Unfaithful
Authors: Elisa S. Amore
Copyright © 2014 by Elisa Amore
English edition: Copyright © 2015 by Leah Janeczko
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All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including xerography, photocopying, and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, is forbidden without the written permission of the Author.
Citation credits:
Sanskrit text (Chapter 25) from the Rig Veda/Mandala 1/Hymn 89
The Honeysuckle and the Hazel Tree
(Chapter 9), translated by Patricia Terry in
The Honeysuckle and the Hazel Tree: Medieval Stories of Men and Women
. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1995.
This novel is entirely a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either 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.
Artwork by Renu Sharma
PRAISE FOR THE
TOUCHED
SAGA
What readers are saying about
Unfaithful
“I loved Touched, but
Unfaithful
got me addicted . . .”
“If the first book was delightful, the second one is a tremendous success. The only real problem is waiting for the next book.”
“You’ll be shocked, your heart will be broken, but you will also experience moments of intense love between Evan and Gemma that you can’t help but adore.”
“I have a hole where my heart used to be.”
“Every single page is magic. It makes you dream and leaves you in suspense.”
“After reading it, all I could do was stare at the ceiling all night.”
“The writing is captivating, the plot sensational. It makes you laugh, sigh, and cry all at the same time.”
“If you want a story that’s predictable, you have the wrong book. Things are not what they seem in Unfaithful.”
“You’ll feel the story in your heart, you’ll fall in love with the characters, and in the end your heart will be shattered.”
“I got lost in this book. It totally took me out of the real world.”
“Evan and Gemma are the new Romeo and Juliet.”
“The second book makes you die! You’ll get to the last word and want to start all over again, because it can’t end like this!”
“It’s a drug—it creates a dependency on Evan and Gemma. I can say with absolute certainty that this has become one of my all-time favorite books. One of those that enters your heart and touches your soul, never to leave you again.”
“One last thing I want to emphasize that so impressed me is how Shakespearean this novel is: it’s sneaky, cursed, and sublime all at the same time.”
“Be prepared for an ending that will make you curse the time you have to wait for Elisa Amore’s third novel to come out!”
“It is the kind of book you think about all the time, even when you’re not reading it.”
“The brilliant love, sweetness, and mystery we saw in Touched begin to turn dark in Unfaithful with the danger that looms over them.”
“When I read it everything else faded away and nothing seemed real but the book.”
“It’s impossible not to fall in love with this story.”
“You’ll read this book all in one sitting. The author doesn’t give you time to breathe!”
“One of the most beautiful parts of this book is when he shows his world to Gemma. It’s so fascinating!”
“The story of an incredible love, like few others, Unfaithful will keep you hooked until the final, devastating page.”
“I was so caught off guard, it left me breathless, shocked and scared. My question now is: What will happen next?”
“The last chapter of Unfaithful ends in sorrow and mysteries too dark to reveal . . . I used up all my tears reading it. It needs to be made into a film.”
Table of Contents
Chapter 1: Ghost From The Past
Chapter 2: The Walls Of The Soul
Chapter 3: Beyond The Limits Of Reality
Chapter 7: The Allure Of Darkness
Chapter 9: Dangerous Revelations
Chapter 15: Reawakened Instinct
Chapter 17: Adding Fuel To The Fire
Chapter 18: Unscheduled Adventure
Chapter 19: The Terror Of The Skies
Chapter 25: Connections Beneath The Skin
Chapter 31: Fireflies In The Night
Chapter 35: Mysterious Instinct
Chapter 36: Splinters In The Heart
Book 1: Touched – The Caress of Fate
Book 2: Unfaithful – The Deception of Night
Book 3: Brokenhearted – The Power of Darkness (2016)
Book 4: Expiation - The Whisper of Death (2017)
TOUCHED SAGA SHORT STORIES:
Book 1.5: The Shadow of Fate, Gemma’s Prequel
Book 2.5: The Mark of Fate, Evan’s Prequel (August 2016)
UNFAITHFUL
THE DECEPTION OF NIGHT
To my husband Giuseppe,
who proves to me day after day
that men like Evan really do exist;
I married one.
And to little Gabriel Santo:
no matter how many novels I write,
you’ll always be my masterpiece.
Lake Placid, NY
“Faster! Faster!!!” Adrenaline pumped wildly through my veins as I shouted to Evan, my heart pounding like crazy.
The car swerved dangerously onto the highway, racing at an inhuman speed with a roar so fierce it made the hairs on my arms stand up. Lake Placid was far behind us. My breath coming fast, I stole a glance at Evan’s face. It was twisted into an expression I’d learned to decipher: a mix of excitement, determination, and defiance—a combination I liked.
Clinging to the dashboard, I turned back to check out the car we were trying to shake: a smoke-gray Lamborghini Reventón with tinted windows. It was right on our tail, ripping the asphalt off the road. “It’s gaining on us!” I cried, trying to control my heartbeat.
“They won’t catch us that easily,” Evan growled. His eyes narrowed to slits as he gripped the steering wheel, shooting me a captivating smile. “We’re faster.” He raised his eyebrows, the soft curve of his parted lips mesmerizing me, and jammed his foot down on the accelerator. The engine howled.
The Ferrari 458 Italia we were in shot across the scorching hot asphalt like a missile and I hung on for dear life. The speed took my breath away, pushing me back hard into the leather seat. The upholstery was red and contrasted elegantly with the car’s sporty silverstone-gray exterior. I adored the color because it reminded me of Evan’s eyes when the somber sky over Lake Placid darkened them.
Although speed wasn’t a problem for him, I still hadn’t gotten used to it even though being chased on cars and motorcycles had become an integral part of my second life over the last few months, almost a constant. Despite everything, beneath the thin layer of fear there was a stronger, more deeply rooted sensation under my skin: excitement. The emotions Evan had introduced me to were vivid and precious, especially because they were mine alone: no other mortal experienced them. I couldn’t live without them any more. Just a few months ago, death had touched me with its icy fingertips, but I’d never felt this alive before.
“Oh my God! Evan! Look out!!!” I shrieked. A huge semi had suddenly pulled onto the road. My heart lurched. It would be impossible to swerve around it and we were going too fast to stop in time. Instead of slowing down though, at the last second Evan boldly downshifted into fifth, making the rear wheels skid. He jammed his foot onto the accelerator, pushing us into the opposite lane as the semi zoomed by like a blurry rocket.
“That wasn’t on the agenda!” he exclaimed with a smug smile.
Terror and excitement washed over me. I took a deep breath and let out a whoop, almost shivering. Evan laughed at my enthusiasm and shook his head.
“You’re crazy.” I smiled, my heart still trembling.
“What can I say?” he shot back, shrugging. His gaze was shrewd, his smile beguiling.
I glanced out the rear window. “We lost them!”
Evan narrowed his eyes, his gaze locked on the road, his proud smile set in an expression as steely as it was dangerous. The car was gone, but he didn’t seem at all convinced it was over.
Proving me wrong, we heard the aggressive roar of an engine and a second later the Lamborghini swerved into view behind us. Evan showed no sign of agitation. The car’s engine rumbled again challengingly and my heart leapt to my throat when I saw the gray front end of the Lamborghini nosing at our rear wheels. The two cars gripped the asphalt, their engines growling over the tar set aflame by their tires. The roar behind us persisted, more and more aggressive, making my stomach quiver.