowd as they gathered, recognizing many of the faces from the Albany police force as well as some of the hospital staff his mother worked with.

When the folded flag was handed to his mother and the coffin lowered into the ground, she broke down. Maria Ryan grasped the flag to her chest and sobbed. The sound drifted over the quiet crowd.

Ty reached out, taking her hand, startling her. She turned toward him. The sob hitched in her chest as her bright blue eyes met his. It will be okay, Mom. He squeezed her hand.

His mother squeezed back.

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THE KITCHEN TABLE OVERFLOWED with dishes, from casseroles to cookies, and Ty maneuvered through the sea of people packing their house to the buffet. He fought his way between an overweight officer and the nurse the cop flirted with to grab a handful of cookies. Instead of mingling, he ducked under the table and sat down, munching on the semi-sweet confections and watching the legs come and go, picking at the desserts and pastries. The conversations ran from the morbid death of his father to some more humorous subjects, like how excruciating it was to wear nylons in this summer heat.

Chris looked under the tablecloth and slid beside Ty. What cha doing?

He held up the last cookie, snatching his hand away before his brother could grab it from his grasp.

Chris pouted, hanging his head, and slid a sideways glace at the cookie.

Ty sighed and sacrificed the dessert, handing it to his brother. The five-year-old shoved the entire cookie into his mouth, chewing without attention to the crumbs tumbling from his lips. He sent a chocolate smeared smile toward Ty and shot out from under the tablecloth.

He smiled despite himself. Chris was just so happy-go-lucky. He really didn’t