Running Scared

Billionaire's Secret Baby #2

by S. Cinders

Fasten your seatbelts for a wild ride...Shay is in trouble again... but this time it's not with the law. After attempting to make amends with her former best friend, Shay is kidnapped off the streets of Manhattan. Her captor is the last person she expected. Will Jennings had been a childhood friend from Deepwater, TN. Now, he is a highly skilled assassin with ties to the mob, and currently, the one holding her hostage.Jennings traded his innocence long ago to pay his mother's medical bills. They say the mob is like family but for Jennings they literally are. When he gets the hit on Shay Montgomery he can't imagine it's the same sweet girl he grew up with.Now he will do anything in his power to protect her from the evil that is just a step behind them. But the more they are together the old feelings begin to smolder and the spark becomes a flame.Running Scared is a Bad Boy Action-Adventure Romance with a guaranteed HEA-no cliffhangers. This full-length novel is a contemporary romance but has elements of a thriller as well. Running Scared is book #2 in The Billionaire's Baby Series and can be read standalone. However many of the same characters are in book #1 Special Delivery. Adult Content, language and sexual situations.

114 pages, ebook

Published July 2, 2018

About the author

S. CINDERS is a USA TODAY Best Selling Author of sci-fi romance, historical romance, new adult romance, fractured fairy tales, to paranormal romance. S. CINDERS lives in the Midwest with her husband and two teenage sons who keep her on her toes. Known as the naughty romance author, you will remember her for her banter and engaging characters. Once you start, you won't want to stop!

Where you can find S. CINDERS?
https://linktr.ee/scindersauthor
*Visit the link and grab your FREE BOOK*

Reviews

[Coco.V]

🎁 FREE on Amazon today (5/29/2020)! 🎁

[D · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the sequel to Special Delivery, and is Shays story. It grabs you from the beginning and keeps you sucked in till the end. I really enjoyed this one. It had just enough of all the elements to keep it interesting all the way thru.

[Rhonda Hicks · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was excited to receive this ARC from Booksprout for my honest review because I'm never disappointed in a book from S. Cinders. This is book 2 of The Billionaire's Baby Series.
Shay Montgomery use to be Mandy's best friend back in the day. Actually, it was because of her that Mandy met her husband Elliot, the man of her dreams at a party she was catering and convinced Mandy to help. (You should remember that part from book 1 of The Billionaire's Baby, Special Delivery) The only problem? She's stolen money from friends and family, had sex with men for drug money, treated her best friend Many like crap and pushed her away, and worst of all, she slept with Mandy's sister Kim's husband who also happened to be her drug dealer, who in turn killed Mandy & Kim's parents cause they couldn't pay him the money they owed him. She's a hot mess, right?!? Luckily the police picked her and she went to jail for almost a year. Now she's clean, sober and in a twelve step program. Talk about life kicking you in the butt. On the day she arranged to meet Mandy and apologize for all she had put her through, Mandy and Elliott didn't want to hear it and told her to never contact them again. She's no more than walked out of the café, dialed her roommate, and was kidnapped and thrown in a van.
Will Jennings was from Deepwater, Tennessee, same as Shay. He had lived in the trailer park with his mom. That was many years ago when his Uncle Scotty offered him work to pay his mom's medical bills. Now Scotty is retired and Will is a paid hitman in charge of a group of highly trained snipers. He goes by Jennings, is considered sexy beyond belief, has muscles on muscles, and is mean as hell. No feelings, get the job done and get out. That was fine until a new hire approached with a job he wanted done for his cousin who had ties to the mafia. Turned out to be Shay Montgomery and she had stepped on someone's toes.
If you know anything about S. Cinders writing, then you know there is an HEA in the wings but not before the ups and downs, the angst or the passionate awakenings. She will also bring you a side story that will keep you enthralled as well.

[Emma · Rating 5 out of 5]

An extraordinary, exciting and thrilling tale of Shay Montgomery and her pursuit to free herself from the chains of drug addiction. She wants to recover her life her sanity and make amends to all that she can, those who will let her. She tries to follow the teaching of the twelve steps she learned while she was in jail for possession. She struggles with difficulty, opposition and adversity. When she is in the throws of temptation, she battles on. The day she tried to apologize to ameliorate to her former best friend Mandy, Shay was rejected. After her meeting with Mandy she was kidnapped. Terrified and alone she has no idea what was going on or why she was brutally abducted. Will Jennings a high school friend of Shay, has always wished Shay was his. However he now lives a life as a contract killer. He answers tp know one, has his own crew and they are loyal to him. He received the contract to erase all evidence of her existence by any means necessary. He fondly remembers her and decides to protect her. In order to do that he needed her with him. He explains all this to Shay and asks her who would want her dead. He asks to go back several years to discern who was in her life. She did not want to relive her ugly past. She could barely get the words out of her mouth. She was so ashamed and felt incredible guilty. She did not want to expose herself to Will. But for her own sake and life she did. Will contemplated all this to try to sort through and pear down her list. He had to find out who wanted her eliminated and why. Shay was more attracted to Will than she was in high school. She did not hide that fact from Will. He reciprocated in kind. The closer Will got to the answers that eluded him, it also brought more danger to him and to Shay. Forced to leave the country after an attempt on shay's life, Will turned to his cousin in Italy. Julio warmly welcomed his cousin and his guests. Julio was told ahead of time what the situation was. Julio was a personable man but he was also a very dangerous one. Shay started to realize that Julio must be involved with the Italian mafia. Julio had guards and sentries surrounding and guarding his home. Will knew they would be very safe there. It would give him much needed time to unravel the mess Shay was in. The more Will was around Shay, the more they could not deny their attraction to each other. They began a romance. Will told her when all this was over, that they would go their separate ways. Shay was heartbroken. Now that Shay suspected that it could be Emma, a former roommate who associated with morally reprehensible men. Now she was distraught thinking of how she could protect Mandy and her family. Mandy and Emma did not like each other. However there was a huge difference between them. Mandy always was good, kind and fair. Emma was deceitful, evil and self centered. When Mandy and her family appeared at Julio's home, she found out that Will had thrown they a life line for her sake. Mandy and her family accepted it with suspicion and reluctance. There was no truce for Shay. But Mandy did thank her for the protection she offered. After several weeks of reconnaissance by Will's team, Shay's assailant found her and kidnapped her. Will thought he would go mad with fear. This was an unfamiliar feeling for him. He, Julio and their men started to track the assailants down. In the meantime Shay was in some kind of dim, cold warehouse. Here she finally found out who was behind the hit on her and why. OH this gets sooo good. This is a must read. I highly recommend it. I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[LMR · Rating 4 out of 5]

Running Scared: Sequel to Special Delivery (The Billionaire's Baby Book 2) By: S. Cinders
How Far Will He Go To Keep Her Alive?!
12 Steps...
That's her Mantra... It's what's keeping her sanity, & helping her work her way back from the Abyss...
She's messed up Sooo many things in life, & she's trying to make amends, but it's so very hard; if ONLY she'd have known before becoming addicted what she'd face...
Now, she's facing other obstacles... kidnapping, attempted assassination, & Ohhh, lets see... it seems everyone wants her DEAD...
How's a gal supposed to make restitution with ALL this going on?!
12 Freaking STEPS...
That's her Mantra... BUT it seems nobody wants her to live by it!
Wow! I just LOVE S. Cinders' writing. She's an amazing storyteller, no matter what she's writing. I daresay there's always a plethora of intriguing material that'll keep you coming back & reading & rereading her books, especially "Running Scared," for years to come. It's definitely a must have, One-Click addition for your library.
I was gifted an ARC of "Running Scared: Sequel to Special Delivery (The Billionaire's Baby Book 2)" by S. Cinders via Booksprout; I LOVE being on her insider's Team... & I especially love what she's doing with her stories, especially her fairytales. I thoroughly enjoyed this book; therefore, I'm gladly recommending it based upon its own merits... I'm definitely going to be be looking for more, More, MORE of this author's work in the future. All opinions expressed within this review are uniquely my own & freely given!
Until next time... Happy Reading!

[Helgaleena Healingline · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's twelve steps to love, at a run.

Though this is a sequel, the past bad choices she's made are what put her where she is. Shay thinks that getting her former best friend to forgive her is a step toward her new, addiction free life, but even that seems to go wrong. Little does she know that she has far bigger troubles waiting to take her very life, and she'll have to go even further back into her past for the real second chance..

It seems her very worst wrong choice was to leave behind the gorgeous trailer park kid who had a crush on her in high school. Even then, she couldn't see that love and happiness are what she truly deserves. Twelve steps to self-esteem are just waiting, and due to hidden enemies they are urgent!

Cinders loves to put in extra Happily ever afters, and this time it's two of 'Prince Charming's' helpers, who have been fooling each other about how much they care since they were both children. The theme for both romances is that the truth will set you free, and the truth is that we all deserve true love.

You might not expect this from a shoot-em-up underworld story sprinkled with plenty of danger, but Cinders makes it so!

I received this book from Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Clara Atkinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Redemption, forgiveness, hope and love

Running Scared: Sequel to Special Delivery
By S. Cinders

This is a standalone but to truly understand the dynamics between of the storyline you really need to read Special Delivery first. There you will learn the backstory of Shay, Mandy and other key players.
Shay has spent the last year in prison for drugs where she finally gets clean. She is in the 12 step program and trying to apologize to her former bestfriend Mandy and her husband but when they see her they want nothing to with her or her apologies. Shaken she walks out of the diner only to get kidnapped.
William Jennings is a top of the line hitman who was given a name but not any name it's the name of the girl he had a crush on in high school. He kidnapped her to save her until he can discover who is actually after her.
Her story is one of redemption, forgiveness, understanding, patience, hope and love. The secondary characters were key to the overall success and flow of the storyline. We did get an update on Mandy and Elliot's life but never found out about her sister Kim and Nate.
It was a relatively quick read a couple hours at most but very enjoyable.
Five ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

[Debra Richardson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, what a story! At first I was not interested in Shay’s story after she was such as awful friend to Mandy in book 1 “Special Delivery” and I really hated her; but I decided to read it because of S. Cinders writing style and how much I enjoyed book 1. This book took me on a roller coaster of emotions and understanding as it showed us how bad decisions are made when drugs and bad influences are involved. It is well written; the plot is gripping, well-developed, and consistent. The characters including the side characters are just wonderful and added so much substance to this story. Shay and Will together is the perfect couple. Shay was taking steps to making amends and Will re-entered her life at just the right time to save her from an assassination; and with his support and strength, together they found their HEA. Now I am so happy I took the time to read this book. Looking forward to reading more from this author. I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Marilyn Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shay just got out of prison for a year for drug possession and theft. She had done awful things to her friends by sleeping with their husbands. Now she’s clean and doing the twelve step and wanting to apologize to her former best friend Mandy and is denied. When she’s on the sidewalk she’s thrown into a van. She’s shocked to see it’s an old friend from high school, Will. He tells her he’s working with the Mafia and is a hitman and that a hits been put on her. They try to figure out who’s behind it but decide to go to his cousins estate in Italy to hide out. They get involved while trying to figure out put the hit on her. Will has Mandy and her family brought to Italy to keep them safe but she will not forgive her. Then Shay gets taken and comes face to face with the person who wants her dead! Will Will find her in time?

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this book. It's a great book to read if you need something to fill a couple hours. The is story fast paced and well written. The characters are dynamic and as a reader you can feel for them and see their growth. I like how the chapters are set up; it enhances the growth of the main character and is a really smart way to track her growth through the book. The male lead is also shown to grow in ways that match how the female lead does, but obviously that growth is demonstrated and measured differently. They are a really well matched pair in terms of writing and development.

I would definitely recommend this to people who want a summer read, but also those who know what they want in a book and it matches this book. It's not for those who mind very steamy, and graphic, reads.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Joy Boutwell · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is Shay's story and it turned out really good. The writing for this book is much better then it was in Special Delivery. The story flows and the chapters state who is talking, flashbacks are in italics and the steps to the 12 step program are listed at the beginning of some chapters and explains what it is and helps you understand more what is going on in that chapter.
Shay is in trouble again and gets kidnapped after trying to make amends with her former friend Mandy. One of the voices sounds familiar to her but it isn't until the next morning she finds out that it is her old childhood friend Will. Will gets a hit on Shay and takes it to protect her. From here the story takes you on a wild adventure of twists, turns and drama that keeps you on the edge of your seat, with characters from Special Delivery returning.
The ending closed the book out perfect.

[Renee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I would have to say it takes a really good writer to take a villain and make her someone that we could love. There was no glossing over her bad deeds, no making excuses for all she had done. They were there, written out for all the world to see. Even more than what had been in the previous book. But we also got to see her reaching out to right her wrongs, to make steps to find absolution but never down playing what she did wrong. It really made me respect her as a character and was a huge reminder that, even though someone could do terrible things, they can change. I think the hardest part for Shay was learning to forgive herself. I loved that she got her HEA and that she deserved it.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Vivian Chrisman · Rating 5 out of 5]

12 Step......

Shay is a recovering addict trying to work thru her 12 step program. Forgiveness from the ones she wronged is going to be a tough one probably as tough as forgiving herself. Being kidnapped an finding out someone wants her dead isn't going to help her any. Will has had a "thing" for Shay since school. Finding out someone took a contract out on her sets off all his protective instincts...ones a hired assassin shouldn't have. Will he be able to protect Shay? After reading this story, I'm glad I hadn't read book one first. I don't think I could have liked Shay if I had. I do plan on reading it now.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Demetra · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is Shay's book. If you have read "Special Delivery", then you don't have the best opinion about her. Trust me, I didn't too, but this book changed my mind.

Shay has been through drug addiction and a year in prison and now she's trying to make amends with all the people she hurt. However, she finds herself kidnapped by a man she used to know, Will. He went to the same high-school as her and used to follow her around. Now Will is not the same boy; he's sexy as hell and a hitman!

This was a really interesting book, both sexy and sweet. I loved how Will changed from cold to sweet and caring when he was with Shay! Gina and Marco's story was a nice addition and I really liked both of them. The ending was perfect and I was really happy that everyone got their happily-ever-after!!

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Even villains can change and earn a Happy Ever After

I like that Shay gets a redemption story after causing so much pain and chaos for others--and she has done A LOT of horrible things to people, including those closest to her. It's also a second chance at real love and happiness. Shay and Will have a lot of baggage. Both have changed since they were friends growing up in Tennessee. Will has been hired to kill Shay. Awkward. There's lots of heated tension between Will and Shay, especially in the beginning, and they get closer as Will tries to unravel who wants her dead and why.

The characters are appealing, but there are some inconsistencies and plot holes that can be helped with extra editing. Not only is there a second chance HEA for Will and Shay, but there are also satisfying resolutions to Shay’s past misdeeds.

[Debbie Caswell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shay is a recovering drug addict she cleaned up while in jail and now lives her life by the twelve steps. One of those steps apologise for the harm you did. When she goes to apologise to an ex friend named Mandy her life takes a bad twist she is kidnapped. Will Jennings grew up in the same small town as Shay but in an effort to pay his mother's medical bills he became a contract killer, now he is the boss of a small team and they hav been given a contract by the mafia and their target is Shay. Will he kill her or will he succumb to passion.

As in all S Cinders books there will be drama and suspense before we finally get that HEA we are looking for

[Darlene · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the men in this story. Mandy seems to have grown up from being timid due to her abusive past. Not much was mentioned of Kim and Nate. This book centers around Shay, Mandy's former best friend who is kidnapped by her high school friend Will to save her life. Emma has lied to her boyfriend and he put a hit out on Shay. Shay and Will fall in love he retires from being a hit man and they have a baby. Gina and Marco are also hitmen they admit they love each other and have a baby. Great drama great dialogue. I loved it.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Courtney · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a darker book, but I enjoyed it. I think it portrayed the struggles an addict has to get themselves on the right path, but also the struggle in keeping them there. It was well written and easy to read.
*spolier*
Shay is 'kidnapped' while leaving a coffee shop, but it turns out to be what saves her. Will is a hired killer, but when Shay's file comes across his desk, he knows he cannot kill her. He has loved Shay from when they were younger. His kidnapping her to bring her to safety, it is the beginning of a life changing journey for both of them that ends in a happily ever after.

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Patricia Hoffstaetter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow, it was a pleasure to read this wonderful, well-written intriguing mafia/hitman romance.
What you will find in this book is: intrigue, drama, suspense, twists & turns, adventure, action, enemies, suspicions, reluctance, abduction, fear, threats, attempted assassination, love and romance. The story-line and plot is well thought out and written, it keeps the reader’s attention. The characters are well developed with individual personalities and react with realistic emotions according to the situations they find themselves in. I would really recommend this book.
“I received a complimentary copy from Booksprout so I give my honest opinion”

[Mary Burgess · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had only read the fairytale “retells” by this author previously. I have always been impressed by her work and this Mafia-style book also impressed me. It is told in the POV of the four main characters. These characters all have a tragic past and are currently involved in less than scrupulous activities. However the hearts of all those involved are basically good, resulting in a HEA ending. Excellent read!

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Karen L Ledee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Shay has been through the wringer with drug addiction, stealing, cheating, lying....and one year in prison. She has gotten clean in prison and is in the 12 step program trying to get her life in order when she is suddenly kidnapped off of the street. Will is trying to protect her when he gets wind of a hit on her. Her former friend is the girlfriend of a powerful man and goads him into calling for the hit. Will takes her out of the country to Italy where he has family. There is confusion, suspense and a love story.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book

[LeMiliere · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a short quick read and, in my opinion, you really do need to have read Special Deliver to fully enjoy this book but if you just want to start with this one the author has written it in such a way that you can read it as a standalone. That said this book is well written and moves along at a fast pace. The characters are well defined, and the book does hold an element of suspense it is not just a love story, although the chemistry and feelings between the two leads are very well done. I for one enjoyed it.

[Robyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shay has just spent a year in prison for drugs. While there she has stopped doing drugs and she is working on a 12 step program and is apologising to the people she has hurt. Then she is kidnapped off the street. It turns out that a contract has been made for her murder. However, the person who took the contract was a friend from school, and intends to protect Shay. Will and Shay have to survive the murder attempts and work out who wanted her dead and why.

A good read.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[T · Rating 5 out of 5]

This books has a lot of emotion in it. I absolutely loved the fact that Shay wasn't a perfect person and was learning from her mistakes...sometimes the hard way and sometimes a little less hard. Okay, granted, Will wasn't perfect either, but he didn't come with that type of baggage.
A good read...hard, but good.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Lynn Stifle · Rating 5 out of 5]

S Cinders did it again!!! I devoured this book from the first word to the very last I was hooked. S Cinders has a way of drawing you in that keeps you captivated and waiting to see what happens next. The connection between Shay and Will is dynamic!! Everything about this book from the characters, the storyline, and the writing were phenomenal and I would highly recommend this book.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Nan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Running Scared is a wonderfully emotional ride of a story. Shay is haunted by her past as an addict and doing everything she can to atone for what she’s done while also staying sober. Will believes that his heart stopped being able to feel long ago. When the pair meets for the first time since high school everything gets very interesting. I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have read Special delivery so was glad that the sequel has come out and I was given an opportunity to read it early. I really enjoyed reading this book. I do really enjoy mafia romance bad boy books there is something so fun about reading them. There is a lot of suspense, thrill and so much more that mores for a very compelling read.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Cathy Jackson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this series by S. Cinders. Running Scared was captivating and very emotional. It was an excellent read you won't be disappointed.

Shay is a recovering addict who is a likeable person is spite of her bad choices. Will knew Shay when they were in high school is trying to protect her. What will happen when a hit is issued on her? Will he kill her or will he succumb to passion.

I couldn't put my Kindle down!

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked this book! Fantastic storyline and great characters. I highly recommend this book, I liked the quirkiness of the main character, through everything she remained strong while still dealing with her demons. If this the Sequel to Special Delivery, then I need to find and read the prequel to this book!

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this intriguing story! I loved the suspense, romance, story-line and characters in this quick read! The story captivates you from the very beginning and keeps you there until the very end. I really enjoyed the chemistry and relationship development between Shay and Will. There is a lot going on in this story but I thought the author did a good job with the story.

*I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book.*