I saw the dark promises in his eyes when he looked at me. But the shadows of my past haunted me, making me afraid to explore the possibilities I could never before have imagined. I want Krystina and I’ve accepted the inevitable. If I want to hold on to her, I must bear all and release the secrets in my past. I know the risks, but she’s worth it.

The Stone Series | Dakota Willink

When Ella's guests had scattered, Bea waved her over and introduced her to both Dr. Maurice Lefavreau and one of the museum's greatest benefactors. Even with her mental shields still up from interacting with the tour group, something about Stanley had slipped through Ella's defenses and convinced her that this was a man she'd much prefer to keep at the greatest possible distance in the future. Is everything all right out here? I thought I heard someone shout." Bea's voice was like a chorus from the heavens in Ella's ears. You know, that pleasant little scene never would have happened if you'd been doing your duty," she griped half-humorously to the silent guardian. "You're supposed to repel evil. Talk about lying down on the job." And that wasn't even considering what other things might happen here in this place full of history and artifacts. Old things, especially old things full of talent and beauty, held power of their own, and they could be destroyed if she was so weak as to lose control. If she couldn't hang on, those same things could feed the madness. But the shadows of my past haunted me, making me afraid to explore the possibilities I could never before have imagined.

Publication Order of The Stone Books

Frozen like a field mouse facing down a hungry fox, she stared into Stanley's handsome features and fought not to let the panic overwhelm her. This was another of the reasons why she worked so hard to keep people at a distance, because she could never tell when the slightest touch would rip open her senses and let the buffeting whirlwinds of the unnatural energy that surrounded her threaten to send her spinning into the eye of the storm. Well, well, aren't you a surprise, little Ella." His voice hissed in the darkness, soft and sharp and unctuous. "I never would have guessed you might have such … hidden depths, my dear. I see now that I'm going to have to get to know you a great deal better." I supposed every honeymoon period had an expiration date, and it seemed as if Alexander and I had reached the end of our bliss. But that didn’t mean I didn’t want to make her my wife.She exemplified the triskelion, representing my past, my present, and my future.Without her, I am nothing.

Heart of Stone (The Stone Series Book 1) eBook : Willink

Ella Harrow fully supported the notion that people with excessive amounts of money should donate large sums of it to worthy causes, and she counted her employer—the Vancouver Museum of Art and History—as among the worthiest. She just wished the donors would hand over the cash without wanting to talk to her first. I thought I knew the man I committed myself to, but more questions continue to arise. I don’t know if Alexander is who he says he is. In the Italian Alps at an ultra-exclusive ski resort that doubles as a casino, MI6 field agents Parker, Yang, and Bailey, supported by technician Rachel Stone, are tasked with extracting Mulvaney, an arms dealer who is there gambling on an actual in-session U.S. Marines combat operation being livestreamed. The mission quagmires when Yang is caught trying to sedate Mulvaney, prompting a gunfight. Parker manages to extract Mulvaney to a cable car, but the rest of the team sees Mulvaney's men beginning to assemble at the bottom of the mountain for an ambush. Everyone who caught a glimpse of it marveled at its condition, for nearly a millennium of exposure to the elements had smoothed away remarkably few of the details that made it such an impressive work of art. The museum's director had supposedly gloated for weeks after acquiring it a couple of years ago, and frankly, Ella couldn't blame him.No woman had ever affected me the way she did. She’s the sunshine in the darkness. The lightning to my thunder. All across the USA, people are showing up dead. The deaths don't appear to be connected in any way until one particular death occurs and gets the Secretary of Defense's attention. He arranges for a task force to investigate. Stanley gripped her around her left upper arm and her throat, leaving her right hand conveniently free. She knew attempting to break his grip would be impossible; he was a good seven inches taller and fifty pounds heavier than she was, but her maneuver of choice wouldn't require strength, just accuracy and the element of surprise. The assistant museum director raised her eyebrows and pursed her lips. "The two of you certainly startled me," she said. "I knew you were out here, of course, Ella, but I was afraid you might have hurt yourself."