Untamed (Thoughtless #4)
S.C. Stephens
Acknowledgments
Aside from Kellan Kyle, Griffin has to be my favorite D-Bag. Everything he does makes me laugh. But what I really love the most about him is the growth he’s had over the course of the series. Finding a way to continue that growth for him was tricky, but I think UNTAMED accomplishes that, and I’m very proud of his journey.
This book would not have been possible without the love and support of my readers. Thank you for being so patient with me! I know my books take a while to get to you, but I hope you find them worth the wait. Each one represents countless hours, numerous doubts and fears, and more than a few tears. Writing is not an easy profession, but seeing the final product and hearing your praise and encouragement makes all the blood, sweat, and carpal tunnel worth it.
I would like to thank all the authors who have supported me. For this being such a competitive business, I’ve never felt anything but encouraged by my peers. To K. A. Linde—my friend, my sounding board, and my rock—I adore you! To Nicky Charles—the reason I self-published in the first place—I can’t thank you enough for showing me the ropes. To Jenn Sterling and Rebecca Donovan—the two of you are bright spots in my day. Thank you so much for your endless sweetness! To Katy Evans—your tweets and retweets always make me smile. Thank you for sharing me with your fans! To K. Bromberg—my release-day buddy! You have such a beautiful soul. Thank you for sharing your day with me in such a kind and generous way. To Sunniva Dee, Danielle Jamie, Alexa Keith, Alex Rose, and more—thank you for sharing your stories, your excitement, and your support! And much love to the authors who move and inspire me—Jillian Dodd, C. J. Roberts, Kristen Proby, Tara Sivec, Nicole Williams, Tarryn Fisher, T. Gephart, Katie Ashley, Karina Halle, Christina Lauren, Colleen Hoover, Abbi Glines, Jamie McGuire, A. L. Jackson, Tammara Webber, Emma Chase, Kyra Davis, Kim Karr, Claire Contreras, Cora Carmack, and so many more!
A huge heartfelt thank you to the bloggers who have endlessly supported me—Totally Booked Blog, Flirty and Dirty Book Blog, Fictional Boyfriends, Schmexy Girl Book Blog, Three Chicks and Their Books, The Rock Stars of Romance, Shh Mom’s Reading, Kayla the Bibliophile, Maryse’s Book Blog, Brandee’s Book Endings, Martini Times Romance, The Autumn Review, SubClub Books, Sammie’s Book Club, Lori’s Book Blog, The Book Enthusiast, Bookish Temptations, Verna Loves Books, The Book Bar, A Literary Perusal, We Like It Big Book Blog, Bare Naked Words, Fictional Men’s Page, Love N. Books, Vilma’s Book Blog, Southern Belle Book Blog, Kindle Crack, One Click Bliss, Kricket’s Chirps, Perusing Princesses, Talkbooks Blog, BJ’s Book Blog, Nancy’s Romance Reads, Literary Gossip, and many, many, many more!
Much love to the tweeters and posters who make going online so entertaining—Janet, Shelley, Christine, Sue, Simmi, SL, Jamie, Bianca, Jane, Jasmin, Tam, Deb, Keisha, Tiffany, Joanne, Katie, Ellen, Denise, Erin, Natalie, Lisa, Charleen, Nicky, LJ, Nic, Sharon, AM, Laayna, Christy, Liis, Glorya, Gerb, Chelcie, Sam, and way too many more to name! Your frequent messages warm my heart, make me laugh, and lift my spirits!
To all the Thoughtless support groups and fan pages out there—just knowing these exist is surreal. Thank you for all the time, effort, and passion that you pour into your pages!
I cannot fully express my thanks to my agent, Kristyn Keene of ICM Partners—your help and guidance on this book were invaluable! As were the numerous pep talks and words of encouragement that you shared over the last year. There were times when I sorely needed the boost! Many thanks to my amazing Forever/Grand Central Publishing family—Beth deGuzman, Marissa Sangiacomo, Julie Paulauski, and Jamie Snider. You’ve all made me feel so loved and welcome! And a special thank-you to Megha Parekh, for your mad editing skills!
And lastly, much love to my friends and family for their endless patience. Especially when a deadline has me scrambling out the door, canceling at the last minute, or locked in my office all night. So sorry!! And to my kids…you have no idea how much I love you…but please stop screaming at the top of your lungs, or coming up to me and saying, “Mom, hey Mom…hi,” when I’m trying to finish a scene. Just kidding. I will always make time for you. ?
Chapter 1
There Is No Cure for Awesome
I wasn’t one to brag, but I had a good life. Screw that. I was one to brag and I was going to do it as often and as loudly as I could, because I had the greatest f*cking life in all the history of great lives. Not many people could boast like I could boast. Not many people were in the most successful band in the world. Just me. Oh, and my bandmates. I guess. Whatever.
And in thirteen days, eighteen hours, thirty-two minutes, I was going to be on the road again. The summer tour for the D-Bags’ second number-one album was coming up fast, and I was itching to get started. I’d waited in the background long enough, been playing an instrument that had been assigned to me long enough. This tour, everything was going to change. It was my time to play lead guitar, my moment to shine in the spotlight. I was going to rule that f*cking stage, and no one was going to stop me.
When I first joined the D-Bags a few years ago, I had been under the completely logical assumption that once my overall awesomeness was known, I would replace my cousin as the lead guitarist; I’d even told the guys as much when we’d officially formed the band. And even though Matt had agreed with me, telling me, “Whatever you say, Griffin,” the band had yet to give me a shot at being the musical star. They’d shoved me in the bassist position and then left me there. I belonged front and center—lead guitarist was practically tattooed on my forehead! All the guys knew it, and whenever I brought up the fact that Matt and I should switch instruments, they blew off my request with ridiculous comments like, “Matt has more talent.” Whatever. My left nut had more talent than Matt; he wished he was as awesome as me. The guys were all just worried that they’d be forgotten if I was really given a chance to shine. Well, f*ck that. I didn’t plan on staying in the shadows for long. Nobody put the Hulk in the corner. Nobody.