Annihilation Road

Dear Reader,

I always knew I would write Savage’s story. He had been calling to me for a very long time, and my heart broke for him because he was so lost. What I didn’t know was that I would be sharing his story—and ultimately two stories—with you. Most of my longtime readers are aware that Savage is a sexual sadist. I did so much research and spoke with two counselors who helped me try to understand what happens to children who are victimized for extended periods of time by pedophiles or traffickers. I knew there was no changing what Savage was, no miraculous cure for the pain caused during his childhood. For me, that made the heartbreak worse, because it meant he knew it as well. I began to write his story just to get it out of my head and to give him a happy ending, or one I could live with.

I began receiving hundreds of letters asking for Savage’s story, and once that started, it was like a dam had broken or there was a conspiracy. The letters poured in. In my community, I asked why readers, knowing he was a sadist, would want his story. I pointed out it wouldn’t be a fairy tale, because I must share the reality of what the characters’ lives would be like. I appreciated the honest answers and was convinced to share his story.

My solution is to give you Savage’s story in two stand-alone books. The first,
Annihilation Road
, tells the story of his meeting Seychelle and falling in love. There is very little in it to trigger readers who have read the Torpedo Ink series and know the stories are raw and edgy. The story is complete and will satisfy the reader. The second book,
Savage Road
, comes immediately following in January 2022: it follows Seychelle and Savage’s journey both physically and, more importantly, emotionally. As always, club business will be shown in both books, but there is no important information a reader will miss if they choose not to read
Savage Road
. There are elements of
Savage Road
that some readers may find triggering,
as the book deals specifically with Savage’s sexual proclivities. Both books are intense, emotional and the story of two people in love in a heartbreaking situation. I loved the characters and their stories and found them to be courageous in so many ways.

I truly hope you love them too, whether you choose to read one or both of the stories of their journey together.

Best,

Christine Feehan

A JOVE BOOK

Published by Berkley

An imprint of Penguin Random House LLC

penguinrandomhouse.com

Copyright © 2021 by Christine Feehan

Excerpt from
Savage Road
copyright © 2021 by Christine Feehan

Penguin Random House supports copyright. Copyright fuels creativity, encourages diverse voices, promotes free speech, and creates a vibrant culture. Thank you for buying an authorized edition of this book and for complying with copyright laws by not reproducing, scanning, or distributing any part of it in any form without permission. You are supporting writers and allowing Penguin Random House to continue to publish books for every reader.

A JOVE BOOK, BERKLEY, and the BERKLEY & B colophon are registered trademarks of Penguin Random House LLC.

Ebook ISBN: 9780593333211

First Edition: December 2021

Cover design by Judith Lagerman

Cover illustration by Neils Antone

Adapted for ebook by Cora Wigen

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.

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For all the readers who wrote to me and asked me for his story so many times. For the ones who took the time to answer my questions on my wall in my community. You said he needed a happy ending. You were right, and it took more than one book to do it!

Be sure to go to
christinefeehan.com/members
to sign up for my private book announcement list and download the free ebook of
Dark Desserts
. It’s a collection of yummy desserts that we all certainly could use right now. Join my community and get firsthand news, enter the book discussions, ask your questions and chat with me. Please feel free to email me at
[email protected]
. I would love to hear from you.

As in any book, there are so many people to thank. Brian for competing with me during power hours. Leslee for encouraging me over and over when I didn’t think I could do it. Domini for always editing, no matter how many times I ask her to go over the same book before we send it for additional editing. I really couldn’t have done this book without you. You were amazing hanging in there with me for this one and talking out every problem. Denise for staying up nights and letting me write while she did the brunt of the business I never want to do. I can’t thank you
enough.