Collateral Damage Series by Candice M. Wright

I left home at eighteen with nothing but the clothes on my back and the bruises on my face.I worked hard to build a life I was proud of until a simple case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time ripped my world apart.With my conscience buried in a wooden box beside my wife and daughter, a beast rose from within.One that fed on the guilty and sated its thirst for vengeance by killing everyone I held responsible... moreI left home at eighteen with nothing but the clothes on my back and the bruises on my face.I worked hard to build a life I was proud of until a simple case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time ripped my world apart.With my conscience buried in a wooden box beside my wife and daughter, a beast rose from within.One that fed on the guilty and sated its thirst for vengeance by killing everyone I held responsible.Over a decade later, when the dust had settled, and all that remains are the ghosts that haunt me, a scared little girl, whose dark history could rival mine, worms her way into my life and my home.I’m her protector, she’s my ward, but she’s so much more than just that.She’s my redemption, my salvation, my chance to atone for the blood I’d spilled.Yet she also tempts the beast within, and after a stolen moment, I’m left with the taste of sin on my lips and a craving for something far sweeter than forgiveness.Tainted Oaths is book one in the Collateral Damage series. It can be read as a standalone; however, it is set in the same world as both Ricochet and my Underestimated series, meaning there are a lot of crossovers with existing characters.Triggers: This book contains scenes of violence, adult language, and sexual situations that require the reader to be 18 or over. less

My parents raised me to believe in magic.They showered me with love and told me tales of unicorns and princessesWhat they should have done is warn me about monsters.I wanted the fairytaleAnd for one perfect moment, I thought I had itBut that was before my husband became a monsterBefore he hurt me, before he hurt othersAnd then he diedLeaving me defenseless amid the chaos he created. Escaping my cage with broken wings just left me vulnerable to predatorsMy innocence didn’t matter... moreMy parents raised me to believe in magic.They showered me with love and told me tales of unicorns and princessesWhat they should have done is warn me about monsters.I wanted the fairytaleAnd for one perfect moment, I thought I had itBut that was before my husband became a monsterBefore he hurt me, before he hurt othersAnd then he diedLeaving me defenseless amid the chaos he created. Escaping my cage with broken wings just left me vulnerable to predatorsMy innocence didn’t matter. Nobody cared that I had paid for my mistakes with blood, scars, and broken bones.I was guilty by association, and somebody had to be held accountableAfter all, every fairytale needs a villain; I just didn’t expect it to be me.Now with nowhere else to go, I hide with the one person who can keep me safe.They say that the enemy of my enemy is my friend.So why do I feel like I survived a monster only to end up in the arms of the devil himself?Triggers: This book contains scenes of violence, adult language, and sexual situations that require the reader to be 18 or over. less