FOR ADAM'S SAKE
“For Adam's Sake”, Book Three - From North to South Series
by Ronda Wicks Eller ISBN: 978-1-9990964-2-7
ADULT RATED - no longer available 285 pgs, glossy, colour 6" x 9" softcover
GENERAL AUDIENCE - Romance, Family Drama, Historic Fiction - Release TBA
approximately 237 pages, glossy, colour 6" x 9" softcover
When you finish previewing here you can click this link to peak at Book Four; A Family Divided
How do you unscramble scrambled eggs? A question the Bell family compact must answer when they uncover the reasons why their union is an issue heavily rooted in history.
Only Adam can get it sorted and injuries abound, but so does hope. He keeps integrating his new family sense but also meets romantic love head-on, to his own surprise. His bevy of emotions and analysis threaten to pull him into old habits but people need his intellect and savvy to push through. Can he lay old ghosts to rest and have someone he holds dear charged with murder, or will his ingrained sense of inadequacy and failure become his nemesis? Claiming the love and affection due him has left his family horribly exposed to treachery while he strives for a remedy.
Be prepared to enjoy Adam's twisted antics, weep compassionately for losses and cheer him on as he tries to discern when to keep his hands on the wheel of life and when to let the universe rule its outcome, a struggle we all encounter. The eggs are falling, scrambled into one basket, as the real sorting begins.
Sneak Peek
excerpted from
Chapter 46. Rage!
They didn't quite reach one of the back street corners where that might happen when two would-be muggers targeted Fred. After only a minute or two, the threat of assault accelerated to the point of sending Fred into a red rage and a fight broke out. Dolores cried out for help and the foursome heard the altercation from around the corner.
Margaret gasped. “That’s Dolores!”
John looked at Adam. “Did they say they were walking tonight?”
“No,” Adam answered, having already removed Grace’s hand from his arm and passed her his walking stick. “John, you can’t help if he’s raging. I’m going ahead. You bring the women!”
He didn't wait for a response as he broke into a run faster than any of them knew him capable of but it was fueled by adrenaline. John ran with Margaret and Grace at the ladies’ slower speed.
Fred had already head-stomped one of the muggers and left him knocked out cold when Adam rounded the corner and landed a neck-cut blow on him, causing him to stumble forward and release the second mugger he was busy pummeling. The mugger hobbled out of the way with blood pouring from his nose and mouth, holding one arm close to his chest with the opposite hand.
“Fred!” Adam shouted as Fred regained his step and began to lunge in his direction. His eyes burned with sheer madness and it was immediately obvious Fred had no idea what he was doing. Adam knew he’d run straight into the worst imaginable scenario. Fred had the highest adrenaline surge between them and there was no time to consider strategies. Instinct alone could bring the situation under control with minimal injuries, if that were even possible.
“You won’t get me this time!” Fred shrieked. It sounded like a war cry, as he brought one foot toward Adam’s abdomen and his opposite hand began slicing the air, headed for his neck. Instinctively, Adam arched his back and bowed out to one side, opening the space between them for Fred to careen through. Nevertheless, Fred managed a misplaced blow to the side of his face. Adam rotated quickly and grabbed Fred’s launching leg as it passed! Fred barreled over him, going to ground face-first, rolled instinctively and rebounded to his feet. He started to throw a punch at Adam’s face but it was a haymaker. Adam recognized what it was at the onset and dodged it effectively. He landed a hard fist into Fred’s abdomen, hoping to knock the wind out of him but he was overly concerned about Fred’s fragile ribcage and lessened the force. It raced through his mind that Fred had the psychological advantage of not realizing who he was fighting. Adam didn't know if he could keep his instinct to protect him from getting in the way.
When Fred wasn't winded by the punch, he took opportunity of the closer contact to grab Adam around the neck and wrestle him into a position where he could knee his testicles. If it was timed properly with a hard clout over the head, Adam knew it would knock him out. Fortunately for him, Fred’s healing arms weren't strong enough to hold the force of a full-bodied push upward and Adam broke free. He grabbed Fred in the process and pulled him down - they both fell and rolled toward each other.
In what seemed to take forever, they wrestled - each of them hunting for the dominant position. Fred managed to elbow Adam’s back quite a few times while Adam struggled for some way to subdue him without re-fracturing his ribs or arms. Fred’s nose was presenting a ghastly sight of blood and Adam could feel his body tiring. His heart was pounding and a dizzy sensation was beginning to set in. ‘Please God, give me the right move and willpower to do what I must!’ his mind screamed. Two maneuvers later, through which Adam’s body fully absorbed further blows he managed to break away. Fred tried to find his feet but Adam came down hard on him. He stepped into Fred’s back and sent him back to the ground on his stomach. Then he jumped on him, wrapped four fingers around his neck and placed the webbing between his thumb and index finger against his windpipe, pressing as hard as he could until Fred passed out from lack of oxygen.
He untied his own cravat (already half undone in the confrontation) and tied Fred’s hands behind his back, then rolled his body sideways, enough to remove his cravat and use it to bind his feet. Laying on the ground, he pulled Fred’s body half onto his own, to cradle him. A blend of sweat and tears streamed across his face while he worked to steady his breathing and slow his heart rate. The adrenaline that remained in his system started to plunge and he began to shiver on his way into shock.