Krista Ritchie - Hothouse Flower

“Does it remind you of that night?” she asks. “I’ve always wondered…if those bad memories return when you see the scar.”

I can feel my features darkening, my face turning to stone. “No.”

“You don’t have to lie. It’s okay.” She flushes, hot with anxiety.

“I’m not.” I don’t have any fucking flashes of that night when I look at her cheek.

“Then what does it remind you of?”

I comb her hair off her forehead, and I turn her head towards me so I can see her scar fully. And my lips start to rise as the answer hits me. “It reminds me of all the reasons why I fucking love you.” I trace the edge by her temple. “You’re wild and daring and so fucking crazy.” It fits her feral nature—as odd as that fucking seems. I lean down and whisper in her ear, “I am proud to have you, Dais. Just like this .”

My lips meet hers roughly, my body driving forward against Daisy’s with every deep kiss.

When I part once, I run my fingers through her chopped blonde hair, and I breathe against her ear, “I want to hear you fucking roar, Calloway.”

Her smile overtakes her face. And I stare right into her green eyes, ones that I will look into for so many more fucking years.

To our family—you’re all crazy in your own right, and we love you for it. Thanks for being the best rock to lean on.

Thanks to our daring older brother, who inspired one of the biggest events in this book. You are beyond fearless, and we admire your courage more than you know.

Big thanks to two of the sweetest fans, who’ve been a tremendous force behind the series: Jenn and Ate Lanie. You girls—your love for our work means so much to us. No words can thank you for the support. And thank you, Sue! You’ve been reading our books from nearly the very start. We can’t think of someone who loves Ryke & Daisy more, and we constantly thought of you while writing this one.

Thanks to Nieku, for more kickass French translations and being there on such short notice. You’re an amazing friend!

And lastly but most importantly, we want to thank all of our fans. Even saying we have any has been a dream. But if it wasn’t for all of you, this book would have never been written. These characters would have never come to life. And these stories would have never been told. Not to this extent.

Your love for this series is what keeps it going.

Stay wild.