Free to Judge (Amaryllis Heritage) a passionate and thrilling, enemies-to-friends-to-lovers, mafia romance standalone by Tracey Jerald Cover Reveal & Giveaway
FREE TO JUDGE
Amaryllis Heritage #2
by Tracey Jerald
Cover & Excerpt Reveal
Release Date: July 16, 2025
Model & Discreet Cover Design: Deborah Bradseth
Model Photographer: Wander Aguiar Photography
Model: Chris C.
Genre: Mafia Romance Standalone
Tropes: Enemies-to-friends-to-lovers, romantic suspense, she falls first/he falls harder, touch her and die
, kidnapped, secret identity, found family
Synopsis
When a corporate lawyer doesn't pull her punches publicly, a mob defense attorney has her arrested.
Yet, in private, he only wants to offer her his protection.
Kalie Marshall's greatest strength isn't her Harvard Law degree or her determination, which won her eternal
athletic glory. No, it's her loyalty to her beloved family.
That's why she's astonished when they stand back as she's arrested after standing up to Declan Conian,
the gorgeous mob lawyer she confronted head-on.
But it's not their first encounter, though no one but them knows that.
It doesn't take long for Kalie to discover that Declan isn't just a cold and indifferent man who looks delicious
in his custom suits. He's as passionate as she is about uncovering the truth.
Right now, the truth includes exposing past secrets that touch both their lives. Secrets that now place Kalie
in harm's way.
As they quickly go from enemies to confidants to more, Kalie can't imagine a future without Declan.
But will Declan be lost to the darkness, or will Kalie even be able to judge their relationship when the
time comes?
Add to your TBR List!
Excerpt
Kalie
“You may be able to snap your fingers and have people’s sentences set aside in a second. You may be able
to dictate law and order between chop houses, strip clubs, bodegas or whatever the hell else the Byrnes and
Tiberis have you drafting up legal documentation for this week, but you don’t get to control me.
Nor do you get a say when it pertains to my family.”
He sends an infuriated glare in my direction before wearing a path back and forth in my carpet.
“You don’t know who your father’s dealing with.”
“He explained it to me.”
Ignoring my response, he plows on, “The minute your mother starts asking questions, the moment anyone
in your family does—”
“They’re smarter than that. I’m smarter than that. I’m so smart,” I sneer, “I’ve known you for a few days,
and I can already see this is eating you from the inside out.”
He recoils back as if I’ve struck him. “You can?”
“Yes!”
He walks over to my couch and grabs a pillow. Holding it to his face, he screams into it, releasing days,
months, years of fury. When he finally pulls it away, his face is awash with tears. I approach him,
but he steps back. “No.”
I refuse to let him wound me. “Then walk away, Declan. Walk away from me if you don’t want me to care.
But it’s too late for that.”
He completely misunderstands. “You’re damn right I want to get away from them! They’re a bunch of
murdering assholes!“
“You don’t want them near me?” Before he can say anything else, I hold up my hand and inform him,
“My father told me everything.”
He freezes mid-pace. His head turns slowly, as if it’s about to start spiraling in counter-clockwise like The Exorcist. “Everything? Including about your…”
I lift a finger to his lips and nod.
His shoulders slump in defeat.
Stepping back, I clench my fingers behind my head. “I’m giving you some grace. Despite knowing some
of my family, you don’t know all of us.”
“I know enough from the stories I’ve heard.”
I cut him off. “You don’t get it. If the family finds out I knew and didn’t say anything, they’ll never forgive
me. That’s not who we are. We shoulder burdens together.”
He let out a shaky exhale. “This isn’t just about your family. This is about drawing a line with people
who don’t care who they burn to keep their empire intact.”
My voice doesn’t waver. “Then this time, we’ll be ready if they do. But this time we won’t be blindsided,
and we’ll have people we trust at our backs.”
He stares deep into my eyes, then finally admits, “I don’t know how to protect you from this.”
“You don’t have to,” I whisper, my throat tight. “That’s not your job.”
He steps closer, our bodies brushing against one another. “Then why does it feel like it is?”
I don’t back away. Neither does he. Silence stretches between again, heavy and thick. When Declan finally
speaks, his voice is like gravel—worn down, stripped bare. “Why am I dreaming of you?”
His words cause my lips to part on a gasp. But he’s not done. “I dream of you, and when I do, for the first
time in years, I sleep.”
My chest feels like it does when I’m entering the stadium after a medal race—like I’m sucking in air because
I’m in an emotional chokehold. I can’t say anything because I’m afraid anything I’ll say will be wrong.
He lifts his hand and brushes his fingers against my cheek. “If you got hurt…”
“I won’t.”
“You don’t know that.” His voice rasps against my nerve endings. He shakes his head, “The man I’ve needed
to become isn’t worthy of someone like you.”
“Isn’t that for me to decide?”
His fingers tangle in my hair even as his eyes bore into mine. In them I see regret, guilt, want.
Then, his lids droop and when he lifts his gaze to mine, there’s something else there.
Surrender.
I lift my chin, my pulse hammering and lay my free hand against his chest. “Declan. Are you yelling at me
because you’re angry or because you’re scared?”
“Both,” he rasps. His hands slide out of my hair before they come up to cup my face. His fingers brush
under my cheekbones until they rest gently against my jaw.
I lean in. Our breath mingles together.
“You’re not the only one scared.
With that admission, he slides one hand into my hair and wraps the other around my waist. Pulling me up,
he stares deep into my eyes as his head dips. My heart goes into overdrive. My breathing becomes ragged
as I determine if he wants this—me.
When his lips touch mine, I willingly accept them. It isn’t soft. It isn’t slow. It’s raw, desperate, and
consuming. It’s every emotion Declan’s been holding inside. They reveal the inner storm that Declan has
been fighting. His lips are proof that the gods want us to absorb the strength of lightning and thunder and
remain standing.
Pre-order Link
Amazon Universal ~ https://geni.us/FreetoJudgePL
Giveaway
One of Five eARC's for Free to Judge
a Rafflecopter Giveaway
FREE TO FALL
Amaryllis Heritage #1
Available Now
About the Author
Tracey Jerald knew she was meant to be a writer when she would re-write the ending of books in her head on
her bike when she was a young girl growing up in southern Connecticut. It wasn’t long before she was typing
alternate endings and extended epilogues “just for fun”.
After college in Florida, where she obtained a degree in Criminal Justice swearing she saw things she’ll never
quite believe and never quite forget, Tracey traded the world of law and order for IT.
Her work for a world-wide internet startup transferred her to Northern Virginia where she met her husband in
what many call their own happily ever after. They have one son.
When she’s not busy with her family or writing, Tracey can be found in her home in north Florida drinking
coffee, reading, training for a runDisney event, or feeding her addiction to HGTV.
Connect with Tracey
Website: https://www.traceyjerald.com/
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