Book Spotlight: A Losing Battle by Annie Stone

A Losing Battle
(Free at Last #2)
by Annie Stone
Date Released: July 22, 2017

About A Losing Battle
Hunter has left home to join the Marine Corps, leaving Mackenzie behind, confused and unsure about her feelings. She loves Carter, she really, really does, but could there be a spark between her and Hunter, as well?

Mackenzie does the only thing she can in the circumstances: she buries her conflicting emotions in her work. But when she sees Hunter again, she knows the time for a decision has come.

Little does she know, time is running out for the both of them.




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An Excerpt from A Losing Battle
Hunter

After graduation, we’ll get ten days off. Killian has invited me to Texas, and I’ve decided to accept because I still can’t imagine going home. And I have nowhere else to go.

Everybody is desperate for our graduation ceremony. Not just because it means we’ve made it, but because they’re proud. They want to show their loved ones what they’ve achieved. Personally, I don’t care about that part of it, but I haven’t told the others that when I’m done here, I won’t have anybody waiting to congratulate for me.

At the ceremony, we stand in formation to listen to the final talk, the finish to this chapter of our training. As Marines. All around me, my comrades are hugging their mothers, sisters, and girlfriends. All around me, there is love.

But I’m all alone.

“Hey, soldier!” I hear the voice behind me but don’t turn.

For a moment, I stay completely still, certain I’m hallucinating. Finally, I turn around.

And there’s Mac, standing in front of me in a summer dress. She is so beautiful my breath stops for a moment.

“Marine,” I say softly.

She smiles. “Hey, Marine.”

She comes closer, somewhat unsure about how to act, before throwing herself around my neck. I hug her back, pick her up, and squeeze her really tight.

“I’m so proud of you,” she whispers in my ear.

Fuck, hearing that from her really turns me on!

When, after half an eternity, I put her back down, I look into her teary eyes. “How did you know?”

She shrugs. “I’m stalking you.”

I smile. I don’t think I’ve ever heard anything more beautiful in my life. “Oh, really?”

“I knew you wouldn’t tell me, but I wanted you to know how incredibly proud of you I am. I knew you’d make it.”

Right now, I feel ten feet tall instead of six. No, wait! I’m not even mortal. I’m a god!

My girl is proud of me. Is there anything in the world better than that?

“Carey’s here, too,” she says.

I look around and see him standing a little off to the side. He looks insecure, like he doesn’t know whether he’s welcome here. I hate myself for making my brother question whether I care about him. I run over to him and pull him into my arms.

“I’ve missed you, bro,” I say quietly, patting him on the back.

“You never wrote back,” he says, his fingers clawing into my uniform like he never wants to let me go again.

“I’m sorry. I couldn’t. I always wanted to, but I couldn’t. It would have broken my focus.”

Carey nods. “I thought…”

“I’m sorry, man. I always want you in my life. You’re my brother. The only family I’ve got.”

“You’ve got Mac, too,” he says quietly, and I look over at her. She’s standing a few steps away, her cheeks shiny, looking at us but giving us privacy.

I nod. “I’ve got Mac, too, but not like I want her.” Oops. That just came out. I wasn’t planning to tell Carey.

But he says, “I know.”

I give him a surprised look. “You do?”

“I’m not blind. Your goodbye kiss was pretty obvious,” he says. “And I’m not deaf, either. Dad and Mac fight about you all the time.”

“That bad?”

He shrugs just as Mac steps closer. “Is everything okay, boys?”

I nod, putting my arm around her shoulders to pull her close again. I plant a kiss on her head.

“Hey, Tilman!” Joey calls, coming toward us.

“Hands off,” I joke before I introduce him. He kisses Mac’s hand and smiles at Carey.

“My parents want to go grab a bite to eat. They wanted to invite my friends. You coming?”

I look at Mac and Carey.

“They can come,” Joey says quickly.

Mac shakes her head. “Thanks, that’s really sweet, but I need to go.” She avoids my eye, and I know she’s thinking about Dad.

I make an effort to hide my disappointment as I tell Joey, “Carey and I’ll be there in a second.”

“I’m sorry,” Mac whispers.

“It’s okay,” I say, even though nothing is okay. In that moment, I realize—no, remember—that she’s never going to leave Dad for me.

This needs to stop. Otherwise I will not survive it.

“How long do you get off?” she asks.

“Ten days.”

“Are you coming home?”

“Home. Nice word, but I no longer have one,” I say, shocked at the bitterness in my own voice.

She nods, tears running down her cheeks. “I—”

“Let it go, Mac. Let it go.”

She quickly presses herself against me and runs away without turning around again. I look after her.

“Hunt…”

“She’s never going to leave him, is she?”

Carey shrugs. “No idea, man. But I wouldn’t wait for it.”




About Annie Stone
I'm a contemporary romance writer, who likes her men tattooed, her women independent and her coffee strong.

My stories are all about love, but some are of the romantic kind, some of the sad kind and others of the very steamy kind. So if you can stand drama, foul language and sex, you came to the right place.

Love, Annie

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